Ok, it's time for Liu Kang's big fight scene. I know that this fic is about Scorpion, but the simple fact is Mortal Kombat is nothing without the famous Shaolin Monk. This upcoming fight scene took me quite some time to finish. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 16: Ambush

A day passed since Scorpion's last meeting with Quan Chi. Since that time, word spread about Kitana's escape from her cell. In Earth Realm, Liu Kang had heard of Kitana's capture and was instructed by Lord Raiden to rally up the warriors of Earth Realm and prepare for battle in Edenia. With Liu Kang on his way to come to Kitana's aid, Quan Chi and Shinnok made haste in their plans, but to Kitana's dismay, her escape was the key to the sorcerer's plans. And so it was that Quan Chi sent his leading generals; Reptile, Baraka, Reiko, Noob Saibot, Mileena, and Scorpion, to follow Kitana and trap her in an unknown Edenian cave.

The mission was simple: Halt Kitana's pursuit and contain her in the caves and wait for Tanya to bring Liu Kang to them. Once Liu was inside, the generals ambush him and do not stop their attack until the monk perished. Unknown to the generals, Quan Chi was already there to witness Earth Realm's greatest warrior fall to his demise.

"Follow me, Liu Kang," said Tanya. "Kitana is waiting for you."

Kang followed Tanya through the caves in a running pursuit. "What about the others," asked Liu.

"Raiden has something special planned for them," was all Tanya responded.

Tanya began to quicken her pace, leaving Liu behind to catch up. Finally, Liu found himself in a large chamber lit with torches hanging from the walls with no sign of Tanya. Liu looked around for her in the large chamber but found no trace of her.

"Tanya," shouted Liu. "What's going on? Where are you?"

Liu turned around at the sound of a woman's laughter behind him. He saw Tanya there, laughing hysterically with an evil grin.

"You are pathetically predictable, Liu Kang. I don't know what Kitana saw in you. Can't you comprehend that I have lead you into a trap?"

"What," said Liu as he turned around to see Quan Chi and Shinnok materialize with Kitana's hands and legs tied together. Shinnok levitated in the air while Quan Chi stood next to Kitana with an evil smirk.

"Welcome, Shaolin monk," said Quan Chi as he grabbed Kitana's long black hair.

"Let her go, sorcerer," demanded Liu as he clenched his fists.

"Liu, get out of here," pleaded Kitana as she struggled to free herself from Quan Chi's grasp. "Save yourself!"

Liu stood in his near unbeatable fighter's stance and stared into the cold eyes of Quan Chi. "I'm not leaving you here, Kitana!"

Quan Chi chuckled and let go of Kitana's hair. "How touching."

Quan Chi clapped his hands twice. Slowly emerging from the darkness were the evil sorcerer's generals. They surrounded him and waited for the order to attack. Liu caught a glimpse of Scorpion and was astounded to see him there. He kept his guard up nonetheless as Reptile and Baraka began hissing at him. Mileena laughed at Kitana as the Edenian Princess pleaded for Liu to leave.

"ATTACK," shouted Quan Chi.

Baraka was the first to attack, extending his arm blades and lunging at Kang head on. Liu bent his body backwards and performed a back flip, dodging the blades and connecting his feet with the Tarkatan's chin. Reptile and Mileena made the next move as Kang landed on his feet. Reptile spat acid at Liu while Mileena drew out her sai. Liu ducked under the acid spit and lobbed a fiery projectile at Mileena before she had a chance to charge him. The fire ball knocked Mileena to the ground and forced her to drop her weapons.

Reptile and Reiko attacked from opposite sides, Reiko performing a jump kick while Reptile lunged at Kang's midsection with his fist. Liu rolled out of the way of the attackers but suffered a powerful uppercut from Scorpion. The blow sent Liu staggering back a few paces and Scorpion walked towards the Shaolin monk. Once Liu regained his footing, he blocked three punches from Scorpion and countered with a well placed roundhouse kick, followed by a back hand strike to the chin of Reiko. Reptile approached Liu from behind and sliced at the monk's back with his sharp claws.

Before Liu had time to react, Noob Saibot made his first attack by leaping high into the air and disappearing from sight, only to reappear again from the ground to grab Liu and slam him into the rocky surface. Noob Saibot quickly mounted the monk and pounded away at his face with his black fists at blinding speeds. Liu halted the Wraith's assault by launching a fire ball at the chest of Noob Saibot. The flaming projectile sent Noob Saibot high into the air and allowed Liu to spring up to his feet, only to receive a hard right hook from the fist of Reiko.

