Just a head's up, I may be leaving this story (unless a huge amount of people flood my review box, lol)

But seriously, I am going to try finishing some of my own stories so look for a few more chapters, but that'll be all for now.

Chapter Nine

Two white horses streaked through lands that were once as fine as the royal steeds that currently traversed them. The area that now lay in ruins belonged to what used to be one of the strongest, most influential clans in all of the Eastern world. Because of the damage inflicted during and after Quan Chi's reign, the entire territory had suffered. But as the riders of the pristine steeds noticed, there were signs of struggling rebirth, like the patchy section of homes scattered to the left and right.

The area was covered only sparsely with vegetation. Its inhabitants were men at work, sad-faced women, and stalwart elders. The only children present were infants who wailed or just stared with their fresh faces and dark eyes. Most of the men who were working on building houses, cleaning the land, or otherwise bettering the community were disabled in some way. This one was missing an arm while that one had stubs for legs and so on. None of their crippling disadvantages seemed to hinder their progress.

There were four or five more budding neighborhoods past that one, and the two riders saw that the people in each one possessed similar demographics. Both of the horseback men rode in silence; the view was a sobering one that deterred conversation. However, it began to get better. More greenery appeared the further the men rode, so beside a rare tree that had seen generations they stopped and took a break. The two of them climbed from their horses, tied the reins to that tree, and sat at its base.

One of them, Liu Kang, started pulling provisions from a knapsack he'd brought. His friend, Kung Lao, also prepared to eat. It was light out and a bit chilly, but neither of them were perturbed as they rested after their trip from the palace in Edenia.

"Do you think they'll be much help?" Kung Lao spoke.

Liu took a drink of water from his leather sack, then passed it to his longtime friend.

He asked, "What do you mean?"

"Look around," Kung Lao prompted, "The Lin Kuei isn't what it used to be."

"That's true," Liu admitted, "but we must remain positive; our attitude towards the situation determines the outcome."

Kung Lao put his canteen away and chuckled.

He joked, "You're starting to sound like the Masters."

That made Liu smile.

"On another note, how are things going with your...special lady?" The newly-crowned prince asked.

Kung Lao flushed with a piece of bread still in his hand. That was something he wasn't expecting to hear. Liu didn't stop there.

"Are you working her over? Laying on the smooth talk?" He japed.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kung Lao muttered with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Liu said, "I saw the letters, Kung Lao; I delivered them to her, remember?"

The hat-clad Shaolin laughed and claimed, "It's not like that. Jade is a. Well she's a remarkable woman and I'd like to get to know her better."

A lot better, he added to himself.

"Whatever you say." Liu told him.

Somewhere nearby there was an audible disturbance that made both monks stiffen.

"What was that?" Kung Lao asked, already on his feet.

Liu was beside him and said, "Guards."

It was true. Not a second later they were ambushed by Lin Kuei guards. If it hadn't been for the two fighters' intuitive nature, the guards may have gone undetected until it was too late; they were just that deadly silent. And their appearance was just as menacing as their notorious reputation. They wore simple black pants and blue tunics with dozens of weapons hitched onto their obi's. The most lethal of all lay in the palm of their hands, though; every one of them were cryomancers.

Not good, Liu thought to himself.

"Trespassers," One of the malevolent guards spat.

Kung Lao held up his hands slowly and said, "We come in peace."

"The GrandMasters will be the judge of that," another of the guards declared hostilely.

Liu started to say something but Kung Lao nudged him and then shook his head. His reasoning was to just go along with this seizure. That way they'd at least get to see who they came for, which was coincidentally the two GrandMasters. Liu understood this and nodded, then dropped his hands like Kung Lao. The guards moved in on them and led the monks and their horses away from the pasture area. They walked past several more huts to a rather refined, industrial part of the village. There were plenty of large wooden buildings in fancy architectural designs. These were the buildings that had not been ruined over time. Towards the innermost area was an elegant structure with plenty of steps leading to its entrance. There were more guards. Liu and Kung Lao were shuffled past them and into the building.

Inside was stunning, but quite messy. It was as remarkable as Edenia's palace but distinctly stricter, more stringent in its simple, practical decor. Down a long hall, past a room with a huge glass statue of the last GrandMaster (Sektor) they were escorted. To the left the guards finally stopped, but for what? The room the party had stopped in was empty. Liu and Kung Lao shared a look before the guards again gripped them and started moving. This time they were brought to a sort of study where two others were standing.

