"What can you tell us, Doctor?" A worried Ozpin asked the head medic after an entire team of doctors checked on the stranger. The frown on the man's face once he removed his mask, however, was not a good omen.
"Honestly, professor; we have no idea how that man is still alive". The confusion in Ozpin's eyes made the doctor continue his explanation. "The infection levels on his wounds indicate he got them from at least three days ago, he has multiple broken ribs and fractures on his spine and skull, the amount of blood he must have lost in just these few hours pales in comparison with what he must have lost days ago, and the list just goes on!".
"So, he doesn't have long?".
Curiously, the doctor seemed to struggle with his answer. "… In a matter of speaking, yes…".
"What does that mean?".
"Well… a normal person would have died in a couple of hours after the first set of wounds were inflicted, with our attention, that same person would just have a couple of more minutes before dying, but him? I give it until midnight before his heart finally gives out. This is nothing short of a miracle!". Before the doctor and the rest of the medics left, Ozpin tried to address him once again; the man just turned around and spoke first. "Don't worry, professor; this event won't be mentioned by anyone of us outside this room. Not that anyone would believe us either way".
When he was done, Glynda escorted all of them out of the medical wing of the school. Ozpin then looked towards the beds next to the man and saw Cardin and Sun, both still knocked out due to their own experiences. A sudden feeling of tiredness then took over Ozpin and he sat on a chair closest to him before massaging his temple and looking at the stranger once again. 'I don't know why, but I just know you play a role in all of this. But what is it? Why now? And just who or what are you, stranger?'.
In an instant, Grava and Raiden had teleported from The Heavens to a large, empty, circular room that only had one light source high on the roof and shining over the center of the room where both gods stood.
Fearing that something was wrong, Raiden looked in all directions but only saw shadows; and just as he was ready to accuse Grava of treachery, the woman spoke. "Relax Raiden; you are in Orderrealm, this immigration port is just not fully functional yet," she said before inviting him to follow her.
In time, they reached a large door that opened and allowed light to enter. On the other side, Raiden was now able to see archivists running from desk to desk and carrying piles of papers; Grava then carefully approached a woman wearing a more formal robe than the rest of the workers and spoke to her. "Munseo, may I have a moment?".
"Lady Grava! You honor us" the woman said while bowing. "To what do we owe your presence?".
"Rise, my child; we have a guest sent by the Elder Gods," Grava said as she stepped out of the way and allowed Munseo to see the thunder god.
"Lord Raiden!? But… Lady Grava, we are still not ready to receive inhabitants from other realms! We need to-". Munseo started to say in panic before being silenced by Grava placing a finger on her lips.
"Relax, child, I'm sure something can be done for our guest".
Munseo thought about the situation for a while. She then snapped her fingers and reached for a scroll in one of the cupboards on her desk. "Lord Raiden, would you please come here?". Not wanting to anger Grava or insult Munseo, Raiden did as he was asked. The woman then gave Grava the scroll which she then opened for the god of thunder to see. "Please place your hand here," she told him. Raiden did as he was told and a few moments later, the scroll glowed and a character 客 made of light appeared before flying towards Raiden's left upper arm.
"With this symbol, you now have permission to enter the Realm of Order, Lord Raiden!" Munseo said while she bowed. "Nonetheless, you must also-".
"Well done, my dear; now go along," Grava said congratulating Munseo and cutting her from finishing her sentence. "Now, Raiden; we just need-".
"That would be all, we have a mission Grava!" Raiden said interrupting the protector goddess.
"If you insist…" Grave responded without complaint and actual joy.
Both gods then returned to the empty room from before; but this time, Grava kept walking towards the door opposite to where they came from. In the meantime, Raiden wondered about the symbol and kept looking at his arm.
"It is a special pass; and you should consider yourself lucky. You are the first outsider to receive it" Grava explained.
"While I have always respected the way of life in your realm Grava, I will raise my concern over the recent actions towards outsiders".
"Oh Raiden, things have changed in Seido, and for the better of everyone. Our realm has entered a new era of prosperity, but we will only share it with all when it is done".
