Author's Note: Today happens to be my birthday, so I decided to break the weekly upload schedule and bring you this one early. Enjoy
And what tortured souls they were, trapped in that hellish place called the Netherrealm. A place deemed by the Elder Gods themselves as fit to serve as a prison for Shinnok himself. And now it was their prison. Each of them knew that. Much as Liu Kang and Kitana proclaimed that they were the rulers of this domain, even they knew better.
They were prisoners. Nothing more.
Even worse, they were prisoners forced to defend their cell.
Although the revenants hoisted themselves to the position of the Netherrealm's rulers, something even Raiden acknowledged, the average demons that inhabited the realm were hardly accepting of their "rule".
In fact it seemed that with Shinnok now gone, the Netherrealm was entirely without direction. Hell had lost its devil, and in his place reigned only chaos.
In their zealous effort to be rid of the "traitor" Jade, the revenants had left Shinnok's former palace all but defenseless. And it seemed that the demon hordes were drawn to the palace like moths to a flame.
And if flame was what drew them, Liu Kang would provide.
Once, he was a hero of Earthrealm. Now, a would-be despot of the Netherrealm.
Regardless of what he had become, Liu Kang still fought with the fervor of a champion.
Demons came at him from all sides, a seemingly endless barrage of monsters looking to tear him apart.
Only to be dispatched with the precision of a Shaolin and the fury of hellfire.
They had numbers, but the horde stood no real chance against Liu Kang. And he knew it. He wasted no time tearing through their ranks just as they sought to tear through him. His fists were illuminated by a reddish flame that seemed to reflect the seething rage boiling within him.
He was not the calm, measured, modest man he was in life. He was far more like the angry, arrogant warriors he'd fought against in two tournaments and the invasion of Earthrealm.
It felt like a lifetime ago. It practically was. That time felt like a distant memory to Liu Kang now. He didn't care much for the past. Not while he was like this. Not while his mind and body had been contorted into something he wasn't. Perhaps, something he was never meant to be….
Liu Kang brushed those thoughts aside. He preferred to focus on the present. At least, to the best of his ability. Right now, all that mattered was being rid of these infernal beasts.
If only they would just stop coming!
Salvation eventually arrived. At least, salvation from the horde. An almost entirely black blur tore through the demons. Kabal, with his trademark hook swords. Another group of the beasts was enveloped in a dark cloud. When it dissipated and reformed into Smoke, all that remained were bones that clattered to the ground.
Nightwolf, Kitana, and Kung Lao opted to deal with the demons the old fashioned way. Hacking, slashing, and lots of it. The rest were finally cleared away when Sindel's sonic scream repelled them, sending those who still had flesh on their bones running for the hills.
The assault was dealt with. But rather than gratitude, what Liu Kang had to offer was…..
"Took you long enough." He growled at his comrades.
"You're welcome, asshole," Kabal replied sarcastically. "Maybe next time we'll charge you for pest removal."
"Still just looking to profit I see." Liu Kang spat at the masked man.
"Hey, I tried the high road," Kabal reminded. "Crashed, burned, ended up here, just like you." His gaze shifted to Sindel. "Thanks again for that, lady."
Sindel seemed taken aback by his comment, hurt even. But before she could respond, Kitana stepped in.
"You leave my mother out of this, Kabal!" She demanded.
"Why?" Kabal asked. "She's half the reason we're stuck here. In fact," he leaned in closer to her, the lenses of his mask locking with her eyes. "The other half is your dad."
"Shao Kahn is not my father!" Kitana shouted back in Kabal's face. "He killed my father!"
"Jerrod!" Sindel suddenly exclaimed, looking around the palace as if she were in a daze, lost in a dream of a place far away. "Are you alright?"
Kitana silently cursed herself, and then quickly went over to comfort her mother.
"Don't worry, he….he's fine. Everything's fine mother," she lied in the most calming tone she could muster as she placed her hands on Sindel's shoulders. "Everything's fine."
The room was decidedly silent, and not just Stryker this time. Each revenant still knew the importance of family on some level. None could bring themselves to meddle with this small respite of peace.
"I-I'm sorry." Kabal eventually worked up the strength to utter.
"Anger gets the best of all of us," Nightwolf said knowingly. "Anger at our own shame."
"Acknowledging it doesn't improve the matter." Smoke argued.
"Enough bickering!" commanded Liu Kang. "We have more important matters to concern ourselves with."
"For starters, this attack," chimed in Kung Lao. "I am aware that the demonfolk are not fond of us, but-"
"Feeling's mutual." interrupted Kabal.
Kung Lao elected to ignore him and continue. "But, they have never had the gall to launch a mass assault against us like this. Much less attack this temple which once belonged to Lord Shinnok."
"Shinnok is dead," Kitana pointed out, still holding her mother close. "You don't need to grovel anymore."
"I…" Kung Lao started. "It just came out."
"A remnant of the fallen Elder God's control over us, I imagine," Nightwolf presumed. "Even in death, he haunts us."
"Enough," demanded Liu Kang, clearly wanting to change the subject. "It is obvious that this attack was made in order to challenge our power. That blasted 'Belokk' has clearly started organizing the demons."
"Ah yes," Smoke recalled. "The once great general of a time long passed." He spoke with a familiarity that was confusing to the others, but not a matter worthy of discussion. Whether they accepted it or not, the revenants were well aware that Smoke, or "Enenra", was the most changed among them. For what reason, they could not say.
"Whatever his origin, he has become a problem," Liu Kang decided. "As has the damned soul of that Red Dragon."
"I'm telling you, just let me get another shot at him," Kabal said insistently. "I'll take care of our little 'problem'."
"Your petty clan rivalries are of no importance." interjected Kung Lao.
"Buddy, in case that razor-hat of yours is on too tight, I left the Black Dragon," Kabal reminded. "Before I died, even. I'm just looking for a good fight, not to settle beef that ain't mine."
"The Red Dragon is but one," Liu Kang pointed out. "Belokk clearly has numbers on his side. While the demons refuse to acknowledge us as the rightful leaders of this realm, they flock to Belokk in droves, depriving us of an army."
Kabal scoffed at this, amused at Liu Kang's fury. "Wait, you want an army of those mindless and effectively worthless beasts?"
"With an army, our rule will be absolute," Liu Kang explained. "We would no longer need to fear challengers like Belokk. Nor any enemies within the Netherrealm. Not the Red Dragon, not those two Brotherhood of Shadow deserters, and not that traitor, Jade."
The mention of Jade's name clearly got Kitana's attention. In a rare occurrence, Liu Kang's rage-filled gaze softened.
"Are you alright, my love?" He asked in a tone quite lacking the vitriol and contempt his voice had carried before.
"Liu, may I speak with you?" Kitana asked in a similarly softened voice. "In private?"
"Of course," Liu Kang acquiesced. He looked at the others. "Could you all leave us alone for a moment?" His voice was humble, respectful.
It sounded like Liu Kang.
The other revenants clearly noticed this, but decided against saying anything. They all filed out of the room. Sindel was the most reluctant, not wishing to leave the presence of her daughter. She gave Kitana a tight embrace before departing.
Now that all except Kitana were absent, Liu Kang seemed almost… calm. An unusual sight since his transformation into a revenant.
"So, what do you wish to discuss?" He asked, smiling for the first time since...
Well, it had been a very long time.
Kitana seemed to silently assess her lover for a moment, as if deciding if she should say what was on her mind, already all too familiar with his rage. She knew he would never dare harm her, nor would she him, but whenever Liu Kang got angry it ...distressed her. It didn't feel right.
Then again, nothing about their circumstances felt right.
"It's about Jade," she finally decided to say. "I know she's abandoned us, but I'm not sure if I can… if we can…"
"She has betrayed us," Liu Kang reminded. "I know she was your friend once, but that time has passed. We must consider Jade our enemy and deal with her as such."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you," Kitana responded, a noticeable pain in her voice. "Would you say the same if it were Kung Lao?"
"You're the one who wanted that traitor hunted down, and now you're defending her?" Liu Kang asked, clearly baffled.
