Chapter Thirty-Eight

Indoor Arena

In the middle of the match, Siegfried swung his sword twice from side to side before turning himself in a full circle and jabbing his sword down at his opponent's feet. His opponent Nediar - well, Raiden rather - was able to dodge the swings and jumped up when the large sword was jabbed towards his ankles.

As the fight continued, Raiden realized how good of a fighter Siegfried was. Just for his fighting alone, he was an excellent candidate to be one of his and Rose's chosen ones. However, he couldn't help but feel a bit distracted by the dark essence he could sense within his opponent. It was a dark energy that was indescribable and it seemed to try to fight with his good energy. Because of this, Siegfried wasn't a good fighter to have around in the cave.

It's a shame, the Thunder God thought. He seems like a nice young man too…

After another minute passed, Raiden pulled back a bit and drew out his staff from behind him. Raiden knew that Siegfried's weapon was more powerful, but he was thankful that his staff was able to withstand powerful blows. After all, it was a gift from the Elder Gods themselves.

Raiden waited for Siegfried to cover the distance between them. When he did, the Thunder God swung his staff sideways twice. Siegfried stepped back and was able to avoid the attacks. However, when he stepped forward again, Raiden swung the staff overhead and managed to hit the top of Siegfried's head. Taken a bit by surprise, Siegfried stepped back a few feet and rubbed his head a bit.

Taking this opportunity, Raiden shot out an electric projectile at him. Siegfried saw the projectile in time and jumped out of the way. He went after Raiden again and jumped up, bringing his sword down. Raiden quickly blocked the sword, having to stagger back a bit from the force.

A few more moves were exchanged between the two before Raiden quickly disappeared and reappeared behind Siegfried, delivering a punch. The punch connected, causing Siegfried to stagger a few feet forward. When the younger man got his balance back, he heard footsteps coming towards him and he quickly back kicked. The kick connected, sending Raiden back, but still keeping his feet on the ground.

This gave Siegfried enough time to face Raiden. He ran over to him before delivering a kick, which connected, then followed with a spin kick from the opposite direction, then finally a head butt in which Raiden blocked with his free hand. He then lifted up a leg and performed a forward kick, electricity surrounding it. Siegfried was kicked in the abdomen and was forced to step back a couple of feet.

Then, Raiden jumped forward and flew towards Siegfried in hopes of grabbing him and fly across the ring. However, Siegfried saw the attack in time and stepped out of the way, letting Raiden pass him. Raiden flew a few feet before landing safely on the ground.

Once again, the two of them covered the space between them. Raiden pulled out his staff again and they fought weapon to weapon for a few more seconds. When both weapons were on each wielder's side, Siegfried took the opportunity to take one giant step forward and performed three head butts in a row. All three hit Raiden, causing him to feel slightly dizzy.

As Raiden tried to recover, Siegfried dropped his sword to the ground. He then bent his knees, grabbed on to both of Raiden's ankles, and lifted him up, forcing the Thunder God to do a couple of somersaults.

Just before Raiden would land back on the ground, Siegfried quickly ran over to him and landed a kick to his back. The kick caused Raiden to fly away from him and before he knew it, he was out of the ring.

A moment passed before the Shadow Priest hosting the matches in the indoor arena stood up. "Winner: Siegfried Schtauffen!"

As Siegfried walked out of the ring, Raiden sat himself up and for a moment he watched the young man go. What do you know, he thought. He was strong enough to defeat a God…of course, if I had used my full power…

However, a part of Raiden knew that it had something to do with the dark essence within Siegfried. Whatever it was, it seemed to try to conflict with his good energy, so it was a question as to whether or not he was a good person altogether.

Whatever the case, Raiden decided to keep an eye out on him for the remainder of the tournament.

Outdoor Arena

It was beginning to get close to noon and already Wagner was finding himself nodding off a few times. Is it time yet? he thought to himself. I'm getting sleepy and hungry…

It was then that he felt someone nudge his left arm. Wagner quickly snapped his eyes opened. "I'm up! I'm up!" he called out. He looked to his left and saw Alex with a grin on her face.

