In all his years as a member of the Black Dragon clan. In all the ridiculous stories he'd heard from Kano when his leader attempted conversation. Of all the strange sights he had seen during his visit to Outworld, Jarek had never heard anything so unbelievable to him as what had just come from the mouth of the Red Dragon leader himself, Daegon.
"Our WHAT?" He shouted after minutes of silence. "P-... P-..." The repeated syllables fell flat on the floor, "Partnership?"
"Yes, Jarek, that is correct," Daegon confirmed.
Tasia interjected, equally disbelieving, "You want our help?"
Daegon nodded. "These are desperate times. Surely you must realize that. Raiden will stop at nothing to see both our clans wiped out. Not to mention, of course, the Special Forces."
"Is not our clan being 'wiped out' exactly what you desire?" Tremor asked.
"Eliminating the Black Dragon was Mavado's directive," Daegon explained. "And even before him, dealing with your offshoot has never been the Red Dragon's primary objective."
"What, so you're saying we weren't worth your time til' Lightning Rod started working overtime to get rid of both of us?" No Face asked.
"That is exactly what I am saying," Daegon said honestly. "While Mavado organized the Red Dragon's efforts in dealing with you, I myself have long gone after...other pursuits. Pursuits now jeopardized by Raiden and the Special Forces."
"Alright asshole," Jarek replied rudely. "So why the hell would we even want to help you?"
"Is preventing mutually assured destruction not motivation enough?" Daegon asked in return.
"The Black Dragon will live on," Jarek said firmly. "Worry about yourself."
Daegon chuckled. "You truly believe that?"
Jarek's gaze did not falter. Cold mechanical eyes betraying not even the slightest hint of doubt.
Daegon scoffed. "Fine, I'll humor you for the moment. You say the Black Dragon will survive, but for how much longer? Frankly, you do a rather poor job of hiding yourselves. Your own leader was foolish enough to get himself captured in an attempt to further some petty rivalry."
"Yeah, we don't need you to tell us that Kano's a dumbass," Tasia retorted, "We kinda figured that out on our own."
"But evidently too late to prevent your current circumstance, and certainly not enough to be strong enough to fight off some actors and a child," Daegon pointed out with a spiteful grin. "Look, if you require proof of my sincerity, consider the fact that I have appeared to you in person and might I add, in one of the Red Dragon's American bases, which the Special Forces have recently developed a knack for finding."
"So…you're serious about this 'partnership'..." Jarek discerned.
Daegon nodded.
"Wow, the leader of the Red Dragon, risking his neck to bring us along," No Face said in bewilderment. "You guys sure I'm not hallucinating again?"
"Want me to pinch you?" Tasia offered.
"Will it involve your swords?" No Face asked back.
"Maybe…" Tasia responded with a facade of meekness in her voice.
"Then no," No Face decided.
Daegon made a throat clearing sound. "If you're done… I would appreciate an answer to my offer."
The Black Dragons all looked at one another, contemplating the decision. Could they really trust Daegon? Well, that wasn't quite the question. They knew they couldn't trust him. But in spite of that knowledge, it was a tempting offer. They were certainly well aware of the Black Dragon clan's circumstance, and it sounded like the Red Dragon was suffering similarly. It seemed logical. Join together ...or be destroyed.
Tasia gave Jarek an approving nod. The decision had been made. The defacto Black Dragon leader approached Daegon.
"Do we have a deal?" Daegon asked, extending his hand.
Jarek took Daegon's hand and shook it.
"Fine."
"Excellent," responded Daegon. "You there," he said to one of his soldiers. "Contact home base, tell them we require a portal."
"Yes sir!" replied the Red Dragon, before leaving the room.
"Actually, we have some business to take care of first." Jarek clarified.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Daegon asked.
"Some associates we need to get into contact with." Tasia explained.
"Ah, understandable." Daegon responded. "Best to consolidate our assets before the real work begins."
For one Black Dragon in particular, it felt like the real work had already begun.
Her name was Virgo, the Black Dragon's communications specialist. She had the appearance of a well-built black woman somewhere in her early 20s, notably distinguished by multiple piercings, particularly on her ears and lower lip, as well as a scar over one eye, the origins of which she'd be hard pressed to clarify to anyone, hardly being the social type in general.