"With all due respect, I fail to grasp my mind around such concept". As Raiden kept talking, Grava used her powers to raise the giant metal door which finally gave them access to Orderrealm. "Progress is not something… that…" Raiden began to elaborate, but was left speechless by what he saw in front of him.
Ever since becoming an ally of Johnny Cage, Raiden became familiar with the worlds of fiction. And the only word that could describe what he was seeing right now, would be 'future'. Gone were the flying hot air contraptions and in their place were now flying metal ships, Seidan Guards seemed to be patrolling the sky in contraptions similar to motorcycles from Earthrealm and new floating buildings were connected through what seemed like a train system. Furthermore, there seemed to be screens showing statistics, weather, and many more things.
Noticing her companion was speechless, Grava then called for his attention. "Welcome, thunder god, to the era of New Order!".
After the initial shock, Raiden and Grava then got down to the garden of what she explained was the new main port for arrivals and departures of the realm. Their walk then took them to a mechanism that created circular surfaces for them to stand on. "Go on Raiden, step on it". He did, and when they were both on, Grava used a metal plate that made the disk-like object float towards what seemed like the mainland.
Once they arrived, Raiden started to ask for answers. "Grava, what is all this!?".
"As I told you, Raiden, 'this' is the era of New Order. Thanks to the new administration's efforts, Orderrealm has entered a time of peace and technological development unlike anything before! It was discovered that the Seidan Gurd's lava bursts can be harnessed for energy production. Even a small amount can produce enough energy for a city to function continuously for a month".
As soon as Grava ended, screens on the light posts began to project the image of a woman.
'It has been a year since Chief Executive Damashi's government began, and the new express route between the White citadels of all the major Administrative Territories of the East Continent has finally been completed. Governor Kugutsu will be arriving shortly after so that she can inaugurate the first vessel'.
"Chief Executive?" Raiden asked Grava.
"Ah, yes. Chief Executive Damashi is in many ways the architect of what you see. It was a long process, but power was taken from the Senate and given to the newly established office".
"Remarkable, but we still have a mission; you mentioned the Senate has not reported anything out of the ordinary".
"That is correct".
"Then let us begin our search there," Raiden said as he raised his hand to call for lightning to teleport him away. Strangely enough, the lightning never came, but he noticed instead that the symbol on his arm was glowing. "What is the meaning of this!?".
"Teleportation is forbidden unless you have a license or are a high public figure, Raiden. That seal blocks your ability to do so. I tried to tell you to fill the required paperwork to get your license, but you refused; now you must wait a week before applying again".
Raiden sighed both in defeat and annoyance. "Very well; then you take us there".
Grava just giggled before answering his request. "I am sorry Raiden, I have also not applied, I only have a permit to leave the realm as long as it is to answer a call from the Elder Gods," she said before showing him a plaque. Raiden was at a loss for words, but Grava offered a solution. "We can take the train to the Palace of the Senate; I'll buy you a pass".
Defeated, but with no other option, Raiden then followed Grava towards a structure that looked like what was referred to in Earthrealm as a 'subway station'. On the way there, he also decided to question his guide. "Why would you willingly renounce the freedom to use your powers?".
Grava didn't seem to be insulted, she just giggled before answering. "Oh, Raiden, Raiden. You forget that freedom is not an ideal of ours. Law is above all, mortal and god, in Orderrealm, and as a citizen of this realm I also have to follow it".
Their journey was then halted when a small girl ran towards Grava and called for her attention. "Lady Grava! Lady Grava!".
Both gods then faced the incoming girl, wearing yellow robes and carrying a basket of Lotus flowers of various colors. "Yes, my child?" Grava asked as she got on one knee to be on the same eye level.
The girl then took a purple lotus from her basket and gave it to her. "Please, take this offering and bless the celebrations of my town".
"The Swamp Festivals of the north?" Grava asked and the girl just nodded excitedly. "You can count on it, my dear. And for you…" Grava said as she took a golden lotus from the basket and used her powers to make the flower be attracted to the girl's head. "No matter how much you run, jump or play, the lotus will never fall off unless you take it off".