"Don't fall asleep just yet," she said. "You just might miss my match."

Then Wagner felt another nudge on his right arm. Wagner turned in that direction and saw Sonya looking at him. "Yeah Wagner, don't fall asleep or else that girl you fought in the first round might kidnap you."

Wagner narrowed his eyes at her. "Very funny."

He then heard a slight cough behind him. This made Wagner turn around and he saw Kenshi behind him. Quickly, the young man faced forward again and raised an eyebrow. Why does this seem familiar? he asked himself.

It was then that some of the people near them stepped aside, making room for Guile to walk pass them and reach the four of them. "You made it," said Alex.

A smirk came over Guile's face. "I couldn't miss out on yours and Kenshi's matches. I've been told that I've been missing out on some really good fights."

Wagner sighed. "Trust me, right now you're not missing out on anything. And besides, you missed out on my last match… even though I lost."

Guile patted his surrogate son's shoulder. "Would you rather I was there then or during the first round when you won? Which may I remind you that I did watch."

Wagner sighed again as he thought about what happened to him in his match during the first round. "Honestly, I have no idea."

Soon, the current match was over. The winner walked out in victory as his knocked out opponent was dragged out of the ring by his allies. Some time passed before the Shadow Priest stood up.

"The next match shall begin," it said. A pause lingered before it announced the first of the two fighters. "Alex Walker!"

"Finally!" Wagner called out as he looked at Alex. "Knock your opponent one!"

Alex shrugged a little. Even she wasn't sure if she would win today. Clearly, it depended on who her opponent was going to be today. "We'll see." Everyone wished her good luck as she stepped over the ropes and began heading towards the middle of the ring.

When she was far enough, Wagner quickly looked at Sonya. "How much do you want to bet that she'll fight a pervert?"

Sonya raised an eyebrow. "They're not all perverts. Besides, I bet you five bucks she'll fight a descent guy."

Wagner grinned at her. "You're on!"

Guile sighed to himself a little as he looked over at Kenshi. "Seems like Wagner's growing on Sonya."

Kenshi slightly nodded. "It happens when you spend a long period of time with someone."

Soon enough, as Alex stretched herself, her opponent's name was announced… a name she least expected to hear…

"Kenshi!"

Wagner almost laughed. "What a coincidence! Kind of reminds me of back in round two of the tournament when we were all fighting."

"Which reminds me," said Sonya. "I won the bet."

"Damn it!" Wagner cried out upon realization.

"Well," said Guile. "Good luck Kenshi… well, good luck to the both of you."

"Thanks," Kenshi replied as he stepped into the ring.

Alex stood still in the middle of the ring as she watched her friend step over the ropes. Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! she screamed out in her mind. I'm so getting my ass kicked! she slightly sighed to herself. Well, might as well give it my all, even though it probably won't seem like much…

Soon Kenshi reached the middle of the ring and the both of them stood a few feet away from each other. Alex smirked a little. "Well, this is surely coincidence."

Kenshi nodded a little as he got himself in a fight stance. "Do you want me to hold back?" he asked for the heck it.

Alex raised an eyebrow, thinking how that was an odd request coming from him, though she guessed that he wasn't serious judging by the way he said it in a casual tone. "Now why would you want to do that?" she asked him.

Despite having a red blindfold over his eyes, he seemed to stare at her in reply. Alex got herself in her fighting stance afterward. "Well, no."

Once they looked ready, the Shadow Priest sat down. "Begin!" it called out.

Immediately, the two circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. After a few moments, Alex decided to step forward. She jumped towards him and began delivering some kicks in which he quickly blocked. Various moves were exchanged between the two for about a minute.

Then, Alex performed a backward flip in an attempt to kick Kenshi. However, he managed to step back just before the move connected, only missing by a few inches.

When she got back on her feet, Kenshi stepped forward and began delivering some punches in which Alex blocked… at least up until the last couple. Then, he grabbed on to both her wrists and let himself falling back, taking her with him and throwing her over once he was completely on the ground. Alex found herself flying a few feet before landing on the ground, letting out a small cry upon contact. She slid a couple of feet before coming to a complete stop.

