The Special Forces boasted some of the most advanced technology in the world, perhaps in all the realms. The technical expertise of its members was rivaled by only a few. Even a simple infantry soldier had an understanding of this technology that would be impressive to most.
But magic? Magic was not something they had ever fully understood.
Magic could be valuable. And dangerous. In the end however it was beyond their depth. Even Johnny and Cassie's powers were not something they could explain via any scientific means. They had an understanding of the energy's properties, but no origin for it, other than that the two had descended from previous wielders of the green energy. Raiden had confirmed as much. A group of warriors who harnessed the energy to fight against the forces of Outworld in Mortal Kombat. The magic itself had originated from Edenia, the home of some of their departed friends that Shao Kahn had stolen over ten thousand years ago.
So much history. So much about their own universe they didn't even know about. So much lost, only to be found again. It'd be fascinating if anyone had the time to sit down and learn it all.
They almost never had the time. Always something happening, and every once in a while, a new discovery on top of that.
Far as they could tell, there was nothing to explain Mokap's powers or why they manifested when they did. The team analyzing the man was able to determine what his powers were, energy projection and telekinesis namely. Energy readings were similar to Johnny and Cassie's green energy, and the psychic waves gave similar readings to those of Takeda, the less adept of the Takahashis with psychic ability.
Mokap was now in the middle of going through rigorous tests of his powers, being put through scenarios via combat drones and automated turrets that fired rubber bullets. Behind the glass separating the observation room from what was normally a training area, stood Sonya and Johnny.
"Ol' Mo knows his stuff," Johnny complimented as he saw his friend successfully put his abilities to use, from energy-charged fists to well-timed implementations of his telekinesis.
"You did say he was one of the guys who trained you to fight, right?" Sonya asked.
"Yeah, that's how we met, Mokap and I," Johnny explained. "Look I know I make cheesy action movies, but I always thought that if I was gonna commit to it, the action was gonna be damn good. Plus, it makes for good self defense training."
"I offered to teach you to shoot." Sonya reminded him.
"Woah now, I don't do guns, ok," Johnny replied. "Just not my style. Besides, I don't like the idea of killing anybody."
"I wish I could live in that world where we have a choice, Johnny," Sonya said solemnly. "I really do."
"Hey, don't get all dour and depressing on me," Johnny insisted. "I'll let you punch me in the face if it'll cheer you up! Tremor already ruined my sunglasses anyway. Remind me to bill that guy five hundred bucks when we finally catch him."
Sonya couldn't help but laugh. Johnny had his own way of bettering her mood. Perhaps it was due to the fact that despite his vain exterior, he was an extremely optimistic person, something he clearly passed on to Cassie. Always a bright side with Johnny, no matter how small. Far removed from the grizzly reality Sonya felt like she inhabited each and every day. She wouldn't admit it, but she knew he was right, that she needed a break from it all. But in Sonya's mind, the mission came first, especially one as important as the defense of the entire world. Maybe one day she could afford to take a break. Today wasn't that day, and tomorrow wouldn't be, and neither would the day after that.
Johnny feared she was going to work herself to death, perhaps literally with the kind of characters she tangled with on a regular basis. At least Kano was behind bars and Shao Kahn and Shinnok were gone, to say nothing of the other monsters.
Monsters that until earlier this very day, Mokap had only heard of secondhand. He knew what they were capable of. He had lived through Shao Kahn's invasion and Shinnok's after that. But he'd never experienced it up close. Not until now. Mokap honestly found it surprising that he had mustered the courage to join the fight. After all, what did he know about laser-eyed terrorists and rock men? But he simply couldn't stay away, couldn't bear to stand idly by.
He chuckled to himself. It was almost like he was some kind of superhero. Like a movie. And just his luck, he was an actor. He figured Johnny must've felt the same way when he beat "Tommy Scissorfists", as his friend had called him. Mokap had seen many of them during the invasion. Strange-looking, but he considered them more attractive than his sister's new husband.
Ah, but enough about the personal stuff. Today was all about the weird powers he had suddenly developed. Moving objects with his mind, shooting white fireballs from his hands! It was crazy, even more so than the plot of one of Johnny's films. Ok, maybe the one he co-wrote with Cassie when she was eight was still crazier, but this was definitely up there!
It occurred to Mokap that maybe there was no explanation. Maybe it was just some kind of miracle, or even a blessing. He then dismissed the idea. He wasn't some kind of chosen one. Somebody who got lucky, sure, but no great warrior.