The girl then looked at Raiden with curiosity before fishing out a blue lotus from her basket and giving it to him "A friend of Lady Grava, is a friend of ours!" she finally said before running in an opposite direction towards what they assumed was her grandfather.
"It also gives me a chance to interact and be a part of the lives of my people, Raiden". She explained as they continued their way. When they reached the platform from which the train would arrive, Grava stopped Raiden on his tracks; confused by her actions, she then pointed to the floor where he saw a glowing red line. "Do not step on the line when it is red; otherwise-".
Her explanation was cut short as an alarm went off and the red line from a section not far away from the gods began to glow in intermissions. They were then able to see a man carrying folders who had stepped on the line, and shortly after was then surrounded by five Seidan Guards.
"Sir! You violated the Capital Citadel's Public Train Transport's code of conduct section five, article eleven, clause seven about safety on the tracks. You are hereby under arrest and will have all your rights revoked until you can prove your innocence in a court of law!" one of the Guardsmen said as the others cuffed and confiscated the man and his possessions.
"Wait! Wait! This is all a misunderstanding! I was just in a hurry, I have to present my proposals to the Senate's mail office before they close, and… oh no…" he said in realization.
"Sir, you have just disclosed state affairs in a public area loud enough for others to hear. Be sure this will be added to your list of felonies against Orderrealm!" the officer said.
"Everyone, clear the way!" Another guard ordered and all the people at the platform complied.
After seeing that, Raiden gave a reprimanding look to Grava. "What?" asked the goddess.
"The man was not representing a danger to anyone and you allowed him to be treated as the worst kind of criminal?".
Grava ignored Raiden's tone and calmly replied "Rules are rules, Raiden. Had I not stopped you from committing the same mistake, you would have also been taken into custodyadHad ".
"Aren't this the kind of actions that turn denizens of Seido to join the-".
Raiden was unable to finish that sentence as Grava quickly placed a hand over his mouth. "Do. Not. Say. That. Word!" she ordered him. "You may refer to them with another term, but that word has been outlawed since the end of the war!".
As she explained, the train arrived and that allowed both gods to enter the cart. Raiden, however, was still processing what Grava had just said. "The war is over!?" he asked the train began to move. "Why were we not informed of this!?".
"I do not get involved in the many wars of your realm, Raiden; in that same way, I do not want any foreign interference in our matters".
"But… how!? The conflict seemed to have no end!".
Grava rolled her eyes. She knew Raiden would not be dropping this subject any time soon, so she began to think on how to tell him without mentioning The Resistance or, Elder Gods forbid, the name of Darrius. "Their… leader died trying to break out of jail. Once news of the event spread out, infighting among their high-ranking members made it easier for the Seidan Guard to track, capture, or kill them. They turned and ratted each other out until they were so small and weak the foot soldiers surrendered. Granted, it would have been impossible had it not been for the Chief Executive's initiative to hunt down the now weakened cells, as some Senators were looking to establish… 'Negotiations'… ugh" she said the last part with a shudder.
"By the way you reacted, I am to assume you were not neutral during the conflict?".
"Make no mistake Raiden; while I may not have been allowed to interfere in the conflict, I was allowed to have an opinion, and those brutes were not kind to us gods either".
With that last sentence, the train began to move. Raiden wanted to keep asking about the details of the resolution of the Seidan civil war, but Grava just shushed him once again. "No talking while the cart is moving".
It took them many stops and line transfers, but both Raiden and Grava eventually reached the Palace of the Senate. However, just as they were about to enter through the main door, the two guards in a full suit of armor and masks standing at the door frame crossed their naginatas and effectively stopping Raiden. "You are not allowed to enter," one of them said while also not looking at the thunder god.
It was at this point that Raiden was reaching his breaking point. "I come here by order of the Elder Gods to prevent an evil from taking over the realms".
"Sir; understand that you are not allowed to enter!" the other said.
"You better have a good motive as to stop us from fulfilling the orders from the Elder-".