Kenshi got himself back on his feet and he waited for Alex to do the same. She slowly did so, ignoring the stinging feel in her arm, which had some scratches on it from sliding on the floor. When she was ready, he covered the distance between them and began fighting hand to hand again.

At one point, Kenshi tried to deliver a right hook. Alex quickly dodged the punch and as she did, she got herself behind him. She waited until he turned around and when he did, she quickly lifted her leg and kicked him the jaw, causing him to stagger back a couple of feet.

Once he got his footing back, Kenshi quickly lifted a hand. A light blue aura surrounded his hand and within less than a second, Alex found herself completely surrounded by the same colored aura. She tried to move, but found that she couldn't.

"What the-" Alex tried to say.

Then, Kenshi put out his other hand, now also glowing in the light blue aura. With one quick swift of his hands, Alex suddenly found herself flying across the ring (yelping upon being moved), going past him in the meantime before landing a few feet near the edge of the ring. Once Alex was on the ground, Kenshi released her from his telekinetic grip.

Alex slowly got herself back on her feet. "Show off," she said to him.

Kenshi grunted a bit, but smirked in a cocky matter. Once again, Alex ran after him and they continued with their hand to hand combat.

Unknown to anyone in the outdoor arena, Shang Tsung watched from one of the taller hills that looked over the arena. Normally, he would be at the courtyard hosting the tournament, but Shao Kahn had been in quite a good mood the last couple of days and today, he gave Shang Tsung the day off (at least until the Underground Lair tournaments later that evening).

He decided to watch some matches for a couple of hours. Since he spent too much time in the Courtyard, he decided to see what was going on in the outdoor arena.

Now, he was watching the match that was going on in the ring. He immediately recognized Kenshi, who he almost forgot was in the tournament. If the sorcerer remembered correctly, the last time he saw the swordsman was during the participants' first evening in the dining quarters, the night when he announced himself as the main host.

Even after living for hundreds of years, Shang Tsung always remembered every person he had ever had contact with, whether they were allies, enemies, or the souls he possessed. Kenshi was no exception, although Shang Tsung believed that he was killed in the ordeal the day he stole the souls of Kenshi's very own ancestors.

It was no matter now a days… though the sorcerer noted how much stronger Kenshi had become since. Perhaps even strong enough that he would endure more of his suffering by taking his soul.

We'll have to see, the sorcerer thought.

It was then that he heard footsteps from behind. Shang Tsung knew immediately that someone was approaching him. Before he could turn around, the figure spoke. "I had the feeling that you were at least attending one of the arena's matches."

Shang Tsung didn't have to turn his head to see who it was that arrived. The voice indeed belonged to Quan Chi. The second sorcerer stopped just two feet behind Shang Tsung.

"And what compelled you to come up here?" Shang Tsung wondered.

"For one thing," Quan Chi answered. "You have something for me."

Shang Tsung thought for a moment, then quickly remembered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up paper. "I nearly forgot… I have a small task for you." He handed the paper to Quan Chi. "This is a message for Song. It's important information about… his next match. Take it to him this afternoon in room three fifty nine in the main palace, third floor."

Quan-Chi nodded and placed the paper in his own pocket. "While I'm here, I might as well tell you of a small task I've been assigned to. Paul Phoenix is the only prisoner we have in the dungeon right now. I discussed the matter to the Emperor and he suggested that, since he still wanted Paul alive, that I should go search for another prisoner to keep Berserk occupied until the time came. This is the first time I ventured to the tournament ground since my loss… do you have someone in mind?"

Shang Tsung looked down at the ring again. For the first time, he noticed Kenshi's opponent. Alex… that was the name the Shadow Priest announced when she walked into the ring. He studied her for a moment. Not the best fighter he ever saw, which perhaps may be a good thing... there was a good chance that she would lose her match in the next few minutes, especially considering who she was fighting against. It meant that there would be no disruption in the tournament set up once round five was underway.

The sorcerer looked over at Quan Chi. "See that woman in the ring?"