The two in the study looked like ordinary young men. Both had on plain pants, boots, and white shirts with light armor. One did look a bit more feminine than the other, however, what with his incredibly long silver hair, but his lean, muscular build made up for it. Kung Lao and Liu knew just who they were: Tomas Vrbada and his best friend, Kuai Liang, better known as Smoke and Tundra, respectively.

"GrandMasters," The guard holding Liu spoke, "These men were trespassing near the southern borders."

Both guards bowed low. Meanwhile, Smoke and Tundra were still engrossed in their work to move. Even after they'd been addressed, they still worked at their desk. While Tundra scribbled something onto one document, Smoke peered so close over his friend's shoulder that their cheeks almost touched.

"GrandMasters?" The guard inquired.

That got their attention.

Kuai Liang dropped his writing utensil and, along with Tomas, turned to the group gathered in front of them.

"GrandMasters," one of the guards began, "What should we do with these trespassers?"

"Should we follow standard protocol?" The other asked.

Smoke paled at that and made a face.

Kuai Liang shook his head and said, "No. They'll be no gouging or flogging on my watch. You are dismissed."

Again the guards bowed, a bit disappointedly this time, and left. The two GrandMasters invited the monks into the study.

"I apologize for all that," Kuai Liang stated, "Please, have a seat."

Liu and Kung Lao did sit down on the wooden bench across from the cluttered desk. Tomas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was down and parted messily down the middle.

"That's not usually how we treat our allies," The Czech explained, "But those new recruits are a little more zealous than necessary."

Kung Lao shrugged, saying, "It's not a problem."

Since neither of them were hurt, he knew he could speak for both he and Liu.

Tundra dropped down into one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. Tomas opted to stand near the empty one beside him.

"So what can we do for you?" Tundra asked.

"There's a tournament being held in Outworld in a few weeks; Earthrealm's independence is at stake." Liu Kang told them.

Smoke frowned and asked, "How can this be? The rules of Mortal Kombat-"

"Have been suspended by the Elder Gods." Kung Lao quietly finished. "Ermac petitioned to have this tournament early to merge Earth with Outworld. Now that he has the Elders' permission, this may be so."

Kuai Liang looked troubled, as did Smoke. They took a moment to digest this disturbing bit of news.

"Why have you come here?" Kuai then asked.

Liu replied, "We were hoping we could count on the Lin Kuei's assistance in this tournament."

Now Tomas and Tundra shared a look; it wasn't one that said, 'oh sure, we're all for it!' either.

"I know this isn't an easy choice to make," Liu stated, "But the welfare of Earthrealm lies with those able and willing to protect it."

The former assassins shared another grave look and then Kuai stood.

"Could you excuse us for a moment?" The cryomancer asked politely.

Liu and Kung Lao nodded, then watched as the pair left the study and turned a corner down the hall. Liu sighed heavily and Kung Lao laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't lose hope just yet, Mister Positivity." He smiled, "You have to give them time to think this over."

"What is there to think about?" Liu asked, "Earth is in danger, they live on Earth, they have the resources to fight so they should."

Kung Lao said, "It's not that simple, Liu."

Meanwhile, down the hall, Kuai Liang and Tomas were trying to work through this newest issue in hushed voices. Nose to nose they nearly were as they discussed this. Neither was ready to give in to the other's point of view and they both knew it.

"If there is to be another tournament, we must fight!" Kuai said passionately.

Smoke shook his head and said, "We cannot. As GrandMasters, who's going to lead this clan without us?"

"I'm sure someone will step up." Kuai said uncertainly.

"But will it be the right one?" Smoke challenged. He said softly, "We can't take that chance, Kuai."

Tundra nodded dismally, then said, "Well we have to at least send fighters in the name of the Lin Kuei."

"And where will we get them?" Smoke asked, "With the recent attacks, our able fighters are needed here, for protection. And the many of the other warriors have some sort of illness or disability. We can't ask them to fight."

Yes we can, Tundra thought, but knew his friend was ultimately right. It wouldn't be fair to ask those that had already given up so much for their clan to go out and risk their lives once again.

"What we need to do," Tomas continued, "is work on stabilising the clan and strengthening our defenses."

"If Ermac prevails, those efforts would be in vain," Kuai Liang pointed out.

Smoke said, "The Elder Gods granted this, they must know what they're doing."

"And if they don't " Kuai argued. "Then what? I've seen it before. When things get rough and Earth is invaded, they'll not lift an ethereal finger to help."

"...So what do we do?" Smoke asked in a low voice.

Kuai murmured, "...I. I don't know."

They were silent, contemplative for a moment.

"If Bi-Han were here..." Kuai began quietly.

"Don't." Smoke stopped him.