Liu responded with a right hook of his own to Reiko's chin. As Reiko began to fall to the ground, Liu placed a strong kick on the silent warrior's face, sending Reiko flying in the air. Reptile charged at Liu head on with his claws ready to deal out punishment. Kang responded by running towards him and launching his body through the air with both of his feet upfront, rapidly kicking Reptile's face and chest in a bicycle-like motion. The final kick sent Reptile crashing into the rocky wall behind him while Liu performed a back flip and landed safely on his feet. To the monk's dismay, he would not see a flying sai coming at him from the hand of Mileena.

The blade punctured Kang's arm and went straight through with the edge sticking out of his bicep. This kept him from evading another sai thrown at his thigh. Kang fell to his knees and removed both weapons, shouting out at the pain he felt as blood began to ooze out of the wounds. Mileena curled herself into a ball and rolled her way towards Liu at high speed, causing the monk to fall on his back. In a twisting motion, Liu sprang up to his good leg and managed to block a punch from Scorpion. Liu countered with a knee strike on Scorpion's chest and backed away until he suffered the arm blade of Baraka digging into the back of his shoulder. Kang performed a powerful back kick to relieve himself of the menace behind him and brought the Tarkatan to his back with a roundhouse kick.

Suddenly, Scorpion materialized from Kang's left and flew through the air with his fist extended outward. The punch sent Kang to his knee, only to be brought back to his feet again by a surprise uppercut from Reptile. Baraka approached from behind as Kang staggered, waiting to impale the weakened monk with his arm blade. To Baraka's dismay, Liu bent his body back with his fists extended towards the Tarkatan's midsection and his left foot out for balance. The blow of the fists sent Baraka crashing through a wall, allowing Kang to regain his footing.

Liu danced his feet back and forth as Scorpion and Reiko approached from the front. Scorpion attacked first with his flaming back flip maneuver. Kang performed a back handspring and countered Scorpion's move with a cartwheel flip, connecting his feet with Scorpion's head, followed by a powerful uppercut to the chin of the Spectre. Instead of charging Kang head on, Reiko threw three shuriken at the chest of Kang. Liu dodged the sharp projectiles but left himself open to a devastating flip kick from the mysterious warrior. The kick did not cause Kang to fall to the ground, but it did cause him to stagger and suffer a right hook from the fist of Mileena. The deformed clone then removed her mask and pounced on Kang's back, sinking her sharp teeth into his shoulder.

Kang grasped at Mileena's long hair and flung her over his head, sending her tumbling into Baraka. Liu was once again caught off guard by one of Reptile's Force Balls from behind. As Liu was sent flying through the air, Noob Saibot launched a ghostly projectile at the monk, one of which wrapped itself around Kang's body and forbid any movement from the monk's chest to his feet. Kang's limp body fell to the ground as Noob Saibot slowly approached the vulnerable warrior. Suddenly, Kang's arms became engulfed by fire as he somehow managed to spring himself to his feet. Kang then launched two fire balls at Noob Saibot, both of which connected with the Wraith's chest and sent him flying across the chamber until he landed on Reptile.

Liu performed a charging side kick to the midsection of Reiko. The silent fighter flew through the air from the impact of the kick and rammed into a rocky wall. Approaching from Kang's left were Baraka and Mileena. Kang halted their pursuit by lobbing a powerful fire ball at Mileena and then running towards Baraka. He then leapt in the air and launched himself towards Baraka, performing his ever famous Flying Kick. With the Tarkatan general down, all that remained was Scorpion.

To Liu's misfortune, Scorpion threw his Kunai into the collar bone of the monk, causing the mighty warrior's adrenalin to diminish. Scorpion then grasped at the rope attached to his weapon and pulled Liu Kang towards him. Once Kang was within range, Scorpion caught Liu by his neck and held him above the ground. The Hellspawn Spectre removed the Kunai and landed three hard punches on the gut of Kang, followed by a head butt to the monk's face. Scorpion then set Liu down on his feet and let go of his neck. Liu fell to his knees and suffered a massive left hook before he finally went down for good.