"They are closed". Grava said interrupting Raiden. "The Palace ceased all sorts of activities about two hours ago and will not be opening to the public until the spring recess is over". Raiden then turned and looked at Grava with confusion. She then pointed towards the sign that said exactly as she explained.
"You can't possibly be suggesting we wait until the Senate is back in session!" Raiden then told Grava.
"While that would be the logical thing to do, I agree that we must find another way to access the intelligence records from the external affairs commission…".
After a moment, an idea occurred to Raiden. He then turned around and faced the guards once again. "Should we get authorization from your superiors, would you allow us to enter?". The guards then looked at each other before nodding. Raiden then faced Grava once again. "Take me to the Headquarters of the Seidan Guard, Grava. I wish to speak to Commander Hotaru at once!".
The goddess, in turn, placed her hands inside her sleeves and looked at the thunder god. "I would advise you against it, thunder god," she said with an empty voice. Raiden, at first, felt confused and threatened by the way she spoke; that was until she continued speaking. "Because the Commander is heading our way".
Raiden then looked to where Grava was looking and saw the Commander of the Seidan Guard surrounded by his security convoy. "Lady Grava, Lord Raiden; you bless us with your presence," he said before bowing along with his security personnel. "I heard from the migration office that my lady returned with an outside guest. Had you given us more time; we would have sent an escort convoy to pick you up".
Raiden had met Hotaru on several occasions in the past, and in those, he had never seen the head of the Seidan Guard being so happy. Nevertheless, he had a mission. "Commander, we require you give us permission to enter the building and collect files we require about the Senate's investigation of the rifts".
Hotaru looked at Raiden with a raised eyebrow, but when Grava nodded, he then gave his answer. "But of course! Sadly, the paperwork required for it will not come sooner than tomorrow morning. May I suggest you rest in the meanwhile and do all the other paperwork required for authorizations to enter all of the zones in Orderrealm you may visit".
Raiden was tired. Things that should have taken mere seconds to accomplish were taking forever. Then again, he remembered that he was no longer a diplomat. "Very well, commander; I appreciate your help". The Seidan Guards and Hotaru then bowed and continued their patrol while the gods stayed behind. "He seems… different from what I recall" Raiden then told Grava as they began to walk the other way.
"I do not know what you mean, Raiden. Commander Hotaru has always been a person that gladly helps the citizens and our allies. A ray of hope for the realm during our darkest times, a beacon of light that leads the innocent through the right path. I have seen many commanders of the Guard during my life, but him?" Grava said as she turned around to look at the convoy now far away. "He is truly an inspiration to both gods and mortals".
When she did not move for a long time, Raiden then pointed out something he noticed. "You have feelings for him, don't you Grava?".
The goddess did not confirm nor deny his allegation. She just turned around once again and kept walking. "Do not be absurd, Raiden. A god cannot love a mortal".
"The Elder Gods removed that restriction eons ago after the union of Argus and Delia".
Grava stopped once again before laughing softly. "Ah, Argus. The kind and noble protector of Edenia; he loved mortals so much… he couldn't stop at just one".
While a low blow and an insult to the memory of their long-gone ally, Raiden could not deny the horrible truth of what his Edenian counterpart had done, the result of it, and the despicable thing he then did.
"But enough about the past; we should think about what will be coming on the next days. Our trip through Orderrealm will require a lot of authorizations, we should start them as soon as we arrive at the hotel" Grava said.
Raiden stopped and looked at her confused. "Hotel? Why not your temple? Or one of the elemental gods?".
Grava, in turn, answered him. "Remodeling by the Ministry of Technology just began a few days ago and it is not yet ready to the public, never mind guests".
Their conversation was then interrupted as the anchorwoman from before appeared on a giant screen on the side of the Senate's palace.
'The Chief Executive's tour of the regions of the north-west in the Polar Continent have been categorized as successful. Construction of three new powerplants has begun immediately after the head of government placed his official seal on the required paperwork and arrived at the Capital Citadel earlier this afternoon. Locals tell that these projects will-'.