For the past year, she had been primarily dedicating herself to trying to keep the Black Dragon properly hidden from those seeking their destruction, the Special Forces in particular. This task had become increasingly difficult, most especially with Kano now imprisoned.
Kano. Her father.
It wasn't a long story. Kano had deemed the identity of her other parent irrelevant, and that was all Virgo had needed.
Besides, her mind was currently firmly focused on the present. Hours ago, she had lost contact with the Black Dragon's current leaders, Jarek and Tasia, as well as their entourage. She was well aware that it was possible the Special Forces had found them again, essentially undoing all her hard work. There was also the possibility that the senior Black Dragons had done something stupid and given away their position. Whatever the case, Virgo saw fit to find them. Or at the very least, confirm their deaths or capture.
Virgo was one of the most dedicated of her father's agents, difficult as it was to imagine that anyone could ever be devoutly loyal to Kano of all people. She served as his eyes and ears, as well as operating in field missions when the moment presented itself. What she kept hidden from even Kano, despite suspicions that he already knew, was that she viewed herself as heir apparent to the Black Dragon in the event of his death.
Subsequently, Kano was not dead, as eventual as that outcome seemed. Alas, he had been captured. If Virgo had to guess, he'd probably shared just enough information on the Black Dragon's operations to avoid recieving the death penalty. Or the Special Forces were just soft, or trying to prove a point, keeping him alive as a symbol of their moral superiority.
Whatever the case, the Black Dragon was currently in the care of Kano's former lieutenants. Virgo understood the pecking order. They were the most likely to take command. Still, if they were indeed out of the picture, the opportunity to properly assume her desired role had at long last presented itself. At least, the opportunity to serve as leader temporarily until Kano inevitably returned. It would certainly be an easier ascension than organizing their deaths, whatever the length of her tenure was. Tremor in particular would be difficult to kill.
Quite suddenly, Virgo's work and train of thought was interrupted when a portal opened just behind her. She spun around in her chair to get a good look at it. The energy of it was reddish in color, and it swirled idly until human silhouettes began to emerge from it.
Once they were out of the portal, Virgo was able to properly recognize Jarek and Tasia.
She immediately crossed her arms. "Mind explaining to me where you've been and how you managed to pull off that little magic trick?"
Jarek chuckled. "You just get straight to the point, don'tcha kid?"
"Better than wasting time with idle conversation." Virgo retorted.
Jarek decided against mentioning how much that sentence reminded him of a certain cybernetically augmented Red Dragon. "What, no 'Hi Uncle Jarek'?"
"Answer my questions." she replied plainly.
"We had a run in with the SF, the Cages, Raiden, and some dumbass with balls on his clothes." Tasia explained.
"And I take it you managed to escape." Virgo surmised.
"Barely." Jarek admitted.
"We've entered a mutual 'partnership' to make sure the clan survives." Tasia elaborated.
Virgo raised an eyebrow. "With who?"
"The Red Dragon." Tasia said.
Virgo blinked.
"W-What?!" Her eyes immediately narrowed. "Who's idea was this?"
"Daegon's." Jarek and Tasia responded in unison.
"The leader of the Red Dragon himself came to you two… and proposed an alliance?" Virgo asked, blatantly dumbfounded.
"That's the gist of it." Tasia confirmed.
"And what possessed you to think this was in any way a good idea?" Virgo then inquired.
"Look kid, I got electrocuted by Raiden himself today," Jarek responded, clearly irritated. "Unless you wanna know what that feels like, we're doing this."
"So he gave you some kind of spiel about joining together or both clans being taken out." Virgo surmised.
"You can't say he doesn't have a point." Tasia argued.
Virgo glared at them for a moment, before standing up. "Fine."
Without another word to either of her superiors, she entered the portal which had remained open since their survival. At the very least, Virgo was interested in assessing the situation personally. Privately, she took satisfaction in being deemed important enough to bring into the fold on this one. Though they outranked her, Jarek and Tasia knew better to leave her in the dark, else she discovered their plans the long way and found a means to get that information to Kano, who would undoubtedly never allow such a decision. Daegon was very high on the list of people Kano didn't trust.
"Well, that went better than I thought it would." said Jarek.
Tasia shook her head, before entering the portal herself, Jarek following as it closed behind them.
Virgo's efforts to keep the Black Dragon hidden were in stark contrast to two other members of the clan.
An anarchist and a thrill-seeker, Kira and Kobra were hardly the types to remain quiet for very long.
