The aid of the Shirai Ryu had been secured, but Raiden's work was far from over. There were still preparations to be made, before he could finally achieve his duty of safeguarding Earthrealm...by any means necessary.

As such, Raiden had returned to Orderrealm to consult with Hotaru on these matters. He materialized in his usual show stopping manner: a flash of crimson lightning, and he was there. Eyes were on him instantly as the heads of Seidan Guardsmen swiveled to get a good look at the recently arrived Thunder God.

The room itself was simplistic in nature. The walls were smooth and sparsely decorated, silvery grey like the armor of the dozens of men and women in the room who proudly served the Seidan Guard.

"Where is Hotaru!" Raiden said in what sounded more like a demand than a question. "I must speak with him."

"You cannot simply arrive and be seen immediately!" Said one of the Guardsmen, genuinely offended at Raiden's audacity. "You must schedule a proper meeting!"

"It is urgent that I—"

"Lord Raiden, please," interrupted another Guardsman. The others glared at him. "I apologize for disordering your conversation, I merely wished to offer to bring you the proper forms for scheduling—"

"I HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS!" Raiden boomed, silencing the man instantly. "I will speak to Hotaru immediately. It concerns the fate of the realms."

"Raiden?"

The Thunder God turned to see Hotaru emerging from the nearest corridor.

"I heard your voice," Hotaru continued. "It sounded...urgent."

"The very nature of what we do is urgent," Raiden reminded. "A protector must never allow themselves to view their duty as anything other than of the utmost importance and urgency. A single moment of time wasted can mark the difference between life...and death."

"Of course, I understand completely," Hotaru responded. He had a feeling the last part was Raiden speaking from experience… experiences not far different from his own. "Come, right this way. In matters as pressing as these, there is always much to discuss."

Raiden nodded, and followed.

"For someone who preaches of order, he just barged in like some filthy Chaosrealmer." One of the Guards said disdainfully once he was gone.

"Watch your tongue," warned another. "Hotaru had decreed him our greatest ally in the war against Chaos."

"In that case," the other replied. "I hope he has chosen his ally carefully."

Hotaru and Raiden made their way to the former's office.

"Apologies for the way my soldiers behaved," Hotaru said as he sat down. "They are normally far more disciplined than this. However, it seems that the… dare I say, somewhat chaotic nature of your entrance seemed to raise their ire."

"I am the protector of Earthrealm," Raiden reminded. "I do not have time to be wasted on tedious particulars and pedantic foolishness."

"Well Lord Raiden, what you call 'tedious' and 'pedantic', we call proper procedure," Hotaru explained. "Ordinarily, it is to be followed to the letter. No deviations. But… given the nature of our work, I am willing to make an exception. They say it is better to bend than to break. Once this meeting has concluded, I will make it known that you are to be given my immediate attention and with the utmost haste."

"I would hope that you do, Hotaru," Raiden responded. "It is paramount that we use all the time we have if we are to bring Order to the realms."

"Speaking of which, how are things in Earthrealm?" Hotaru asked. "Were you able to sway this 'Shirai Ryu' to our cause?"

Raiden nodded. "Hanzo Hasashi has agreed to lend his clan's aid, as has...another party and their own clan."

"Excellent," said Hotaru. "It would please you to know that I have also been working on securing an ally for our grand crusade."

A man with brown and green robes adorned with bronze armored pieces entered the room.

"I took your advice to heart," Hotaru explained as he got up and stood next to the man. "Lord Raiden, meet-"

"Dairou," Raiden recalled. "I am familiar. You were once a member of the Seidan Guard yourself, yes?"

Dairou nodded. "Until my family was murdered… and I was imprisoned for enacting my vengeance upon their killer."

"Dairou, we have already discussed this," recalled Hotaru. "I am truly sorry for your imprisonment, but I must enforce Seido's laws above all else."

"Save it," Dairou responded rudely. "The past isn't what's important right now." He turned his attention to Raiden. "Hotaru brought to my attention your quest to bring Order to the realms. In spite of all that has happened in my life, I still believe in Order, and would wish to join you."

"I know your kind, mercenary," Raiden said disdainfully. "Faith in our cause will not be enough to secure your loyalty."

"Hotaru has already agreed to pay a considerable sum for my aid," Dairou explained. "You have my word that I am at your service."

"Your word is worth little to me," Raiden stated. "Do you trust him, Hotaru?" he asked the Guard leader.

