Cassie ducked under the archway first, followed by Jacqui, Jin, and Takeda. The first thing he noticed was warm, red light, bathing the room in an oddly furnished ambiance. Takeda thought perhaps the flames in the sconces on either side of the door were colored red and were creating the light. Upon a second glance, they held very bright, very vibrant, and very well-fed yellow fires burning in their crystal basins, not red. They cast deep and active shadows across the walls, the floors, and the ceiling that rose ten feet above them. Everywhere he looked he caught a reflective glint, and he realized that nearly every single inch of the room was stained with a coat of fresh, still-flowing blood - the source of the room's color. The room was long, stretching before him, and the ribs maintained the curved shape to the walls. There was a natural stone pillar that rose up from the floor at the far end that supported the innermost parts of the antechamber, and there were two braziers at its base. Torches stationed at even intervals around the room illuminated almost all of it.
The usual spiderwebs clung to the walls and hung from the ceilings, and he also noticed two bodies suspended by their legs near the back end of the room, but they were by then a familiar and unexciting sight.
He should've had his back to the room and his eyes behind them, watching the door. If he had been watching, he wouldn't have missed the attack. But instead he squinted into the firelight at the far end of the room and could make out the basic shapes of boxes, bags, jars, and other containment units circled around the pillar. They held his attention, and he wondered idly what the Osh-Tekk would have stored here, and what kind of room this would have been. He craned his neck this way and that, looking over Cassie and Jacqui's heads and peering around Jin's shoulders to try and catch more.
"Rrraugh!" was the only warning they had before a huge, scratchy, calloused hand clamped down on the back of Takeda's neck. The hand squeezed and lifted him up, and he cleared the ground by several feet before the hand tossed him backwards. He landed on his back and shoulder and tumbled head over heels, jarring his joints. He slid on his back until he skidded to a halt next to one of the sconces. The assailant kicked the back of Jin's knee and forced him down, torqued to his left and punched Jacqui in the face before she could draw her gun, and planted a heel kick to Cassie's chest to send her sprawling out onto her back on the blood-pooled floor. He placed both hands on Jin's shoulders and slammed him backwards to the ground, and Takeda could tell from the way Jin curled up that it did not feel good to his injuries.
Takeda scrambled to his feet and ran forward to help when another hand snatched the back of his suit and twisted, clotheslining him and holding him there. He threw his elbow behind him, but couldn't manage to hit his attacker before he heard a metallic click. The sensation of ice-cold metal poked into the back of his neck and he froze in his tracks.
"Hands where I can see 'em, longrider," a familiar low, southern drawl purred behind him, "unless you want your friends to pick the lead out of you." Instantly confused out of his battle adrenaline, Takeda scanned the man behind him, catching a confident but clouded blood-red aura that he remembered. The man's energy sported a level-headedness that told Takeda he was serious in his threats. It brought a clear picture to his mind of who it belonged to. Erron Black.
He immediately knew the man attacking them, too. Without seeing the blue-tinted skin and the glowing tattoos, he knew. Even before the man lifted his foot to stomp down on Jin's chest.
"Stop!" Takeda yelled. "Kotal Kahn, stop!"
At the mention of his name he paused with his leg in the air and looked over, squinting his glowing, rage-filled orange eyes at Takeda. He looked at Jacqui, with her gun finally drawn and leveled at his chest. Looked to Cassie, peeling herself off the floor. He looked down at Jin, wheezing and writhing on the ground. It was Jin that he truly recognized, and realization sparked in his eyes.
"The Earthrealmers . . . ?" he whispered, and a smile broke across his face, baring his white teeth. He chuckled once, then broke down into a fit of roaring laughter, like they were the punchline to some unknown joke. "More Earthrealmers! Unbelievable. The Elder Gods jest!" Kotal Kahn turned his back and walked away from Jin, still laughing. His tattoos faded from orange back to their neutral blue, signaling the official end of his attack. He sneered, shaking his head and bracing his fingers against his forehead. He said something else in a language Takeda couldn't identify, probably Osh-Tekk, and threw his arm out behind him, waving them off dismissively.
Erron grabbed Takeda's ear, hard, and tugged, whipping his head to the side. His neck stretched uncomfortably and he jumped from the pain. He stared up at Erron.
"Ow!" he yelped. "Easy!"
Erron searched his face for recognition, and when he found it he rolled his eyes, lip curling into a sneer. He shoved Takeda to the ground, and he was able to catch himself before his chin cracked off the marble. "Hm," Erron growled. "How very fortunate for us. Just the salvation we asked for. Right call, Kotal, not killing 'em." His tone dripped with sarcasm, suggesting that they had discussed what to do with intruders that came into the room before they entered. With a small grunt and a wave of Kotal Kahn's hand, Erron holstered his pistol.