Kira understood the importance of not attracting too much attention to themselves, Jarek, Tasia, and especially Virgo stressing as much frequently to herself and Kobra. Alas, she couldn't resist the opportunity for some mayhem. So when Kobra got into a heated argument about whether or not Cobra Kai should've won in The Karate Kid, which devolved into a bar fight, which became a shootout once the police became involved, she was more than happy to join in.
By now there was barely anything left of the bar. Kobra's pyrokinetic abilities had a habit of starting fires when he fought in confined spaces. But there was still enough left of the walls to serve as cover from the oncoming gunfire.
"You've really stepped in it this time, Kobra!" Kira shouted before standing up and gunning down several cops with a rifle she'd stolen from some poor sap who'd ended up on the wrong end of her trademark "Dragon Teeth" knives when an arms deal ended up going only slightly better than this situation.
"Admit it, you're loving this!" Kobra replied, before shooting a fireball straight through a thug who charged at them with a crowbar.
"Ok fiiiinnneeee, maybe I am." Kira admitted, sarcastically rolling her eyes as she ducked beneath the remains of a wall to avoid a spray of bullets.
"Gotta admit, didn't think it'd get this crazy." Kobra said just before flame-kicking an oncoming street thug from the bar fight right in the face, the poor goon screaming as the fire burned away his flesh.
"This is you and me we're talking about," Kira pointed out. "A regular old couple of hellraisers."
"I'll say…."
As Kira was focusing on aiming a shot at a particularly pesky cop, she recognized the voice.
Even without invoking the use of his geokinetic powers, Tremor certainly carried presence. He had suddenly appeared from a swirling red portal, No Face in toe.
"So this seems like a fun mess," the demolitions expert chimed in. "Can we play too?"
"We don't have time," Tremor insisted. "Kira, Kobra, come with us if you want to live."
"I got that reference." Kobra blurted out, resulting in a glare from Tremor.
"What's going down?" Kira asked.
"We have entered an alliance with the Red Dragon," Tremor told her, resulting in shocked expressions from both of the self-proclaimed hellraisers. "We can explain more back at base. For now, it's time to go."
Suddenly, a bullet hit Tremor's shoulder. It chipped his rocky skin, but did no real damage. Without even sparing a glance at the cop who'd fired at him, Tremor opened a crevice in the Earth beneath his feet, the man helplessly falling into it, before a wet squishing and grinding noise can be heard as the hole resealed, crushing the man.
"Alright Kobra, you heard Rushmore." Said Kira, running into the portal with Kobra following soon after. Tremor followed suit while No Face unleashed a burst of flames to create distance between the Black Dragons and any possible attackers, before backing into the portal, which closed the moment he was gone.
Really, it might seem obvious that agents of chaos like the Black Dragon or would-be world conquerors like the Red Dragon would be fearful of Raiden and what he might do in his increasingly extreme efforts to protect Earthrealm.
It might seem much less obvious that his closest allies would be just as fearful.
Such was the case of the White Lotus Society.
Where once, the order was Raiden's foremost ally in the defense of Earthrealm, a group which heroes like Liu Kang and Kung Lao had been a part of….
When the White Lotus saw what Raiden had become, they could only be disgusted.
The White Lotus had abandoned Raiden, seeing his corrupted form for what it was. Even his closest friends, the Outworld master Bo' Rai Cho and the Wind God Fujin, had turned their backs on him.
However, the White Lotus could never turn their backs on Earthrealm. It was their duty to protect and defend it, a duty none among them would abandon.
Even with his greatest students gone, who had been like sons to him, Bo' Rai Cho in particular refused to abandon his duty to Earthrealm. He would continue to train warriors, warriors who would continue the fight that Liu Kang, Kung Lao, And so many others had started. The fight for peace.
To some, it might seem astonishing how unwavering the old master was. Even being nearly killed by Shinnok himself had done little to shake Bo' Rai Cho.
And it was his latest student, Kai, who was witnessing that determination firsthand.
Although many would dismiss Bo' Rai Cho due to his girth, he was no less a formidable fighter than his more athletic trainees. Kai had already figured this out for himself, but still couldn't help but be somewhat surprised by his teacher's speed and the power he carried with his blows. Even still, the young Shaolin was determined to do the best he could to keep up, always wanting to be ready for whatever battle might be ahead.