"I do." Hotaru responded.

"Very well then," Raiden decided. "Welcome aboard, Dairou."

"Thank you, Lord Raiden." Dairou said graciously, extending his hand.

The awkward silence and time spent at the mercy of Raiden's gaze made it clear to Dairou that Raiden was not exactly one for pleasantries.

"Now then," Hotaru said in an effort to move things along. "Down to business."

"Does your mercenary need to be present for this?" Raiden asked.

"With all due respect Lord Raiden," began Dairou, having already picked up on the Thunder God's irritability. "I like to know what I'm dealing with and what our plan is."

Raiden sneered, but decided against pressing the issue. "Very well."

"I must be honest with you, I have some concerns about routing the Seidan Guard's attention to focus on other realms," Hotaru admitted. "While I understand that Outworld and the Netherrealm have plagued the universe for ages, there is still Chaosrealm to consider. Furthermore, we still struggle with… internal threats."

"Chaosrealm is but a minor nuisance now that Havik and his blood sorcery have been dealt with," argued Raiden. "I am however familiar with internal threats. Earthrealm has long struggled against the Red Dragon clan, and its offshoot, the Black Dragon. Thankfully, with my aid, the Special Forces have come closer to eliminating both."

"Well, Darrius's resistance has proven to not be so easily toppled," Hotaru countered. "And if I were to redirect my forces to other realms as you suggest, Seido would be left practically defenseless against those terrorists."

"I understand your concerns, Hotaru," Raiden assured. "It is why I have secured other allies for our cause. Furthermore, I believe the Netherrealm's state of disarray will prove advantageous to us."

"A Hell without its devil?" Dairou asked, somewhat familiar with the state of the place.

Raiden nodded. "It is directionless. The biggest challenge we shall face there is… my former comrades..."

At the mere thought of his lost comrades, Raiden's face became sullen and distant. His own failure was clearly still weighing on his mind.

"Err...Lord Raiden?" asked Hotaru.

Raiden was snapped out of his trance a few seconds later. "Yes?"

"Regarding these… 'revenants'," Hotaru clarified. "What would you have us do with them?"

"I once believed they could be saved," Raiden explained. "That hope seemed to die with Quan Chi… but upon reconsideration, it is possible that they may still yet be restored. If they cannot… I will grant them peace. It is the least I can do to honor their sacrifices."

"Understood," Hotaru acknowledged. "I will have my men informed to avoid killing them if at all possible. Are there any other parties within the Netherrealm that we should take into consideration?"

"The Brotherhood of Shadow still clings to life," Raiden informed. "They are the last respite of Shinnok's regime. They will need to be wiped out. His evil cannot be allowed to linger in any capacity."

"You seem to have quite the history with Shinnok," Dairou observed. "I gather he has cost you a great deal."

"He has caused much suffering and bred much chaos throughout the realms," Hotaru clarified. "Raiden's Earthrealm has been a particular fixation of the former Elder God."

"I have fought Shinnok for centuries, each new battle taking a tremendous toll on Earthrealm," Raiden further explained. "Now that he is vanquished, I wish to bring finality to our conflict."

"I know a thing or two about vengeance," Dairou pointed out. "This all seems very… personal."

"My motives are none of your concern, mercenary," Raiden angrily responded. "I suggest that you remember your place."

Dairou glared at Hotaru. "I was told I would not be treated as one of your Guardsmen, or as a common thug."

"Lord Raiden, if you could please exercise greater...discretion?" Hotaru urged.

"I have little patience for prying," Raiden clarified. "I would hope that your mercenary is aware of that now."

"Very well then, let's stick to business," Dairou decided. "What's your plan for the Netherrealm?"

"There remains only one Brotherhood of Shadow temple that is still densely populated," Raiden explained. "They are the bulk of the cult's remnants. Once we have destroyed that temple and the fanatics within it, their threat will be at an end. After that, we should focus our efforts on Outworld."

"What of the revenants?" Hotaru asked. "They are the other major power within the Netherrealm, are they not?"

"I…" Raiden started to say, becoming caught up in thought. "I will share my plans on how to deal with them at a later date. For the past year, they have been wise enough to heed my warning. With luck, things shall remain that way until after we have dealt with the greater matter of Outworld."

"Another tumultuous and chaotic realm," Hotaru recalled. "I believe I may know how we can get started."

"Elaborate." Raiden ordered.

