Sorry, guys; I probably won't be updating as much because I just started art camp, but I'll try to get some of these last chapters out as quickly as I can.

Quan Chi tried to keep his anger controlled. He shook with fury as he realized he had just watched Raiden strike down three of his strongest fighters. Even worse, the blasted ex-deity in question was still standing on the ground, waiting with the other kontestants. But Quan Chi knew exactly what was on Raiden's mind as he stood nonchalantly in the crowd.

Brimming with desire for revenge, Quan Chi let loose a psychotic grin and addressed the last competitors.

"Kombatants!" he shouted, earning the attention of everyone in the stands and on the ground. "I congratulate you for making it to the semi-finals! Destiny is truly on your side today!"

As those around him cheered in boastful accordance, Raiden succumbed to indulgence and rolled his eyes at Quan Chi's pandering. He grew impatient with the sorcerer's attempt to buy himself more time. Unfortunately, he could do little as Quan Chi continued to stroke the fighter's egos, obviously in the interest of building them up so that tearing them down would be as spectacular as possible.

"Many of you have proven yourself truly capable fighters on behalf of your realms!" the necromancer continued. "Now only a few obstacles remain in your path. May the Elder Gods be with you during your final challenges." (A/N: "And may the odds be ever in your favor.")

Raiden bristled in indignation upon hearing Quan Chi using the Elder Gods' name in vain, ignoring briefly his own resentment towards the same gods and the supportive shouts around him. But he didn't have time to mull over it before Quan Chi made a signal gesturing the only fighters remaining to step forth.

Raiden and the other three kontestants stepped out from the now significantly smaller group (which consisted of the badly battered losers that yet somehow had survived the blood sport). The audience screeched with both support and cries for more violence as Quan Chi leered menacingly down at the group from the stage.

Raiden briefly glanced back to look at Fujin; much to his confusion, his ally was nowhere to be found. Mildly perturbed, but pushing the thought out of his mind to concentrate, Raiden looked back up at Quan Chi.

"Kombatants," the sorcerer called out, causing everyone in front to stand up at attention. He made a dividing gesture down the middle, signaling the split between Raiden and Scorpion. Both faced their respective opponents.

"I wish you the best of luck," Quan Chi commented, with a strong condescending undertone. Raiden prepared himself the second Quan Chi raised his arm, observing his opponent; a lean and imposing warrior with a club on his arm and a swarm of flies following his every movement.

"Round one!" Quan Chi shouted. This time, Raiden would be ready.

"FIGHT!"

Raiden immediately charged up a concentration of electricity in his left hand, and even though his opponent wore a mask, he was figuratively shocked at the sight of Raiden's newfound power.

Raiden resolved to make his shock literal as he charged forward.

Johnny slammed on the brakes as he pulled into an open spot in the hospital parking lot. He disregarded the fact that his car was parked diagonally and the bizarre looks he received as he made a mad dash through the doors and up to Sonya's room. The entire way up his head was swimming with fear, anger at Raiden for betraying their orders, and uncertainty at how he would explain the situation to Sonya.

He ignored the calls from the hospital staff to slow down (luckily he had kept his visitor's pass and didn't need to check in) and continued to run up until he found the hallway that indicated held her room number. He could barely wait to even make it through the doorway, almost shouting out over many nurses' calls for silence during non-visiting hours.

"Sonya!" he exclaimed as he made the turn into her room, flying past the curtain. "Raiden's-"

Johnny couldn't finish his sentence because somebody else was already standing in the room with them. The actor marveled, stunned at the commanding man that stood next to her bedside. For a second, Johnny thought he was looking at a restored Raiden. An instant later the door to the room behind Johnny was shut closed by some invisible force, stunning him.

"Who the hell are you?" Johnny blurted out defensively, ready to fight to protect Sonya if the stranger posed a threat. However, he was calmed down (only slightly) by a weary but more alert Sonya's raised hand.

"Johnny," she interrupted. "It's okay."

Johnny looked at her strangely. How did she know this guy? Were they having a friendly chat before he showed up?

Calmly, their visitor introduced himself.

"I am Fujin, god of wind," he explained. "I am one of Raiden's allies."

That seemed to calm Johnny down a little bit more, but he was still jumpy at the unexpected encounter. Still, he was eager to hear any news about their friend, if this man was truly who he told them he was.

"Where is he?" Johnny demanded.

"Fighting in a tournament in Outworld," Fujin responded. Johnny's eyes bulged out of his head, visible above his skewed sunglasses, which he had forgotten to fix in his frantic hurry.

"He's what?" Johnny almost shouted, ignoring the clamor behind him as a confused hospital staff tried to fight their way into the room.

"He is fighting," Fujin repeated. "And winning. There is no need for alarm."

Again this seemed to calm Johnny down. He looked briefly at Sonya, who evidently had been filled in on all of the details before he had arrived. She looked at him expectantly, expecting what, Johnny didn't know.

"Well," Johnny responded, trying to make sense of the situation. "What are you doing here, then? Shouldn't you be helping him?"