Kai managed to parry several of Bo' Rai Cho's swift hits, although the Shaolin master was easily able to block his own attempts at attacking. In an attempt to gain the upper hand, Kai leaped back, creating distance between himself and Bo' Rai Cho. Both his fists then burst into flame, and he went in for a punch.
Surprisingly, Bo' Rai Cho was able to halt the punch with a mere open palm.
"You have mastered the ability to harness your chi into flame," Bo' Rai Cho complimented. "But do not presume this to be enough to grant you victory in battle."
To demonstrate, Bo' Rai Cho clenched his hand around Kai's fist, using it to pull him forward and then knocking him down with an elbow to the back.
Bo' Rai Cho chuckled. "You still have much to learn, young one."
Kai smirked at that. He then sprung into a handstand and kicked the old master in the face, knocking him back, before performing a backflip and landing on his feet.
"Ta-da!" Kai said, bowing like a showman.
Bo' Rai Cho couldn't help but laugh. "Like I said, much to learn, but that does not mean that you have not learned much already. You have a rather unorthodox fighting style. Use that to your advantage, Kai. You never know when it might come in handy."
Kai performed a traditional Shaolin bow of respect, Bo' Rai Cho returning the gesture.
"Thank you, Master Bo' Rai Cho," Kai said graciously. "I am grateful for everything you've taught me," he then cracked a smile. "Course, that doesn't mean I didn't come up with a few moves of my own."
Bo' Rai Cho smiled back. "It is good to learn, but a good warrior always knows how to improvise."
"Hey guys!" called out a voice, drawing the attention of both student and master.
The source of the voice was Kung Jin, visiting the Wu Shi Academy as he was currently off-duty from the Special Forces.
"Ah, Kung Jin, it is good to see you, my young pupil." Said Bo' Rai Cho, taking his staff and using it like a cane as he approached Jin.
Kai merely waved, before following his mentor.
Jin waved in return. As he drew closer, Bo' Rai Cho pulled Jin into a well-meaning but nearly crushing hug.
"G-Good to see you too, master Bo' Rai Cho." Kung Jin managed to choke out before his mentor released him.
Kai couldn't help but laugh.
"Glad my pain amuses you," Jin said jokingly. "And for the record, I'm glad to see you too."
"Oh really, why's that?" Kai asked, cocking an eyebrow but maintaining a smile. He seemed to have some inkling as to the possible answer.
Kung Jin noticeably took a moment to respond, before his expression changed from befuddlement to a sly grin.
"Well, because you're the only one around here who can keep up with me!" Jin elaborated, lightly bumping Kai on the arm.
"I'm also the only one here who can beat you." Kai reminded.
"Last I checked, we were tied." Jin recalled.
"I can fix that." Kai retorted.
Both Shaolin felt a gust of wind blowing past them. The wind was forceful enough to cause Kung Jin's ponytail to start moving about as if it had a mind of its own. Jin, Kai, and Bo' Rai Cho all looked in the direction the wind was coming from, already suspecting the source of the sudden gust.
As expected, it was none other than the God of Wind, Fujin, descending down to meet the three Shaolin, utilizing his divine power over wind to propel himself through the air much like his fellow god Raiden's capacity for flight.
"Greetings, young warriors," he said as his glowing white eyes looked upon Kai and Jin, before turning to the Shaolin master. "And to you, master Bo' Rai Cho."
Bo' Rai Cho nodded. "It is good to see you, Fujin my old friend."
"Aye," Fujin responded. "Apologies for my absence. I had to return to the Temple of Elements to pay respects to….some old friends."
"Your fellow Gods," Bo' Rai Cho surmised, recalling that they had fallen during Shinnok's initial attack on Earthrealm and the Jinsei. "I am sorry for their loss…."
"You needn't apologize, Bo' Rai Cho," Fujin insisted. "Their killer has already faced justice. Besides, it is not the past which concerns me..."
"Raiden…" Bo' Rai Cho said knowingly.
"I fear what he has become," Fujin said, his eyes locked on the sky above as if he were looking to the heavens for answers. "What worries me even more so is that many of our allies, our friends, do not see it."
"Perhaps they do not wish to see it," Bo' Rai Cho theorized. "Especially not after so many of our other friends have been lost to the darkness."
"Wait," interjected Kung Jin. "Master, you don't really think ...Lao and the others, you don't really think they're 'lost', do you?"