Shinnok laughed with victory while Quan Chi let go of Kitana's long hair to clap his hands, applauding Scorpion's success in Liu Kang's defeat. Liu Kang, with what little strength he had, desperately tried to crawl towards Kitana. Blood from his wounds stained the rocky surface as he crawled. Kitana's eyes were flooded with tears as she watched. She was devastated to see Liu in this state, especially with the inability to come to his aid. She laid on her side, struggling to be free of the wire cabling wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Scorpion halted Liu's crawling by grabbing the hair above his red head band and lifting him up to his knees.

"Very good, Spectre," said Quan Chi. "Now finish him."

Liu reached for Kitana with his wounded arm. "I'm……. I'm sorry…… Kitana…… I…… I failed you…"

Kitana cried for her beloved warrior. "Liu no! I can't lose you!"

Scorpion witness the sadness that pained Kitana. He alternated between looking at Liu Kang and Kitana, releasing what he had done. The sadness that filled Kitana's eyes with tears, as well as Liu's devotion to defend her, was proof enough to see that they cared for each other. Scorpion was about to take the life of someone who loved him. He knew all too well of the pain felt over the loss of his wife and child, and he could not put himself to destroy this man's life.

"FINISH HIM," demanded Quan Chi.

With his Kunai in hand, all he had to do was slit Liu's throat. Doing so would grant him the right to once again live a mortal life, as well as seek out and complete his vengeance once and for all. But at what cost? He would have to take away something that another values above all other things. The love between Kitana and Liu Kang was more than Scorpion could bare. He was not willing to let someone else suffer the pain he already had. His mind made up, he let go of Liu Kang's hair and prepared to throw his Kunai at Quan Chi.

Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the chamber as an unknown force sent Scorpion flying across the cave. All the other generals tumbled to the ground as Quan Chi and Shinnok shielded their eyes from the light. Bolts of lightning emerged from the brightness and the God of Thunder, Raiden, materialized over the weakened body of Liu Kang. Raiden stood tall with his staff in hand as he lifted Liu onto his godly shoulder.

"YOU," shouted Shinnok.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Shinnok," said Raiden. "You will pay for your crimes against the Elder Gods, as well as the lives of millions of innocents!"

With that, another bolt of lightning emerged as Raiden disappeared from sight with Liu Kang. Scorpion stood up from the ground as Quan Chi cursed at Raiden. Suddenly, a giant skeleton hand emerged from the ground and grasped Scorpion's body. Quan Chi and Shinnok approached the trapped Spectre with rage in their eyes.

"INFIDEL," shouted Shinnok.

"You insolent whelp," spat Quan Chi. "I offer you resurrection and you repay me with hesitation? You should be strung up like a pig! Your incompetence will cost you your life!"

Unbeknownst to Shinnok and Quan Chi, Scorpion still had his Kunai in hand. "I haven't a life to give!"

Scorpion managed to cut through the bony mass and teleported from Quan Chi's sight. Scorpion reappeared next to Kitana and lifted her onto his shoulder. Quan Chi launched a horrifying projectile that took the shape of a green skull from his hands. Scorpion teleported just in time to evade the awful projectile, leaving the skull to literally chomp its way though the rock in its path.

"He is gone," said Shinnok. "He will bring the warriors of Earth Realm their beloved Edenian Princess and join them in the fight against us. Time is running out and we must act quickly."

Quan Chi folded his arms and said, "I do not think Scorpion will take the Princess to the warriors of Earth Realm. Most likely he will leave her somewhere close by and go elsewhere. The chance he took in saving Kitana's life is an unexpected form of behavior in Scorpion, but he nonetheless has other plans to tend to."

"You think he will still seek out Sub-Zero?"

"I would bet my life on it. What I showed him would shatter the mind of a mere mortal. He will find Sub-Zero and crush him. I will find the Spectre and send him back to the Netherealm once his task is done."

"Very well, Quan Chi. Do not return without the head of Sub-Zero in your grasp, for if you fail me again, you will die for your useless faith in your own creation."

"Understood, my Lord Shinnok."

Quan Chi left the chamber in search for the Spectre while Shinnok disciplined the generals for their failure. The fallen Elder God spared their lives, but not without punishment.

Oh no! Another cliffhanger! What is to become of Scorpion and Kitana? Will they make it out alive? Will Scorpion continue his search for revenge? Once again, time will tell! See ya next chapter!