Quan-Chi looked in the ring and saw Alex. "Her?"

Shang Tsung nodded. "I think she'll be a good candidate." Then a smirk came upon his face as an idea came to him. "As a matter of fact, let me take care of this one. After this match, I'll head back to the Emperor's palace and request to let Berserk out… let him have some fun for a bit. You look after her in the meantime."

Quan Chi smirked as well. "We'll do."

Back in the ring, Kenshi and Alex continued to engage in combat, exchanging hand to hand moves. Some time passed before Alex saw an opening and she performed a double roundhouse. The first hit Kenshi, but he managed to block the next one. Then she pulled back as she performed a few punches and kicks. Alex managed to duck under a kick and once again got herself behind him.

Alex, facing Kenshi's back, attempted to grab him in order to perform a suplex, but Kenshi managed to jump out of her grip before she could lock. He then turned himself around and performed a kick. The kick connected… however, he didn't expect to land the kick on her rear.

"Aah!" Alex cried out as she stumbled back, nearly losing her balance. She then quickly turned her head and turned around to face him.

"Sorry," Kenshi said.

Alex found herself smirking again. "Uh huh."

Kenshi ran towards her and once again they continued with their match. When he got the chance, Kenshi quickly placed a hand out and once again it was surrounded by a blue aura. He made a small push motion and this caused Alex to be pushed away from him. Being blind, Kenshi didn't immediately realize how close they were to the edge of the ring and soon enough, Alex found herself stumbling out of the ring in defeat.

The Shadow Priest stood up once she was out. "Winner: Kenshi!"

In the audience, Wagner looked over at Sonya. "Wow, Kenshi kicked Alex's butt… literally."

Sonya couldn't help but chuckle a little by the comment. "Indeed. Now where's my five bucks?"

"I only have two bucks!"

"Hand it over."

Wagner grumbled as he fished out two one dollar bills out of his pockets and placed it on Sonya's outstretched hands.

"There you go," Sonya said. "Now, I don't care how you get it, but you now owe me three bucks."

Wagner quickly looked over at Guile, who he knew was listening in on their conversation. "Guile, do you have three bucks?"

Guile shook his head. "Sorry Scott, you're on your own with this one."

"Damn!"

Meanwhile, Alex managed to sit herself up as Kenshi approached. He placed a hand out in front of her. Alex looked at his hand for a moment before taking it and pulling herself up with his help.

"You all right?" Kenshi asked.

Alex brushed her arm a bit. "Just a few scratches, but I'll be fine."

Kenshi nodded, despite the fact that, by the tone of her voice, he knew that she was a bit disappointed in herself from her loss.

"You did good," he complimented, something he rarely did. "Do you want to watch a couple of more matches before lunch?"

Alex shook her head. "Actually, I think I'll go take a walk for a bit. Usually, um, I like to do that after a fight. I'll catch up with you later."

With that, the young woman began heading out of the area. Kenshi had thought, briefly, about going after her, but then decided that it was best to leave her be for right now. He decided to stick around for a few more matches and headed back over to where his other allies were.

Unknown Area

Entering Shao Kahn's throne room, Reptile made this way down the red carpet which lead to the Emperor's throne. A few moments ago, one of the guards approached him and told him that Shao Kahn had wanted to see him. Reptile wasn't sure what it was about, but he knew that it wasn't anything bad… at least he hoped.

Besides, even Shao Kahn himself said that he was the most loyal servant to him. Though Reptile was dedicated to serving his master, it was actually the only life he knew as of now. Having green scaly skin and other lizard-like features, he was part of a race called Saurians hailing from the now-extinct realm of Zaterra.

Years ago, Shao Kahn took control of the realm after their people lost ten consecutive tournaments called Mortal Kombat, a fate in which many other realms had fallen under (some had freed themselves with time). When Reptile was older, he pledged his services to the Emperor. It was one of the ways he could think of to survive after he became the last of his kind.

Like Mileena, he was exiled to the Netherrealm at one point by the courts of Edenia, when they freed themselves from Outworld, after being imprisoned. There he served the fallen Elder God Shinnok but has since returned to serving Shao Kahn. Shinnok had promised to revive his extinct race, but Shinnok never proceeded with the plan due to his defeat.