"Shinnok's evil is strong," Bo' Rai Cho pointed out. "Fujin and I have both witnessed it firsthand."
The old master then looked down, ruminating on the question for a moment. "But, we must never give up on hope. It is only then that evil will truly win."
"Raiden believed that interrogating Quan Chi for the secret workings of his dark sorcery was the way to free your cousin and all those damned souls from their curse," Fujin explained. "It is my belief however that there is always another way."
The Wind God moved his gaze from the two Shaolin trainees to the wilderness surrounding the Wu Shi Academy. "Even though I saw Shinnok defeat them, I can still feel my brothers...somewhere. I believe that no one is ever truly lost."
"Not even Liu Kang?" Kai asked.
Fujin nodded.
"Not even Lao? Or Raiden?" Kung Jin then asked immediately after.
"The only part of Raiden that has been lost is his sense of restraint," Fujin posited. "And what is lost may always be found."
"I hope you're right." Was all Jin said before walking off.
"It would seem Kung Jin's varying ties of loyalty are troubling him," Bo' Rai Cho mused. "Like Raiden, he forgets that we are all in truth on the same side."
"It was the White Lotus's decision to excise Raiden," Fujin pointed out. "And the Special Forces' decision to continue to enlist his aid. Kung Jin's worry is understandable."
"I'll go talk to him," Kai offered. "Make sure he's doing ok."
Both Shaolin master and Wind God nodded their approval, and seconds after Kai walked off in the direction Jin had gone.
Kai walked throughout the academy for a few minutes before finding Kung Jin where he usually went when he had a lot on his mind: The modest shrines the Shaolin has built to honor Liu Kang and Kung Lao after their deaths. Kung Jin sat on his knees in front of the two life-size statues of the two monks that had been built in their memory. Behind them were four torches, each representing the respective accomplishments of the two warriors. Two for Liu Kang's victories over Goro and Shao Kahn, and two for Kung Lao's successes in defeating both Kintaro and the short-lived "Deadly Alliance" of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.
Kung Jin honoring his family was no surprise to Kai. He had grown accustomed to finding him here thinking and meditating. Even still, it made him uneasy to see Jin distressed.
"You know, I miss them too," Kai elected to say. "Before I left the White Lotus for a few years, Liu Kang helped train me." Kai's right hand burst into flame. "He taught me how to do this."
Jin sighed, opening his eyes. "Yeah, they were both always really supportive," he winced. "They were some of the only people in my family who ... who accepted me."
Kai placed a hand on Jin's shoulder, much to his surprise.
"You're not alone, Jin," Kai reminded. "You've got people looking out for you. I like to think of myself as one of them."
"T-Thanks Kai, really, it helps having someone like you around," Jin responded with a slight crack in his voice. "You're a good guy."
Kai smiled. "Any time, man."
Jin stood up, his gaze still fixed on the statues. "Sometimes I don't know if I'll ever see them again, or if I'll always be fighting those monsters they've become."
"Master Bo' Rai Cho taught me that a Shaolin's Will is their strongest weapon," Kai responded. "I'm certain that your cousins are still in there. They might just need some help coming back out."
Jin finally turned to face Kai. "I hope you're right."
"I like to think that the same principle applies to Raiden." Kai added.
"He's the hardest part of all this," Jin said regretfully. "Raiden's the one who brought me back to the Shaolin. He apologized to me for what happened to Lao, and introduced me to Cassie and Jacqui and Takeda— my friends."
"And now he's not acting like himself and it feels like the world's gone topsy-turvy." Kai said, already discerning what Jin was thinking.
"Yeah," Jin agreed. "And I can't bring it up to my friends because as far as the SF is concerned, nothing's wrong."
"Maybe they do see what's going on," Kai suggested. "But they feel like they need him to keep Earthrealm safe."
"Maybe," Jin acknowledged. "I'm just not sure what to do."
"My advice?" Kai asked rhetorically. "Follow your gut. Stick with what you believe. If the others won't listen to you, maybe they're not your friends."
Jin sneered a little. It was almost ironic, the formerly most antisocial of the four now offended to have their friendship called into question.
"I know they'll listen to me." Jin said confidently.
"Good," Kai responded, genuinely glad to hear that Jin's friends were faithful. "Then talk to them."
By seemingly pure coincidence, just after Kai finished speaking, a small beeping sound could be heard, emanating from the earpiece the Special Forces had provided to Kung Jin as a means of long-range communication.