In the immediate aftermath of Shinnok's defeat, they had returned to the woods to relay the news to Kotal Kahn and Sub-Zero. They were able to explain to him then that they didn't betray him with D'Vorah, and that she had acted alone. He believed them at the time, but ever since bore a nasty grudge that never quite went away. They never had the chance to rebuild any sort of relationship with him and Outworld. Jin was the most angry about the situation after all of his work to get Kotal Kahn on their side in the first place, and though the rest of them were ready to assume some semblance of friendship with Kotal Kahn, Jin wasn't yet ready to let go of his spite.
Takeda stepped away from Erron, and the three of them gathered around Jin to help him sit up. He groaned and held his stomach, working to catch his breath again. He blinked rapidly, and from the way his wide eyes flicked randomly back and forth, he was dangerously close to passing clean out. As he recovered, Cassie stared at Kotal Kahn.
"Yeah, hi! Hello, and whatever." Cassie spoke fast, practically babbling. "I just have a quick question - well, actually, I have many, many questions. But the first one that comes to mind is what the ever-living fuck are you doing here?"
"Don't tell 'em nothing, Kotal," Erron huffed. "They have a problem splitting fair, remember?"
"And you had a hard time not taking Shinnok's amulet from us, remember?" Cassie fired back. "We told you what happened during the invasion. It was D'Vorah that betrayed you, not us. And actually by taking the amulet, you betrayed us!"
Erron stared at her for another second, then decided it wasn't worth it. He leaned back against the wall where he had been hiding, waiting to ambush them as they came through. He sighed heavily, and Takeda sensed pain in his aura. He turned and faced Erron, scrutinizing him from the hat on his head to the spurs on his boots. For once he wasn't wearing his mask, and it was difficult not to stare. Takeda noted the way his eyebrows furrowed, the flare of his nose under his labored breath, the flash of his teeth behind a grimace. His whole face, visible and working together to show a range of pain and emotion he'd never seen Erron use before. He had his left leg lifted slightly, like he couldn't put weight on that foot.
"I'd rather your girl look me over like that than you," Erron remarked smugly.
"You're wounded," Takeda pointed out, ignoring the quip about Jacqui. He couldn't see any blood from under Erron's clothes, but he knew there was something wrong.
Erron paused. Takeda kept his powers at the edge of his mind, not directly reading him but picking up on the sentiments he was feeling. He spat to the side, fighting between telling them and keeping it secret out of spite, then finally decided he had nothing to lose by telling them. " . . . S'right," he admitted after a long while. He kicked off his boot and the spur clinked off the ground when it hit. He unstrapped the guard around his knee and revealed a huge hole in his pants, crusted around the edged with dried blood. The side of his knee was split open in a large, nasty gash, so big that Takeda could see the edge of his kneecap. Three more scratches carved down the better part of his calf, exposing pink muscle and fluffy-looking tissue. "Caught a tanning from some goddamned beast out there. Real angry."
"We're familiar," Jin croaked. He inched the flaps of his vest to the sides and showed his bandages, stained with fresh blood. "Killed it."
"Someone bandaged you up. Y'all got supplies?"
"Maybe," Jin immediately snapped, trying to act tough despite looking like he just cried his eyes out. They still had a bloodshot, puffy look and his cheeks were still red. "You got info?"
"What kind?"
"I wanna know what you're doing here, and how you got here. Tell me, and we may help you."
"Me, I'm here 'cause I'm getting paid."
"What about Kotal Kahn?" Jin asked. "And how'd you get here?"
Erron Black shrugged. "Ain't up to me to negotiate with you over his business, if that's what you want."
Jin struggled to his feet. "Suit yourself. I guess you don't want help."
"Guess not," Erron glared, staring straight at Jin and holding eye contact, accepting his challenge. It didn't seem to bother Erron that assistance could be lost to him. Jin nodded, taking into account the fact that he wouldn't be able to use that to bargain with Erron in this circumstance.
Takeda pushed his powers a little further into Erron's mind. "That's a crying shame, too," Erron thought to himself. "Almost got me wishing Kotal would tell 'em. I'll be needing some help soon or I'll be facing a bonesaw."
"He's posturing," Takeda stated. "He needs serious medical attention."
Erron masked his surprise well, if he was at all surprised by Takeda's declaration. His poker face never wavered and his eyes simply flicked to Takeda. "How'd you figure that?" He pushed himself off the wall and snatched up his boot, spanning the remaining distance to Kotal Kahn, half-limping, half-hopping.
"Took a wild guess," Takeda dead-panned back.
"What else do you need?" Jacqui asked. "I mean besides medical attention? Maybe we can negotiate for other things-"
"No," Jin interrupted. "We're not gonna trust them again."
