I am going to have so much fun with this chapter. :D Son of Kenshi, has a great personality, and a really awesome mom who saved him while she unfortunately died. Even though I haven't read the comics yet (and will buy once I get my paycheck) I have seen Suchin's appearance, and despite not having much background, she's one hell of a mother. :) Damn you, Red Dragon! Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

MikuHatsuneLove: That won't be the only time he'll say that. XD

xMK Warriorx: There are some people that like that channel, but I cannot stand Honey Boo Boo and even TLC, so I'd figure I give one of the villains a show mostly everyone that I know of hates. :P

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Takeda Takahashi: The New Hope

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For some reason, in a farm, a familiar face with cybernetic arms went to a tractor and started to fix it. Why Jax decided to have a farm after being a revenant, we'll never know. Then again, being undead was kind of scary, so it would make sense to settle down. While fixing the vehicle, Sonya came in with a smile, seeing her best friend.

"Your wife told me I'd find you here," the general stated. Jax was focused on fixing the tractor, but was glad to know Sonya was here.

"You and Vera have a nice chat?" Jax asked the blonde.

"Always." Sonya took a glance around the place, and noticed what Jax was fixing, the latter heading to his table of tools. "Is that a National? I haven't seen one since—"

"You didn't come here to discuss farm... stuff. I'm still new to this, so don't judge me." Sonya raised an eyebrow. She would never judge her best friend. Before she responded, she watches Jax grab a wrench and went back to the tractor.

"All right. I'll cut to the chase. I need your help."

"My help?"

"I know. I don't have any right to—"

"Come to my house? Yeah you do," Jax assured, concentrating on the vehicle.

"That's not what I meant," Sonya corrected. "I'm talking about the other thing." Jax blinked, realizing it now.

"You knew what I wanted." Sonya walked closer to him, hoping to reach out.

"Jacqui volunteered. She came to me." She watched Jax's face turn to bitterness. He sighed, knowing that. "Listen. I get why you didn't want Jacqui joining S-F. Why you retired. I mean, if I had to live with memories of being one of Quan Chi's thugs? I would've eaten a gun long ago? But would that kill me technically?"

"Well you know Vera," Jax said, taking a quick break from the tractor, standing face to face with his friend. "She never would've allowed that. So what is it you need help with? The Outworld refugees?" Sonya crossed her arms.

"Nah, they are happy campers now. It's Shinnok's amulet, and Mileena has it."

"That bitch," Jax responded.

"And we've gotten word from Sareena that Quan Chi has resurfaced in the Netherrealm."

"He shows his face after twenty-five years... just as Shinnok's Amulet is in play. That's not a coincidence."

"That's why I need you," Sonya stated, raising her arms and shrugging for emphasis. "You're Quan Chi expertise. We wouldn't activate your commission. You'd be an observer."

"Here's Johnny," Jax said, noticing the actor walking into the room.

"Jax," Johnny said nonchalantly.

"I don't want a copy of Ninja Mime."

"I just want to see if maybe—"

"No!" Jax denied. Johnny shrugged.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." After that confusing conversation, Sonya said to the African American,

"We need you, Jax. Help me capture Quan Chi. None of us is safe if he gets near that amulet. Jax pondered, wondering if he should go with it. To respond to Sonya's plea, he asked,

"Where's Jacqui in all this?"

"Outworld. With Cassie's team recovering the amulet." Jax groaned in worry, but Johnny assured him,

"She'll be fine. We expect to hear 'mission accomplished' from them soon, and their singing as well." Jax looks at Johnny with a serious expression, and just when he would respond, another cutaway begins!

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Back in Outworld in what looks like prison, the four looked around their cells as if they've never been in one before. Jacqui tried to look to her right to see if anyone's coming, while Cassie gripped the bars and tried to break them, but since she's not Superman, there's no way. As for Jin, he's meditating, doing a slow wave with his arms and mysterious floating. If one got a glimpse of that, it's his feet that are supporting him. Takeda had been thinking, since the four were playing I Spy. With a few seconds of concentration, he called out to the three.

"Okay. I spy with my little eye... something you can grasp." The ladies, even the meditating Jin, groaned when he said that.

"I don't know? The bars!" Cassie answered. "You said that five times now!" Takeda replied back,

"You could also grasp the lanterns if you broke them off the wall." Cassie sighed, trying to break down the bars again.