Eventually the tests came to an end, and a voice over a loudspeaker informed Mokap that he could leave the room.
He obliged, walking out of a door on the side to see Johnny, Sonya, and a woman he knew only by her codename "Gemini". She was the Special Forces' Communications and Intelligence expert, and an old friend of Jax and Sonya. She had taken an interest in studying the field of magic after Jax returned from a mission two years before the Special Forces became knowledgeable of the existence of the Mortal Kombat tournament with a mystical artifact Kano and his lieutenants had attempted to use for their own purposes.
"Were you able to learn anything?" Sonya asked.
"Not much," Gemini reported. "While the readings are similar to the green energy, Mokap appears to have a greater control over this white energy, given his ability to concentrate it into projectiles and localize it to specific parts of his body, whereas Johnny and Cassie manifest their energy powers across the entire body."
"Well shit, you can do your magic better than I can mine," Johnny complimented. "You sure you didn't know you could do this before?"
"I told you, it just happened, Johnny. Right then and there," Mokap explained. "You and Cassie both saw it."
"So, you don't know anything about your own abilities?' asked Gemini.
"With all due respect ma'am, I'm just an actor," Mokap replied. "Even if I did know I had these powers before now, there's no way I'd know what their whole deal was."
"Maybe Raiden knows something," Sonya suggested. "He was able to trace Johnny and Cassie's powers back to their roots."
"And explain how it works better," Johnny recalled. "Did you know that when me and Cass use that stuff, we're like directly hitting the other guy's soul or something? He just told me that the other week. Real freaky stuff."
"You really think he'll help?" Mokap asked. "Didn't seem too friendly when I saw him."
"Raiden's… been at this for a long time," Sonya explained. "Centuries, even. He's been through a lot." she sighed. "We all have…"
"Sonya's right, but ever since that Shinnok business, I gotta admit, dude's been acting weird," observed Johnny. "He acts like a dark and gritty reboot of himself."
"He wasn't always like that?" Mokap questioned.
"He used to be more...measured." Sonya admitted.
"Yeah, and he didn't have glowing red eyes," Johnny pointed out. "And spiky black armor."
"It's been... strange… but I trust him," Sonya said with a noticeable wavering in her confidence. "He's gotten us this far, hasn't he?"
"Not all of us." Johnny replied quietly.
Sonya scoffed. "Don't. Don't you bring them into this. You don't get to use their sacrifices just to make a point."
"I…" Johnny stammered. "Sonya, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Umm.. if it's no trouble my asking," Mokap chimed in. "Who are we talking about?"
"Mo, buddy, the things we do, it's not all fun and games," Johnny explained. "We've lost people, man. Good people."
"And then Shinnok picked up their corpses and made 'em his damn slaves." Sonya added spitefully.
"Woah…..you mean, like zombies?" Mokap asked.
"Worse," Sonya answered. "Zombies that can think. Zombies that look like your friends but act like your worst enemies, that tell you to your face how much they want to kill you in the voices of the friends you've lost."
"Easy Sonya, easy," Johnny urged. "Getting real dark there."
"That's what the world is like sometimes, Johnny," Sonya replied back coldly. "Try living in it sometime." She immediately reconsidered her words. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just..."
"I know," Johnny stopped her. "I miss them too."
"Guys, I really didn't know about all that…" Mokap said honestly. "I'm sorry about your friends… It sounds horrible. If.. if there's anything I can do, anyway I can help, I'll do it."
"You don't have to." Johnny pointed out.
"No, but I want to," Mokap retorted. "And I don't give a damn if I look ridiculous because I forgot to change again, I'm being serious."
"If you really want to help," offered Sonya. "Take those new powers of yours and use them. You can help us in our fights, or just take down anyone looking to wrong and exploit the innocent."
"Sorta like being a superhero." Mokap surmised.
"That's one way to look at it." Sonya replied, neither confirming nor falsifying his statement. Sometimes her life did feel like one of the comic books she used to read as a kid.
"I like to think of myself as an action hero," Johnny chimed in. "But then, that's probably the old Cage Ego talking."
"He's become self-aware." Mokap pointed out, snickering.
"Truly these are strange and bizzare times." Sonya responded, both Johnny's friend and his ex-but-hopefully-soon-to-be-again wife shared a laugh. A good break in the tension, and they both certainly needed one. Johnny couldn't help but chuckle himself, mostly just glad to see Sonya's mood improving and Mokap getting a break from all the heavy info.