Kotal Kahn crossed his arms, eyebrow lifting. "Your diplomatic skills have deteriorated, Silver Tongue."
"I'm not really feeling too diplomatic right now. Take it or leave it: what we want to know in exchange for assistance."
Kotal Kahn stroked his chin. " . . . Our mission here is no secret, and I value my headhunter's life. I will accept your offer. Assistance for information."
Cassie walked around the group and stood before Erron. She put her pack on the floor, digging through it for their first aid kid. Kotal Kahn gestured Erron towards them and he raised his chin in acknowledgment.
"Much appreciated, Kotal. Where do you want me, darlin'?" he asked. Like flipping a switch, he was sweet towards the girls.
"Here's fine," Cassie said coldly. "Sit down. And don't call me darling. I'm not your darling."
"Still spits like a rattlesnake," he commented, but limped the rest of the distance to Cassie. He sat on the ground, holding his leg, and Cassie inspected the wound. Kotal Kahn stayed close, not quite peering over Erron's shoulder at what she was doing.
"Tell us what you're doing here," Jin said.
"My quest for unity and alliances did not stop at Outworld's borders-"
"Boy, Raiden will be happy to hear that," Cassie snapped.
"He already knows," Kotal Kahn informed them. "After experiencing Earthrealm's incompetence for myself, I deemed you and your peoples unreliable. I remained cordial with your ever-naïve thunder god, but looked to other realms. I turned my attention to Orderrealm and Chaosrealm, but neither would treat with me." He ran his a hand down his face as though reliving the hassle of the ordeal. "Orderrealmers find alliances to be meaningless, as they potentially disrupt a person's judgment on what is right or wrong. I could find no governing figure or system to treat with in Chaosrealm. My next search brought me here, to the Netherrealm."
"How'd you find this part of the Netherrealm? It's off the map," Takeda asked.
"I took my entourage with me, as Ermac can travel between dimensions. We traveled from plane to plane, seeking out any that were looking for upper-realm alliances. It was during our travels that Ermac sensed this place. It confused him, and he warned me against it. He told me the same - that this plane was . . . corrupted. A cancer that looked to be forcibly cut from the rest of the realm."
"Then why'd you ignore him?" Cassie called.
"Hmph!" he chided. His lips curled into a sneer, and he turned away from them to idly pace the floor. "You would think me so impetuous. So obstinate. So unwise as to refuse council after conceding to yours during our turbulent partnership. I was content to pass this place by entirely. But Ermac's magic was interfered with. We did not notice that each place we phased through brought us closer and closer to it, drawn down towards it like a hole in the stars. The last time we tried to leave the Netherrealm, we were waylaid. Ermac could not resist its pull and we were deposited in a burial ground."
"Did anyone else come with you besides Erron and Ermac?" Jacqui asked.
"Careful," Erron warned Kotal Kahn.
"It is fine," he assured him. "As I said, our business is not private. I arrived with Erron, Ermac, Reptile, and a small group of my soldiers."
Reptile. Did Kotal Kahn know he was dead? Takeda watched Jin closely, wondering if he would reveal it. He hoped thinking of Reptile wouldn't remind Jin of Lao. 'Remind', Takeda immediately scolded himself, as if Lao's death was something Jin would forget any time soon. The only indication Jin gave that they had any information on Reptile was a slight shift of his weight at the mention of him.
"Together we wandered the burial ground, hoping to find a place through where Ermac could travel. Unfortunately this place blocked his powers and he could not use them at will. We made it to a building of stone with windows of colored glass, and something changed in Ermac. He stared down its descent and would not blink or move, like a man possessed. Without warning, he floated down its stairs, hypnotized by whatever lay at the bottom, and he would not heed our calls or our warnings. He passed through the 'door' like it was nothing."
"The door of souls?" Takeda clarified. "The faces floating around?"
He halted in his pacing, regarding Takeda with a slight turn of his head in their direction. "The same. Then you know of this place?"
"It's a mausoleum, I think. Those souls guard the door, and they wouldn't let us in, either. We were told we need . . . a talisman to get past them." Following Jin's lead, he didn't reveal that they needed a sword that belonged to his father, who was also here. He had no idea what Kotal Kahn would do with the knowledge, but it still felt right to Takeda to hold on to certain pieces of information. He was sure that Kotal Kahn was doing the same, but without being able to read him, he had no way of checking his truthfulness.
"Ermac passed straight through," Kotal Kahn said again. "But when we tried to follow, we were stopped as well. Any attempts to force our way through were met with excruciating pain."
"Heh, don't wanna try that again," Erron grumbled. "Hurt worse than a hiding from my Pa. Like getting kicked by a bronco all over."