"So whaddyu guys think?" Jacqui asked the three. "They gonna kill us?"

"We're the main characters!" Takeda responded, his fingers pressed to his temple. "We can't die like Liu Kan— Oh wait, never mind."

"Unless Kotal Kahn's planning on having us as 'guests' at the Koliseum," Jin replied, still doing some weird exercise. Cassie gripped the bars, groaning from her failed attempts to get out.

"Well, if they don't kill us, my mother will. Me at least, and take my entire allowance."

"Tough being the general's daughter?" Takeda asked, still in that same position, staring at the blonde. The squad leader sighed once again, looking at the Shirai-Ryu warrior.

"No, it's all rainbows and unicorns," Cassie replied sarcastically. "Honestly, you have no idea." On the other side, Jin looked like he was playing paper-rock-scissors, landing a rock on his hand.

"I do. My great-whatever grandfather took down Shang Tsung. Saved Earthrealm," Jin added. "How often do you think that comes up at family gatherings?"

"That was six hundred years ago," Cassie replied, looking at the archer.

"And yet, you'd think it happened yesterday."

"No pressure there," Jacqui stated.

"I've trained all my life..." Cassie announced. "...can fight my way out of nearly anything... But I still feel like a second-rate Cage." Takeda took note of what the leader said, and planted his feet to the ground from his seat, standing up afterwards to stand beside the African American.

"At least you grew up with people expecting things from you."

"I thought you and your dad were best friends," Jacqui said, placing her hands on her back.

"Now," Takeda replied. "He was a no-show for a long time."

"I can relate," Jacqui said, gripping a bar with her left hand.

"What was it like growing up? Having an ex-revenant father?" Jin asked. Surprisingly, he put compassion in his tone, which is a first for the Shaolin warrior.

"Jin..." Takeda said with a warning. Jin looked at Takeda.

"I'm actually being nice," he declared, now looking at Jacqui. "Couldn't have been easy."

"He was just a bit overprotective. One time, I was watching Zombieland with him, and when a zombie appeared, he screamed and destroyed the flat screen TV. Ever since he's been a revenant, he's now afraid of zombies, and surprisingly not revenants. When I joined S-F, Mr. Cage insisted on being the one to tell my dad. He'd thought it go smoother." Jin smiled, and got a small laugh from the fact that Jacqui's father is afraid of zombies, and the fact that Cassie's father told him about his daughter joining Special Forces.

"I'll never forget that day," the squad leader replied, everyone's eyes on her. "My dad came home with a broken jaw and crushed nuts." Everyone else got a laugh out of that, reminiscing moments from the past. Footsteps from the light were heard, gaining everyone's attention, and there was a person who came to unlock the fenced door.

"All right. I got this," Takeda whispered.

"You've got what exactly?" Cassie asked. Takeda flashed a confident, but surprisingly adorable smile. He could win an award for that cute face if he wanted to!

"Trust me." A couple of Osh-Tekk warriors opened the fenced door, one of them carrying a bucket. He went down and almost hit his head coming down the stairs, and when he took a good look at the four, he said to them in a commanding, yet unexpected voice,

"Away from the bars!" His voice was surprisingly high for a man his age, like if he inhaled helium. The four held their laughter, moving back from the bars. When they did what he told, he took out a loaf of bread and gave to Cassie, then Jin, who almost dropped it from the Osh-Tekk's throw, and then to Jacqui. When the man was about to give it to Takeda, he was sitting there like an insane person in an asylum, with his fingers pressed to his temple.

The warrior was curious and looked at Takeda with a raised eyebrow. His eyes were shut, and for a second, his eyes opened, making the Osh-Tekk faint. Takeda hurried to his pocket to find a key, and sure enough, he did. He unlocked the door and sprang out to unlock Jacqui's door.

"How'd you do that?!" she asked in awe.

"I overloaded his senses. Only works at short range," Takeda explained. He turned and unlocked Jin's door.

"Being the son of a telepath has its perks."

"I didn't used to think that," he replied, heading outside, forgetting Cassie.

"Hey! What about me?!" she said to Takeda. He stopped and Jacqui and Jin accidentally bumped behind the rescuer. Takeda immediately turned around and unlocked her door.

"Sorry. The cameras didn't show me unlocking yours for some reason."

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Another flashback, another character. Heck, there could be a drinking contest for every time there's a flashback. Nevertheless, here's Takeda's past, five years earlier.