The woman kept talking, but all Raiden was fixated on was the image of the Chief Executive. A young man in his early twenties with deep black hair tied in a ponytail and pale skin; but what surprised Raiden the most was his attire, a black robe with pointy shoulders and golden flame-like decorations, a mandarin hat with the same colors and decorations, and his bright yellow eyes. "An outworlder?".
Grava was at first confused by that statement; but when she saw the image of Damashi on screen, she understood. Before explaining to Raiden, however, she laughed. "Indeed. Chief Executive Damashi was elected to represent the protectorate of Lei Chen in the Senate. His rise to power is most ironic though. Senators that worked for… that group of people, managed to pass a law that made it easier for beings from other realms to become citizens of Seido and enjoy all the rights including running for public office. They wanted to bring Chaosrealmers and Outworlders loyal to Kotal Kahn's 'One Outworld Rule' to rig elections and return Lei Chen as a payment for his underground support; but had it not been for that law, Damashi would have never become Prime Minister and then Chief Executive in the first place".
Raiden then looked at the screen once again and saw another man next to Damashi, a taller man wearing more traditional Orderrealm attire. "And who would that be?"
"His star minister, of course," Grava answered. "The architect of all that you can see, the Minister of Technology, Gijutsu".
Raiden could not pinpoint who, but the minister looked awfully familiar. More than his black hair in a ponytail and the trimmed goatee-beard combo; his frowning face reminded him of a face he had seen on Earthrealm. The report passed, however, and Grava was now taking Raiden to the station once again with the hotel as the destination.
The place where both gods arrived was a palace, to put it simply; but not in the Seidan kind of way. While on the outside the building was a sphere-like structure, the inside was decorated in a light carpet with red oak columns and sliding translucent doors. They were then greeted by women wearing traditional Orderrealm robes.
"Lady Grava, your room is ready," one said while bowing. She then looked at Raiden without moving from her pose. "Will your companion be staying with you?".
"Not at all, Ha-In. Is the Security suit available?" Grava asked.
"Yes, your highness!" the woman said one last time before leaving.
Raiden then had a few questions now. "Security suit?".
"Pay no attention to the name, Raiden. It is actually the best room in the hotel; and you are an important guest".
That, in turn, brought Raiden to his next question. "And what is this place? It is built like palaces from my realm".
"And Outworld" Grava then added. "The hotel was built by an immigrant from Lei Chen. He could build it as long as it's external appearance didn't break the Seidan institutionalized architectural design".
Raiden was about to ask further questions about his room but was distracted when a Naknada emerged from a sliding door while carrying a knife and a cleaver and walking towards the manager. Raiden pushed Grava out of the way and was ready to shoot a lightning bolt to startle the creature.
"Raiden, don't! That is the owner!" Grava scolded.
It was then that Raiden noticed the uniform and apron on the Naknada. "The outworlder who built this… is a Naknada? You allow Naknada in Orderrealm?".
"You sound surprised. While Kotal Kahn saw nothing more than leeches and Shao Kahn treated them like slaves, they adapted very easily to our customs once they received refuge in Lei Chen; they have also proved extraordinary workers".
"So, you gleefully accepted them as slaves as well while taking away their pride and culture?".
"You did not listen, thunder god. We did not impose ourselves over them, they did that on their own. They have adapted so well that we are expecting the first generation of Naknada Seidan Guards within a decade. They also behave better than most of our previous newcomers".
"Lady Grava! Lord Raiden!" Ha-In said as she arrived next to the gods and bowed. "Your rooms are ready".
Their tour through the hall went normally; that is until they reached a hall where a Seidan Guard, in a full suit of armor, passed by them. Raiden considered it weird until they passed two more, these ones standing still. They then turned one more hall and then arrived at a door that had four guards standing guard with two on each side.
"I thought peace had come to your realm, Grava" Raiden told the goddess.
"And it has, Raiden" she answered.
"Then why would a guest require so much security? And who is he to require it?" He asked while looking at the door.
Grava then chuckled. "Oh Raiden, that is your room, and as I said: It's protocol".