Serving Shao Kahn was the only life Reptile knew now, though he continued to search for any other surviving Saurians. However, he hasn't had that much luck with that, but he wasn't about to give up hope just yet.

Right now, however, he had to take care of the task at hand.

Shao Kahn sat at his throne as he waited for Reptile to approach him. Once he did, the Saurian immediately got on his knees and bowed his head to the Emperor.

"Rise!" Shao Kahn called out. Immediately, Reptile got on his feet and the Emperor continued. "I have an assignment for you."

Reptile looked up at his master, awaiting his task. "Yes massster?"

"We have been trying to capture Princess Kitana since the tournament began. However, there had been failed attempts since. You are one of my most loyal servants and I know that you are eager to do an assignment such as this one. Your task is to head to the main palace and capture the Princess."

Delight seemed to gleam over Reptile's eyes. "I won't fail you massster!"

"You better not!" Shao Kahn yelled out causing some echoes around the room. "Do not forget about Mileena's punishment when she failed to capture the Princess a second time. However, if you do not find her, then capture either Queen Sindel or Jade."

Reptiled bowed to Shao Kahn once again. Before he could speak, footsteps were heard from behind. Reptile and Shao Kahn turned to the footsteps and they saw Shang Tsung approaching the throne.

Shao Kahn looked at Reptile. "Leave for your task at once!"

Immediately, Reptile took his leave. Shang Tsung stood where he was silently until Reptile's footsteps were no longer heard. "I have come for a request," the sorcerer said.

Shao Kahn stared at him. "Go on."

Shang Tsung proceeded. "I had personally volunteered for Quan Chi's assignment. Currently, he is keeping an eye out on the woman we had chosen for Berserk. She had just lost the tournament today so it will not affect the outcome. Berserk, however, has been sitting around the dungeon since after his match with Guy. Perhaps we should let him loose today… let him go 'hunting.'"

Shao Kahn thought about this for a moment. Perhaps it was the fact that Berserk would be 'hunting' that brought a small smirk on his face.

"Perhaps he is deserving of the task. He has been quite loyal since we brought him here. As a matter of fact, I hardly need the medallion to keep him in control anymore." The Emperor looked down at the sorcerer. "I'll grant the request. However, if your plan fails…"

"Don't not worry," Shang Tsung assured. "I will make sure everything goes according to plan."

Beach, Near the Cave

Julia Chang sipped some hot tea from her mug as she gazed at the water a few feet from her. She admired the small waves in the clear water with Outworld's sun reflecting it's light on it.

As she continued to look at the scenery, thoughts of the tournament came to her. Julia had her own match coming up in two days and she wondered if she was going to move on to the next round. She knew that more rounds came and went, the better the fighters were getting.

Julia also wondered if coming to the tournament was even worth it. The whole reason she came here was because she received a letter with the invitation saying that if she came, she would find out the fate of her mother. As of now, she hasn't found anything nor has she found the person who sent her the letter (and she assumed they didn't find her either).

The word 'fate' left her a bit worried. It meant 'a final outcome of something,' and Julia had the feeling that it wasn't a good thing. However, she tried her best to keep her spirits up. It was what Michelle would've wanted.

Despite that, she realized that the tournament wasn't a total loss… after all she made some good new friends here including Ken and Ryu. When the tournament ended, she knew that it was going to feel strange when she says goodbye to these people and part ways. She felt as though they had been here for years.

As she continued with her thoughts, Julia heard footsteps near her. She turned her head and saw Mika walking by. Mika happened to see her at the same time and Julia became a bit surprised when she noticed her narrowing her eyes at her, as though she had something against her.

Julia decided to say something. "Um, what did I do?" she asked.