A forehead showing Takeda walked into a city that has been destroyed, looking like a dystopian setting. After his usual coffee run, he walked around like no one was here, which is kind of true because it's a ghost town. He took cover from a building and looked to check his surroundings, but failed since there was a speared kunai that almost hit him. The one who owned that was none other than another handsome ninja, Hanzo Hasashi, formally known as Scorpion.

Takeda ran to him and fought him, the latter blocking his attacks at great agility. When he had the advantage, Scorpion punched Takeda in the face, which flew the Takahashi son back a bit, but he went back to him and did an aerial kick. Scorpion dodged, but Takeda managed to grab one of Scorpion's swords. The latter noticed he possessed it and attempted to grab the one with his right hand, but he felt air instead. With his left hand, he grabbed the other sword and held it like a baseball bat, heading in for a sword fight. Their swords clashed with great sounds, and when they tried to slash each other, they missed.

When they were a few feet away from each other, Takeda threw his sword at Scorpion, which crossed and flew up in the sky. Heading in towards the ninja, Takeda kicked Scorpion in the face, landing him to the ground while Takeda grabbed the sword just in time when it landed. He ran to the ninja and placed the sword near him, but stopped, panting in the process.

"Yield," he said to the man. The latter panted silently, impressed with Takeda's effort.

"Well done," Scorpion said. He moved the sword away from him and lifted his hand for Takeda to grab. He took it and helped him up. "You are now Chujin," he declared to the trainee, placing a fist to his chest and bowing to Takeda.

"You honor me, Father," Takeda replied, bowing back at him while holding Scorpion's sword with his hands. The latter sighed and placed his sword back behind his back.

"For the last time, Takeda, I'm not your father!"

"Now that I'm Chujin, how will I serve the clan?" Scorpion gave Takeda a solemn look.

"Your future does not lie with the Shirai-Ryu."

"But... the clan's my family," Takeda responded, surprised by what his master said. Scorpion placed his arms behind his back, walking a few steps away from Takeda.

"When I took you in, I promised your father—"

"But you're my father," Takeda retorted.

"No he isn't," a new voice said from behind. Takeda turned around to see the blind swordsman Kenshi. "But I'm proud of you. A Chujin in record time." He bowed in respect to Takeda, but he glared at the sight of his true father. He tilted his head to look at Scorpion.

"You knew he was coming?! You said nothing?!" Scorpion turned around to face Takeda.

"Knowing this would be your reaction, yes," he replied calmly. Takeda huffed and walked forward, but Scorpion said to him, "Takeda. Your father is not your enemy." The Chujin glared at Kenshi.

"Ten years. No visits, presents, nothing. You abandoned me." To reach out to him, Kenshi took a step closer to his son.

"I did not abandon you—"

"I was eight! My mother had just died! Now you come back? Think you can jump right in as the proud dad?"

"Son, I..." Takeda shoved Kenshi out of his way.

"To hell with you!" he said in a sharp tongue, stealing Scorpion's line. "I am not your son." He was going to fight him, but due to exhaustion from training, Takeda thought of something. "You know what? If I win a round in Pyramid with five words, then that means I want to knock you down." Even though it looks like Kenshi's expression didn't change, he raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Okay... I guess?"

"I'll go get some cards then," Scorpion suggested. The ninja teleported, and a few minutes later, Scorpion appeared with flashcards with words in it, and his phone for a timer. Kenshi and Takeda sat down seiza style. Since Takeda is challenging Kenshi, Scorpion stood behind Takeda so Kenshi can see the words. Scorpion turned on the timer for sixty seconds on his phone and revealed a card to Kenshi, the word being "Outworld."

"It's where the Mortal Kombat Tournament took place," Kenshi hinted to his son.

"Outworld." Scorpion found another card, the word this time is Jade.

"It's a color."

"Black."

"She died along with Kitana."

"Oh, Jade!" Scorpion tried to find a difficult one, and encountered oddly enough "Sub-Zero".

"Bi-Han, Kuai Liang..."

"Sub-Zero." Kenshi looked at the next word, and he's already accepted defeat since the words were too easy, but if it can help make Takeda forget the hatred, then he would continue just for him.

"Thunder God, relied too much on his cracked medallion..."

"Raiden." The final word Scorpion found was one that Kenshi was shocked to see.

"He says, 'Get over here!'"

