Mortal Kombat III
CHAPTER 15: TARZAN
I have not yet begun to finish the story, haha! . . . Too cheesy there? Anyway, here's the fifteenth chapter up and running. Oh man, one chapter left plus the third and final commentary from the "cast"—it's so close I can almost taste it! . . . Okay, I'll stop sounding weird now. In any case, Tarzan's chapter will be a little different in a few ways—one, the brief not-so-major fight scene used between Nightwolf and Noob Saibot from the original MK9 storyline will be extended a little here and completely take the fight scene with Cyrax out, since I included his character (or at least Raimundo Pedrosa) in the Kabal vs. Cyber Sub-Zero (Razor vs. "Cyber" Foghorn Leghorn) fight scene a couple chapters ago; second, we Mortal Kombat fans all remember the major death scene when Sindel made another major appearance here, but it will be different in more ways than one (to which they'll also overlap in Samurai Jack's chapter). But I don't want to give away too many spoilers, so here we go in three . . . two . . . one . . .
"Go!" exclaimed Tarzan to Foghorn Leghorn. "Your soul is not safe!"
Doing what his ally told him to do, the Cyber Rooster took off to join the rest of the Earthrealm allies.
As for Tarzan, the shaman confronted Freakshow.
"Earthrealm's fate is sealed, Tarzan!" exclaimed the white-skinned necromancer over the Soulnado.
"Not yet!" growled Tarzan. "We fight until the end!"
The shaman was the first to strike with his Shoulder move, dashing and knocking Freakshow down. The necromancer launched a flying skull toward Tarzan, which the latter used his Reflect move and sent it back to the former, inflicting another strike. Tarzan added his Lightning move twice on Freakshow and, just as the shaman was about to perform his Choke move, the necromancer blocked it. The shaman more than made up for it by using his energy tomahawks to turn Freakshow around, hook the necromancer from under his arms, pull him forward, and kick him in the back—ending the fight altogether.
Tarzan looked down at his defeated enemy. "Your time is over."
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" exclaimed Steelbeak as he recuperated from the last fight he lost and faced the shaman.
Tarzan tightened his fists, preparing for another fight. "So be it, demon."
The shaman performed his Choke move on the black-clad Rooster wraith, but unlike the previos attempt on Freakshow from earlier, Tarzan was successful as he held Steelbeak by the neck, raised him in the air, and knocked him away with either shoulder, ending the fight.
"Stand down!" commanded Tarzan.
However, Steelbeak wasn't about to go down that easy as the shaman blocked the wraith's punches and kicks only to successfully return them. After a connected punch to the chest by Steelbeak, Tarzan recuperated a second later and inflicted a punch to the wraith's face before kicking him into the Soulnado.
As Tarzan looked up at the wraith's demise, Freakshow woke up and opened up a portal to escape.
The shaman, meanwhile, summoned all the magic he could to destroy the Soulnado. As he successfully did so the power knocked him off his feet, along with destroying all tombstones and dead trees in the vicinity. Only a divot was left in the Soulnado's place.
As he slowly recuperated and watched the souls (probably the soldiers) escape, Tarzan muttered under his breath to the ancestors, "Thank you."
"But how do we know?" queried Kim Possible to her fellow allies, back at the hideout. "Samurai Jack could be having visions of possible futures, not the future."
"Kim's right;" agreed Boog before looking at his cybernetic arms, "was I supposed to have my arms replaced with these? Or was it caused by interfering with the timeline?"
Ron Stoppable, not wearing his signature shades, rubbed his forehead. "My head hurts just thinking about it."
"It isn't helpful;" said Kimiko Tohomiko, "we cannot second guess our decisions. Samurai Jack, what are your thoughts?"
"Yeah," agreed Raimundo Pedrosa as he stashed his Feelings book back into his cybernetic chest cavity, "what do you think about all these events? Because I'm starting to think that maybe Foghorn and myself weren't meant to be turned into Cyborgs."
The Thunder God looked perplexed as he stood there in silence.
"Samurai Jack?" queried the Edenian princess.
Snapping out of it, the Thunder God nodded. "Yes, that is best."