Tomas knew that Kuai harbored insecurities as GrandMaster, they both did, but Tundra's were more severe sometimes. His older brother was his idol when the two friends were growing up and even years later, with Bi-Han swayed to darkness, that had not really changed. Where Bi-Han was clever and confident to the point of being cocky almost, Kuai was not. He frequently compared himself to his older brother like this and all-too-often felt that he fell way under par.

"Hey," Smoke said, "Bi-Han isn't GrandMaster, we are; we can handle this."

Kuai nodded and said, "You are right, Tomas. We just need to sort out our priorities and...see where we can take risks."

"Right." Smoke acceded.

They left the hall then and returned to the study, where the two monks were waiting diligently for their reply.

"So?" Liu prompted.

Smoke shook his head. He may be the one who usually encouraged and advised his friend in private, but it was Kuai who had the knack for public speaking.

Kuai said, "We have not yet come to an agreement, but we'll see what we can do to help."

It didn't take long for something to go awry after Mileena had left for the palace. It had barely been ten minutes since she'd gone so when I heard footsteps, I knew it couldn't be her that was approaching my hiding spot. And I used that phrase very lightly because it wasn't much of one; I'd used the cover of some boulders along the shore to enshroud me. Now I slowly stood away from them and snapped my arms out in front of me, my piece in my hands and my fingers on the trigger.

My intruder? None other than Shang Tsung himself.

He was looking a lot healthier than I thought he would. His hair was all long and sleek and black instead of brittle or gray, and his body was way more toned than a crusty old immortal's should be. He wore a plain black sleeveless vest, pants, and boots. None of his former ostentatious colors, textures, and fabrics. And for someone held at gunpoint, he sure looked pretty calm and unfazed.

"Sonya Blade." He spoke. "To what. Do I owe the pleasure?"

There was no emotion in his voice or his face so I couldn't decipher anything about his intentions. I decided to get right down to the point, then.

"You impersonated Ermac and made a deal with me regarding a tournament. Why?" I asked curtly.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He stated tonelessly.

"Yeah, I would," I scoffed, "So if you don't mind, do tell. Why did you give Kano over to me? And why do you want me to compete in Ermac's tournament?"

Shang just stared at me.

Then he drawled, "So many questions, Miss Blade."

"You haven't answered a single one." I pointed out.

But he strode off. I dropped my arms and was intent on following him but his body vanished into thin air, leaving not a speck of dust or lock of hair behind. I scowled.

Talk about elusive.

This was definitely one of the harder things she'd ever had to do. While she walked to the Shao Kahn's fortress in the style of one condemned, she idly fidgeted with clothes and hair. She'd put it half up and half down this morning, with some bangs that kept falling into her right eye. As for her clothes, well, she looked a lot like Sonya today. If it wasn't for her black moccasins, she'd be the agent's twin with her slim pants, t-shirt, and jacket. The only difference was that Sonya's clothes weren't so tight on her and the lieutenant was a hell of lot more armed than she was.

But that's okay, Mileena figured, as long as I have my sai's, I'll be okay. I think.

She really wasn't sure. She could never be sure with Ermac.

Hell, this morning I thought he hated my guts. Maybe he still does...or maybe. Maybe Noob is right and.

Mileena sighed and said, "And what? He...doesn't hate me? Not fucking likely."

She crossed her arms with a huff but in truth her anger was only a means to keep the nervousness from overwhelming her. But Noob did bring up a valid point; Ermac wouldn't ask just anyone to rule with him. So perhaps.

"The hell am I thinking," She grumbled, "Noob was the one who said that punk Rain was hot for me and look how wrong he was there."

She didn't know how perceptive the wraith was, however. So half of her went into Northern Outworld thinking she could pull this off while the other half didn't give herself five minutes in the host's company. Soon she reached Kahn's Fortress and saw the formidable guards at the door. Formidable mortal guards.

What's up with that? she wondered. Mileena took a huge breath through her nose and released it, like Nightwolf had taught her to do when she was in danger of getting too worked up. Although in this situation it was warranted.

Alright. I got this, she encouraged herself. In the next moment Mileena lifted her chin, set her shoulders back, and strode right up to the men guarding the front doors.

"I need to see the Emperor." She told them.

The men shared a look and then inspected her briefly. One of them then left while the other stayed put, still in the way. Mileena dropped her arms to her hips impatiently.

"Well?" She prompted.

The guard was silent. Not too much later, the other guard returned and gave the other guard a curt nod. She watched as they both made way for her. Her stomach dropped at that; she was getting closer to facing him, er, them,
and she was dreading it. But she didn't let any of that dread show, she kept her brave exterior facade as she was allowed into the place and then escorted by another mortal.