"Scorpion." Since he got five in a row, Takeda won a round of Pyramid, and Scorpion placed the cards and phone in his pocket. The Chujin got up. "Alright! Time to knock you down for years of abandonment!" Takeda declared, punching his dad in the face. It took his father by surprise and he fell to the ground, and when his son was about to hit him again, he was stopped.

"Takeda, cease!" Scorpion scolded. "Kenshi did not abandon you. He brought you here for your protection."

"Protection from what?!" Takeda asked with fire in his voice.

"From those who murdered your mother."

"She..." Takeda paused, not wanting to believe that. He looked at his master. "She died in an accident."

"That was the story I asked Master Hasashi to tell you," Kenshi replied, on his knees recovering from the unexpected punch. He slowly got up, staring at him face to face. "But in truth, your mother was killed by Red Dragon assassins. I was the target. Suchin was the victim." Takeda grabbed him, glaring at the blind man with rage.

"Son of a bitch! It was your fault!" Scorpion looked at the two Takahashi and he said to the younger one,

"You father has devoted his life to fighting animals like the Red Dragon. It is they who are without honor." Takeda pulled back and turned his back against the two, conflicted on what he's discovered.

"You shouldn't have hidden the truth," Takeda said. Kenshi replied,

"You would have gone after your mother's killers unprepared. I could not risk that." Those words shocked Takeda, his heart pounding in response. He closed his eyes to prevent tears from coming out and opened them. "Master Hasashi has perfected your fighting skills." With a few steps closer to his son, Kenshi said to him telepathically, "Now it is time to complete your training." Takeda heard his thoughts and turned around to look at his father in awe.

"How did you do that?"

"We are telepaths," Kenshi answered. "A family gift."

"I can read minds?" Takeda asked.

"Through training, we will determine your full abilities." Kenshi placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "And then we will down the Red Dragon. Together."

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As soon as that bittersweet flashback ended, the four head out of the small prison from the ship and looked on to see Ermac, Reptile, and "Indy" as they investigate on one of the Osh-Tekk warriors who is presumed to be dead.

"This is D'Vorah's work," Reptile announced.

"No argument there," the mercenary said. "Only she can create wounds like these."

"That creepy bug lady is full of surprises," Takeda said to Cassie. The four continued looking onward to the three.

"Question is, is she working with anyone else?" the cowboy asked. Reptile looked at where the four are, and the mercenary noticed his reaction. "What is it?" The four hide from their view.

"Damn. He's made us," Takeda said quietly.

"Okay, guys, standard diamond form," Cassie commanded. "Takeda, you're on point since this is your chapter. Jacqui, bring up the rear. Kung Jin, air cover."

"You got it," Jin replied, taking out an arrow to prepare.

"The Earthrealmers! D'Vorah freed them!" Reptile said in the distance. The three out of the four members of the team ran towards the Outworlders, while Jin aimed his arrow, and as it landed, it created blue smoke. Cassie, Jacqui, and Takeda ran towards the Outworlders. The telepath was stopped by Reptile while the camera turned to full-screen mode, and he flashed a smile.

"Sweet! I get a quick time event!" It was serious when Reptile turned invisible, and Takeda was unsure where he was until he managed to find him and land a punch at him, but Reptile disappeared again. With his senses, Takeda found the Zaterran again, and again. Three more times Reptile would disappear, but Takeda managed to grab his Yoshi-like tongue, tug him closer and punched him a couple of times.

They finally engaged into kombat, and of course, like the quick time event, Reptile kept turning visible. The Shirai-Ryu warrior used his whips to dish out some strategies, while being defensive at the same time. He also used projectiles to stop the Zaterran from being invisible. When the damn creature finally had enough, Takeda walked forward and said to himself.

"One down. Two to go." The telepath noticed Jin was having trouble, so he went to him, who is losing against the mercenary that he just beat three chapters ago. Seriously Jin? Why would he get his ass handed to him when he already defeated the cowboy? Now he's on the ground, wincing from his wounds, while the mercenary has him at gunpoint. With Takeda's whips, he got his feet and threw him to the other side of the kove. The telepath helped picked up Jin, who said to him,

"When we get back, you're teaching me that."

"Deal," Takeda graciously replied. "Go help with Ermac. I've got this." When the cowboy ran to Takeda at high speed, the latter slide down while the first jumped to dodge that. The telepath got up in a really cool spin, turning to face his next opponent.