Grava said that, but something told him there was more than just unmovable rules to consider. "You can all stand down, men!" Raiden ordered.
"We do not answer to your commands, visitor. Please stay in your room until further notice" One of the guards answered back. He then opened the door and Raiden noticed golden devices on some of the walls in the room that followed his every movement.
"And what are those?" he asked with indignation.
"The room is packed with motion sensors. Should any other person arrive without clearances, guards on a remote location will know and sound an alarm. They also have a constant moving-picture feed of what is happening in the room at all times. For the safety of our guest, of course" the guard added.
Raiden then turned around to leave the room, but his way was blocked by Grava. "I will not be treated as a prisoner Grava; I would much rather spend my time outside".
"I'm afraid you can't do that, thunder god" Grava responded. "Both the hotel and the streets have a strict curfew. Should you be caught breaking any of them, it will be considered an offense and you would have to be held prisoner as stated in the contract you signed".
"I never signed-!" Raiden began to say, but then he remembered the glowing symbol on his arm. He then looked at Grava with a shocked expression. "Treachery!".
She, in the meantime, smiled. "Oh, Raiden; even the gods of Earth don't read what is explicitly stated in the contracts they sign, don't they?".
"This is an outrage! The Elder Gods will-".
"Will what, Raiden? You can't teleport without being in the port, a structure you can't enter without authorization or until your mission is done, and we have a lot of time until that happens; remember you have not started your paperwork".
At that point, Raiden knew Grava was hiding something. "What are you doing? Who are you working for!?" he demanded but was then stopped when two of the Seidan Guards threatened him with their naginatas.
"I do not know what you are talking about, Raiden. I only live to serve my realm".
"I demand an audience with the elemental gods!" he shouted.
"In due time, Raiden. We have a week of paperwork to get through first. Then you can angrily go and accuse my realm of things you will find no evidence of us doing".
"I will uncover you!" he said through his teeth.
Grava just placed her face inches away from Raiden's. "Go ahead; you have an eternity, don't you". With that, Grava then walked away to the door. "Good night, Raiden. See you tomorrow with freshly printed documents," she said while waving before the door closed.
A few hours later, Raiden was still enraged by what happened; but there was no escape he could find. Separating from Grava would mean he could eventually break one of the realm's exaggerated rules and earn himself time in prison. The seal prevented him from teleporting either to anywhere on the realm or outside, the realm was sealed so neither his communication spells nor magic devices would work. As he kept thinking of a solution to his predicament, a knock on his door brought him back.
"Room service!" a female voice said from outside, but before Raiden could reject it the door swung open and a young woman entered with a floating trolly. "We hope the room is up to your standard, Lord Raiden. Please, accept this complimentary dinner". She then opened the lid, and he was now able to see many kinds of desserts and side dishes surrounding a giant cooked bird.
Raiden was ready to reject it all but then noticed that next to the birds was a napkin that had 读我 written on it. 'Read me' in Chinese. "Thank you… I do not need nourishment, but I will accept it anyway". It was then that Raiden saw the girl changing her face into a relaxed expression before bowing and leaving.
He then pretended to eat some of the things in the cart if only to have an excuse to then use the napkin knowing the guards looking at the cameras would notice a strange behavior if he just went ahead and grabbed the napkin. After taking a few bites out of the bird, he then went to grab the napkin, unfolded it, and quickly read the short message written in it.
'Stay still for an entire hour when the clock in your room marks ten. Await further instructions. We are friends, not foes. Grava lies!'.
Quickly, Raiden disposed of the napkin and checked the clock. He still had some time left, but he had an important choice to make. Keep going with Grava's charade and then try to find a loop on her alibi, or consider the help of these strangers. The logic seemed to favor him taking the second option, but with so many new changes in Orderrealm, he was not sure who this stranger was or what were his intentions.
As the time on the napkin grew closer, Raiden made his decision. He then sat in the middle of the room and cleared his mind. His body was then surrounded by a blew aura and it began to float until it reached the middle height of the room.