"Funny the way the world works sometimes," Jin mused. "I gotta take this."
Kai pretended to zip his mouth closed in response.
Jin responded to this with a simple "Heh." before clicking a button on his earpiece.
"Go ahead." he said aloud.
"This is General Blade," Sonya's voice said over the earpiece. "We need you to come in."
"Trouble?" Jin asked.
"Thankfully not yet," Sonya responded with a tone of relief noticeably distinct from her usual commanding voice. "But with our line of work, who knows. Just better to have everyone accounted for."
"I understand," Jin acknowledged. "I'll start heading to base right away."
"Understood," Sonya replied. Muffled discourse could be heard afterward, probably Johnny or Cassie. "Thank you, Jin." she said after it stopped, the courtesy likely a suggestion of one of the aforementioned two.
After that, Jin heard the sound of the communication line being cut off.
"Sounds like I gotta get back to work," he told Kai.
Kai shrugged nonchalantly. "I get it, defending Earthrealm stops for nobody."
"I'll say," Jin agreed. "And ...thanks for the talk. I needed it."
"Anytime," Kai assured. "Now you get going."
Jin jokingly saluted. "Yes sir!" After that, he began to head off.
Meanwhile, Bo' Rai Cho and Fujin had been observing the two young Shaolin from afar, until their attention was drawn by the arrival of another Shaolin master who occasionally oversaw Jin and Kai's training alongside Bo' Rai Cho.
And one who was recognized instantly.
"Ah, Shujinko my old pupil, it is good to see you!" Bo' Rai Cho exclaimed with a warmth not unlike that of a grandfather.
"Greetings, Master Bo' Rai Cho." Shujinko responded.
"You have been gone for some time," Fujin observed. "Is everything well?"
"Yes Fujin, I am quite alright," Shujinko assured. "Merely attending to my duties."
"Ah yes," Fujin recalled. "Your quest."
Shujinko nodded.
"Does Raiden still aid you?" Fujin asked.
"I trust him to safeguard the artifacts," Shujinko responded, choosing his words with care. "Nothing more."
"You are certain he will not attempt to use their power for his own ends?" Fujin then asked.
"Have faith, my friend," Bo' Rai Cho interjected. "Raiden is not as far gone as he seems."
"My guide would agree with you, Master Bo' Rai Cho," Shujinko affirmed. "He says that Raiden's judgement is not so clouded that would lose understanding of the potential danger of the artifacts' power."
"Very well then," Fujin decided. "Where will your quest take you next?"
"There is only one more artifact needing to be found," Shujinko explained. "To collect it, I must travel to Outworld. Specifically, that which remains of Edenia."
"Tread carefully, my friend," Fujin advised. "Outworld is a dangerous and tumultuous domain, even for one who has braved Chaosrealm and the Netherrealm."
"I appreciate your concern Fujin," Shujinko acknowledged. "But I can take care of myself."
"You have certainly learned much in the ways of combat since you were my student," Bo' Rai Cho complimented. "But do not let arrogance take you."
"I assure you, I will not," Shujinko responded. "But I have visited Outworld once. It is a dangerous place, yes, but not one unfamiliar to me."
"Outworld has changed much since you last ventured there." Fujin pointed out.
"I do not fear Kotal Kahn," Shujinko said firmly. "He is not half the tyrant Shao Kahn once was, both for better and worse. And Raiden's deception involving the Blood Code daggers should reduce any knowledge of the artifacts I seek to mere legend, at least in Outworld."
"It was a clever ploy," Fujin admitted. "One that drew attention away from the artifacts and toward those accursed daggers."
"I have witnessed their power firsthand, Fujin," Shujinko reminded. "Thankfully, the daggers are no longer our concern. Even still, what Havik and Reiko were able to accomplish with them is nothing compared to what the artifacts are capable of."
"That much is true," Fujin admitted. "Then I wish you luck Shujinko, and make haste."
"I will, thank you Fujin," Shujinko said before turning to leave. He then stopped himself, adding "Thank you both." before continuing.
"I fear something is brewing." Fujin said to his ally.
"Worry not, my friend," Bo' Rai Cho responded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If we persevere, continue to fight for life and justice, and always hold faith in our friends, even the most misguided among them…."
Bo' Rai Cho paused, as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"We will survive."