Cassie sat with her legs tucked up under her, then put gloves on from the kit. She picked up Erron's socked foot and propped it up on her legs, then grabbed a pair of tweezers. She peeled the wounds apart with her fingers and jabbed the tweezers into them, digging out dirt and debris that lodged in his skin from the monster's teeth and claws. Erron grimaced, the only sign of his discomfort. He quickly dug around in the pockets of his belt, pulling out a clear, unmarked glass bottle of brown liquid. He pulled the cork out of the bottle with his teeth and tipped it back, swallowing down three huge gulps before lowering it. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, baring his teeth from the strength of the drink, and moved to put the bottle away when Cassie lifted her chin towards it.
"What is that?"
"Whiskey."
"Feel like sharing?"
He eyed her skeptically, like she wouldn't be able to handle it. A playful glint sparked in his eyes, like he'd find it funny if she couldn't, and he smirked to himself, holding the bottle out to her. "Only 'cause you're being so nice to me. And 'cause you're so fine."
Cassie rolled her eyes, but snatched the bottle from him and took a giant swig. Unfazed herself, she shrugged. "It's okay. Little too dry for me."
"It's Old Crow. It's meant to be dry." Erron blinked, a small smile on his face. "Love me a girl that can hold her alcohol-"
Cassie turned the bottle over and dumped a generous amount over his wounds, staring straight into his eyes. His entire body tensed. He braced his arms against the floor and tipped his head back, sucking in a breath through his teeth. The intense burning nearly brought tears to his eyes, but he blinked them away.
"Oops," Cassie said flatly. She tossed the bottle back at him and it hit his chest before he caught it. He put the cork back in it and scowled, setting it on the ground beside him. She resumed her work as though never interrupted.
"Keep going," Jin said to Kotal Kahn after they fell silent.
Kotal Kahn stared at Cassie a second longer than he had to, like he was verifying that she wasn't actually trying to hurt him. She missed his eye, poring over her work. " . . . We called for Ermac after he entered the building. He did not answer. We waited for some time, but he never resurfaced. Steeling ourself for the worst, we continued on. Reptile felt drawn to these caves, and after failing to find anything else in the burial ground that would help us retrieve Ermac, I decided to indulge him."
"Did any spiders attack you?" Jacqui asked.
Kotal Kahn shook his head. "None. Our passage was easy, and we did not befall much hardship."
"Lucky you."
"Indeed. I sense your passage was fraught."
"We had some close calls," Jacqui said. Kotal Kahn regarded the bandages trailing up her arms.
"I see," he nodded. "Reptile steered us clear of many dangers. He drove us away from spider hovels and their offspring, among other things, as we traveled."
"The scorpion?" Takeda asked.
" . . . We did not encounter a scorpion," Kotal Kahn said. "Perhaps due to Reptile's skill."
"Yeah. There's a giant fuck-off scorpion chilling somewhere back there in one of the cave systems," Cassie said. "We narrowly dodged that bullet."
"Don't tell him about the spider gem," Takeda sent to Cassie, and she nodded her understanding.
"Duly noted," Kotal Kahn said. "Now that Reptile is lost to us, that information will be exceedingly valuable. Not long into our foray into these caves, we wound up in a large cavern where we were set upon by your companions - which, I assume, is the reason why you are here."
"You saw them?!" Jacqui gasped. "Where are they? Who all was there?!"
"Only three: the fire-wraith, Scorpion, a blind swordsman named Kenshi, and a man who I later learned is the archer's kin, Kung Lao."
At the mention of Lao, Jacqui's excited pitch died instantly. " . . . Where are they now?" she asked slowly, keeping her eyes on Jin. They knew where Lao was, and it had to hurt him to hear her ask about Master Hasashi and Kenshi. Both important people to Takeda and both still alive, as far as they knew.
"I know not. Our alliance was weak and swift. They were ragged and confused. Tired. They warned us of a peril above that they had fled from."
"What kind of peril?" Jacqui prompted, and her fearful eyes caught Takeda's before she remembered she was upset with him. She hardened her gaze and frowned, but he knew from the first glance that she understood what he did: if only Kenshi, Hanzo, and Lao made it down to the caves, then the others hadn't escaped the peril.
"A legion of undead. According to your companions, they disturbed something ancient and evil that lay dormant in this place. Upon its awakening, the dead also came to life. They clawed themselves free of their graves and attacked. I was told that there were other Earthrealm warriors here as well, but they had been separated."
"Undead?" Jin repeated. "That doesn't make any sense. We got here after all of you, and there weren't any undead. An entire legion?"
Kotal Kahn resumed his slow pacing, shaking his head. The feathers in his headdress flittered delicately from the soft motion. "I did not see this threat for myself, so I know not if there was any truth to it."
"You don't think they lied, do you?" Jin asked, ready to accuse Kotal Kahn. "Lao wouldn't be afraid of a threat if there wasn't any reason to be."