"Think you can handle me alone?" the hatless cowboy asked. "You're either brave or foolish."

"Let's go, John Marston!" Takeda called out, preparing for kombat once again.

"My name is—" Before he could continue, Takeda used his whips to make him fall to the ground again. It was unfortunate for the cowboy to be in Outlaw variation because those whips can stop his Tarkatan sword. Because of that, the Shirai-Ryu warrior defeated the cowboy, and then something from his pocket dropped. Takeda carefully went towards him to pick it up, and it shows his I.D. badge. It shows that his name is Erron Black, his occupation is Kotal Kahn's bounty hunter, his type of lady is one who looks good with a gun, and his star sign is a Taurus.

"So his name is Erron..." Takeda said, looking at the knocked out bounty hunter. He dropped the I.D. back where he found it. "Nah, he looks more like a John Marston." When Takeda got a look on the last opponent, he shouldn't keep his promise with Jin because it is not his day to fight, due to the fact that Ermac slammed him to the ground with his telekinetic powers. Jacqui was next, who was pushed back far away from the gang. When Cassie tried to shoot him, Ermac threw her gun away and grappled her with a green force, hurting her until Takeda stopped him, making the blonde fall to the ground. "Let's see what's worth learning in there," he said to the other telepath. Apparently, it was too strong, and Takeda moved back. "So many minds... trapped inside..."

"We exist to serve," Ermac's multiple voices said. "Bound by Shao Kahn's magic."

"The chaos... the voices..."

"We are many... you are one. Your abilities pale before us." It's the fight of the telepaths. Both hold strong power; one inherited, one whose many souls make him stronger. When they ran to each other... Ermac's kicks and punches only tickle Takeda. This relieved the son of Kenshi, so with his x-ray, he stopped Ermac, which was surprisingly easy for him unlike the other three.

"I think I've had enough of Outworld," Takeda said. He ran to the three, seeing Cassie helping Jin up, while Jacqui walked towards them.

"I'm starting to get why my dad retired," Jacqui stated.

"We have to find D'Vorah. Get the amulet," Cassie suggested.

"Let's go," Jin said. "They won't be out long." With simple nods, they head on.

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At the emperor's palace, Kotal Kahn walked from an end to the table to the other, while Erron, was sitting down on the chairs, and Reptile and Ermac stand beside the sitting cowboy.

"D'Vorah? And the Earthrealmers?" Kotal Kahn asked them.

"She stole the amulet," Erron said, "then helped them escape."

"She betrayed us to the Thunder God," Reptile added. The Kahn closed his eyes for a second, hurt by the fact that his trusted peer betrayed him.

"You wound me, D'Vorah." He turned to the three. "Prepare the legions. We go to Earthrealm. We will wrest back the amulet from that devil Raiden. We'll give them, especially D'Vorah, the sting of pain." The emperor should have stopped before saying that sentence, because the three started to break out in laughter. It was so funny that the mercenary fell from his chair. It was unusual for Ermac to laugh, but for Reptile, his laugh was entertaining. The emperor was getting tired of them laughing, so he slammed his fists into the table.

"Stop laughing or I'll make you all play Just Dance in dresses!" Kotal Kahn commanded. In an instant, two of them stop, but Reptile still kept laughing. The three looked at each other and thought of something devious since the Zaterran failed to follow the Kahn's command. "We'll make him dance to Miley Cyrus to make the punishment better."

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Thanks Takeda for making this the longest chapter so far. I must say: it was strange to have Jax start off in Takeda's chapter, but then again, Johnny appeared first for Kotal Kahn's chapter, and the fact that Jax is up next. And I finally revealed Erron's name in this! :D The reason why I put his star sign as a Taurus is because of a Tumblr post I found that has the characters and what signs they represent. I'm a Capricorn and I have Sub-Zero! :D

While I prepare for the next chapter, go ahead and leave some reviews, please! And I also made a one shot for Kenshi that was inspired by his arcade ladder in MK9. It's called In His Mind, and if you're a fan of Kenshi like I am, be sure to check it out! It's Kenshi/OC, but it's non-canon since the endings are usually non-canon. I appreciate it, and I'll see you soon! ^_^

A small note: if you're wondering why this looks grammatically incorrect, it isn't. I use Microsoft Word and I follow word for word in the game's dialogue, while parodying it.