"Yes, I did," Kitana admitted. "She is still alive because I reconsidered."
She'd grown to hate that word. "Alive". Perhaps it bothered her so because she knew that "alive" was something she very much wasn't. Any reference to life reminded her that she was some form of walking corpse, animated by sorcery.
And to think, she once considered Mileena the aberration.
Mileena…
Kitana also wasn't fond of the memory of her. Not because she still hated her "sister", even if some part of her still did, if only the part of her that felt betrayed by the lies and secrets Shao Kahn had kept regarding Mileena's existence...
No, it wasn't because of some hatred of Mileena. It was because she hated herself for failing to be a sister to her at all, and allowing such a small part of herself to twist her actions.
Her regret was redirected when Liu Kang chose to continue the conversation.
"I'm not sure I understand," He told her honestly. "You haven't shown any reluctance to slay Jackson, or Sonya, or Sub-Zero, or even Johnathon as irritating as he was even as our ally...what makes her so different?"
"Is the fact that I have known her my entire life not reason enough?" Kitana asked, a discernible frustration in her tone. "Besides…"
"Besides what?" Liu Kang interrupted.
"Besides, if the prospect of killing our old allies didn't bother me," she paused, searching for words to describe feelings long since lost to her. "Didn't bother any of us, they would already be dead. All of them."
"That's..." Liu Kang was about to contest her point, until he realized… he couldn't.
She was right.
It was like a moment of clarity, his first in a long while. One instance came to mind. His battle with Jax when the Special Forces had captured Quan Chi. He had lost that battle. To some, such an outcome was nonsensical. Liu Kang had bested the likes of Goro, Shang Tsung, even Shao Kahn himself. But at this very moment, it dawned on him.
He hadn't really been trying to win that fight. Much as this corruption compelled him to fight, part of him still knew Jax as a friend.
A part of him he quietly realized would likely always be there, no matter how deeply it was buried.
And it was clear to Liu Kang now that Kitana was in that same position.
"I see your point," was all the words he could muster to communicate all that to her. "Even Quan Chi did not deem her worth eliminating when she broke away from our shared existence."
"Only because he was preoccupied with trying to liberate Shinnok," Kitana argued. "Not because he cared."
"He didn't," Liu Kang agreed. "But clearly you do, and that's good enough for me. We will not treat Jade as some common enemy. If it pleases you, my beloved, there may even be a way to bring her back into the fold."
"What?" Kitana asked.
"It's better I explain it to everyone," Liu Kang informed her, before looking in the direction of the door. "Alright, you may all come back in now!"
Kitana was clearly puzzled, merely observing as the group of revenants entered the room.
Once everyone was gathered, Liu Kang began his promised explanation.
"As you are aware, the threat to our power is quite clear," he spoke firmly. "However, I believe that I know a way of...giving us an edge."
"What do you have in mind?" Asked Kung Lao.
"I believe it is time we paid a visit to Quan Chi's fortress," Liu Kang elaborated. "The secrets of his sorcery should be exactly what we need to secure our dominance. Inter-realm travel, necromancy, and even the secrets to the very magic that keeps us alive."
"You call this 'alive'?"
The whole room was surprised to hear Stryker speak. It was an increasingly rare occurrence to hear even a quiet mutter from the former policeman, let alone such a defiant and hateful one.
"You believe we are dead?" Asked Sindel.
Kitana sighed. She hated all of this. Seeing her mother delude herself in a fantasy which was all that stood between the once Queen of Edenia and the memories of all the suffering she had endured. From the murder of her beloved husband and the torment that drove her to take her own life, the centuries of torment where Kahn denied her soul peaceful rest, to the crushing guilt over the murders she committed under Shao Kahn's enslavement and Quan Chi's brainwashing. It seemed that twisting the mind had its limits, and even the strongest of them would break under the strain.
And then there was Liu Kang. Listening to him talk like some manner of despot. It wasn't him. In spite of everything, Kitana still knew that.
Still, she couldn't bring herself to openly broach the subject to either of them.
"As I was saying," Liu Kang continued, only choosing not to argue with Stryker because he was all too aware of the fragility of Sindel's mental state. "With those secrets, we can recruit more to our cause. Perhaps even re-enlist the comrades who have left us."
"Do you mean Jade?" Kitana immediately asked.
"She would be but one." Liu Kang answered.
"I hope you do not intend to make that weakling Sub-Zero one of us again." Smoke interjected.
"I think you'd have a higher opinion of your old friend once he's undergone...attitude adjustment." Liu Kang argued.
"Sub-Zero was the friend of a dead man," Smoke retorted angrily. "He is no friend of Enenra."
"Enough of this!" Shouted Kung Lao thin patience giving way to barely restrained frustration. "When do we head out?"
"You, Stryker, and...Enenra will depart with me immediately," Liu Kang explained. "Nightwolf, Kabal, you are to guard the palace, as well as your Empress and her mother."
"You don't want me to come with you?" Kitana questioned.
"I fear that others may seek out Quan Chi's secrets," Liu Kang told her. "I do not wish for you to come to harm."
He then made a subtle gesture towards Sindel, making it clear that the real reason was to look after her.
Given her mother's state, Kitana could hardly argue with that logic.
"You'd best protect my dear Kitana with your lives." Sindel told Nightwolf and Kabal sternly.
"I shall," Nightwolf promised. "My soul cannot afford to bear another failure."
There was something about the way Nightwolf wallowed in his own shame that made Liu Kang uneasy. Perhaps because a small part of him felt that he should have more shame than he did regarding his past actions.
For now, he brushed the thought aside.
"Let us depart with haste." He commanded his away team.
What the revenants failed to realize was that their victory over the demon attackers was not as total as it had seemed.
While his fellows were slain, one of the beasts slipped away, making his way across the rocky surface of the Netherrealm until he reached his destination.
The desecrated ruins of a temple so ancient it was a wonder that any of it remained at all.
The place was massive. As the demon entered through one of many broken walls, it became clear by the surrounding array of cells and torture devices that this was no mere temple.
It was a prison. A tower built with thousands of cells, laid in rows of ten by floor, all designed to contain the absolute worst of those who once walked the mortal planes and inflict a suffering they could never have comprehended in their finite lifespans.
The demon made his way to the center of the prison, coming into a vast dark room. First was a long bridge, dangerously lacking any railing, leading to a hexagonal platform in the form of a large metal box. Stepping through the outer cell allowed him to step into a room that housed dozens of rows of rusted chain, all bearing the stains of blood that seeped into the very essence of the metal, warping it. They looked like whatever had once been held had escaped from them eons ago. Many of the chains were resting atop a table adorned with multiple instruments of torture. From simple skin peelers, and nail rippers, to more exotic things to macabre tomes of forbidden knowledge bound in leather of men, or eternally heated black iron brands in the shapes of runic symbols of acid and fire.
Truly, the former warden of this prison had sought to inflict untold agonies on the Grand Heretic he had been charged with the imprisonment of.
Beyond the chains on the opposite side of the cell to the entryway was a large demon, towering over this lesser demon even as he was sat on a throne. A throne made of bones. Upon closer inspection, many of the mangled, fleshless corpses that made up the throne wore tattered Brotherhood of Shadow garb. If one looked closely, one might even notice the skulls were still moving their jaws, perhaps to futilely beg for a respite that none would grant them.
The demon himself was about the size and build of a male Shokan Warrior. His skin was red as blood, and he wore onyx black armor, which matched the color of his large horns, six poking out of his head similar to Sheeva's, only larger. His eyes glowed a fiery yellow, as he watched the smaller demon approach him, and kneel.
"Lord Belokk," the demon spoke to its master in a raspy voice. "I regret to inform you that the attack on the false Emperor and Empress was a failure. I am the only survivor."
"And you retreated just to bring me the news that Shinnok's puppets remain a threat even without their master to pull their strings?" Belokk asked, his voice booming and powerful.
"It is said that knowledge is power, Lord Belokk," the demon argued. "I believed that keeping you well informed was more valuable than attempting battle against the revenants."