"Apologies for the interruption," Gemini chimed in. "But I can send you the full report on our analysis, General Blade."
"You do that Gem," Sonya confirmed. "And please, no need to be so formal. We've been friends for a while."
Gemini looked over at Johnny and grinned. "Whatever you're doing to get her to lighten up for once, keep it up."
"Now what's that supposed to mean, Corporal?" Sonya asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Annnnd the General's back," Gemini joked. "Right on cue."
Evidently, Sonya wasn't the only one who was "right on cue".
When the lightning came, Mokap jumped back out of shock. Instinctively, the white glow returned to his hands. He could just feel something...dangerous.
Gemini had a similar reaction, taking a few steps back and tentatively placing a hand on her holstered sidearm.
Sonya and Johnny were far more familiar with the sight of the crackling scarlet lightning that now illuminated the room with its intense glow. It reminded Johnny in particular of the corrupted Jinsei chamber. The comparison unsettled him, not helped by the fact that Raiden now wore Shinnok's amulet as if it were a Medal of Honor. And as someone who'd seen the real thing on both Sonya and Jax, he knew that such a tool of evil was unworthy of being held in the same regard. At least, he sure as hell would never frame the thing, and he doubted that Vera would either.
As for Sonya, she was used to masking her reservations. Maybe too used to it. Frankly, Raiden's altered state unsettled her as well. The red eyes and lightning, his darkly colored armor, and of course, the amulet formerly belonging to his worst enemy displayed on his chestplate. Maybe he was trying something new, to intimidate Earthrealm's enemies. If so, someone needed to tell him that it intimidated his allies to…
Even if her rationalizations failed and she admitted to herself that Raiden was quite simply changed, Sonya couldn't deny the fact that for the sake of Earthrealm's defense, they needed him. For his centuries of experience if nothing else.
Still, she missed the warmth and encouraging aura Raiden once possessed. They all did.
"Let me guess, want us to join your metal band?" Johnny asked jokingly.
"I have no time for games, Johnny Cage," Raiden responded. "I wish to discuss matters of importance."
"Ah, gotcha," Johnny said sarcastically. "Finally found a way to remove the stick from your ass?"
Raiden glared, both Mokap and Gemini worrying he might become hostile.
"Johnny, cool it!" Sonya commanded. "Your damn harassment isn't helping anything."
Johnny decided it best not to argue.
Raiden's entrance had clearly attracted attention outside of just those in the room. A few soldiers stepped in to make sure nothing had gone wrong, only to exit again upon seeing the Thunder God.
Of more importance was Cassie, Jacqui, Kung Jin, and this new Nightwolf, who all stepped into the room soon after.
"Mom, dad? There's somebody you definitely need to meet." Cassie explained.
"I think she's here to meet you." Jacqui added, pointing to Raiden.
"Ah, Nightwolf," Raiden acknowledged. "I am pleased that you could be here."
"Wait…" started Sonya.
"Nightwolf?" Johnny asked, baffled.
"I am aware that you are already familiar with Akicita, my predecessor," she observed. "I have taken his title and responsibility. As such, like you, I now defend Earthrealm."
"He never told us his real name." Sonya recalled.
"Or that it was a title," Johnny added. "You think you know a guy."
"An ongoing crisis leaves little time for the sharing of personal information." Nightwolf II pointed out.
"Well, she's got a point there." Sonya admitted.
"I requested Nightwolf's presence so that we may deal with a pressing matter," Raiden explained. "One that has haunted us for far too long."
"She says she can save the others," Kung Jin added. "Lao, Liu, the first Nightwolf… everyone."
Johnny and Sonya's jaws nearly dropped to the floor.
Just as this revelation was being made known, the Takahashis were elsewhere in a nearby training room, engaging one another in a seemingly heated sword duel that was in reality a mere test of skill for both father and son.
In spite of their estrangement years prior, Kenshi and Takeda were far more similar than one might expect. Both were incredibly driven, the family stubbornness apparent in neither being willing to concede their current battle, or any other for that matter. Still, if you talked to either of them, you wouldn't get the impression of fierce and dauntless warriors. Kenshi was calm, collected, and generally quite kind. Takeda was more sociable than his father, and enjoyed the use of humor to keep things light. Such demeanors would not be expected given the losses and hardships both had gone through in their lives, and both owed their positivity to the same source:
Kenshi's late wife and Takeda's mother, Suchin Takahashi.