"He is fine on his own for now," Fujin said. "But he still needs support, especially now, this late in the tournament. Which is why I have returned to retrieve Earthrealm's two other strongest warriors."

Johnny almost felt a weight lift from his chest before he remembered something.

"What about Sonya?" Johnny questioned him. "She's in no shape to do anything."

"Yes, I am," Sonya grunted from her bed, preferring not to be spoken about as if she was some kind of useless vegetable.

"It is true your friend is weak," Fujin stated. "But if you help me, then I can take both of you to see Raiden."

Both Sonya and Johnny perked up at the thought of seeing their friend, even though they were both still furious at him. But they both knew it was more important that they went to help him in any way they could now.

"Johnny," Sonya called out over the doctors' frantic banging on the door. "Get some gauze from that cabinet over there. Hurry."

Johnny did as he was told, quickly aiding Fujin in cushioning Sonya's stitched wound as well as they could. When they were finished, Johnny retrieved Sonya's coat from the chair over which it had been tossed and helped her put in on, sitting her upright. They both looked at Fujin expectantly.

"Let's go," Johnny commanded. Fujin nodded and immediately transported them away in a huge whirlwind.

They vanished before the lock on the door unjammed and the hospital staff came barreling in.

Raiden panted gruffly as he looked down on his beaten opponent. The Netherrealm oni lay in a crumpled heap in front of him, having been completely unprepared for Raiden's sudden onslaught. Many in the crowds stood still, stunned by the incredible display they had just witnessed. Even Scorpion, having just finished off his opponent as well, had to turn and stare in wonder at the former thunder god's work.

Up on the stage Quan Chi's expression was tight, even as he looked down at the fighters like they were pawns in his little game. Whether Raiden proceeded or not was no matter; the next thing Quan Chi had planned for him would ensure the sorcerer emerged victorious either way.

Behind the crowd of fighters, three figures emerged from a small hurricane. Johnny held Sonya over his shoulder and helped her along as Fujin pushed a way to the front of the crowd for them. Ignoring the protest from the other fighters, Johnny and Sonya clamored to see their friend.

When they managed to get in front of the crowd, both stared slack-jawed at what they saw. To see Raiden now, staring at his foe with those piercing electric blue eyes that radiated unbridled fury, completely oblivious to the splattered blood of his opponent that signaled his victory for all to see, was a far cry from a few hours ago.

"Rai-!" Sonya almost called out before Fujin silenced her.

"No!" he brashly interrupted. "Do not distract him."

Both Sonya and Johnny looked at Fujin in bewilderment, but ultimately heeded his advice and stayed silent. More Tarkatans had come out to take away the bodies of Raiden and Scorpion's vanquished opponents. Quan Chi looked down upon the whole scene as if it were a parade. He smiled forebodingly.

"Kombatants," he called out to an attentive Scorpion and a winded Raiden. "Congratulations. You will now face the most skilled warrior you will encounter in this tournament."

Both fighters left on the ground assumed he meant each other. A determined Raiden turned to face Scorpion, who wore a stern expression on what little was exposed of his face. Raiden glared at him intensely, silently cursing the wraith for ignoring his past warning about killing Sub-Zero and knocking down one of the dominoes that had contributed to a chain of events that left Raiden standing where he was today.

"Ah ah!" Quan Chi called from above, earning the attention of them both. "Neither of you is the warrior of which I speak."

Everybody in the stadium gave Quan Chi confused looks. There was no one else left in the arena.

Quan Chi smiled and continued to explain.

"The winner of this tournament shall be the one who emerges victorious from a duel with one of my own most talented."

Raiden hissed under his breath. Of course the sorcerer would pull a wild card this late in the game.

"You see," Quan Chi continued, much to an already irritated Raiden's chagrin, who wished he would get on with it. "This fighter was bestowed upon me through very… gracious circumstances."

Raiden looked up at Quan Chi through narrowed eyes. Scorpion, too, seemed confused at what Quan Chi was attempting to imply.

"You could say his allegiance to me was a sort of… reward," he continued. "And it has been very rewarding indeed."

Raiden thought hard about whoever it could be to whom Quan Chi was referring.

And then the terrifying realization hit him. So hard that Raiden couldn't speak.

Quan Chi grinned as he looked directly at him, enjoying the thunder god's torment. He was already summoning another fighter from a green smoke pillar, and the audience continued to roar in anticipation of this new challenger.

Raiden, however, was the opposite. He started trembling, earning mocking shouts from many in the stands. Others wondered what could have possibly startled him so badly after the barrage he had unleashed on his last opponent.

Meanwhile Raiden continued to pray frantically to the Elder Gods who may or may not have been listening. He prayed desperately that his intuition was unjustified, that it wouldn't be who he really knew it would. Johnny and Sonya watched puzzled as their friend's willpower seemed to unravel in front of them.

The smoke cleared from the stage, leaving a lone figure standing in its wake, and confirming Raiden's worst fears.

"…No."

Emerging from the smoke stood Liu Kang.