"He looked afraid," Kotal Kahn answered eyes searching the air above Jin's head as he recalled it. "But no more and no less afraid than his companions."
"Did they make any sort of mention of where the others went?" Cassie said. "Did they take cover in the mausoleum?"
"They said only that they did not know where they others were, since they ran in opposite directions."
Takeda wondered what kinds of things Hanzo and Kenshi had seen in the graveyard to feel the need to flee from it. He tried to picture the scenario, skeletons and corpses in various stages of decomposition forcing their hands through soft dirt in front of their headstones-
"Shit!" Takeda yelled. "The dirt!" The revelation hit his brain like a freight train. "They were telling the truth! Remember when we first got here, how I said that it was weird that the dirt was wet and fresh? And you all thought I was crazy!"
"Congratulations on being right," Jacqui muttered, and it stung worse than a slap to the face, shutting him down completely. It was a clear jab at him after their earlier fight. He looked away, careful not to let it bother him. It was no less than he deserved after being so inconsiderate.
Kotal Kahn ignored the shots they took at each other. "We tried to find a way out of the caves together - one that would not lead back out to the burial ground. We traveled deeper into the caves, and came across this Osh-Tekk city. Of course I was intrigued, and I led the charge through these expanses. To my dismay, all of the people that once lived here have long since died off. We reached a large antechamber with several doors leading from it." At their nods of recognition, he continued, "We could not open the door with the spider engraved on it, but before we could decide where to go next we were attacked by the creature."
"What is it?" Jin asked.
"I have never encountered anything like it. There is no word in Osh-Tekk to describe it, and only a vaguely similar word in Nahuatl: Tlaltecuhtl. A fat, toad-like being with a large, fanged mouth and clawed feet. It is a poor likeness nonetheless. The Earthrealm people that revered me also revered Tlaltecuhtl as the goddess of living things, and that beast was in possession of no godlike reason or sentience whatsoever. The swordsman encouraged us to flee, as we could not manage to damage it. My guard stayed in the room with it to defend me, and all of them were massacred almost immediately - in that room and in the tunnels leading to this position. I do not know where the swordsman and the wraith ran, if they were able to run at all, but I wound up separated with Erron, Reptile, and Kung Lao."
Jin tensed, staring with hard eyes at Kotal Kahn at the mention of being alone with Lao. "And then what?" he said through clenched teeth. Takeda felt the shift in his energy, from heavy with grief and despair to on-edge and unsettled.
"The creature pursued us and we were forced against that door," he said, pointing to the hole through which they entered. "Reptile, Erron, and Kung Lao fended the monster off while I opened it."
"That's when I got this," Erron said, flexing his foot.
"How'd you know the code?" Jin interrogated. His hands were clenching and unclenching at his sides. Takeda felt Jin's distress morph into a deep and powerful rage. His own breathing quickened in sympathy anger before he realized what was happening. He calmed himself, watching Jin to make sure he didn't do anything rash.
"It is a simple Osh-Tekk pattern that mirrors the calculations of major celestial movements of Outworld. By the time I called my companions to my side, Reptile was already dead and torn asunder." Kotal Kahn's voice grew distant, losing its normal power as he recalled the carnage the beast caused. "Half of him dangled from the creature's mouth. He was ripped apart as one rips bread, his body thrown back down the tunnels. I faced the beast with Kung Lao to allow Erron time to get inside, but I knew the odds were stacked against us. Reptile gone, Erron wounded, my guards destroyed. The creature seemed fixed on Kung Lao, ignoring me entirely despite standing right next to him. Every inch Kung Lao moved the beast followed him and not me. I knew if it charged him, it would drive him back and we'd be locked in this chamber with it. So I fled inside. I yelled to Kung Lao to follow, called the pattern to him in case he did not make it, and shut the door behind me. When I looked back, Kung Lao was not with me."
"No? He's dead now," Jin retorted, in a disturbingly calm manner. The complete lack of emotion shocked and confused Takeda, compared to the violence of Jin's energy. Just to make sure he was correct he scanned Jin and was assaulted by the ferocity of his aura. Turbulent and boiling, swirling around him and growing stronger with each passing second they talked to Kotal Kahn. "We found him," Jin huffed, drawing his wheezing breaths like he couldn't get enough air. "Outside this door. Right outside. Where you left-" His voice broke, but not with choked tears. With tension, like he couldn't spit the words with enough poison. He swallowed thickly. "Where you left him."
"That is . . . unfortunate. I am truly disheartened to hear this. My condolences," Kotal Kahn said with sincerity. "He seemed a fine warrior." Takeda couldn't tell if Kotal Kahn understood what Jin was implying, but if he did he ignored it entirely. He placed his hand over his heart and lowered his head, whispering what Takeda could only guess was some kind of prayer or blessing in Osh-Tekk.
