In spite of the deaths of Shinnok and Quan Chi, the Brotherhood of Shadow had seen no reason to cease its operations. Cults were founded on delusion and fanaticism, and this one was no different. They prayed for their dark god's return, all too unaware that another dark god had set his eyes on them…
For the past year, the cult had been consolidating their forces into one massive main temple. Strength in numbers, was the idea. Powers like the revenants or Belokk would try to bring them to heel, and they would hold a significant advantage over anyone who came to slay them, be it a hungry oni or someone like Ashrah.
But while this afforded them protection from any mere force in the Netherrealm, it also made the cult one massive target for any greater force.
Like the one now ready to unleash its fury upon them.
A few miles from the temple, Raiden hovered idly, eyeing the structure. Behind him, was a garrison of Seidan Guardsmen, an army by the standards of the practically crippled Netherrealm. They were also accompanied by a contingent of Shirai Ryu ninjas, and at the front of the attack force were Hotaru, Hanzo, and Dairou.
"Remember, we are to attack quickly and without mercy," Raiden announced. "This cult has been a blight on the realms for far too long. Today, this monument to Shinnok's ego falls."
"Lord Raiden," spoke up Hanzo, who was now wearing the mask he had previously worn as Scorpion. "With all due respect, Sub-Zero once told me that his brother had met a member of the Brotherhood of Shadow with an interest in redemption."
"Take prisoners if you have any doubts," Raiden instructed. "Eliminate the rest."
"You mentioned that a tertiary force would arrive to aid us," Hotaru recalled. "Yet I see none."
"They will be here in time," Raiden insisted. "We do not require them to begin the assault."
"When do we start?" asked Dairou.
"Immediately."
Within the temple, the cultists were performing their daily rituals in the vain hope that Shinnok might return and deliver them from their feeling of purposelessness and motonoty. They needed their dark god, just as he had designed it. He wanted them to be aimless without him. It was how he maintained their loyalty. Service in exchange for purpose, or at least the pretense of such. This was how tyrants got their way.
Two members of the cult in particular were in quite the tricky position. Their names were Kia and Jataaka. They were former comrades of Sareena, and had quite frankly never been devout followers of the Brotherhood of Shadow's ideals. It sounded appealing at first, their grand ascension from the Netherrealm alongside their Lord Shinnok. But that had soon proven to be a lie, or at least, too far down the line to be worthwhile. Since then, they had served the cult only out of fear. With Shinnok and Quan Chi now gone, the opportunity to leave occurred to them. But the other members of the cult worried them as well.
So for now, Kia and Jataaka kept their heads down and held their tongues. The two demons predicted that the Brotherhood of Shadow would fall apart sooner or later, and when they hat happened, they could be free of the cult's shackles. All they needed to do was bide their time.
How much time they'd actually have was the big question….
One second, everything was normal. Well, as normal as a demonic cult could be. The next, the rumbling started, the entire temple began to shake, thunder could be heard. Loud, crackling thunder.
And, then, the walls started exploding.
Debris was flying everywhere, cultists were running in a panicked frenzy, Kia and Jataaka included. Others tried to mount an offensive, arming themselves, but before they even had a chance, the Seidan Guard began storming in, overwhelming their defenses with their sheer numbers as the armored warriors swarmed into the place. Hotaru himself led the charge. One foolish cultish wielding a sword attempted to strike him, only to be skewered on Hotaru's naginata in short order.
"Overzealous filth…." he said disdainfully as he pulled his blade from the corpse and aimed it forward. "Onward with the assault!"
The panicked frenzy and attempts at defense continued as the Seidan Guard stormed in, soon accompanied by the Shirai Ryu, who began breaking in through windows and attacking whichever cultists were nearest. A few of the ninjas had already infiltrated the temple, and began striking from the shadows.
Finally, the ceiling was blown through, and Raiden came hovering down. In spite of the chaos, all eyes were immediately drawn to his presence. All made sure they were aware of him. All were in awe. And in fear.
Even those Raiden called allies maintained a certain distance, as if merely bumping into him might accidentally incur his wrath. He touched the ground and merely observed the battle around him. Seidan Guards and Shirai Ryu clashed with Brotherhood of Shadow cultists in tests of skill and bladework. A few of the cultists attempted to employ the occult to their favor, but the Seidan Guard were versed in dealing with sorcery.
One cultist was so bold as to try and attack Raiden directly, nearly escaping the Thunder God's notice as he took in all around him. However, a spear drove through their chest, preventing their attempt. The cultist's knife fell to the ground as their body was pulled towards Hanzo, who kicked the corpse off of the blade of his kunai before continuing to engage the forces at hand.
"How goes the battle?" Raiden asked his ally.
"Quite well," Hanzo responded in between slashing apart two cultists. "They clearly had no idea what hit them. Complete and total ambush. Hotaru's forces also provide us with numbers so that we may overwhelm them. Within mere hours, this cult shall finally be dead and this fortress will be razed."
A green energized skull flew past Raiden. Clearly Quan Chi had passed a few of his skills to some fellow occultists. Raiden made quick work of them, eviscerating them with a powerful blast of lightning.
"You almost seem to be deriving some enjoyment from this," Raiden observed. "Normally I would advise controlling your rage, but these zealots deserve no mercy. They would gladly kill any of us in Shinnok's name."
"It was this same cult that took the original Shirai Ryu from me," Hanzo explained, burning a small group of the Brotherhood cultists with hellfire. "Quan Chi may have paid his debt, but his own clan has not."
"I see." was all Raiden said.