"Considering the fates of your fellows, perhaps you made the right decision," Belokk mused. "Even still, those sorcery-bound corpses have proven troublesome. Sheer numbers will not be enough to destroy them, and besides, my army is best saved for our grander objective."
"If I may ask," the demon said with a level of courtesy one would not expect from his kind. "What will you do, Lord Belokk?"
"Remember, I am no Lord," Belokk reminded. "Merely a general to the one true master of Hell."
"I would hope that this master shows himself soon," the demon commented. "He must be quite powerful, if you claim he is greater than Lord Shinnok."
"I claim nothing!" Belokk shouted with a sudden fury, the glow of his eyes intensifying, tightening his grip on the bones to a fracturing point. "While Shinnok simply is nothing!"
"I have heard it is unwise to speak ill of the dead," the demon pointed out, with the arrogance of one who had outlived many of his previous masters. "And even less wise to speak of one who can master the dead."
Belokk had heard enough of this insolence. He stood from his makeshift throne and approached the oh so very small demon.
The demon backed away, cowering with fear, as Belokk silently marched forward. The room was very dark, much of the illumination coming from scarce holes in the roof and the amber glow of Belokk's eyes.
"L-Lord Belokk, please!" The demon pleaded.
First the retreat, and now this.
Belokk had no patience for cowards.
Without a single warning, the demon general's left arm burst into flame. But this was not some attempt to attack Belokk.
It was hellfire.
Belokk grabbed the demon by his throat with the flaming arm. He was completely silent as he watched the hellfire spread from his arm and burn the insolent demon. Burn him until he was nothing. Not even bones, just ash.
When that was done, the hellfire simply vanished. Belokk didn't even spare a glance at the small pile of ash now on the ground. He simply turned and reseated himself on his throne.
Moments of silence passed before Belokk spoke, seemingly to no one.
"The underling had some semblance of a point," he admitted. "Our master will need to reveal himself soon, or we will lose the support of these lesser demons. I wish our plans did not require that I build an army of mongrels."
Suddenly, a pair of eyes opened behind Belokk. They glowed white, and what little illumination they provided shone on what appeared to be the face of a goat, but a body far more similar to a man.
"You must be patient, General Belokk." The creature said in a rather unnatural, almost strangely ethereal voice.
"With all due respect to our lord and master," Belokk responded. "I have been 'patient' for millennia."
"Shinnok's defeat was precisely what our master required to begin the process of his return," assured the goat-headed creature. "His prison now lies with a foolish god whose ambition outstrips his station. A very poor candidate for a warden."
"I hope that you are right, Elder Demon," Belokk told his strange ally. "I have waited a long time for this."
"And I assure you, you will not need to wait much longer," said the creature. "All you need to do is continue to lay the groundwork for his...homecoming."
"Have faith, I have no intention of seeing our plans to anything other than fruition, Belokk assured. "I simply grow weary of battling mortals who have been blinded by Shinnok's parlor tricks to the fact that they are dead."
Speaking of said "mortals", although the journey had been time consuming, the group of revenants had arrived at what was once Quan Chi's fortress.
"It looks abandoned." observed Kung Lao, confused by its intact and unoccupied state. While he lived, Quan Chi had many rivals and enemies in the Netherrealm alone. That none had decided to plunder this vast fortune of knowledge was unnerving to the former Shaolin.
"Good," said Liu Kang. "It means that it is unlikely that anyone else has been here. Leaving the secrets we seek ripe for the taking."
"I was under the impression that the Brotherhood of Shadow still persisted in spite of Shinnok's death," recalled Smoke. "I find it strange that they would not seek to appropriate this place for their own ends."
"Respect for the dead, perhaps," Kung Lao speculated. "They were servants to that sorcerer longer than we."
"Whatever the reason, it works to our advantage." Liu Kang pointed out.
"Respect for the dead," Smoke said irritably. "The fools."
Tomas Vrbada may have understood the principle of paying respects to the departed, but "Enenra" most certainly did not. It reminded him all too well of the sentimentality his fellow revenants displayed regarding Vrbada. It irritated him to no end. If only he knew how deluded he was…
"Enough," commanded Liu Kang. "Let's go."
The four revenants entered the fortress. It was definitely abandoned, as they had presumed. The fortress had barely changed at all since they were last there. Since they were servants, rather than masters.
Well, they called themselves masters, anyway. A thinking that was a bit removed from reality.
Even despite the apparent emptiness, they were cautious. All except Stryker, who walked and looked around casually in his usual uncaring demeanor. To think he had once been such a dedicated officer. Like all the revenants, Kurtis Stryker was but a shell of his former self.
The difference? He recognized that he didn't have to like it.
The search through the fortress continued until the revenants found the room where their prize truly resided: Quan Chi's personal quarters.
The room was certainly well decorated..if one was inclined to more gothic stylings at least. The sorcerer also kept many relics. A pair of broadswords, a replica of Shinnok's infamous amulet, last used in an elaborate scheme to deceive Raiden himself, who now held possession of the genuine article. There was a skull on a pedestal, unbeknownst to the revenants, the skull of the Grandmaster of the original Shirai Ryu.
The revenants saw fit to ignore many of these items, causing them to fail to notice that a certain warhammer was no longer on display. They knew the amulet in particular to be a fake. Quan Chi had been arrogant above all else. The revenants had often provided him with an audience he may divulge his plans to, reveling in his own "brilliance."
Of course, if he were truly so brilliant, he would not be dead. And he certainly wouldn't have constantly gazed upon the Amulet with a dread he was never able to completely hide.
One item did catch the group's attention. A large display case, within it…
The broken armor of Shao Kahn himself.
"I suppose there is one thing we can thank Raiden for," Kung Lao said as he beheld the armor. "Destroying him."
Liu Kang did not seem to share that opinion. As his blazing eyes looked at the fallen tyrant's armor, all the seething hatred and anger seemed to be returning.
"I should've done it," he said, furious that his destiny had been denied... by Raiden. All because of mere visions. His lower arms were both overtaken in seconds by a crimson flame.
"IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!"
As Liu Kang, shouted his defiance, he brought his arms together and unleashed a bright red fireball larger than any projectile he had ever produced. The blast destroyed all that remained of Shao Kahn's armor. The other three revenants all shielded their eyes at the explosion, which was forceful enough to make a small shockwave. Books were flung from their shelves, the entire room shook and rattled. The sorcerer's former throne was shaken to such a degree that it fell over. Of course, it wasn't like it'd be seeing any further use anyway.
The former emperor's helmet, cracked and singed from it's wearer's defeat at the hands of Raiden, dropped to the ground, just as it had when it left Shao Kahn's head.
Liu Kang glared at the helmet, seeming to focus his rage on it. And honestly, why wouldn't he? It was an object representative of all his suffering. Of the life he, the woman he loved, and all his fellow revenants had been denied.
Liu Kang's rage came to a boiling point. It seemed to do that quicker and quicker with each passing day. The once Champion of Mortal Kombat lifted his foot, allowing it to be coated in hellfire and stomped down hard on Shao Kahn's once-prized helmet, shattering it instantly.
Once it was done, Liu Kang took notice of one part in particular. The mask that had been attached to the helmet, made from the skull of some poor long-dead fool. A fool with fangs it seemed. Kitana did mention that Shao Kahn had conquered a realm of vampires.
Kitana. He thought about bringing it to her. A sort of gift. A reminder that whatever tribulations they faced in the Netherrealm, Shao Kahn, the one who had ruined her life, was suffering even worse. He had been smited by the Elder Gods themselves after all.
Using Raiden, Liu Kang's killer, as a conduit…
He brushed aside the thoughts of his former mentor. Raiden would be dealt with eventually. Vengeance would be his….theirs to claim. As he picked up the skull, Liu Kang wondered if the sorcery scribed in these books could provide a way to transform Raiden himself into a revenant. Show him what it was like.
Fates worse than death indeed.
Revenge would have to wait, ultimately. There were matters of the present to intend to.
Liu Kang turned to face his fellow revenants.
"Well, enough standing around!" he shouted at them. "Scour the place! Find anything that might be of use to us!"