Jin's aura pulsed again, nearly choking Takeda with its potency. For a terrifying moment, Takeda was overwhelmed by the depths of Jin's emotions. Pulse-quickening, breath-shortening, fist-clenching ire. Fueled by pain and by grief. The same red he saw when he attacked the dead creature blinded him. He knew every savage and vicious thing Jin imagined doing to Kotal Kahn in that moment. The apology wasn't enough for Jin. Nothing ever would be, and Takeda's heart caught fire in his chest, heating his cheeks and feeding an intense headache at his temples.
He stepped away from Jin on impulse, to protect himself. He couldn't look at Kotal Kahn, and couldn't withstand Jin. Instead, he trailed over to Cassie and Erron, and the distance was enough for him to regain himself. He held his breath, dreading what Jin would say next. If it matched the air of violence clouding thick around him, it wouldn't be pretty.
" . . . I don't want your condolences. You abandoned Lao," Jin finally said, so quietly that if Takeda wasn't listening carefully he would have missed it. " . . . And you left him to die. Coward."
Kotal Kahn didn't hear him. But Erron Black did. "Come again?" he threatened. Head lowered, eyes up, like a wild animal stalking his prey. He said it like it was rhetorical. Like Jin was expected to be frightened out of repeating himself.
"I said that Kotal Kahn abandoned Lao, and he left him to die!" Jin left out the insult, but the word he said floated on the end of the sentence, and may as well have been there a second time.
Kotal Kahn raised his chin, raising himself above Jin's accusations. He straightened his shoulders and folded his hands behind his back in a deliberate and calculated gesture. The picture of Kahn-like control in direct contrast to Jin's dynamite-like reaction. He stared down his nose at him, gazing upon someone beneath him. "I did not," he said with certainty, shaking his head. "I was indeed concerned with my own safety and the safety of Erron Black, but my intentions were not malicious-"
"That's bullshit!" Jin yelled, and it echoed through the room. "That creature would've run you both down, so instead you left him there to face it alone and die as soon as you realized you had an out!"
"Easy," Erron warned. His hand trailed towards his hip but Kotal Kahn held his hand up, palm out to stop him.
Kotal Kahn bristled against the accusation, taking a deep breath in through his nose. "And be dead myself if I had not run when I could. I can only assume that Kung Lao stayed behind to face the monster himself, because I informed him of my decision to flee. Told him the code. If he had wanted to flee, and if he had been right behind me, he would have made it through the door-"
"You were facing that creature together," Jin said, voice growing in strength. He walked towards Kotal Kahn slowly. Step by step, with each word, Takeda watched his nearly tangible energy grow, rolling off of his form in thick tendrils and dissipating into the air. "That's what you said - that you faced it with Lao to give Erron time to flee. You were standing side-by-side with him, and he wasn't supposed to expect your help-?!" Jin was shouting every word by the time Kotal Kahn cut him off.
"He was not my responsibility-" he replied, and the regal façade slipped. Kotal Kahn's eyes flared and the blue color glowed brighter with a dangerous, ancient, primal glint in his eyes. Threatened, defensive, and not backing down. He stepped towards Jin, leading with his shoulder.
"-he was outmatched, without his primary weapon-" Jin continued.
"He was holding his ground! I was retreating-"
"-and he stood his ground anyway to brave the danger, probably depending on you for a little help-" They were chest to chest, and even though Kotal Kahn was slightly taller than him, Jin narrowed his eyes and inclined his head when they bore down on each other. He jabbed his finger at him. "And you abandoned him! It's your fault!"
"You were not there, archer. You do not know what transpired," Kotal Kahn grumbled low in his throat. "I suggest you refrain from commenting on matters of which you know nothing." His eyes changed to orange but his tattoos remained blue, like he wanted Jin to understand that his words warranted an attack but Kotal Kahn was restraining himself.
"No, I know it's your fault!" Takeda felt another shift in Jin's energy. The wispy black tendrils sharpened into jagged spikes and chaotic, uneven lines. He sensed what Jin would do before he did it. Takeda bolted from his spot, sprinting towards him. Jin called his bo staff, clenching it so hard that his hands chafed on the leather grip. He drew the staff back to swing at Kotal Kahn, and Takeda lunged forward, wrapping both hands around it.
"Jin, don't!"
He whirled around and snarled at Takeda, tugging on the weapon. "Why not?!" Jin bellowed into Takeda's face. "He deserves it for what he did to Lao! He should've died, too!" He pushed the dragon's head into Takeda's stomach and shoved him back, and Takeda couldn't hold on as Jin wrenched it back the other way. Using his momentum, Jin twisted his body and threw his shoulder into a punch at Kotal Kahn, who stepped harmlessly out of the way. Takeda recovered and charged at his back again. He snatched Jin's arm and locked elbows, wrapping his other arm around his torso and not caring if it hurt him.