"The Seidan Guard occupies a city in Outworld named Lei Chen," Hotaru explained. "It was acquired many years ago in an exchange made with its overlord: the city be given over to us in exchange for defense against an oncoming siege by Shao Kahn's Tarkatan hordes. Unfortunately, we had to imprison Zeffeero and strip him of his title for failing to remember his agreement. Nonetheless, our hold over the city has lasted past Shao Kahn's reign and into the current era. Due to Outworld's civil war, our occupying force was largely undisturbed. Kotal Kahn seems to show no interest in reclaiming Lei Chen despite his protestations of Outworld being 'stronger united'. I believe that the city would make an excellent staging ground for our operations within Outworld."

"An excellent strategy, Hotaru," Raiden complimented. "We will use what leverage your Guard already possesses in Outworld to amass our forces until we are capable of seizing control of Outworld from Kotal Kahn."

"Wait, you want to conquer Outworld?" Dairou asked, genuinely baffled to hear a "protector" talk like this.

"I am no conqueror, I merely wish to remove a threat to both Earthrealm and all the realms," Raiden argued. "Kotal Kahn is one such threat. He violated his treaty with Earthrealm and attempted to gain Shinnok's favor during my old enemy's last stand. For these actions, he will be severely punished."

"And what will become of Outworld after Kotal Kahn is removed?" questioned Hotaru.

"Some of our forces will need to remain there in order to prevent another tyrant from rising to power," Raiden explained. "Otherwise, how Outworld choses to govern itself once Kotal Kahn has paid for his crimes is of no concern to me, so long as it never again poses a threat to Earthrealm or any realm."

"Perhaps my people could work towards...re-educating the Outworld populous," Hotaru suggested. "Teach them a more ordered means of governance."

"Do what you must," was all Raiden said in response to the idea. "So long as Outworld is kept in line."

Hotaru nodded. "Excellent. Thank you Lord Raiden, for this opportunity to restore Order to such a chaotic realm."

"Do not thank me prematurely," warned Raiden. "The work is still to be done."

"Of course," Hotaru acknowledged. "I will begin making preparations immediately."

"See that you do," Raiden instructed. "I must inform our other allies of our strategy."

"Of course," Hotaru replied. "Were the members of our coalition not all privy to the same information, chaos would reign."

Raiden merely nodded. Afterward, he raised his arm and disappeared in a bright flash of red lightning, causing both Hotaru and Dairou to shield their eyes.

"How does he do that?" asked Dairou once he looked to see that no physical damage had been caused by the strike of lightning.

"Power of the gods, old friend," Hotaru told him. "Power of the gods."

"Right…" Dairou responded. "If you have no immediate need of me, may I take my leave?"

"Aye, you may," Hotaru confirmed. "However, once you are needed, you will respond to my summons with haste."

"Of course." Dairou acknowledged, before exiting the room.

Once he was out of Hotaru's line of sight, Dairou moved much more cautiously. Hotaru trusted him because they were once comrades. The vast majority of the Seidan Guard had no such familiarity, and viewed him as a mere criminal that happened to be an asset at this moment in time. Dairou was acutely aware of this. Their suspicious looks said it all.

Dairou wanted to be out of the Seidan Guard compound as quickly as possible. Which of course, wasn't quick at all with the rigorous process of signing himself out before being allowed to leave. Never in all his years did Dairou think he would grow to hate a pen.

Once out in the open, Dairou's sense of caution only heightened. He made an effort to be as discreet as possible, before sliding into the most dimly lit alley he could find.

As he expected, it didn't take long for another man to appear. He was dressed in black and orange attire and wore sunglasses. However, this was not the Seidan Resistance leader Darrius himself, rather a simple messenger.

"Darrius requires an update on your progress," the messenger told Dairou. "We're paying you a considerable sum to rid Seido of that oppressor Hotaru."

"I don't need you to spout your manifesto at me," Dairou said annoyedly. "All that matters is that I get paid. Anyway, I have earned Hotaru's trust and have knowledge of his plans. He and Raiden are attempting to corral Outworld and the Netherrealm. Raiden has encouraged him to de-prioritize Chaosrealm, and doesn't seem to care for the Resistance either."

"Perhaps we can use this to our advantage," mused the messenger. "I must inform Darrius of these developments as soon as possible."

"Then you'd better get going." Dairou pointed out.

"I intend to," the messenger assured. "But I require your confirmation that you can get the job done."