The three did as ordered, although narrowed eyes and a sneer respectively made it clear that Smoke and Stryker were far from pleased with being ordered about.
They began searching through the acquired literature as well as other objects collected over many years. A few spells looked promising, but nothing really grabbed the group's attention.
At least, not until…
"I may have something here." Smoke announced.
"What is it?" Asked Liu Kang.
"A ritual," Smoke elaborated. "About implanting the soul of a demon into a human vessel."
"Of what use would this practice be to us?" Liu Kang impatiently questioned.
"I am unsure," Smoke admitted. "But something about it...draws me. It almost sounds...familiar."
"Something we can figure out at another time," Liu Kang decided. "There are more promising secrets to be found here. I can feel it."
Smoke's gaze lingered on the book a bit longer, particularly the illustration of the ritual. It felt like looking at something from his own memory. Something buried, perhaps.
Eventually, he responded with a nod and set the book down.
The search continued, Stryker barely even trying while the others were more fervent. To even his own shock, something did catch his apathetic gaze.
A small rag with the American flag emblazoned on it.
As Stryker knelt to pick it up, memories came flooding back to him. Jax had worn two such rags tied around his mechanical arms. One must've fallen off during his one-man assault on the fortress.
The memory of his old friend and of the country he proudly served made it all come back for Stryker. Everything the revenant curse had stripped from. His care. His drive. His will. He recalled the days of his youth, and the oath he swore.
"On my honour, I will do my best to serve God and country, and to uphold the Scout Laws: to help others at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight at all times."
He remembered his father's words about the worth of a man being how he kept to his word when making a promise and swearing an oath. If that was true, then what a sorry state he was in to have become so worthless. And to have failed at upholding the most basic of rules for the American Flag: never allow it touch the ground in the shame of defeat.
"Liu Kang, I've found something!" Announced Kung Lao.
"What is it?" Liu Kang asked.
"I am aware that you wished to tame the demons," Kung Lao acknowledged. "But I believe I have found an alternative."
He presented a particular section of this library of sorcery, pulling one of the books to use as an example.
"These texts refer to an army of mindless, eternally loyal undead warriors that, according to this, 'does not know defeat'," Lao explained. "It says here that this army is in Outworld and has remained dormant since the death of the 'Dragon King', whoever that might be."
"You are certain it does not refer to Shao Kahn?" Smoke asked.
"Yes. The book is quite clear on distinguishing them," Kung Lao answered. "Besides, if that blasted tyrant had such an army, he would have used it."
"It hardly matters. Whoever this 'Dragon King' was, they're long dead now," Liu Kang interjected impatiently. "An undefeatable army sounds promising, but how might we seize control of them?"
"It seems that Quan Chi was looking into that quandary," Kung Lao elaborated. "Based on these notes, it appears that Lor-that Shinnok tasked him with looking into the matter of this army. To gain the knowledge 'before certain events could occur'. I assume it refers to the possibility of a rival acquiring this army for themselves. He apparently discovered some manner of runestones with the aid of an Oni named Drahmin."
"The one Quan Chi killed after Kitana beheaded his fellow as punishment for their failure to retrieve Hanzo Hasashi?" Smoke asked.
"I believe so," Kung Lao responded, attempting to recall the two former servants of their former master. "Apparently, Quan Chi recorded some of the inscriptions onto his own body. That would explain the tattoos."
"It will now fall to us to finish his work," Liu Kang decided. "With this army, our rule over the Netherrealm will be absolute. We may not even need to fear Raiden's little warning. We can pay Earthrealm a visit and deal with those fools who abandoned us. In fact, with an army like that...we can do just about whatever we want."
"No!"
The shock came quickly for Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Smoke. First, a shout from a voice that was typically dull, whenever they heard it at all. Secondly, when a hellfire-infused bullet flew through the air and struck the book in Kung Lao's hand, causing it to begin burning to cinders within seconds. The knowledge of this undefeatable army that would have granted the revenants supremacy was lost in a single instant.
All eyes immediately fell on Stryker, who glared at his fellow undead, smoking pistol held out in front of him.
"I can't…" he seemed to be struggling against...himself? "I can't let you do this!"
"What are you doing, Kurtis?!" Liu Kang yelled at him. "That was our key to victory!"
"What am I doing?" Stryker repeated in a slight daze, before shaking off the confusion and speaking with certainty. "Something I should've done a long time ago."
"Is there a point to your prattling?" Smoke asked mockingly. "Especially since you're doing so much of it now."
"I was just getting to that," Stryker assured. "For the past 26 years I've been something I'm not. We've all been people we're not. But I know you. I know you're better than this. You just need to remember that you're better than this. I have."
"Sanctimonious rambling…" Kung Lao growled. "He sounds like Jade."
"Sound like her? Of course I sound like her! She's the only one of us that had the sense to get themselves together and to stop this madness!" Stryker retorted.
"Stop this? You can't stop this, Kurtis," Liu Kang said with an arrogance his living self would never have possessed. "You can't stop us. We are the rulers of this domain, and we will not tolerate betrayal!"
"Dammit, listen to yourself Liu!" Stryker pleaded. "You're ...you're talking like Shao Kahn!"
All was quiet for a moment as they all processed what Stryker had said in a shock, before Liu Kang screamed in rage and launched a fireball at Stryker, which he ducked under. The fireball collided with a bookshelf behind him, setting it ablaze.
"Those could have been valuable to us!" yelled Smoke, but Liu Kang wasn't listening, a rage unbecoming of a Shaolin monk overtaking him. He marched towards Stryker, fists clenched, ready to unleash his fury upon him.
"Don't you ever compare me to that arrogant despot!" Liu Kang screamed. "Don't you remember what he's done to us! All of us?"
"Oh yeah, I remember," Stryker admitted. "But guess what? I went down fighting for what I believed in. For freedom. The only regret I have...is being turned into this."
Liu Kang threw a punch, but Stryker narrowly managed to block the strike with his arm, kicking him back afterward.
"And maybe I can't stop you," he continued. "But I can sure as hell slow you down. Maybe long enough that you take a second, and look at yourself. Because this isn't you, Liu Kang. This isn't any of you."
Before any of the revenants could reply or make any kind of attack, Stryker turned his gun to the library of sorcery around him, and began firing.
The benefit of these hellspawned weapons of his was that they made moments like this, where a fire would do a lot more damage than a mere bullet, far easier. Within moments, the place was set ablaze. All those dark secrets...lost forever.
"Good." Stryker thought.
The other three had a far...different reaction. It was clear that they wished to attack Stryker after all this, but through the flames, it was hard to see him. Hard to see anything, really.
Stryker himself didn't much care if they attacked. He'd done his job, he'd stopped them from getting their hands on the power to become an even bigger problem. Feeling genuine fulfillment for the first time in over two decades, Stryker just stood still, staring at his "work".
As he stood there, he felt… a warmth. But it wasn't the flames of Liu Kang's fury, or the burning of the sulfuric air in his lungs, it was something from within. It felt like… the warmth of the summer sun in a cool breeze. The warmth of a fireplace in the chill of winter. The warmth of passion from a moment of great pride. It felt like… Life. He could hear his heart beating in his chest for the first time in so very long, an almost foriegn sound he hadn't realised he had forgotten. Stryker closed his eyes, allowing the evil to leave him at long last.
The grey, dead skin of his revenant form began to fall off of his body like flecks of paint. Ash fell from his clothes, brightening their hue. The orange glow in his veins faded away. Finally, he opened his eyes. But they were not the glowing orbs of fury characteristic of a revenant. These were the brown eyes of a good man.
Through sheer force of will, Kurtis Stryker had beaten the corruption. He was a revenant no longer. He was now something far greater….
Human.
This transformation was a surprise to the former NYPD officer to say the least. Alas, his time to stand in awe at his renewed life was cut short. Enraged by this "treachery", Liu Kang charged Stryker head on, tackling him through a window of the now burning fortress.
Just returned to life and already back into the thick of the action. Somehow, Stryker knew it wouldn't be anything less.
But enough about that. Stryker knew he had to focus on not dying again. Meaning that freefall probably wasn't the position he wanted to be in, but here he was.
