MARKUS X'S POV

The heat of the Desert was practically unbearable for any normal human being. Fortunately for myself, though, I was wearing armor that, even in these blowtorch-like temperatures, caused me to feel like I was playing in the snow wearing just my undies. Letting the helmet's frontpiece retract into the rest of the armor, I looked around the seemingly endless wasteland of sand, sand, and more sand. Crossing my arms as I continued to follow Skarlet, I began the inevitable complaining.

"Are you sure this is the right place? I have the strangest feeling right now..."

Hearing Skarlet say something, I cocked an eyebrow before realizing she was... laughing? "Hey, what's so funny?"

Turning to look at me, I could see that her exposed face was blushing, her lips wide apart in laughter as she looked at me.

"Think carefully about what you said, Markus. Where do you think that strange feeling is from my point of view, hmm?" It was then that I realized what she meant by that... Looking down to make sure that I wasn't falling prey to her power of suggestion, I felt no pressure down there from the attractive woman leading me to Mileena's camp.

Pointing towards a dune, she finally gave me the answer I was looking for. "The camp is located directly across those dunes. Don't be surprised if we run into a party of Tarkatans on our way down there... This place is as secure as we could possibly make it."

After a good ten minute hike, we reached the top of the dune, and I gazed over the 'camp.' Unsurprisingly, there was nothing there. With nothing better to do, I facepalmed, wincing in pain as the metal gauntlet impacted the front of my head. "I knew there was nothing here!"

A small bit of blood trickled down the corner of my face from a sharp edge of the gauntlet cutting my temple. As I stood there, I noticed Skarlet suddenly grow very rigid and silent. Raising an eyebrow at this unusual behavior, I came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Erm... you okay?"

Slowly turning to face me, her eyes seemed to focus on the blood slowly sliding down my cheek. Stepping forward until the two of us were pressed together, her red eyes bored into my own yet again.

"The blood... It intoxicates me..."

Before I knew what was happening, Skarlet had pressed her lips to my face. I could feel her tongue run over the blood that came from my head, licking it up as though it were ambrosia of the gods or something like that. After a minute or so, my wound stopped bleeding, and the bloodspawn pulled back just long enough for me to see the red smears of my blood on her face before she pressed her lips against my own, her arms again forcing her body against mine. That 'strangest feeling' I'd almost been tricked into feeling began to actually occur, and it was getting extremely uncomfortable down there.

"Mmph... Skarlet... Please stop... That 'feeling' is starting to hurt big time."

Finally relaxing, the nymphomaniacal blood ninja backed off, relaxing her hold on me. "Sorry... Just got caught up in the moment there. Blood's kind of a turn on for me, so..."

Ignoring her, I began my march up and over the next dune, and as I looked over to see what was on the other side...

...there was still nothing.

All I saw was a clearly crumbling ruin of some sort. "Skarlet, you got us lost, didn't you?"

Pointing forward, she and I continued to move down the dune, and as we reached the halfway point, something amazing happened.

Where there had just been an empty expanse in this barren wasteland, there was now a camp filled with people bustling about. Dashing to the perimeter of said camp, I found myself confronting a welcoming party.

All four I could tell were Tarkatan. Two wore simple black outfits, one wore a set of spiked armor similar to Baraka's, and yet another wore the strangest thing of all: armor that looked just like my own. The only differences I saw were a solid yellow glass faceplate, revealing his gleaming yellow eyes and gargantuan maw, and the fact that there was no armor covering his lower arms. I quickly remembered why that was as the Tarkatan leader released the blades in his arms, preparing to attack me.

Before such an epic amount of violence could occur, though, Skarlet intervened. "Relax, Makis. I've just brought Mileena's boyfriend back to her. You don't want to be her next main course as punishment for killing him, do you?"

Makis ignored her. "The Empress is waiting for you."

As myself and the blood ninja moved through the camp, I found plenty of Goro-like Shokans and Tarkatans looking at me in surprise. Eventually reaching the camp, I noticed that Mileena's tent was guarded by a ninja wearing green. Pausing to wait for Skarlet, I raised an eyebrow at him. "You remind me of Reptile..."

The ninja removed his mask, revealing a scaly reptilian face. "I am Reptile."

Taking a step back, I looked to Skarlet for an explanation. "Reptile met a female Saurian. Apparently, them being close to one another makes them look more human. I don't know..."

Reptile raised the curtain leading into the tent, and as I ducked underneath it, I surveyed the belongings in the room. Sure enough, there was a dresser, a bed fit for two, and on that bed, my beloved Mileena. Mustering all of my accent training, I gave her the summation of my feelings on the reunion.

"Hello, sweetie..."

SKARLET'S POV

I moaned as the sounds of passion emanated from within the tent. I could barely resist turning into a pile of blood as I visualized all the kinky and naughty things they must have been doing to one another...

After what seemed like ages, the two came out: Mileena in her minimal outfit, and Markus in a t-shirt and boxers. "So, babe, where's the armor? I know you kept it with you, if what the Tarkatans are wearing says anything about it..."

Mileena pointed to some smaller tents a good distance away. "All of our weapons are in those tents. Your armor is among them."

As Markus left to put his armor on, I tapped the Empress on the shoulder. "A moment, if I may?"

Motioning me into her tent, Mileena jumped onto the bed, looking at me with a friendly smile. "What do you need, Skarlet?"

I felt a bit uncomfortable with my face exposed, and as such, I stabbed myself with one of my blades, my body reshaping itself into its original outfit, with mask.

"Well... How do I put this... I have a sort of like for your boyfriend. I want to be with him, but I wasn't sure if that was something you wanted..."

A stoic look came to my Empress's face as she stood up, looking at me eye to eye for a moment before she responded. "I utilize my skills for seduction on a regular basis. If Markus can tolerate my actions in that regard, I have no problem with you and him in a secondary relationship, so long as you do not directly interfere with my own."

"Besides," she added, her Tarkatan grin reappearing, "we could always use another person for our little escapades. I have heard that three-way relations are better than simple monogamy... Perhaps we can find out soon whether or not that is the case..."

Bowing, I began to back away. "Thank you so much, Empress! I will prepare to... Enjoy the benefits you've gifted me with..."