This one was tall and lean, obviously not 'guard' material like the bulky men outside. He brought her through halls, past a sort of kitchen area that was bustling with staff, and into what appeared to be...no wait, it was: Kahn's throne room. The old warlord used to spend a great amount of time, spectating matches that occurred here for his amusement.

And I was right there beside, on the arm of his throne like some kind of doll, she recalled with a shudder.

Now the throne room appeared to be under repair, for there were plenty more Outworlders moving in things like furniture, upholstery, and the like. It would seem the host was changing Kahn's flat into a darker, but less dreary place. There was a significant lack of skulls, for instance. She found Ermac fairly easily. He was lounging on the throne with a handful of important-looking, wizened old men in robes before him. At the sight of her, the host dismissed those men brusquely.

Mileena felt trapped for a moment. Those viridian eyes, they haunted her. She had not forgotten what it was like to stare into them and then have her mind pillaged and violated.

As if I'll let that happen again, that snide voice piped up.

She smirked wryly; that hostile voice had not left her, but it did have its perks. Keeping the host's mental vectors at bay was one of them. But right now Mileena wished she had something to keep Ermac's creepiness at bay. He was staring at her all silently, and though there was no telepathic probing on his part, that unwavering gaze was bad enough. She just couldn't read him. Ever. She never knew what he was gonna do and that really unnerved her. She was used to being able to predict or analyze her opponent, but with Ermac she just couldn't do that.

So for the longest time Mileena just stood there, bearing his gaze as best she could and resisting the urge to shift from foot to foot or squirm uncomfortably. Finally, Ermac did more than stare. He leaned back in his throne, spread his legs lazily, and beckoned with his right hand for her to come near.

Mileena swallowed at that and rubbed her arm before taking a cautious step forward. No, what am I doing? I can't let him know how much he's getting to me, she thought. So she abandoned her trepidation and strode up to about a foot's space away from that gap in Ermac's legs. The closer the better, she knew, but that was easier said than executed. It made her skin tingle being this close to the malevolent host, and not in the good way.

Ermac still wasn't speaking, just staring. He reached down and took Mileena's wrist, then turned her hand over and gazed at her palm. He was looking for something.

His gloves are gone, she noticed first. That made all the difference. She could feel his rough skin gripping hers. It wasn't unpleasant, just weird. She never realized that under that mask and those gloves and the robes there was a man, a living, breathing man; granted he was full of souls, but still. It was a disturbing concept for her. She pulled her hand away.

The host levitated from his seat onto the ground beside her and then began to circle her. Now she was certain, he was looking for something. There wasn't an inch of her that went unseen by those sharp eyes of his.

The recorder! Does he know? She thought, mildly panicked. No, of course not. He can't. So why is he checking me out? For weapons?

Whatever the case was, he was done soon and came to sit on the throne again in that same relaxed way. Ermac finally spoke, much to Mileena's short-lived relief.

"Why have you come here?" he asked quietly.

Mileena couldn't recall the last time he'd taken that tone with her.

Oh. Yes I can. When he asked me to be his.

She shivered and tried not to think about that.

"I heard about your tournament," She answered coolly.

Ermac scowled. "From that busy-body lieutenant, no doubt."

Mileena chose to ignore that and said, "I came for information."

"Why? So you can spout it back to her?" The host sneered.

Now that's more like him, Mileena thought. But she knew denying that fact wouldn't end well since she couldn't exactly lie to Ermac. If he got serious, she wouldn't be able to hold off his mental advances for long. So she decided to ignore that last accusation as well.

"I wanna compete," She told him.

And that was the truth. Being with Nightwolf was getting rough lately, not because of him. No, she loved him, it was just those damn elders she couldn't stand. They looked at her like she was trash and she hated it. Just because of what she used to be, and because she wasn't adhering to the ways of the traditional Apache woman.

Well to hell with them, she thought, I am who I am; a fighter. This tournament ought to give me something to do, a chance to get away for a while.

"Is that so?"

Ermac's deep voice brought her out of her reverie and sent another chill down her spine. He was looking at her in that curious, intrigued way that made her gut act funny. She nodded in response to his inquiry.

"Yeah. I wanna compete."

"In your skills and ability, we have no doubt," Ermac stated in a low tone, "You might might even be able to win. But then, you'd have to face us."

Before she could stop herself, Mileena scoffed and said, "So what?"

That made Ermac smirk, "You think you can take us?"

Mileena swallowed and kept her mouth shut. Ermac was goading her, and she almost took the bait. At her silence the host stood. He got way too close to her for her liking, so she took a step backwards.