"Muzzle your dog-!" Erron yelled, and Takeda heard the snick of a pistol cocking.
"Jin, calm down!" he yelled. He heaved Jin back and twisted him away while Kotal Kahn calmly backpedaled a safe distance away. He stood at the ready, sliding a long, heavy knife from his greaves in case Takeda couldn't hold him. Which was a possibility. Jin thrashed wildly, legs bucking and kicking at the air. He was taller and heavier than Takeda, and he threw elbows and sloppy punches left and right. Takeda suddenly ducked, dodging a near shot to his temple, and Jin slipped from his grip, charging Kotal Kahn for a second attempt at him. Luckily, Takeda recovered and dove on his back. He wrapped his arms around him, pinning his arms to his side. Jin jerked and Takeda grunted with the effort, then finally managed to clasp his hands in a tight hold.
Jin thrashed and struggled as hard as his body would allow. "Let go of me! It's your fault! I should kill you for what you did! Lao might still be alive if you would've helped him! He could've killed the creature!" Takeda was so close to his rage that he felt it bleeding into his heart. He felt his senses leave him, blinded by emotion. He felt every impulse to attack Kotal Kahn and he saw what Jin would do to him if he managed to get to him. Takeda quickly put up a mental block, keeping his mind and his heart free and clear of the sentiments. He lowered Jin and forced his kicking legs to the ground, then in one smooth, calculated motion he kicked his leg up and wrapped it around Jin's thigh. With his other he kicked the back of Jin's knees, pulling on his shoulder with all of his weight. He spun Jin around on his collapse and the two landed with a THUMP! Takeda clamored on top, forcing all of his weight onto Jin's back to hold him there.
A perfect, practiced take-down.
"Calm down, Jin!" he screamed again. Jin didn't feel the impact. Didn't hear Takeda's plea, too blinded by the cloud of anger. Takeda dug his knee into Jin's back until he froze, squeaking in pain. "Jin," he threatened, almost whispering it. "Jin . . . " Jin blinked as though he was confused. Takeda forced his mental voice through, sending wave after wave of his power to overwhelm Jin's mind and slow the storm. "Calm down."
He fought again weakly, "But he-"
Takeda pushed him harder into the floor. "Shut up!" he screamed. Jin jumped, staring open-mouthed at Takeda. After another second, Jin seemed to calm down, slumping against the floor. Takeda scrambled off of him, standing between him and Kotal Kahn for Jin's sake. He was always impulsive, but his anguish was driving it to a new level of danger. Any other day he would trust Jin against Kotal Kahn but not when he was wounded and not thinking clearly. Not when as of that moment, Kotal and Erron were the only 'allies' they had available to them.
After how he treated Jin following Lao's death, any attempt to reconcile Jin's anger would only be taken as condescending and uncaring. Instead, Takeda put both hands up, palms out in a gesture of peace.
Kotal Kahn watched their display, and something changed. His face relaxed and the boiling orange color that burned in his eyes softened back to blue. He rolled his shoulders forward and the pride in his posture deflated. If anything he seemed . . . calmer after the attack. Like he was actually prepared to sit back and take it instead of tear Jin's heart from his chest. He sighed, sheathing the knife back in its place. " . . . Your words . . . they reach me," he said, voice subdued. He shook his head, dismayed. "I see the love you had for your kin, and I now understand the pain that I have caused you. It makes me wish that I had acted differently. I refuse to take blame for his death. That was done by the creature and not by me. However, I do offer my most sincerest apologies, and I do acknowledge your friend's sacrifice-"
"My cousin!" Jin spit.
"I acknowledge your cousin's sacrifice. I survived because of him."
"You don't deserve his sacrifice," Jin said.
" . . . Perhaps I do not. But I still pray his afterlife is fulfilling. I truly am sorry."
"You did it to him! You let him die a painful death all alone while you were feet away from him!"
"Accept my apology, or do not. Whatever will ease your evident pain."
Jin crawled to his feet, holding his ribs. He sniffled, wiped his nose and his wet eyes, staring at Kotal Kahn like he had something else to say. Then he turned away. He retreated to the furthest parts of the room near the pillar to release the rest of the emotion he was feeling. Jacqui followed after him and sat next to him as he curled up, hugging his knees to his chest. His shoulders heaved and Jacqui sat next to him in silence. Takeda wanted to go to Jin and offer his own apologies, but he knew it wasn't the time. Jin and Jacqui weren't ready to talk to him yet. Especially not now. Not after he once again stepped all over Jin's grief. Once again, he felt as though it was the right thing to do, but already the sentiments of regret wormed their way into his heart.