Blinded by rage, Liu Kang's focus remained squarely on his latest deserter. Punch after punch was thrown, making it difficult for Stryker to start coming up with a plan. He offhandedly wondered if this was what it felt like for that centaur during the invasion when Raiden crashed him through a bridge.
Focus. That was how he was going to get out of this. And then, one desperate, stupid idea popped into his head.
"Hey Liu," he said. "Seeing as you're already dead, mind breaking my fall?"
With that, he punched his now former ally square in the jaw, grabbed him, flipped around in the air, held Liu Kang out in front of him, and prayed to those "Elder Gods" that Raiden had mentioned, leaping out of the window, as shattered glass followed them down to the blackened and burned ground below.
Before he could hit the ground and see if this thing he called a "plan" would work, Stryker felt a sudden gust of wind beneath him. The wind current was strong enough to levitate both himself and Liu Kang. As he felt himself being lowered to the ground, Stryker looked to see who had done this. He remembered fighting a "Wind God" named Fujin during his time as a revenant, perhaps he'd arrived in the Netherrealm for some purpose and decided to help him ou-
And then Stryker realized that his unexpected savior was none other than Kitana, clearly intending more so to save Liu Kang than himself. She was using the aerokinetic magic seemingly tied to her fans in order to greatly slow their descent. Were she her normal self, Stryker would've been grateful for this. With the state she was in now….
Well, this situation just got even trickier….
When their landing was secured, Stryker decided to try and reason with Kitana. Emphasis on try. The fact that both she and Liu Kang were now circling him like wolves didn't instill confidence.
"Kitana, please, listen to me," Stryker pleaded. "I know my sudden resurrection may come as a shock, especially after that tussle with Jade, but know that I want to help you. I want to help all of you. Please, I know there's another way."
"You're only saying that so I won't kill you where you stand," Kitana assumed. "You're just going to abandon us like all the rest."
"I would prefer it if you didn't," Stryker admitted. "But I wasn't lying about wanting to help. If I could beat whatever Shinnok did to us, it is an absolute certainty that you can too. Think of it. You can be the people you used to be."
"You mean weak, foolish, and delusional?!" Kitana retorted. It pained Stryker to see such self-loathing from her.
"No, he means strong, brave, and compassionate. The traits I've always admired in you, Kitana."
Kitana didn't even need to turn around. She instantly recognized Jade's voice. Stryker couldn't help but smile at the sight of his friend and ally. With Sareena and Ashrah standing alongside her, there was no doubt in his mind. The Calvary was here.
"Jade, your timing is impeccable!" Stryker exclaimed.
"Was the fire your attempt creating a signal?" Jade asked.
"No, but I'm glad it worked out that way." Stryker replied.
"You're looking much better than the last time I saw you." Jade complimented.
"Better as in alive?" Stryker asked.
"Enough of this! Shouted Liu Kang. "You will all learn the price of defying us!"
He blasted a fireball at Jade's group, but Sareena countered it with one of her own. The two projectiles collided, creating an explosion which caused all parties to shield their eyes momentarily.
With the resulting smoke partially obscuring the area, Kitana took the opportunity to lunge at Jade and her new allies, both fans at the ready. Already well familiar with her friend's fighting style, Jade was able to evade her slashes. Doing so brought her back to their many sparring matches against one another. When they were friends trying to test each other's skills and not enemies locked in deadly combat.
Things had been so much simpler then.
One strike came dangerously close to hitting her, but Jade was able to stop the fan blades using her staff. Stryker attempted to intervene, only to be grabbed from behind by Liu Kang, spun around, and punched in the face, causing him to stumble backward.
After spitting out a small amount of blood and wiping his chin, Stryker got ready to engage his former.
"I wanna help you, but don't think that means I won't fight back." he told Liu Kang.
Liu Kang scoffed. "As if you could stand up to me. Once, I was a champion, now I am an emperor!"
"Yeah yeah, just put 'em' Sparky!" Stryker replied before raising his own fists.
"Help him," Sareena urged towards Ashrah. "I'm going to try and back up Jade."
Ashrah nodded, leaping into the fray and kicking Liu Kang square in the chest, before knocking him back and brandishing her sword.
"You are a comrade of Jade's?" she asked Stryker.
"You'd be correct ma'am," Stryker confirmed. "Though I suppose now, that's something we have in common."
"I suppose it is," Ashrah agreed. "Now be on your guard. This battle will not be easy."
"It never is." Stryker replied.
Meanwhile, Jade's struggle against Kitana continued. She eventually managed to shove Kitana back using the force of her staff, getting into a defensive stance for what might come with it.
"I don't want to hurt you, Kitana." she said, still hoping to find another way out of this whole ordeal.
"That makes one of us, 'friend'," Kitana responded. "Besides. As far as I'm concerned, you already have."
"I…" Jade could hardly bear any more of this. She just wanted her friend back. "Kitana, please…"
"Begging will get you nowhere…" Kitana suddenly burst into a full sprint, folding her fans to their dagger like form. Jade went to strike her with her staff, but Kitana was able to duck under swing, stabbing towards Jade's lightly armoured stomach to disembowel her. She knew Jade too well, and it seemed that knowledge would be fatal…
Until Sareena intervened by pushing Jade aside and grabbing Kitana's wrists.
"For once Kitana, think about what you're doing," Sareena pleaded. "Can you really kill your own friends? Don't let Shinnok's evil control you!"
"Stop pretending you understand!" Kitana demanded.
"You served an evil man until someone showed you a better way," Sareena said, recounting both her own history and Kitana's. "And you decided you'd rather fight for life and freedom than greed and tyranny… but that choice has been a hard one to live up to."
Trying to block out the words, Kitana head butted Sareena, breaking off their physical struggle.
Although momentarily disoriented, when Sareena looked at Kitana next, a coy smile had appeared on her face.
"Yeah, I don't understand at all." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Kitana responded by throwing her fans at Sareena, making them effectively aerial buzzsaws.
Before the blades could meet their mark however, Jade jumped in the way. She activated a mystical field of green energy around herself that caused the fans to harmlessly fly past. This projectile immunity, limited as it was in duration, had saved her life on more than one occasion. Much as she hated having served under Shao Kahn, Jade was glad that the experience allowed her to pick up so many "magic tricks".
Alas, she knew all too well that Kitana had learned many applications of the mystic arts as well. Kitana guided her fans back into her hands and took on a battle stance, her clear intention to continue with the battle.
"Your friend doesn't give up easily." Sareena observed.
"No," Jade confirmed. "She never has."
That same relentlessness clearly existed in Liu Kang, Stryker, and Ashrah.
The three were locked in battle, Liu Kang and Stryker trading punches, Ashrah occasionally attempting to strike with her blade, although Liu Kang was adept at dodging and blocking her slashes with his gauntlets. The two struck upon the idea of working in coordination, succeeding in overpowering Liu Kang, who would be hit by one of Stryker's punches whenever he dodged one of Ashrah's sword strikes, and be open to attack by her whenever he was disoriented by Stryker's physical blows.
Seeking to get the two off of him, Liu Kang charged his hands with flame and slammed them onto the ground, creating a burst of hellfire that caused both Stryker and Ashrah to back away for their own safety, both wary of what might come next.
Ashrah held her sword at the ready and Stryker kept his fists raised. Noticing that he was going at this unarmed, a question entered the demon's mind.
"Why do you not use your metal box that blasts hellfire?" she asked.
"You mean my gun?" Stryker asked in return. "I'm not trying to hurt him. Underneath all that anger, he's still my friend."
"You would rather save him rather than destroy him," Ashrah concluded. "Very noble indeed. It is clear to me that Jade was not lying when she said you were all pure souls underneath Shinnok's foul magic. It would appear that this one is particularly buried however. I will not harm him severely, but do remember that we must defend ourselves."
"Read you loud and clear," Stryker responded."By the way, you got a name?"
"Ashrah." she told him.
"Kurtis Stryker, at your service." he replied in turn.
"You're both going to be dead very soon!" yelled Liu Kang, getting their attention.