"You may not win, but you'd definitely give us some trouble," Ermac drawled arrogantly, "You aren't just talented, but clever."

Who the hell does he think he is, She thought affrontedly, some kind of god? He can get it just like anyone else. Damn, maybe I should enter this tournament just to be able to kick his ass and show him how high and mighty he really is.

The only thing keeping her from speaking her mind was the fact that Ermac was standing even closer to her now, they were almost touching!

What is he doing? She frowned.

Now this was what made her wary. She couldn't tell what he was up to and that worried her. Mileena liked to be prepared for attacks but with him she had no clue what was coming.

"Mileena," Ermac murmured, "Our offer still stands."

Ah. So that's what this is about, She realized, he still wants me to be his. Ugh, I can't even say it, it's just weird. Ermac definitely is a living, breathing man and I know what he'll expect of me if I were to give in to his...proposal.

Mileena cringed and whispered, "My answer's the same."

She didn't know why she whispered. It was just so quiet now, being only the two of them in the throne room, and Ermac was so close to her.

Damn, he really is close, She mused, didn't I back up?

Now that he'd been rejected, again, Ermac fell back and took his seat once more.

That's better, Mileena thought, maybe this time he'll get the message; I don't want to be controlled, possessed, owned. That's really what he wants anyway.

"That's right; you're with the...shaman," Ermac spoke disdainfully.

Damn straight, Mileena thought.

"Well if you want to compete," He drawled, "you'll have to pay like everyone else."

Ooh, somebody's salty, Mileena smirked.

"What's the price?" She asked aloud.

"500 gold, silver, jade, and sapphire koins." Ermac stated.

Mileena tilted her head, "Hm. That's not too bad."

"Each." the host added.

"You greedy bastard," She deadpanned.

Ermac smirked at that.

"How do you think people are gonna wanna sign up if the price is that steep?" Mileena pointed out.

Ever think of that, asshole? She wanted to add.

"Not everyone will have to pay that much; just you and and your worrisome bunch of do-gooders."

"That's really fucked up." She told him flatly.

"Isn't it though?" He chuckled.

Mileena shook her head but she could hardly fault the host. He was trying to win, so it made sense to disadvantage those who had the highest chance of beating him. In some odd way, Mileena took the slight as a compliment; Ermac obviously saw her and the others as a threat to want to keep them back.

"I'll see myself out," She told the host, adding softly, "Fuck you very much."

But Ermac had heard her, naturally, and called out to the retreating woman.

"Come back if you mean it."

Mileena didn't know whether to cuss or cringe, and opted for neither because something caught her eye. She recognized the thing lying innocuously on the smooth floor instantly, as much of an eyesore to her as the wealthy object was. She would never forget the deep violet-colored silk fabric and she could thank its bothersome owner for that. She bent down and pocketed the item, pretty much on a whim. It wasn't useful and she didn't particularly care for the owner (putting things quite mildly) but she still took it nonetheless. What was it?

Rain's headband.

The recorder I gave Mileena had done its job, but because of Ermac's voice and how it was composed of so many different frequencies, the tape came out distorted. So I had to go to OIA and run the recording by several different types of software to make sense of what he was saying. It all paid off eventually, and I did get the information he'd leaked, so I guess the mission was a success. The thing that worried me, though, was how bothered Mileena was. I never got any details out of her regarding whatever issue had her distracted because she kept insisting she was fine. That obviously wasn't so, not by the way she was so space-y and kept fiddling with some kind of purple hair ribbon. That thing looked sort of familiar, but not really.

Anyway, I left her alone.

I figured if anything serious had happened, like if Ermac had hurt her or something, then she'd tell me. Otherwise, it's her prerogative to keep that locked away. It was unwise, but it was her prerogative either way.

I yawned and stood from my chair. It had been a long day. Deciphering that recording had taken hours, even with OIA's kind of resources. I was tired now, and ready to go hop in the shower and then go to bed. I stretched and shut my eyes; at the brief respite from a computer screen I already felt relief.

Definitely need some down time, I knew, I've been working at this since we got back from Outworld. I'm beat. But at least it paid off.

I shut off the light and locked the door to the tech lab, then made my way downstairs to OIA Headquarters' lobby. Mileena was there, sitting on one of the chairs patiently. Even now I could see that she had yet to resolve her internal dilemma but forced myself not to pry about it.

She'll tell me. In time, I hoped. I really wanted to be able to help her like she'd been helping me lately. But I couldn't make the girl do anything. All I could do was wait.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! You know what to do, leave your thoughts, reactions, predictions, comments, complaints, or what have you!

~DymondGold~