"I can do it. But I'll need to get Hotaru alone, where I can kill him without running into the Seidan Guard, or worse, Raiden," Dairou explained. "I just need more time. You hired me at the beginning of something big. Things are going to be… complicated."

"Time is a luxury we can only afford in limited amount," argued the messenger. "However, if what you say is true about Hotaru and Raiden's focus on external affairs, we may have time on our side after all."

"I don't care, I'm just looking to get this job done and be on my way." Dairou reminded him.

"Fine, fine," the messenger replied. "But I'll be keeping in touch."

With that, the messenger left to rendezvous with his leader. Things were about to change throughout the realms, and Darrius was not unaware of this.

In fact, the Resistance leader was so acutely aware of the oncoming change that he was prepared to make a very risky maneuver to ensure the survival of his movement…

Dairou's update would have to wait, for Darrius was not at the Resistance's base. In fact, he was no longer in Seido at all. He had taken a very perilous journey to Orderrealm's polar opposite…

Chaosrealm.

Order and Chaos were natural opposites, and their realms were no different. The threat Chaosrealm posed to his home realm was one of the very few things Darrius agreed with Hotaru on. Still, these were desperate times. Hotaru was acquiring allies. Earthrealm's protector Raiden and all those who stood by him. Allies that threatened to be the death of the resistance movement Darrius had worked so hard to build over so many years. The revolution against Orderrealm's senate he dreamed of was at risk of never coming to pass.

Darrius could not allow this. He had made a vow many years ago that he would see his cause brought fruition at any cost. That cost had meant many unsavory acts in the past. Manipulation, extorton, murder, assassination. Devoted as he was to deliver freedom from a government he saw as corrupt, Darrius in part understood why some called him a terrorist.

But none of that mattered now. If the Seidan Resistance was to survive, alliances would need to be made. And as Darrius thought on the matter, he realized that his bitter enemies, the Seidan Guard, had only one enemy beside himself that was a direct enough threat to be exactly the kind of ally he needed: That enemy was Chaosrealm.

Truth be told, Darrius hadn't expected this to work. The last non-hostile encounter between Orderrealm and Chaosrealm had occurred millennia ago. Were it not for Orderrealm's rigid system of historical documentation, there might not ever be record of such a thing. So when he reached out to this strange realm, he anticipated any offers of an alliance to be rejected. Until a party from Chaosrealm that declined to identify themselves reached out. They wanted a meeting. On their home turf.

The possibility of a trap had occurred to Darrius. However, he realized that a trap implied strategy. Strategies were something that was ordered, to an extent. Definitely not the style of a Chaosrealmer. But the possibility couldn't be ruled entirely either… so ultimately, Darrius had no idea what to expect.

And he had a feeling that this new potential ally reveled in that fact.

Uncertainty was something that was almost unnatural for an Orderrealmer. They were always a people of strong beliefs, very sure of what things were and weren't. But even if it was "unnatural", uncertainty was all Darrius could feel as he walked through the terrain of Chaosrealm.

The land was practically barren. Any vegetation looked like it'd be planted onto the landscape at complete random. Streams of water flowed freely, and in the far off distance, Darrius could see rocks suspended in the air floating in a manner which defied explanation. This place was an affront to all logic, and the vague instructions provided by the mysterious Chaosrealmer weren't helping either. Although, he supposed a conscious effort to make this situation as strange and unconventional as possible is exactly what a Chaosrealmer might do.

Eventually, Darrius came across where he assumed he was supposed to be. A jagged, asymmetrical temple that looked like it'd been assembled from the most intact portions of several demolished buildings.

Darrius looked at the piece of paper he'd been holding. A "map". It was more like an arrangement of random lines, crude drawings, and nigh-illegible handwriting. Strangely, it had proven roughly accurate to the layout of the terrain during his journey. Darrius recalled some saying about a method within madness. He shook his head and crumpled the piece of paper, before stepping inside.

The temple had no door. Or so he thought, before he noticed one laying on the ground just next to the doorway, as if it had been intended to be installed but never was. There were no lights, only what shone through the holes in the ceiling and the broken windows. Darrius continued walking, cautious, until he came across a staircase that had definitely seen better days. In spite of the wood breaking beneath his feet every other step, and the railing falling right off about halfway up, Darrius climbed the staircase and stepped into a room.

There was a chair with its back cut off, and two tables. In any conventional situation, it'd be the reverse. But nothing about this realm was "conventional".