The thought of Suchin broke Kenshi's concentration, allowing Takeda to perform a maneuver which knocked Sento from his father's grasp.
"Looks like all that training finally paid off," Takeda observed, holding the blade in front of his father's neck as an indication of his victory. "Not so shabby, eh dad?"
Kenshi didn't respond, walking out of the path of Takeda's sword and using his telekinesis to summon Sento back into his hand.
"You should be more respectful of your ancestors, Takeda," Kenshi chastised. "Remember that this is no mere sword."
"Just can't admit that-"
"You beat me, you won the bout, yes," Kenshi admitted before his son could finish. "Congratulations. Truly Takeda, I am very proud of how far you've come and impressed with your skills. It's just that..."
"Thinking about mom again?" Takeda didn't even need to read his mind.
Kenshi nodded. "Takeda… have I ever told you the story...of how your mother and I met?"
"Well ye- actually..." Takeda scratched at his chin in thought before answering. "Not that I can remember, no."
"She saved me, you know." Kenshi informed him.
"From the Red Dragon?" Takeda asked. "Yeah… I can still remember. She saved us both."
"No," Kenshi corrected. "From… from myself. My own darkness."
"Darkness?" Takeda repeated.
"Your Grandmaster, Hanzo, is not the only one who has had to grapple with their own anger and desire for vengeance," Kenshi explained. "I think it's best that I tell you the story..."
He could remember the day he met her like it was yesterday. It had been a few months since Raiden had sealed Shinnok within his amulet. He had brought Kenshi up to speed on the events that preceded this catastrophe, including the detail that Shang Tsung had apparently been killed. For years of his life, Kenshi had been solely dedicated to ending Shang Tsung, both as personal vengeance for the sorcerer blinding him so many years prior, and for the deaths of his ancestors, whose souls now resided within his sword, Sento, safe from being consumed by Shang Tsung. They had guided Kenshi since, awakening his psychic abilities, tempering his desire for vengeance, and crafting him into a warrior of justice.
But even higher purpose could not soften Kenshi's rough edges. Only love could do that. After initially refusing the offer of his new comrades to aid them in the continued defense of Earthrealm, Kenshi had decided to wander the globe, aimless and without purpose. He merely travelled from place to place, wherever the wind took him, making his way as he went. Occasionally, he encountered criminals in his travels and dealt with them as he deemed fit. When he had left for this journey without a destination, Johnny had called him a "lone wolf". An American film trope. Kenshi hated to admit it, but he fit that description quite well.
But everything changed when he found himself in a small city in Thailand. The past month had been uneventful, and Kenshi had been steadily reminded that food and sleep were important.
The first seemed like the more pressing concern. As such, he settled on a local restaurant and made his way over to it. Slumping down into one of the chairs, Kenshi waited for a server to arrive.
After he fought to stay awake for a few minutes, one eventually did.
And there she was. Like it was destiny.
"My, you look tired," Suchin observed. "Trouble sleeping lately?"
"You could say that." Kenshi responded.
She took a curious glance at the bandana obscuring his eyes. "Are you… blind?"
"As it concerns my eyes, yes," Kenshi confirmed. "In other ways… I have never seen clearer."
"I see…" Suchin replied, clearly a bit confused. "Well, can I take your order? Oh…I suppose you can't read the menu..."
"I suppose not," Kenshi agreed. "Tell you what, you can serve me whatever you like. I'll gladly pay for it. I… haven't eaten in days."
"Why?" she asked.
Such a reasonable question. And yet, Kenshi couldn't fathom an answer. Was he pushing himself farther than he needed to? Such a thought had never occurred to him before. Perhaps he'd be in better shape if it had.
"I… travel often," he half-lied, wanting to spare her the details. "There's little time to even think about it."
"Well I'm afraid it's going to need to be on your mind more often if you intend to live a long life," Suchin told him sternly, before shifting to a softer tone. "I'll get you some food. Don't go anywhere."
"I am uncertain that I would even have the energy to." Kenshi replied.
That got a small laugh out of her, and Kenshi couldn't help but crack a smile at that fact, once which was returned before Suchin disappeared behind the kitchen doors.
A few minutes later, she reemerged. Kenshi had scarfed down the food so quickly that he could barely remember what it was. He certainly couldn't name the dish years after the fact, but he remembered that it tasted good.