Immediately, Mika realized that her eyes were squinted and assumed Julia took it the wrong way. She widened her eyes more. "Um, sorry about that… eh, I had something in my eye…"

Even despite apologizing, Julia couldn't help but feel a bit of tension between the two of them and couldn't understand why. We hardly see each other around, she thought. Maybe I'm just overreacting…

Then, another set of footsteps were heard and both girls turned their head. They were both a bit surprised to see Ryu coming up to them. He noticed the both of them and sighed a little, also feeling the tension.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Mika looked at him, then Julia, and then back at him. "Not much. I was, eh, just heading back to the cave. I'll see you later." Then she walked passed Ryu and began heading back.

Ryu sighed a little once again. He then looked at Julia. "I'm going to go train for a bit, in case anyone's looking for me."

Julia nodded to him before he departed as well. She looked back at the scenery in front of her and sighed. That was just weird, she thought. She tried to enjoy the view again, but this time, the scene just didn't look as nice as it was before.

Near The Forest

Looking down at Ibuki's grave, Li Mei silently placed flowers near the stone baring her friend's name. Holding back the tears that developed in her eyes, she placed a finger over Ibuki's name and traced the I at the beginning of the name as she said a prayer that she always said to herself when she was enslaved in her town;

O Holy One, Give Me Strength,
Just Enough To Live Through Each Day.
With Guidance And New Wisdom,
I Will Find My Way.

Li Mei sat there for another moment before standing herself up. "I will make myself a better person," she said to herself. She then walked over to the edge of the forest, which wasn't too far from the grave site.

For a moment, she stood straight, closing her eyes and taking long deep breaths as if she was meditating. She thought about each person she had come in to contact with during the good times in Sun Do, knowing now that they were gone from this world.

Then, Li Mei opened her eyes and drew out her sword. She began her training for the day, swinging her sword in different directions and letting out a few short grunts in the process. She concentrated mainly on her training, but also the area she was training in, not caring about anything else around her.

Unknown to Li Mei, Alex came by the area as she began her walk after losing in the tournament earlier. Just before she entered the forest, Alex stopped for a moment and watch Li Mei train with full concentration. She saw how focused she was, probably much more than she ever saw in her since the day she met.

It was obvious that Li Mei was trying to get over her trauma of witnessing Ibuki's death, but Alex saw that there may be more than that, though it was something she wasn't going to ask about. It wasn't any of her business anyway. That was unless Li Mei talked to her about it.

Even when Alex was in Li Mei's view, she still hadn't noticed. Alex noticed her eyes then… they showed no emotions, but somehow it hinted some sorrow and maybe a bit of anger. Obviously, Li Mei was trying to hold it all in.

As a matter of fact, Alex noticed that Li Mei was wearing some revealing clothes. Wearing an all purple attire, a bandana was placed on Li Mei's head. She also wore a pair of long, finger-cut gloves, a two-piece bikini-like outfit with a gold trinket on each outfit, and long boots that ended above her knees. A long lavender sash dangled on the right side of her bottom bikini.

Knowing that she seemed very focused on her training, Alex decided to leave her be. Besides, she needed to clear out her own mind anyway. Soon, she headed into the forest…

Main Palace Grounds

Reptile had just arrived in the area, keeping himself in his invisible form so that no one was able to see him. Obviously, the main plan was to make his way to the room of the Edenian royals, which was on the top floor, room six hundred. Unseen, he began making his way towards the entrance.

Just as he began to pass the statues, luck came to him as Jade herself exited the doors. It was perfect timing. He stood by the statue and waiting to see where Jade was heading off to. To his delight, she began taking the path towards the forest. He only hoped that no one was around in there.

Once she entered the forest, Reptile, still keeping himself invisible, began to follow her.

Meanwhile, while carrying a small black duffle bag and her bojustsu staff, Jade walked through the main path. She heard about the outdoor hot springs, which was location about fifteen minutes from the main palace. She had wanted to take a visit, but either she never had the chance to or she never gave it a thought until she was in the waters of the indoor hot springs.

It was not long ago that she heard someone talk about it on her way back to her room from lunch. She decided to take the chance then while it was still fresh in her mind and informed Sindel and Kitana where she was heading. She packed a couple of towels in her bag before heading out.

