Neighbors by Law

"Let's leave!" Chan shouted. "We have who we need, so let's leave." Chan, Kobra, Kira, and a shadowy figure are seen escaping a theater. Along the way, they are fighting against members of the Brotherhood of Shadows. However, these people weren't dead. They were still alive and human. The shadowy figure created a portal that would lead them away from the theater.

"Get in the portal NOW!" the distorted voice shouted. He was the first to leave, along with Kobra, who was half-way through the portal when we heard her voice.

"Wait...stop…you're…." Kira was gasping for air as she was being strangled to death. A white chain was wrapped around her neck. She could barely cry for help.

"Stop it! Stop!" Chan shouted. Kobra wanted to help, but since the portal would close soon, he decided to leave them.

"I'm sorry, Shaolin, but it must be done," the figure behind Kira stated. It turned out to be Frost. "As soon as she dies, my revenge will be complete." Frost then used the chain to snap Kira's neck, instantly killing her.

"NO!" Chan yelled as he rose from his bed. He looked around and realized it was just another nightmare. He was saddened by what happened and became a bit cautious of Frost, even though she seemed trustworthy. Raiden entered Chan's room along with Johnny and Sonya.

"Another nightmare?" Sonya asked.

"I hope not. Your match begins in 20 minutes," Raiden confirmed.

"I'll be fine. That quick nap was all I needed," Chan responded.

The Earthrealm warriors traveled to the courtyard, seeing the many eyes of the audience staring upon Chan. He isn't fazed by their looks, but he is skeptical about who his next opponent will be. He looks up at Shang Tsung and spots Kitana. She closes her fan and makes a threatening throat-slitting gesture.

"Welcome back, to the fourth match up! The chosen kombatant will be Hornbuckle!" Shang Tsung announced. The monks praised him as he walked to the courtyard. "His opponent will be Rain!" Outworld cheers Rain on as he also enters the ring.

"Well, it seems like this will be a short match," Tesla commented out loud. Chan heard her words and began to worry a bit. Rain pulled out his katanas and inspected them.

"Before we begin, I…have to use the bathroom," Chan stated. Everyone went quiet.

"You didn't go before you got here?" Kitana asked.

"I thought I could hold it," Chan responded.

"You're lying!" Kitana shouted. "I've been following you all day; you went to the bathroom earlier this morning before Sonya's fight. You're not going to get out of this—" Kitana was interrupted by Shang Tsung.

"Do what you must Earthrealmer. You can't leave this island, so I won't mind giving you a five-minute intermission. Just make sure you return on time. If you feel that jumping down the pit is a better solution as well, then by all means," Shang Tsung responded. Rain shoved his blades into the ground.

"Make it snappy kid. I don't have all evening," Rain said. Chan ran from the area.

He went to the bridge that stood above the pit and looked at the volcano. He breathed deeply and began to shortly meditate. He looked down at the pit below as he reflected on what was to come.

"I thought you'd be here." Chan is relieved to hear Frost's voice. She seemed worried. Chan forces a crooked smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to jump," Chan stated.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Shaolin. Rain is just a young fighter from Edenia. He's not as strong as the other kombatants," Frost explained as she stood by Chan.

"I saw that the woman from early was a close friend of his. You saw what she did to Johnny," Chan explained.

"She's a sorceress. She has magic on her side. Lucky for you, she won't make it pass her next match. So hopefully you won't need to face her," Frost said.

"Well, I guess this might be goodbye for us," Chan said as he began to hug Frost. She jabs him in the shoulder and avoids his hug.

"Don't start that soft stuff, Shaolin. You're not going to die in this fight," Frost stated. She then points towards the charm she gave Chan yesterday. "I won't let it happen." As Frost began to leave the area, Chan calls out to her.

"Before you go, I want to know," Chan began. "Why are you working so hard to help me?" he asked. Frost didn't look back.

"Even though we fight on opposing sides, we're still Neighbors by Law," she responded.

Chan finally returns to the courtyard more ready than ever as he stands before Rain. Rain pulls his swords out of the ground and sends them away as he prepares himself to face Chan.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were?" Rain asked. Chan got nervous as he thought Rain knew his true identity. "It would be a disservice to not give Earthrealm's champion an honorable death. It's no wonder why Kitana speaks so highly of you."

"If you know who I am, then you should know what's coming next," Hornbuckle stated confidently. He entered a defensive stance as Rain just stood still.

"Tell me, what are the chances of you winning this fight?"

"I'd say they are one to none," Chan answered as he performed a flying kick towards Rain. However, he completely misses as Rain simply steps over to the side. Chan then performed a combo of forward punches and rising kicks, but Rain dodges them all as well. Sonya and Johnny become slightly worried.

"His moves are sweet, though not better than mine," Johnny commented.

"Shut it Johnny! Can't you see this is serious? That guy is just toying with him, but he's still unable to land one blow," Sonya stated.

"His Shaolin training has taught him many things. However, he has yet to learn how to harness the same powers as his brother," Raiden responded.

"Wait, you mean that's not…?" Sonya asked.

"He's here to fight on his behalf. We needed someone to fill the role. Lui Kang is currently in Outworld along with Kung Lao and Fujin as Shao Kahn seems to be using some illegal tactics to win these tournaments. The reason he isn't using his real powers is because he must keep up with his false persona until the tournament ends," Raiden explained.

"I never knew Elder Lords cheat," Johnny responded.

"It's not cheating if Outworld does not double check the kombatants," Raiden confirmed.

Chan continuously attempts to strike Rain with a physical blow, but he continues to prove unsuccessful. As he begins to get tired, Rain summons one of his katanas and attempts to slash Chan. However, he doesn't place a deep wound on Chan as he attempted to dodge the blade.

"Nice job dodging that, but this match is turning out to be more boring than I expected," Rain stated.

He continued to slash at Chan with a full-on assault. Chan dodges some attacks, but he still receives a few small cuts to the arms. Suddenly, Rain drops one katana and raises his arm in the air. A storm cloud suddenly approaches the courtyard. Rain splashed water onto Hornbuckle, and called upon a powerful lightning strike onto Chan.

"Kirtes Gintilh!" Rain shouts.

"Hornbuckle!" Sonya and Johnny shouted. The lightning bolt quickly slams onto Chan causing a shockwave across the area.

"Easy target," Rain boasted. However, as he and everyone looked closely at Chan, he was holding his right hand in the air. The lightning was traveling through his body like he was Raiden.

"He's your son?" Johnny asked Raiden. Raiden looked at Johnny Cage with a serious, but angry, look on his face. Sonya chuckled a bit.

"What sorcery is this? That lightning strike should've killed you!" Rain stated. Chan pointed his hand towards Rain and created a ring of fire from his hand.

"It seems my fire has been lit," Chan stated. He then fired a powerful fire blast against Rain's chest, which knocks him back a few feet. The Earthrealmers cheer while Outworld is in awe. Chan feels much more enthusiastic as he sees that Rain is unharmed by the blast.

"Funny how I have the powers of water and you have the power of fire. Too bad you're bound to be extinguished!" Rain taunted.

"Round Two…FIGHT!"

End of Chapter 5

(Upcoming—What are the Chances?)