He blasted one fireball at each hand at both of them. Stryker attempted to duck out of the way, but Ashrah stood her ground. Her sword began to glow a bright white, and with incredible precision she slashed at both projectiles, dissipating them instantly with the blade's holy power.
"You're pretty good with that thing." Stryker complimented.
"I've had plenty of time to practice," Ashrah explained. "Demons who seek justice like Sareena and myself make enemies quickly in a place as evil as this."
"Yeah, found the place to be pretty inhospitable even when I was still all grey like him," Stryker agreed. "Unfortunately, skippin' town ain't easy."
"NO ONE leaves here without the permission of the Netherrealm's Emperor!" shouted Liu Kang, before charging the two head on.
To keep him at bay, Ashrah pointed her blade at the deranged revenant. The glow returned, and a blast of bright light shot forth from the weapon, striking Liu Kang and knocking him to the ground.
The two approached Liu Kang, hoping to subdue him until he could be properly reasoned with, until a razor sharp circular object embedded itself on the ground in front of them.
It took Stryker just a moment to recognize Kung Lao's hat. He looked up at the burning fortress, only to look in front of him again when he realized that the hat had started glowing a light blue. Seconds later, it's wearer materialized in front of him and his new ally.
"Oh how things go from better to worse…" Stryker commented as Liu Kang climbed to his feet and stood alongside his cousin.
"Yes, much worse for you," Kung Lao agreed. "Traitor."
"Hey, I'm trying to stop you guys from making a mistake." Stryker argued.
"The only 'mistake' we made was trusting Raiden!" shouted Liu Kang.
"Agreed, and now we are forced to live in this hell, denied even a warrior's death!" Kung Lao continued.
"Don't you get it? We died those deaths, yeah. But we went down swinging!" Stryker recounted. "And after that, that pasty fuck Quan Chi and that bastard Shinnok enslaved us. Them, not Raiden."
"That may be so," Liu Kang admitted. "But they did not lead us into a battle we could not win, or blind us with lofty ideals."
"You mean the same ideals you used to believe in?" Stryker asked. "That I bet you still believe in deep down...but you've lost the will to fight for."
"You had the luxury to die fighting," Kung Lao reminded. "My life was merely ended by that cowardly tyrant."
"Yeah, And now he's dead," Stryker pointed out. "You can't let this hang over you forever."
"Kurtis?" Said Ashrah.
"Yeah?" He asked.
She pointed to the dark cloud hovering around them. Both of them were moments later seemingly grabbed by the cloud and thrown onto the ground.
And then, the cloud took shape.
Smoke.
"I grow weary of all this arguing," spoke the former Lin Kuei. "Time wasted that would be better put to use finishing our enemies."
Noticing her friend and new ally in danger, Sareena immediately rushed over to aid them. She unsheathed her two daggers and attempted to strike at Smoke, But he rendered himself incorporeal to avoid damage, before becoming solid again in order to grab her arm and knee her in the gut. Sareena stumbled back and just barely maintained her footing.
Jade would have attempted to intervene, but remained locked in combat with Kitana. The two were far too evenly matched for any victor to be apparent, a stark contrast to how the others were being overwhelmed.
She hated this. Feeling helpless. Unable to save her friends, both living and revenant.
The two Shaolin revenants were now picking up Ashrah and Stryker to beat them down some more, or possibly kill them. Smoke was still focused on Sareena, hardly a prime situation either.
Even still, despite all the changes in her life...or was it lives, now? Regardless, one constant remained for Jade.
She could not give up. She never would.
Jade figured a diversion might best help the others. Barely managing to get past Kitana's formidable defenses, she knocked her on the head with her staff. While Kitana was momentarily dazed, Jade grabbed her and much as it pained her to do so, held her glaive to her friend's neck.
"F-Finally showing your true colors?" Kitana asked.
"I wouldn't do this if I had any other choice," Jade assured. "I hate to put you in this position. I could never bring myself to kill you Kitana, but I need them to believe that I would."
"Clever…" Kitana admitted, not sure if she believed Jade or not.
Liu Kang took the bait almost immediately, drawing Kung Lao's attention as well. Smoke remained focused on his quarry, but Sareena was doing a fine job holding her own. She had faced a Lin Kuei before, after all.
"Unhand her immediately!" Demanded Liu Kang.
Jade didn't respond, taking a few steps back to distance herself from the revenants.
With her distraction proving effective and knowing a bluff when he saw one, Stryker's first instinct was to aid Sareena. He took two steps before Ashrah's hand grasped his shoulder.
"I have another idea," she told him. "Everyone! When I give the signal, close your eyes and run!"
Jade and Stryker didn't seem sure of what was going on, but were willing to go with it. Sareena on the other hand seemed familiar with the strategy about to be employed.
"Kitana. I will come back for you. For you all," Jade promised. "I swear it."
"NOW!" Shouted Ashrah as she lifted her sword towards the sky. A bright light emanated from it, basking the surrounding area like a miniature sun. The revenants were all blinded by the bright light, while the others did as commanded.
When their vision returned to them, it was clear that Kitana was now free.
And also that the revenants' enemies were nowhere in sight.
"DAMMIT!" Shouted Liu Kang, punching a wall of the burning fortress with enough force to break through the wood, likely hastening the process of its collapse, if only a little.
His next thought of Kitana, who he quickly rushed over to, helping her to her feet after the "light show."
"Are you alright?" He asked, his rage subsiding in favor of concern.
"Yes," she answered. "I am doubtful Jade had any real intention of harming me."
"Why are you giving that traitor the benefit of the doubt?" Liu Kang frustratedly questioned.
"I'm not," Kitana denied. "I'm pointing out a weakness of hers that we can exploit."
"Ah," Liu Kang responded. "Apologies for my assumption."
"Why are you even here?" Asked Smoke. "You were given clear orders."
Kung Lao grabbed Smoke by the shoulder and spun him around.
"Show some respect for your Empress, 'Enenra'." He demanded.
"Fine." Smoke replied.
Insolence aside, it is a valid question," Liu Kang argued, before returning his attention to Kitana. "Why are you here?"
Kitana scoffed. "I was worried. About you."
"O-Oh," Liu Kang managed to stutter out. If blood still flowed through his dead, sorcery-animated veins, he probably would have blushed. "But...what about your mother?"
"Nightwolf and Kabal are watching over her," Kitana explained. "She should be fine. I...I hope."
"Oh!" Liu Kang suddenly recalled, before pulling out the skull from Shao Kahn's helmet. "I thought I would give this to you as a gift, a reminder that whatever we've gone through, at least he's dead, defeated, and gone."
"I…." Kitana wasn't quite sure what to make of the gift, but she took it regardless. "T-Thank you."
"We'll be returning empty handed." Smoke pointed out.
"Yes," agreed Kung Lao. "But at the very least, no one else can use these now lost secrets either."
"Why do I get the feeling that's exactly what Stryker intended….." Liu Kang mused.
He was right, but Stryker was now definitely too far away to tell him that.
He had managed to reunite the others after they'd scattered. The group were now in a cave that would serve as their very temporary hideout while they planned their next move. Sareena had created a fire for the purpose of providing light. After all, heat wasn't exactly difficult to come by in the Netherrealm.
Stryker sat himself down on a rock, tired from the whole ordeal. In a strange way however, he liked being out of breath. It made him feel human.
"So what are you three?" He asked his old comrade and his two new ones. "The Netherrealm's Angels?" He quickly realized that they wouldn't understand Earthrealm cultural references, but the words had already left his mouth.
"We don't have a name," Jade explained, a small hint of frustration on her voice. "We're just us."
"Even still, to be likened to angels is quite the compliment," Ashrah chimed in. "It is much appreciated."
"You certainly look the part, Ashrah," Sareena pointed out. "Why, when we first met I could've sworn she was one."
"Sareena, you flatter me!" Ashrah said with a smile.
"Guessin' you two have known each other for a while," Stryker surmised. "Say... you must be those two ex-Brotherhood folks ol' Baldy was real bent out of shape about." He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. "That piece of shit got so mad whenever you took out his assassins. If that's what happens when you try to quit, I feel bad for anyone who gets fired."
