Let me just say that I had to break this up; it was originally all going into one chapter, but it would have been way too long. So this is one last chapter of filler before the action kicks in.
Johnny stood awkwardly in front of Sonya's room. The curtain on the other side of the glass wall obstructed his view from her, but perhaps it was for the better. Even though the doctor had told him he was allowed in to see her, he wasn't sure he was completely ready to do so. Plus, if she was awake, he probably wouldn't hear the end of it from her for leaving Raiden alone back at the house.
But despite whatever would happen, he knew he had to see her.
He wanted to see her.
So he sucked it up and walked through the opening, finally catching a good view of her. Needless to say, Johnny didn't like what he saw. Sonya, the last person in the world he expected to look small and helpless, was doing exactly that as she lay reclining in the hospital bed. Even though it was still early in the day, the curtains were drawn closed, and in the dim light Johnny couldn't tell if her eyes were open. He noticed with a touch of insecurity that she looked just as pale as Raiden had the day they had brought him to Johnny's house.
He restrained himself from walking over immediately and hung around in the doorway, even though he knew if he didn't take the chance now, it would probably be a while before he could talk to Sonya again. But he felt unsure about going over to check if she was awake, and if she wasn't, he knew it probably wasn't a good idea to wake her up.
Almost chickening out, he seriously considered ducking out of the room right before he heard her speak.
"I won't bite," she muttered dryly from her bed, startling Johnny. "Yet."
At this she gave as much of a smirk as she could muster, a humorless one that Johnny wasn't sure was weakened by the pain or her soon-to-be expressed irritation at the situation with Raiden. But at least she was awake and okay, and even as Johnny could see her weary expression written plainly on her face, he roused himself to go over and pull up a chair next to her.
"Morning, sunshine," he tried to joke, but Sonya ignored his statement and got right to the point.
"How's Raiden?" she demanded weakly. Johnny sighed and leaned back in the chair.
"No idea," he admitted, expecting a strong reaction from Sonya. Surprisingly, he became even more concerned when her face registered no sign of emotion. She just lay there, looking at him but not responding. It unnerved him far more than he expected.
"But I'm gonna go back and get him as soon as I get out of here," Johnny assured her, sitting forward again. "He's not our biggest worry right now. You are."
Johnny tried to force something like a smirk, but his heart fell as he realized Sonya simply didn't have the energy to do the same. Unsurely, he lifted his hand, and then dropped it. Changing his mind, he quickly lifted it again and placed it on the bed, near Sonya's hand. He wasn't sure if she was aware of the gesture, and so he placed his own hand a little closer to her so that their fingers overlapped, for just barely a few seconds.
Deeming the situation too awkward, however, he quickly retracted his hand again and looked at his knees.
"You need your rest," he sputtered out after a few seconds, glancing at her. She still didn't look like she wanted to respond.
"So…" Johnny stammered, getting up unsurely from his chair. "I'm just gonna… get out of your hair. Go check on Raiden."
She was still quiet as she lay in the hospital bed, but she did look in his direction this time. Johnny was backing out of the doorway, and stopped to deliver one last message.
"We'll be back real soon. All right?" he asked for confirmation. He received none. Evidently Sonya had gone back to sleep.
Dejected, Johnny made his way out down the hallway. He grudgingly admitted to himself she needed the rest.
"…I look ridiculous," Raiden complained as he stood next to Fujin in the crowd. He was remarking on the scratchy blue crushed velvet robe that he had swiped from Johnny's drawer back at his house. Although it miraculously fit (whatever competition Johnny had won evidently did not make the robe to fit, and so had oversized it for display), Raiden had thought he had a chance at detracting from the tacky fabric by wrapping his hands and chest in Johnny's medical tape. But now he began to doubt himself, and tugged on the edge of the sleeve, hoping he could tuck in the flashy yellow trim.
Fujin, who had had to bear the brunt of Raiden's whining and insecurities since they had arrived in Edenia, exhaled sharply and looked at his ally unkindly.
"Enough," Fujin commanded irritably, surprising Raiden, who had never seen the normally laid-back wind god bear harsh words for anyone. "This is not a fashion contest. Besides, it was your idea. I wish to hear no more of it for the time we are here."
Here, of course, referred to the crowd of kombatants they were in the midst of, all of who were talking amongst themselves, giving each other intimidating looks, or staring eagerly at the seat of the throne up at the heart of the coliseum which formerly belonged to Shao Kahn. Now, in his place, Mileena occupied the throne, donning traditional Edenian armor and slouching in her father's seat. A smug-looking Quan Chi stood off to her right, and to her left Baraka had stationed himself within her view. Many of the competitors couldn't help but notice the looks the latter and Mileena frequently gave each other, but no one dared to point it out. Meanwhile, the audience was making a deafening ruckus from the stands, drowning out most conversation in their frantic thirst for bloodshed.
Raiden looked around, scanning as many kontestants as he could and attempting to analyze possible strengths and weaknesses immediately. He cursed himself for not bringing a weapon, but Fujin would not let him near any of the swords. Exasperated, Raiden had decided he would have to rely on good old-fashioned fisticuffs, but as he observed the crowd, he found he would be at a severe disadvantage.
"Now, Raiden," Fujin caught his attention, gesturing to the elevated platform on which the throne rested. "The tournament begins."