"You weren't kidding when you said you hadn't eaten," Suchin observed. "You really should take better care of yourself."
"Maybe once I rediscover my purpose, I will," Kenshi replied back, somewhat rudely. "For now, I see little point."
"Well aren't you stubborn," she said annoyedly, placing her hands on her hips. "I was trying to help you in case you didn't notice."
Kenshi sighed. "Apologies… I… I appreciate your concern, and your generosity."
"Well, at least you're not completely devoid of manners," Suchin decided. "What's your name?"
"Takahashi Kenshi." he answered, perhaps a bit too formally.
She offered a hand. "Suchin. Do you have a place to stay?"
"Uhh…." Kenshi stammered.
"I thought not," she said as she lowered her hand. "You can stay with me if you like. At least until you can get yourself on your feet."
"But… you do not know me," Kenshi argued. "I am a stranger to you, I cannot possibly-"
"You're someone who needs help," Suchin cut him off. "That's enough for me."
"That is… very kind of you," Kenshi chose his words carefully. He had known Suchin only a short while now and determined already that arguing with her was a futile endeavor.
"My shift ends in an hour, I can take you home then," Suchin explained. She then took notice of the blade strapped to his back. "Are you any good with that sword?"
"I would say so," Kenshi responded, attempting to remain modest. "Why do you ask?"
"It's been a while since I've had someone to duel with," she elaborated. "I used to train with my father."
"In that case, I would gladly aid you in honing your skills." Kenshi decided.
"And I'll make sure you don't slowly kill yourself," Suchin added. "Seems like a fair exchange."
Kenshi smiled again. This woman seemed to have that effect on him. He enjoyed the levity.
"I'd say it does," he agreed. "And… Thank you, Suchin."
"From there we stayed together for many months," Kenshi explained to his son. "She… she helped me to move past my anger and resentment, and have an easier time working with others. Eventually, I would become an ally of the Special Forces and grow to befriend Hanzo. The rest… you already know."
"Must've really been true love with the state you were in," Takeda teased. "But seriously, thanks for telling me that. It… it helps me get by."
"Don't be consumed by the past Takeda, like I once was," Kenshi urged. "Focus on your future. On your new family."
Takeda nodded. "Thanks dad. I will."
"I know I wasn't here for you for a long time," Kenshi acknowledged. "But I'm here now."
Their father-son moment abruptly ended when the communicators in both of their ears beeped simultaneously.
Takeda answered his first.
"Hey, babe?" said Jacqui's voice.
"Yeah?" Takeda asked.
"We need you and your dad to come over to the combat training area," Jacqui explained. "It's important."
"We'll be right there." Takeda assured, before clicking the device off.
He looked over to his father. "Think it has to do with the Red Dragon?"
"I am unsure," Kenshi admitted. He held a head against his forehead, attempting to use his telepathic abilities to ascertain what might be going on. "I sense a mixture of anxiousness, hope, and… terrible anger. Feelings of grief, of guilt."
"Raiden." Father and son said in unison.
"He worries me you know," said Kenshi. "He reminds me of the way Hanzo was, before-"
"Before he killed Quan Chi." Takeda recalled.
"We should go," Kenshi decided. "If he's here, I concur with Jacquiline. It must be important."
Takeda nodded, and the two began heading over. The Special Forces base was a large facility, so it wasn't exactly a brisk walk. Takeda was careful to guide his father when he felt it necessary. Kenshi's telepathic abilities granted him a certain clarity and awareness of his surroundings in lieu of proper sight, but Takeda felt he could never be too careful.
In time, they arrived as requested, walking in at the same time as Jax and Vera, who had evidently also been contacted. At the same time, Gemini was leaving to attend to another assignment, talking to someone on the phone about something concerning busting up a Black Dragon operation. Of note, Jax carried with him a fairly thick book.
"Case you're working on?" Takeda asked.
"Uhh… no, it's just an old photo album," Jax clarified. "Me and Vera were looking back on some old pictures from our army days."
"Yeah, life was simpler back then," Vera recalled. "Not much simpler, but simpler."
I'll say," Jax agreed. "So what's going on?"
"Oh boy, get ready for this one…" warned Cassie.
"Nightwolf, run over it again," Sonya requested. "Please."
"Yeah I'm still not sure I got it the first time." Johnny admitted.
"Me neither." added Mokap.