"I see our reputation precedes us." Sareena observed.
"Yes…" Ashrah said, her voice noticeably distant. "I suppose it does…"
Sareena placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The look on her face made it clear she was worried, but also seemed to recognize what this was.
"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Stryker asked. He looked to Jade for answers, but she seemed just as confused.
"Those assassins you mentioned that hunted us for leaving that despicable cult," Ashrah clarified. "Among them...was my sister. That bastard sorcerer knew she had been too well indoctrinated into the Brotherhood's ways. I ended up having to…"
Her voice trailed off, the memory too painful to elaborate any further.
"My God…." Stryker responded, unable to even fathom such an experience. "I...I'm so so sorry, I had no idea."
"It is not your fault," Ashrah assured him. "But it is why the hope both yourself and Jade feel for your friends...worries me. I have had to learn to let someone go in the hardest way possible. I do not want you both to suffer the same way."
"Considering we just met, that's real nice of ya," Stryker said graciously. "But I'm sorry. We just can't give up."
"We know they can be saved," Jade added. "We just have to get them to see it as well."
"And if they will not?" Ashrah asked.
"I…" Jade hadn't even considered the possibility. Or rather, she'd been afraid to. "I don't know. I don't want to think about."
"I for one think your hope is inspiring," Sareena chimed in, trying to lighten everyone's spirit. "After all, hope is what keeps us all going, isn't it? The hope for a better tomorrow."
Ashrah couldn't bring herself to argue. "I suppose you are right, Sareena." She then looked to the others. "You will have our support in your endeavors, just...please, don't let trying to save them destroy you."
"I wish I could promise you anything," Jade said solemnly. "Everything seems so...uncertain."
"Well there's one thing I'm certain of," Stryker decided, standing up. "We've got work to do. What's first on the agenda."
"We've currently been focusing our energies on finding a means to escape the Netherrealm," Sareena explained. "Ashrah and I have wished to do so for many years, but given our battles with Shinnok's minions, we have been unable to acquire a surefire means."
"We believed for some time that once this holy blade had finished purifying my soul, that would be our means of escape," Ashrah elaborated. "However, Jade firmly believes there is another way, and that we must leave this place soon."
"It's the only way we'll really be able to help anything," Jade added. "There's not much we can do here."
"Makes sense," Stryker replied. "We get back home..or, at least back to my home, call up our old friends, and see if they can help us. Plus, being anywhere but here would just be good in general."
The three women nodded in agreement. It was a sentiment they understood well.
"And trust me, you ladies will like Earth," Stryker assured. "It isn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than this place."
"I've been to Earthrealm before, Kurtis." Jade reminded.
"Yeah, but that was during an invasion," Stryker pointed out. "It's much nicer when crazy monsters aren't trying to kill everyone."
"I'm inclined to believe you," Jade decided. "Anyway, the reason we were looking to investigate Quan Chi's fortress was because we were hoping to find some magic that might enable us to leave this horrible place. You and I were both revenants once, yourself a bit longer. I assume you remember that Quan Chi seemed capable of crossing through realms as he pleased."
"Yeah…" Stryker responded, his head dipping at the realization that his effort to prevent the sorcerer's secrets from falling into Liu Kang's hands had come at a detriment to his sane friends. "Sorry about that...I..."
"I know what you were trying to do," Jade cut him off. "Stopping the others from becoming too dangerous was more important. It...it might not have helped anyway."
"We also considered the possibility that we might find a way to reverse the revenant transformation…" Sareena explained. "We hoped so, anyway…"
"Well, you and I are both living proof that there's a way," Stryker told Jade. "We just have to find it. And the first step to finding the answers we need is getting the hell out of this place."
As he said that, he pulled out the American flag-decorated rag. He decided to take a cue from Jax and tie it around his arm. As a reminder. Of home. Of hope.
"You know…." Sareena started to say. "I have friends who remain corrupted to the side of evil. I haven't given up on them either, much as they might have given up on me."
"That's the spirit, Sareena," Stryker complimented. "That's the attitude to have."
She smiled. "I appreciate your encouragement and optimism."
"Truth be told," Ashrah chimed in. "It's only been the two of us for a very long time. We're very grateful to have the both of you joining us in our struggle."
"The pleasure is ours, I assure you," Jade replied. "For the longest time I thought I was entirely alone in this hell, without anyone to help me."
"I experienced the same before meeting Ashrah, it feels awful," Sareena empathized. "At the very least, we've had each other the past few years."
"Well I'm a recent returnee to the land of the living," Stryker interjected. "But even still, I'm glad to have you guys here. No idea how I'd handle all this alone."
"Well that's the benefit of friends, isn't it?" Sareena asked. "That you never have to be alone."
"I hear that," Stryker agreed. "So, what's our game plan going forward?"
"Same as it has been for us," Ashrah explained. "Liberation from this hellish place."
"Kurtis, you remained under Shinnok's service for some time after the rest of us had already left, do you know of any means by which we could escape the Netherrealm?" Jade asked.
Stryker placed a hand on his chin, pondering for a moment. "Most of the time, Shinnok and Quan Chi would handle our getting around. But, I think they had portals and other ways of getting across realms hidden around this place. Trouble is finding' em'."
"Well, we at least know what to look for," Jade said optimistically. "When should we head out?"
"How about right now?" Stryker suggested.
"Let us make haste then." decided Ashrah, getting up and starting to walk out of the cave.
"Always quick to action," Sareena said knowingly, sounding almost irritated but her smile suggesting otherwise. "Let's go, she's not one to wait up."
Stryker was ready to depart, but Jade seemed to linger for a moment.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine," Jade assured. "Just... a lot to think about. And wondering if we can really succeed."
"We'll pull this off," Stryker said confidently. "I'm sure of it."
Jade nodded, the both of them beginning to walk out.
"Kurtis, can I ask you something?" Jade requested.
"Sure, ask away." Stryker replied.
She took a deep breath, before going into her question:
"Even if we save the others… when we save the others… do you think I'll ever be able to see my home again? See Edenia?"
Stryker didn't know much of Jade's home realm. He had heard about it while fighting alongside her and Kitana during the invasion, and learned a bit more during his time as a revenant. From his understanding, it was a very beautiful place that Shao Kahn had conquered and merged with Outworld. Stolen from them, just as the tyrant intended to steal Earthrealm. Much of the mystical aspects of the universe he inhabited flew right over his head, so Stryker wasn't sure if he was even fit to answer Jade's question.
Still...he elected to try:
"Look, I don't know for certain. Magic? Not my forte," he told her honestly. "But… I think you will. You know what you, me, our two new friends all have in common?"
"What?" Jade asked.
"We don't give up," Stryker answered. "Ever. Now c'mon, let's get outta here."
And with that, they were on their way, dutifully determined to save their friends and reclaim all they had lost, but preceding any of that, find a way with which they might at long last be free of the Netherrealm.
Alas, the four were blissfully unaware that they were not the only ones yearning to liberate themselves from the Netherrealm's grasp.
However, he was no spirit of justice like them. No, in fact their only commonality is that he was a creature of duty. Of commitment. Of loyalty.
Once a man, now...something else. He watched over the burning fortress that once belonged to Quan Chi, seeing any chance of learning if the powers of sorcery might deliver him from this hell die with it.
He thought to himself that he should have anticipated them. The Netherrealm was extremely volatile without the singular control that Shinnok and his Brotherhood of Shadow provided. There were now multiple contenders vying for power within this hell of a place.
Power. A worthless commodity, if exercised only for its own sake. He had no desire for power, lest it be utilized to serve the clan he was now stranded from.
The Red Dragon clan.
Once, he had been one of their highest ranking operatives. Respected for his undying fealty to the clan.
Undying was now all too appropriate a word.
His name was Hsu Hao. Never had he been religious, but he found the only appropriate comparison for his current surroundings to be Hell. It was the only logical explanation as well, since he remembered being killed.
A well executed ambush by a man who called himself Scorpion. Even having felled by the maneuver, Hsu Hao could not help but be impressed. He valued good strategy.
