Outworld seemed like a dark version of Earth to Scorpion. It was grim looking, and gave off a feeling of hopelessness and depression. During his short travel, the scroll lead Scorpion into a poor small village. Although this was not the set destination, he decided to stop for food and supplies for his journey. There were wooden houses, and people pushing wagons and fishing in a small stream. As he walked through, many of the people he saw were human. They all seemed to cower at the site of him. Finally he was approached by an elderly man.
"I know he has sent you to collect our payments, but please. We need more time," he said.
"No one has sent me, not here at least," Scorpion replied.
"Aren't you one of the emperor's men?"
"Is your emperor bald and a conniving sorcerer?" Scorpion asked, still bitter at Quan Chi.
"No, I don't suppose," answered the old man.
"Then no."
The elderly man suddenly looked relieved.
"What brings you to our village?"
"I need food, supplies, and maybe a place to rest."
"I'm sorry, but we don't have much," suddenly the old man was cut off by screams.
"The tarkatans, the tarkatans are here. Run for your lives!"
The screams sent the villagers scattering. The old man and other villagers rushed pass Scorpion, leaving him standing in the middle of the dirt road. Scorpion drew one of his swords as he heard numerous, hideous sounds. The old man noticed that Scorpion was still standing in the same spot and ran back. A young girl, at least in her late teens, with a bow and arrows on her back ran after the old man frantically.
"We must go, the tarkatans will eat you alive," the old man pleaded.
"I run from nothing," Scorpion respond, awaiting what was coming.
"You must be a fool, they are the emperor's personal human hounds. They will eat your flesh and use your bone to pick their teeth!"
"Leave him be! If he wants to die, let him," said the girl grabbing the old man.
A small horde of tarkatans ransacked the village. Those who couldn't escape were caught, and their flesh was eaten. Some laid on the ground, screaming as the tarkatans chewed on their limbs. Scorpion saw this and was disgusted and horrified. He had seen nothing like them. They resemble humans, but had hideous facial features. Their eyes were pitch black, they had the nose of a canine, and long, sharp teeth. As they raided the village, one charged at Scorpion. Although the young girl was pulling him, the old man looked back at him. When the tarkatan reached him, Scorpion skillfully decapitated him with one slice across its neck. The old man's eyes widen from this sight.
The other tarkatans stop what they were doing and stared at their fallen brother. They then set their sights on Scorpion, who stood wielding the bloody blade. The tarkatans sprung blades from their forearms and screamed violently at Scorpion. They all rushed him, with some still feeding on the villagers. As a pack of them were coming, Scorpion readied himself. The old man and girl watched from a safe distance. Scorpion slung his spear, piercing and hooking the middle one.
"Come hear," he yelled snatching the tarkatan off it's feet toward him.
As he was pulling, Scorpion reversed around and threw him back towards the other oncoming beasts, knocking a bunch of them down. Another one hopped from the roof top behind him. He turn and started blocking its slashes with his sword. He stabbed it in the stomach, and pullout, slashing another that was approaching from behind throat. More were coming and he drew his other sword from his back, now wielding both of them. The villagers began to take notice as he was about to single handily take on the tarkatan horde.
The first one to meet him in combat got both its arms slashed off. The second managed to get a cut across Scorpion's right leg, but was split in half at the waste. He flipped his right sword upside down and threw it at another approaching tarkatan, stabbing it in the eye. As it screamed, Scorpion cut it's head off and grabbed the handle of his sword. He slung the head off of his sword, hitting another tarkatan in the face. Another tarkatan rushed him. As it attacked high, Scorpion went low, slashing off it's legs. Scorpion was holding his own against them, but one managed to grab him from behind and bit deeply into his left shoulder.
"Ah!" Scorpion yelled in pain.
As the tarkatan was trying to sink its teeth deeper, it suddenly released its grasp. An arrow struck it in the back and it turn to see the girl holding her bow. Enraged, Scorpion spun in a 360 with his blade, slashing the tarkatan across it's head, separating it at the mouth. As the top flew off, it's tongue flapped up and down with blood spewing in the air. As his own blood began to stain his uniform, Scorpion stood panting, eyeing the rest of the tarkatans as if to say whose next.
Although he was out numbered and injured, the remaining tarkatans decided flee. After they left Scorpion fell to a knee, using one of his swords to hold him up. The old man and the young girl ran to his aide while the rest of the villagers stayed where they where until the tarkatans were out of sight. The old man help Scorpion to his feet. The bite on his shoulder caused him to lose a lot of blood rapidly.
"In all my years," said the old man helping Scorpion up, "I have never seen a man run off a horde of tarkatans before."
Scorpion began panting harder as his vision was fading and it became harder to breathe. He had sustained many injuries before, but nothing of this caliber. The girl tried to remove his mask, but Scorpion turned his head from her.
"Please, if you don't remove your mask you won't be able to breathe properly," she said.
Scorpion stared deeply into the girls eyes. Suddenly the girl looked like his wife. The hallucination allowed Scorpion to relax for a short second.
"Kana," he said as he passed out.