"Wait, did you say Nightwolf?" Jax asked. "But he's-"
"Tainted by the Netherrealm's evil," the second Nightwolf chimed in. "I have taken his mantle, his role as vessel for the Great Spirit, and now seek to free him, as well as all those who you have lost."
"You're saying that you can-"
"Yes," she confirmed before Kenshi could finish.
Takeda looked over at his fiance. "Is this for real?"
"I don't really understand magic," Jacqui admitted. "But it seems to add up."
"Nightwolf does not intend to deceive," confirmed Raiden. "Heed her."
"Thank you, Lord Raiden," Nightwolf II said graciously. "Now then. My tribe, the Makota, has practiced shamanic magics to battle against the forces of evil for hundreds of years. We have acquired a knowledge of the mystic arts all but unrivaled within Earthrealm. This includes a most pertinent ritual that I believe has the power to save your friends."
"Ritual?" asked Jax.
"I think I'm following," said Vera. "Tryin' to fight voodoo with voodoo."
"That's the first part of this I've been able to wrap my head around," admitted Mokap. He then stopped to think for a moment. "Actually, nothing's made sense all day."
"Welcome to our world." said all three members of the Briggs family in unison, followed by a "What they said." from both Cassie and Kung Jin.
"First time superpower discovery is a trip," Johnny spoke from his firsthand experience. "But it's still not as weird as all this can get."
"Let's get back on track, people," Sonya chastised. "Go ahead… Nightwolf."
"Of course," Nightwolf II acknowledged. "The ritual is called the 'Sin Eater'. It involves the use of magic to absorb the sins of those around the user. This taint has previously been used to provide resistance to dark magics and passage into the Netherrealm. However, I believe the Sin Eater can be used to remove the corruption from your friends."
"You're saying you can take the evil out of em'?" Johnny asked.
"That would be the simplest way of putting it, yes." Nightwolf II confirmed.
"Wait. You take their sins by absorbing them, right?" Kung Jin asked.
"Yes." she answered.
"So…" Jin started, everyone in the room coming to the same line of thought.
"What'll happen to you?" asked Cassie.
"It is… dangerous…" Nightwolf II admitted. "There are legends among my people, tales of one who absorbed so much sin that it corrupted him to his core, becoming a physical incarnation of sin. But alas, this is a risk I have to take. There are more lives at stake than my own, including that of the man who mentored me so that I may honor his legacy with this responsibility. I appreciate your concerns for my safety, but this is what must be done."
"But what if you… lose yourself?" asked Takeda.
"Then I hope you will all be able to do what it takes to stop me," she told everyone in the room. "Else what happens next will truly be something to fear."
"You'd put it all on the line for a bunch of people you don't even know?" Asked Mokap. "That's… incredibly brave of you."
"I appreciate your kind words," Nightwolf II responded. "But I am simply performing the duty of anyone who wishes to protect the innocent."
"She's right," agreed Jax. "It'll be hard, but we've got to do it."
"For our friends," said Johnny.
"For our family." Added Kung Jin.
"For everyone not in this room right now." Takeda continued
"And damn well should be." Finished Jacqui.
"Best of luck to you all," wished Raiden. "I hope that you succeed."
"You're not going to help us?" Asked Cassie.
"I have far greater matters to attend to." Raiden said cryptically, before raising his hand and disappearing with another crack of lightning.
"He's getting worse," observed Kenshi. "For Raiden to miss out on something like this? Something is wrong."
"What's his problem, anyway?" Asked Mokap.
"There is a darkness in his soul," Nightwolf II explained. "We may only pray it does not overtake him."
"Let Raiden fight his own battle for now," advised Sonya. "We've got work to do."
"What if leaving him to deal with this himself will only make it worse?" Asked Kung Jin.
"Shouldn't the people who've been trapped in Hell for about as long as you and I have been alive come first?" Argued Jacqui.
"Hey, two of those people are my family," Jin reminded. " I know damn well how important this is."
"Don't you talk to my daughter like that!" Vera shouted.
"Would it be too cliche to suggest splitting up?" Cassie interjected, trying to prevent further arguing.
"That actually sounds like a good plan to me." Jax affirmed.
"We'll have one team go with Nightwolf to the Netherrealm," Sonya decided. "And one stay behind to keep an eye on Raiden."
"I must thank you all for your help," said Nightwolf II.
"Don't sweat it," replied Johnny. "It's what we do."
These people were all new to Eyota of the Makota tribe, but their determination could do nothing but bring a smile to her face.
"Together, we shall brave these trying times."