Even still, this meant he had failed at apprehending his target, Kenshi. Perhaps feigning the intention to kill the man's son was a tactical error. Threatening loved ones often had one of two effects: forcing a target to surrender themselves or furthering their drive to achieve victory. He believed it had been the latter in regards to Kenshi.
But none of that mattered now. He was dead. And far more curiously, he seemed to have transformed, to have become...something.
Hsu Hao had a passing knowledge on the properties of the Netherrealm. He knew that a soul that entered it could be contorted onto some new form of being, something no longer human.
That had to be the best explanation, if any, for what had happened to him. If what had happened could be rationalized at all. Far as Hsu Hao understood, he was no longer human. He could just feel it. As if some fundamental change had occurred in his very being. Where once he felt life, or at least life propelled by his cybernetic chest implant, he felt… hollow. Empty. He wondered if the sensation was what death felt like, or a result of this...transformation.
Physically, Hsu Hao had changed as well. His skin was deathly pale, the first thing he himself had noticed. His chest implant was now fused to his body on a level not even his original surgery had managed, bone spikes protruding from the skin and keeping it secured in place. As if technology and flesh had blended into...something. A fiery energy burned from within the implant's core at all times, illuminating the shadow of the Red Dragon's insignia, almost a reflection of his lifelong dedication to the clan. Once human eyes were now glowing crimson, conveying a certain rage that Hsu Hao did not truly possess. He was hardly the most emotional individual one way or the other. Atop his head was the hat he wore as a memento of sorts from his time with the Chinese military. It was now partially scorched, not that the damage was of much concern to him.
No, only one concern dominated his mind now. Returning to the Red Dragon, the clan he had so loyally served for decades at this point. It practically defined his existence, as sad a statement as that might be.
The first step in accomplishing his mission was discovering a means to leave the Netherrealm. He was familiar enough with inter-realm travel to know it was possible. He was also knowledgeable of a cult known as the Brotherhood of Shadow that might possess the knowledge he needed. One source of that information, Quan Chi's fortress, had now been destroyed. From what Hsu Hao could gather, the cause had been a skirmish between other parties he was largely unfamiliar with. He knew of the revenants and had clashed with them on multiple occasions, particularly the ex-Black Dragon Kabal. The self-proclaimed rulers of the Netherrealm had demanded his obedience, something he would only give to the Red Dragon. Their arrogance combined with their alignment with a Black Dragon had earned them Hsu Hao's ire. While he was far too professional in nature to hold any personal grudge against the group, he registered them as a threat and hindrance.
At the very least, the fact that the revenants clearly had other enemies could prove advantageous. Hsu Hao decided some time ago that the Netherrealm's power struggles were of no concern to him. A logical tactic would be to simply allow these competing groups to do as they pleased with one another. His allegiance belonged only to the Red Dragon.
Although...the possibility of some manner of alliance had crossed his mind. There might be individuals or groups who could be of help to him. However choices would have to be made carefully. Hsu Hao had no intention of getting involved in some fool's campaign to gain dominion over this hellscape.
As was always the case, from his infiltration of the Special Forces to his pursuit of Kenshi, Hsu Hao's eyes were focused firmly on the mission at hand.
"You there!" came a voice, interrupting his train of thought.
Hsu Hao turned around.
"You don't look like any ordinary demon," said Bi-Han, Moloch and Drahmin following shortly behind him.
"So eh ...boss, want us to see what this guy's made of?" Drahmin asked.
"Patience, Drahmin," Bi-Han commanded. "We will fight this man only if necessary."
"Yes, I would prefer to avoid combat at this juncture," Hsu Hao agreed. "Seeing as battle would be of no benefit to either myself or your little...group."
"That device in your chest, it looks rather advanced," Bi-Han observed. "Are you from Earthrealm?"
Hsu Hao nodded.
"As am I, although as you can see, my life has taken some...unexpected turns." Bi-Han explained.
"I assume there is some point to you approaching me," Hsu Hao said somewhat impatentily. "Or are you simply surprised to see a fellow Earthrealmer here, altered or otherwise?"
"Your presence is somewhat of a surprise yes, but that is not why I am speaking to you," Bi-Han clarified. "I wish to recruit you. I have been assigned a mission by the Elder Gods themselves to stabilize this fractured realm and bring it to heel so that it may no longer pose a threat to the rest of the universe."
"Geez, boss, bit flowery, dontcha think?" Drahmin asked.
"I liked it," Moloch chimed in. "He made it all sound so...grandy...gran-dee…"
"Grandiose," Drahmin corrected, before leaning over to Bi-Han. "Big lug ain't much for brains, but you gotta love im'."
Bi-Han did not respond, and Hsu Hao had clearly elected to ignore both Oni.
"And you assume this goal would be of interest to me, why exactly?" Hsu Hao asked. "I have given no indication that such matters concern me."
"Perhaps not," Bi-Han admitted. "But I would imagine you do not wish to remain in the Netherrealm."
"I do not," Hsu Hao acknowledged. "I simply desire to return to my clan and report the failure of my mission."
"Clan?" Bi-Han asked.
"The Red Dragon." Hsu Hao clarified.
"Ah...I have heard of your clan," Bi-Han recalled. "Nothing good, frankly."
"I assume you find our methods immoral," Hsu Hao surmised. "Most do, though I did not think such things would be of concern to a Lin Kuei."
"You recognize my garb?" Bi-Han asked, genuinely surprised.
"I prefer to ensure that I am knowledgeable to at least some degree of all potential threats to the Red Dragon," Hsu Hao explained. "Your clan is one such example."
"I see…" Bi-Han responded. "Well, if you cannot be swayed by a noble cause, perhaps the promise of retribution? Surely you would wish to bring an end to whoever it was that sent you to this place."
"Revenge. The most worthless of causes." Hsu Hao said dryly.
"I would argue it has some value," Bi-Han countered. "However, I do respect your ability to disregard such temptations. But I digress, it seems there is nothing I can say that might stir you."
"Unless you can promise my leaving of this realm without any additional stipulations once I am returned to Earthrealm, yes, that would be rather doubtful." Hsu Hao responded.
"I have yet to discover an exact method of inter-realm travel to suit my purposes," Bi-Han admitted. "So it would appear we cannot help each other. Nonetheless, I appreciate your non-confrontational approach to this exchange. As such, I will leave you be."
"Aww, we ain't gonna rough im' up just a little?" asked Moloch.
"No," Bi-Han answered decisively. "There is much work to be done, and very little time to be wasted on pointless bouts." He returned his attention to the Red Dragon. "I bid you farewell…"
"Hsu Hao," he answered when it had clearly occurred to Bi-Han that they had not exchanged names. "And you?"
"I have been known by many names. Sub-Zero, Noob Saibot," Bi-Han started to say, before stopping to think for a moment. "But I suppose now, I am merely Bi-Han."
The name sounded somewhat familiar to Hsu Hao, probably a dossier he'd read on the Lin Kuei's most formidable members. Though clearly this one was no active threat to the Red Dragon if he had ended up here.
But by that same token, Hsu Hao himself was no active help to the Red Dragon if he was trapped in the Netherrealm. This predicament would need to be solved, and soon.
It was then that Hsu Hao recalled seeing another Brotherhood of Shadow temple not too far from where he was now. He had no intention of associating with the cult, but perhaps their knowledge of the Netherrealm's dark magics could provide him with what he needed.
So he began the trek, determined to acquire a means out of this Hell by any means necessary. Conflict was highly probable, such was the nature of fanatics. A one-man assault was hardly the most intelligent strategy, but Hsu Hao needed not wage war with the Brotherhood of Shadow, only retrieve what he needed.
It would not be easy, but he fully understood the risks. In truth, Hsu Hao was not too different from the revenants, or the redemptive demons, or the resurrected humans that fought alongside them, nor Bi-Han and his Oni compatriots.
They all felt themselves restricted, trapped by this place. They thought of the Netherrealm the same way Shinnok had thought of it millennia ago. It was no domain to be ruled, no home, there was only one thing that this place could truly be considered:
A prison.