Sat on one of the tables was a man sat in shadow.

"Are you the one I was supposed to meet?" Darrius asked.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," the man answered cryptically. "Nothing is set in stone, nothing is bound."

It was like he spoke in riddles. Darrius shook his head. "I'm here to speak to you about the alliance I proposed."

"Come in, or don't," the man said half-invitingly. "Commitments order our lives. Do not allow yourself to be bound by their tyranny."

Darrius decided against responding to him and merely walked in and sat down.

"Finding you wasn't easy," Darrius pointed out. "Whoever you are."

"Nothing is ever easy, nor is anything ever difficult," the man argued. "As for my identity, it would seem you have a more chaotic mind than you would care to admit, Darrius, to have forgotten me. I understand of course, you Orderrealmers are always so busy, hardly any room for it all."

"You're acting like I should know you," Darrius said irritatedly. "But I've never made dealings with Chaosrealmers before."

"Perhaps you should know me, perhaps you shouldn't." the man said as he lurched forward, coming into the light.

There was no mistaking it.

The Cleric of Chaos himself.

"Havik?!" Darrius exclaimed. "But that's impossible!"

"There is no 'impossible'," Havik told him, his skinless jaw conveying a permanent grin. "Chaos does not allow for 'impossible'."

"No offense Havik, but I'm the kind of person who likes to stay pretty informed," Darrius explained, forcing his panic and instinctive fear to give way to composure. "Last I knew, you were dead."

"Dead? Or just… resting?" Havik asked if he already knew the answer, although no one else did. "Perhaps it was only your perception, as well as that of Quan Chi. I had intended to pay him back, but as a Cleric of Chaos I should have known there was no certainty that I would be able to."

"How are you even alive?" Darrius asked.

"Must Orderrealms ask so many questions?" Havik asked in return. "Are you unable to fathom an event occurring without purpose or explanation?"

"I don't believe in 'miracles'," Darrius responded. "I believe in what people can accomplish if they dedicate themselves to a goal. And really, that's why I'm here, Havik."

"Fear. A wonderful tool of Chaos," Havik said as if he were starting on a completely different topic. "It makes people act so… irrationally."

"Fear?" Darrius asked. "You think I'm afraid of something, is that it?"

"Perhaps I am wrong, but you seem to seek to preserve your movement," Havik elaborated. "A movement now in jeopardy because of my old friends, Hotaru and Raiden."

"I'm impressed," Darrius admitted. "You got that pretty much about right."

"Every once in a while my words are able to connect with an ordered mind like yours," Havik replied. "It is not constant, of course. Chaos is the only true constant."

"Quite frankly Havik, I'm not one of your clergy, so I'd appreciate that we get down to business," Darrius said in an effort to get the conversation back on track. "Hotaru's alliance with Raiden is bad news for the both of us. It complicates matters for my war in Seido, and-"

"War is inherently chaotic," Havik interjected. "Things are always changing. Been a while since I've seen a good war. Perhaps that'll change. Ah, but perhaps it won't."

"Look, here's the deal Havik," Darrius said as he assumed a more casual demeanor, remembering that Chaosrealmers weren't big on formality. "You and I are more alike than you think."

"Bah! Presuming what I think, how very like you Orderrealmers," Havik responded spitefully before almost immediately changing his demeanor. "But please, do elaborate."

"At the end of the day, we both want the corrupt, oppressive farce of Seido as it stands to be torn apart," Darrius explained. "The difference is that once we're done, I intend to rearrange the pieces into something better, while you… just want to burn everything down. That's a difference I'm willing to address when the time comes, but for now, neither of us is getting what we want unless we work together."

Darrius reached out his hand. "Deal?"

"A Cleric of Chaos does not make deals!" Havik shouted. "Deals are binding! However, I may come to your aid following this meeting. Or I may not. It is whatever Chaos ordains."

"Is that a yes?" Darrius asked.

"Only if you wish to perceive it as such, " Havik replied. "I cannot decide what you choose to believe."

Darrius sighed. "I'll be keeping in touch with you."

Havik nodded, and then shook his head.

Darrius had given up trying to understand him. He simply turned, left, and hoped this wasn't all a waste of time.

If he had succeeded, then Havik would prove a valuable asset And a potentially dangerous one.

The absurdity of it all was not lost on Darrius.

A union of Order and Chaos.

What could happen next?