However, before she goes in the springs, she planned to do some training. She had her match tomorrow so it was a good time to prepare herself in the meantime.

A few minutes passed and she figured by then that she was just about halfway from the springs. As she continued walking, she suddenly heard one of the bushes sway rapidly.

Immediately she stopped herself, tightening her grip around her staff. The wind today was light, so there was no way that a bush would sway that violently.

Obviously, someone was following her and were in invisible form.

Not too stealthy are we? she thought.

Quickly, Jade swung her staff around the area that surrounded her. She suddenly struck an invisible force and it caused the person after her to reappear. Upon seeing his face, Jade immediately recognized him.

"Reptile!" she called out as she got herself in a fighting stance.

Reptile looked at her a bit surprised at first. Indeed she improved since they last saw each other…when they were working together to retrieve Princess Kitana during Outworld's invasion of Earthrealm. During that time, Jade had chosen to join Kitana's side, betraying not only Reptile, but Shao Kahn as well.

The thought of their past enraged Reptile. Acid began to ooze from his mouth and with a loud howl, he jumped after Jade.

Sticking on offense, Reptile threw violent punches and kicks at Jade, at one point knocking her staff out of her hands. This immediately forced Jade to rely on her hand to hand skills and she quickly got herself on defense from Reptile's attacks. She did this until she saw an opening and jabbed an open palm strike at him, causing Reptile to back up a bit before attacking once again.

The fight went on for some time, both combatants looking to be quite even. Then, Jade tried to perform a shadow kick, a green mist following her as she glided over to Reptile with one foot out. However, Reptile was able to block the move before curling himself into a ball and rolled himself forward, knocking Jade to the ground.

Reptile straightened himself out as Jade sat herself up recovering from the move. Just before she could begin getting herself up, a loud scream was heard, forcing her to cover her ears. The sound waves caused Reptile to float towards the person who made the scream, who was none other than Sindel.

Jade stood herself up and was just about to make her move when a blue mist appeared near Reptile. Kitana appeared from within the mist and quickly kicked Reptile from behind, sending him flying away. After landing on the ground, Reptile got himself back up. He turned around and noticed all three of the Edenian royals in their fighting stances, ready to fight.

No, Reptile thought in dismay, knowing that he couldn't take on all three by himself. I failed my masssster!' He then quickly turned himself invisible once again and got away.

"Damn!" Jade called out. She sighed deeply before turning towards Kitana and Sindel. "How did you know I was fighting him?"

"We didn't," said Kitana. "It was all coincidence. I ended up having the same idea of going into the springs and mother and I were just about to meet you over there."

Sindel sighed to herself. "Now we have a problem on our hands. This was not the first time we've been ambushed by one of Shao Kahn's servants. Obviously, they want to capture us for whatever plan they have… for now on, we're going to have to stick together and remain on guard."

Kitana and Jade nodded in agreement. Sindel sighed herself and looked up into the purple sky. "If only we had some help…"

Cave

Emerging from his room, Ken Masters rubbed his eyes a bit, having just woken up from his sleep. He had already got himself dressed, ready, and was about to head to the palace for lunch when he saw Ryu enter his room next door.

Ken stood where he was for a moment and decided to give Ryu a visit before he headed off. He took the few steps to his room and pulled the curtain. "Hey Ryu, what's up?" he asked.

Ryu had just sat on his bed when Ken entered his room. He looked up at him. "Not much… however, I think things are getting a little crazy around here."

Ken couldn't help but laugh a bit. He walked into the room more and stood in front of his friend. "So what makes you think that?"

"Well," Ryu answered. "It's kind of weird really… but when I was heading out to do some training, I ran into Mika and Julia. I could've sworn that there was a bit of tension between the two-"

Before he could finish, Ken flashed a big grin and patted Ryu on the back. "Let's face it Ryu… they both want you!"

Ryu looked up at him a bit surprised. "We're just friends Ken. Nothing more."

Ken laughed again as he sat down on the bed next to Ryu. "Ryu… when two girls act like that over a guy, it obviously means that they both like him and, most likely… they'll compete for you."