"What is our next objective?" asked Foghorn.
"Tarzan!" exclaimed Boog as the shaman entered the room.
"It is done—" Tarzan reported—"Earthrealm's souls are safe."
Everyone looked pleased, but Samurai Jack, looking at his amulet, looked distraught as the number of cracks increased.
"No!" gasped the Thunder God. "How is it not enough!?"
Omi, Kimiko, Boog, and T-Bone looked exceptionally worried as Samurai Jack slammed his hand on the table.
Samurai Jack came to one conclusion. "I must speak with the Elder Gods. Aku's violation must be punished."
"But the battle is joined here, in Earthrealm!" protested Omi.
"We cannot win without the Elder Gods."
"But Master—"
"Omi . . ." piped Ron as he wagged an index finger, ". . . close as a shadow. . . ."
"Tarzan," said the Thunder God, "you will lead until we return."
The shaman nodded once. "As you wish, Samurai Jack."
In a bolt of lightning, the Thunder God and the bald Shaolin disappeared.
". . . Well, now what?" shrugged T-Bone. "Standing around here won't do us any good."
". . . Wait!" exclaimed Foghorn, lifting his arm. . . . "The Lin Kuei! They surround us—surround, that is!"
It was then that the Lin Kuei Cyborgs appeared, along with Hannibal Roy Bean.
T-Bone (along with the other Earthrealm allies present) stood ready to fight. "So much for standing around. . . ."
"Attack!" exclaimed Tarzan.
The shaman took on a couple of Cyborg lackeys and, despite the odds of their speed and skill defeated them. "Mere speed and skill will not win the war, Lin Kuei."
Tarzan then spotted Raimundo, Danny, and Foghorn trying to take on Hannibal together. Despite their strong will (and their cybernetic enhancements) the two Cyborgs were knocked back by the red-clad Cyborg, leaving the gray-clad warrior left to contend with the latter.
Unfortunately, despite his victory in the first fight against Hannibal back in Outworld, Danny was no match for his adversary, losing all energy.
The red-clad Cyborg then grabbed Danny by the arm. "You are weak, Danny." After knocking the gray-clad ninja off the stairs and on his back, Hannibal prepared to finish him off. "Now do you understand? The power of the Grand Master's vision?"
Generating an energy tomahawk, Tarzan threw his weapon into the red-clad Cyborg's metal chest plate, staggering the latter.
The shaman took on a fighting stance. "You are no match for the power of the Spirits."
After blocking Hannibal's punches, kicks, and uppercuts, along with deflecting his rockets (damaging his cybernetics and his mask), Tarzan finished the red-clad Cyborg off as he executed the same finishing move he performed on Freakshow in the graveyard earlier. Tarzan stared down at his defeated enemy. "And I thought even you could be saved."
After recuperating, Danny was able to fight off and defeat one of the gray Cyborgs with just two punches and a roundhouse kick.
Kimiko, with either of her fans, slashed another Cyborg's metal chest plate, short-circuiting him.
Elsewhere, Razor and Foghorn tinkered with a third downed Cyborg's control panel.
Tarzan looked about the room and noticed the Edenian princess act strangely.
"What is it?" inquired the shaman.
As Kimiko looked around, she noticed someone from off-screen. ". . . Mother."
Jasmine came into the hideout, eliciting her sonic scream and causing some of the Earthrealm warriors/allies to fall over and cringe. Foghorn tried to form an ice wall to stop the brainwashed Edenian queen's scream, while others tried to stand their ground. Only Tarzan stood in place with no effect.
(Notice Jasmine wearing an amulet similar to Walter Wolf's, and that elsewhere in the room, nobody [not even Jasmine] saw Shere Khan enter the hideout.)
"Come forward," dared Jasmine, "if you dare. I will finish what the Lin Kuei could not."
Tarzan, Foghorn, Razor, T-Bone, and Kim stood ready to fight, followed by Mary Melody, Kimiko, Danny, Ron, Raimundo, and Boog.
"Let's do it!" Boog growled.
"Attack!" exclaimed Tarzan.