Kotal Kahn trailed back to Cassie and Erron, right as she tied off the last stitch. She nodded to him, and Erron lifted his foot off her lap. He tipped his hat to her. "I thank you kindly."
"Why can't you be that polite all the time? You'd actually be charming if you weren't such a slimeball," Cassie told him. "Chicks would probably love the accent, but they tend to not like greedy murderers."
"They already do like the accent. All part of the charm, cowgirl. Am I gonna live?"
"Unfortunately."
Kotal Kahn offered his hand to Erron and lifted him to his feet. He replaced his boot with care. "Your friend gonna continue his interrogation?" Erron asked, cocking his head to where Jin and Jacqui were sitting.
"No," Takeda said. "He's probably done for now."
Cassie pulled her sleeping bag from her pack. "He's probably tired as fuck. I'm tired as fuck. We're gonna rest here for a while, and then we'll talk about-"
"Hold on there," Erron interrupted, lifting his hand. "And what makes you think that y'all're entitled to our place of refuge?" he asked, immediately on guard again. "That wasn't part of the deal. Information for assistance. Nothing else. If you want something more from us we're gonna have to make another deal."
"Enough, Erron," Kotal Kahn said. "Look at them. They are in worse shape than their companions. They may remain here if they so choose. It is Osh-Tekk custom that refugees be offered assistance." The blue glow in his eyes was glazed with thought and with calculations. He was worlds away from their fight already.
Erron Black shrugged. "Whatever you say. As long as that Shaolin doesn't murder us in our sleep."
"You don't know what he's been through!" Cassie snapped in Jin's defense. She glanced back to Jacqui and Jin, scoffed, and shook her head. "Keep your stitches dry and covered up, asshole." She snatched her pack and her sleeping bag up and dragged them both behind her as she made her way to the back of the room with them. Takeda followed, not feeling like he belonged but not wanting to stay at the front with Erron and Kotal Kahn alone.
They made camp in complete silence around Jin, still quietly mourning, and Jacqui set his sleeping bag and provisions out for him. She offered to take watch. Takeda slumped down into his own bag and curled up so he wouldn't have to look at any of them. Wouldn't have to see the disappointment on Jacqui's face or the betrayal on Jin's. He couldn't help but replay everything over in his mind, from the fight with the beast to seeing Lao, to what he said to Jacqui and Jin, to Kotal Kahn. Over and over, interrupted by things he should have said and the things he should have done. Better ways to diffuse the situation other than tackling Jin to the ground. Making everyone mad at him over and over. He felt like his transgressions were piling up one by one, and he wasn't sure how to stop them since he only did what he felt was right in the moment. He could see his relationships beginning to crumble around him and couldn't find anywhere to hold on to them.
He scratched once at his arm, at an itch that he hadn't felt since before they encountered the monster. The numbing agent was starting to wear off, and with it came an arthritis-like ache that penetrated his elbow, wrist, and fingers. Before long his arm felt stiff and hot again, and it crawled up into his neck and his face. It made his head swim, and he felt his sharp senses leave him. All of his body heat left him and his trembling returned in full force, and he nearly convulsed against the floor. He couldn't tuck his sleeping bag up under his chin enough.
He refused to announce that he was hurting because he felt like they wouldn't care to know. He wouldn't blame them one bit if they didn't care. Jacqui would simply shut him down just like she did earlier and he didn't deserve Jin's concern. The only person who would maybe listen was Cassie, but when he lifted his head to check on her she was already sound asleep. He vowed to suffer in silence, cradling his arm to his chest and pretending the heat he felt building in his arm and spreading to his shoulder was from the fire gardens. Red leaves falling gently from red trees and whispering in the breeze to each other. The distant sound of splashing in a pond and wooden chimes clinking together softly. The sun poking through and bathing it in a natural, clean light. The temple's wooden balcony that overlooked the dirt paths and arced bridges. Birds singing and insects buzzing.
Sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, with Master Hasashi's grounding presence next to him. Meditating in front of the hearth. The shrine in the corner, with candles lit to commemorate the old clan.
He pictured himself there, one room after another, and it was enough to drive his pain away and lull him into something close to sleep.
A/N:
I kept Erron Black's southern accent from MK11 because I think it's sexy as fuck.
I was so excited to write this chapter because I was so excited to surprise you all with Erron Black and Kotal Kahn! To be honest, I didn't even know I was going to include them in this story until I started writing the last few chapters! They're both two of my favorite characters and I have so many things planned for them and for everyone!
As always, thank you so much to everyone who's commented/kudos'd/bookmarked. Your support of this story means so much to me! It's what pushes me through the writer's block and allows me to continue this story. If you have the time, leave a comment and let me know what you think of this chapter, or this story as a whole!
~Keyblader