Ryu looked at him a bit oddly. "Ken, I'm sure that it's not over me. It could've been about anything."

"True… but still, keep that in mind."

Ryu sighed to himself quietly. Whatever was the case, this type of thing was one of the last things he needed right now.

Forest

Alex spent about three hours walking through the quiet forest, only a light wind being heard. During her walk, she was able to clear her mind a bit and get herself to relax.

Once the third hour passed, she decided to head back to the cave. Besides, her stomach was beginning to grumble for food. She looked up towards the sky and was a bit surprise that it was suddenly mid-afternoon. Though her walk was only three hours long, time seemed to go much faster than that. Aside from that, she knew that her allies would be wondering where she was. Soon she began heading back, knowing that it was going to take her about twenty minutes or so to get back to the cave grounds.

About five minutes passed as Alex continued heading back. She stopped for a moment to adjust one of the laces of her black boots that was beginning to become loose.

As she tied them, she felt a bit of a rumble underneath her feet. She stayed still for a moment to see if she felt the rumble again. A few seconds passed before she felt it again. Soon, more rumbling was heard and it began to go in a rhythmic motion.

Alex straightened herself up. She felt the wind suddenly picking up and the leaves on the trees began to sway with it. A dreaded feeling began to come over her and she didn't like it one bit.

To be safe, she pulled out her black Glock Model 40 gun, which was fully loaded. To have it in her hand at least made her feel a bit secure, even though she had done this plenty of times before.

She began walking forward again, this time in a much faster pace in hopes of getting back to the cave grounds sooner. The wind calmed down a bit once she began going and the rumbling seemed to stop. Either way, she wasn't about to take her chances.

Maybe I should've stayed at the arena with the others, she thought suddenly.

It was then that she heard a growl behind her, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Pointing her gun out, she quickly turned to the area behind her. It was at the same time that an eight foot man with bulging muscles appeared from behind the thick trees. Having grayish-blue skin, countless scars, and colorless eyes, he was indeed a zombie.

For the first time since she could remember, fear came over Alex upon seeing the monster before him. Judging by his size alone, Alex knew that she couldn't fight him hand to hand. On instinct, she began pulling the trigger on her gun.

Alex ending up using all of her rounds. Though all the bullets hit the monster, it had little effect on him. More fear came over her as she dropped her gun. Then quickly, having no other choice, she turned around and began running for her life with the monster chasing after her.

As she ran, she knew that the monster wasn't too far away. However, she didn't dare to look behind her. She was told never to look back when being chased by the enemy. She didn't even want to think about what he was going to do to her if he even reached her.

Then, the heavy footsteps behind her stopped. Alex ran a few more feet before daring herself to turn around, only to find that he was gone. She mentally slapped herself, ignoring one of the first rules of being chased by the enemy. Had she continued to run, she wouldn't have to worry about exactly where he was hiding right about now.

Alex felt her heart racing and was short of breath from running. She quickly looked around the area hoping that the monster had given up and ran off. Having no other choice, she began heading into the direction that she was originally running.

She only ran a few feet when the monster suddenly appeared in front of her, causing her to scream in terror. Using his large hand, he smacked her hard enough to send her flying sideways before crashing into one of the trees. The impact rendered her unconscious and her body stumbled to the ground like a rag doll.

The monster looked down at her with a bit of curiosity afterward. Then, from behind, the sorcerer Shang Tsung appeared, having watched the whole scenario and following them until the end. He had already sent Quan Chi on his way to prepare the cell they were going to put Alex in.

He walked over to the monster and looked up at him. "I would've expected to find her in a public place… however, this was pure luck, much better than we anticipated. Shao Kahn will be most pleased with you Berserk."

Berserk made a low growl as Shang Tsung walked over to Alex, who had landed on her side facing away from him. He bent down and turned her on her back, getting a better look at her face. He stared at her for a moment, noting the small amount of blood trickling down from the side of her head from the impact.

Then, the sorcerer stood up, dragging her with him before throwing her over his shoulder. "Indeed, Shao Kahn will be most pleased."

Soon, he and Berserk disappeared within the darkness of the forest…