As the shaman rushed the brainwashed Edenian queen with an energy tomahawk, Jasmine grabbed Tarzan by the tomahawk-wielding arm and punched him away from her. Ron and Raimundo followed suit as they each swung a fist, but the Edenian queen ducked out of the way and incapacitated them. When Razor attempted to stop Jasmine, she simply kicked him in the face and used her amulet to drain the disfigured Kat's soul, leaving him dull-gray-colored and lifeless. After laughing at her victory, the Edenian queen confronted an oncoming T-Bone, punching the Kat officer down and using her amulet to absorb his soul. And as Foghorn, Boog, and Danny each came at her, Jasmine absorbed each of their souls. When Kim approached her, the brainwashed queen kicked her away before confronting and absorbing Mary's soul.
It was then that Kimiko approached her brainwashed mother, but unfortunately she was no match for Jasmine. As the Edenian princess laid on the ground battered and weak, she slowly stood halfway up.
Kimiko pleadingly looked at her mother with a face filled with pain, sorrow, and helplessness. "Mother, please!"
Jasmine, blinded by Aku's and Freakshow's sorcery, smirked sinisterly. "I am no longer your mother."
"Mother, it is not your way. Aku has corrupted you!"
"Aku has resurrected me! You have betrayed him. Embraced a pathetic cause."
"Remember Edenia, Mother. Remember your rule before Aku's invasion!"
"Quiet, child. It is time for you to join your friends." Using her amulet, Jasmine drained her daughter's soul, a twisted smirk on her face.
Still in hiding, Shere Khan listened to the daughter's pleas against her brainwashed mother. For some strange reason, the spirit couldn't help but feel something: pity and sorrow.
Holding his side from the injury, Tarzan walked up to the brainwashed Edenian queen with a growl. "Monster!"
After draining Kimiko's soul, Jasmine turned around and scowled. "Still alive? No matter. Soon you will reunite with your ancestors."
The shaman and the brainwashed queen fought, one throwing punches while the other blocked them, and vice-versa. While Jasmine blocked Tarzan's energy arrows, the shaman blocked the Edenian queen's hair powers. What seemed like the battle would be a stalemate, it finally ended with Tarzan as the victor after grabbing Jasmine, flipping her over, and summoning a bolt of lightning to strike her.
The shaman glared down at the defeated queen with tightened fists. "Now, Jasmine. Face the Spirits' judgment."
But Jasmine simply laughed at Tarzan as she stood back up. The shaman proceeded to chant in an ancient language, a bright light surrounding him before he struck lightning from his hands.
Kim, still laying on the ground with her face bruised, called out weakly. "Samurai Jack. . . . Where are you, Samurai Jack?"
Up where the Elder Gods were, Samurai Jack spoke to them about the situation Earthrealm is facing.
"Elder Gods," pleaded the Thunder God, "I beseech you. Earthrealm is in danger.
The six Elder Gods spoke in unison. "We are aware of your plight, Samurai Jack."
"Then you must intervene on Earthrealm's behalf."
"We can't."
"But Aku . . . Omi has bested him twice, yet he still—"
"Aku has not violated the rules of Mortal Kombat."
"What!? He invades Earthrealm as we speak!" exclaimed Samurai Jack.
"Invasion is not itself a transgression;" stated the Elder Gods, "it is the merger of realms that is proscribed."
"A distinction without a difference! Innocents are dying at the hands of Outworld!"
"It is regrettable. But the Mortal Kombat tournaments are not intended to prevent certain outcomes. They are intended only to maintain balance among the realms."
"Please, you must—"
"We have spoken."
And with that, the Elder Gods faded away. There was a pause between Omi and Samurai Jack.
The Thunder God hung his head. ". . . The last doors are closing. We are nearly trapped."
It is not looking good for our heroes. Is Earthrealm doomed to Aku? Is there anything Samurai Jack could do now? What has become of Ron, Kim, Raimundo, Tarzan, and Jasmine? And where does Shere Khan's hidden presence play a role? Find out in the final dramatic chapter, coming soon!
(P.S.: It's actually final two chapters, if you want to include the third and closing commentary from the characters.)