At that moment, Quan Chi stepped forward, resulting in the cries from the audience dying down to a hushed, rumbling series of whispers as they waited in anticipation for what the speaker had to announce. Quan Chi looked out over the entire stadium. Suddenly, he lifted his arms up as an invitation for the crowd to raise their voices once more, and the ear-shattering roar the spectators let out confirmed to the sorcerer that he had their attention.
"Brethren!" Quan Chi called out over the shrieks, causing Raiden to almost roll his eyes in contempt before he stopped himself. "Today you will witness history! Not just for one realm, but for all!"
Even though it didn't seem possible, the crowd grew even more frantic. Citizens of Outworld and Edenia alike shouted support for their comrades from deep within the stands. Quan Chi dropped his arms, and on cue, the cries died down again impressively quickly.
"Though Mortal Kombat is no more," Quan Chi spoke, his demonically deep voice booming throughout the stadium without the aid of a microphone of any sort. "In the spirit of sportsmanship, we have invited the realms' strongest fighters to come together again once more to prove who the true champion is!"
The audience roared with approval once more, this time joined by some of the warriors below. Raiden began to experience a headache from the thought that he would have to endure this incessant racket the entire time he was fighting.
Quan Chi turned around to face Mileena, who glared back maniacally at him from her seat. Then again, glaring maniacally was her default expression.
"What say you to initiating this tournament, my queen?" Quan Chi asked her, bowing slightly as he referred to one of his superiors. Even from the stands and the ground, the wicked glint in Mileena's eye was visible enough to signal that underneath her mask, she was grinning wildly with that hideous Tarkatan mouth of hers.
"Let the games begin!" Mileena projected throughout the stadium, rallying the audience back into frenzy, despite the fact that the banter between herself and Quan Chi seemed awfully rehearsed.
Smirking, Quan Chi looked back out, this time directing his attention to the lowly combatants before him.
"The first set of rounds will begin," he barked at them. "Do we have any volunteers?"
Immediately those of the warriors who thought the most highly of themselves stepped out into clear view, and immediately paired themselves off into the first few matches they would face. Apparently, however, the arena could accommodate even more fighters at the moment, and so Quan Chi summoned Reptile to scout out more kombatants from the crowd.
Raiden took notice of this immediately. Trying to keep his expression even so as not to attract Fujin's attention, Raiden waited for Reptile to walk within earshot. Taking his opportunity when Fujin looked the other way to observe the other kontestants, Raiden inched his way through to the front of the crowd.
"Reptile!" Raiden hissed out as the ninja with the scaly complexion walked by, examining whom to pick out from the bushel of fighters. Hearing his name, Reptile cocked his head to one side, looking for the source when finally he made eye contact with Raiden, who still guarded himself behind other warriors, but beckoned Reptile to come closer.
"Please hear me out," Raiden pleaded, earning an unresponsive look from the reptilian warrior. He decided to make this quick before Reptile lost interest.
"I know your clan was a casualty of the battle for Earthrealm centuries ago," Raiden spoke quickly. At this, Reptile looked puzzled, but suddenly the identity of the stranger clicked in his memory. Reptile seemed much more attentive, and perhaps contrary to what Raiden intended, more hostile. Raiden, however, did not pick up on this and continued speaking.
"I do not know what they have offered you," Raiden said obliviously, "they" referring to anybody Raiden could safely infer was doing Quan Chi's bidding. "But I must warn you; if they offer salvation for your race, you will not find it. All I ask is that you do not hold feelings of antagonism towards Earthrealm. I can only assure you Quan Chi and the others do not hold your best interests at heart, despite what they may have led you to believe."
Raiden waited for Reptile's response, which was nothing but a low hiss and a blank stare.
"I am not demanding you pick sides," Raiden explained. "I am just saying, choose your allies carefully. If you should decide to align yourself with Earthrealm now, I cannot promise you back your people, but I can assure you I will find another way to repay your service in full."
Reptile stopped hissing for a second and seemed pensive at this. Raiden waited impatiently for an answer.
"Please," he begged. "Earthrealm needs assistance, now more than ever."
He held out a hand to Reptile as an offer of alliance.
"Do you understand?"
Reptile looked at Raiden's hand, and then back up at the former thunder god. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, and suddenly grabbed the outstretched hand, much to Raiden's fleeting delight.
In the next few seconds, however, Reptile managed to yank Raiden out of the crowd and flung him out into the open for all to see.
"Raiden!" he could hear Fujin cry out as he stumbled to regain his footing. Bewildered, Raiden tried to catch a glimpse of Reptile again. Unfortunately, the ninja had vanished and reappeared back on the stage, next to a uncomfortably satisfied-looking Quan Chi. The sorcerer had not expected for the thunder god to come into play this early in his little game, but arguably the circumstances were even more in Quan Chi's favor now.
Grinning darkly, Quan Chi made an ushering motion with his hand to someone Raiden could not see in the crowd. Growing frantic Raiden tried to scan anybody he could have possibly missed out of the fighters.
"Your first opponent shall be…" Quan Chi began, dropping his hand. The one he had summoned stepped out robotically from the cluster of warriors. There was no sense of life in the fighter's step; he was driven only by some invisible force. There was no mind to back up the movement of the body.
Still, Raiden recognized him immediately. And he could feel his heart plunge into his stomach before Quan Chi even spoke his name.
"…Nightwolf."