One of the cultists impressively managed to break through the Seidan Guard's line, intent on taking on Raiden directly.
"Pretender!" the cultist yelled. "You do not deserve to wear our lord's amulet!"
He rushed at Raiden, knife at the ready.
"I do not wear Shinnok's amulet to honor him, deluded fool," Raiden clarified.
The attacker leaped at Raiden, but Raiden grabbed him instead. The cultist choked for air as the Lord of Thunder squeezed down on his throat.
"I wear it so that his symbol is all that is left when everything he's touched burns." Raiden continued, eyes crackling with fury and an otherworldly anger as lightning coursed through his hand and into the cultist, who screamed in agony as the lightning burned with it's master's fury. Limbs moved erratically as he tried to free himself from Raiden's grasp, as the electricity scorched the flesh from bones that splintered and burned from the heat, and the madman was reduced to ash.
For beings seeking to enforce order, this situation was nothing but complete chaos. Destruction and combat abound, Brotherhood of Shadow cultists falling left and right. In the ensuing madness, Kia and Jataaka attempted to flee, running for their very lives past various warriors.
Unfortunately for them, some of their comrades were decidedly less cowardly.
While running, they bumped straight into three more members of the cult. Three women named Siann, Mika, and Sora. They were already familiar with them for being heavily devoted to the cult, something they themselves were not.
"Where do you two think you're going?" asked Siann.
"We were just-"
Jataaka stopped Kia. "What does it matter, this whole place is getting torn apart anyway. We're trying to make sure we don't get killed."
"The only thing that will get you killed is desertion," threatened Sora. "Or did your friend Sareena not already teach you that?"
"Except Sareena isn't actually dead," Kia countered. "Guess 'Lord Shinnok' wasn't all he was cracked up to be."
"And yet you served him loyally," Siann pointed out. "Funny that. You only badmouth him when he isn't around."
"Yeah we were scared of Shinnok, but who wasn't?" Jataaka asked. "You're telling me people stuck around here because they actually bought all that nonsense?"
"The word of our lord is not nonsense," Siann said firmly. "Besides, I'm sure this all only a minor setback in Lord Shinnok's grand design."
"You hear that Jataaka?" Kia asked, snickering. "All part of the plan she says."
"Yeah," Jataaka replied, now laughing herself. "Like getting his tail kicked twice was part of the plan."
"Do not mock our lord!" Sora growled, unsheathing her serrated sword known as a "Demon Fang". "I should kill you where you stand for besmirching his name with your heresy!"
"Face it honey," said Kia. "He's dead as Quan Chi."
Jataaka moved her hand in front of her neck for emphasis.
"Don't you speak his name!" shouted Mika, chiming in for the first time since the altercation started, trying to attack the two and being held back by Siann and Sora.
"He was never going to be your boyfriend, Mika," Jataaka said plainly. "You were going to need to figure that out sooner or later."
"If you ask me, Scorpion did you a favor," added Kia. "I wouldn't wanna date that guy. Not sure what you ever saw in him."
Before the arguing could continue further, the temple shook violently.
"You see, the place is coming down around us!" shouted Jataaka.
"Which is why we're trying to get out of here!" Kia explained to the others. "You're welcome to come with us if dying isn't your thing!"
Sora seemed to consider the offer while Mika was still fuming, but Siann clearly spoke for the group.
"We are servants of Shinnok to the end, and nothing you blasphemers can say will change that."
"To the end it will be!" threatened a Seidan Guardsman that came rushing into the room with his fellows. Another cultist tried to engage them only to be impaled on a spear.
Siann, Mika, and Sora then found themselves set upon by Shirai Ryu, who they began attempting to ward off with their Demon Fangs.
It didn't take Kia and Jataaka long to realize that they were going largely unnoticed. The perfect opportunity to run, ducking under Seidan Guards and avoiding attacks the best they could. A few cultists asked for their aid in skirmishes, but the two were too cowardly to help. All that mattered was preserving themselves. Their care for each other at least could be considered admirable.
One Seidan Guardsman got in their way. Kia was clearly worried, but Jataaka took the lead. She unsheathed her sword, and as she ran for the guard, she slashed, the sword becoming imbued with a mystical blue energy in the process, the power creating multiple afterimages of the blade. When Jataaka's slash was completed, she sheathed the blade as the Guard's body began falling in two pieces behind her. Their lethality now known to those around them, the two considered fleeing with little resistance.
However escape would still be no simple feet with the chaos happening all around them. Battles and explosions and bodies falling, it was all extremely hectic, and every sight made the two more and more worried of their chances of making it out of the whole situation alive.
On the main floor, Raiden was now attacking in full force. None who came against the Thunder God would survive his wrath. It was as if every foolish cultist who dared attack him or even attempt to flee served as only an outlet for his rage, every one of them being assaulted furiously with crimson lightning as if they were Shinnok himself. The amulet on his chest seemed to almost be glowing, as if it was fueling his anger.
Raiden's onslaught was interrupted only when Dairou approached him, his sword held to the neck of a Brotherhood of Shadow cult leader.
"It would appear that this one is running the operation," Dairou explained. "Killing him would deprive the others of leadership."
Raiden nodded, not even uttering a single word to convey his order. His piercing red eyes simply watched as Dairou quickly slit the throat of the cult leader, and allowed his body to drop to the ground.
And then, the second phase of Raiden's assault began.
The scattered and frantic cultists were caught by surprise yet again when another kind of warrior began crashing through the walls.
Cyborgs.
Even the Seidan Guard and Shirai Ryu were shocked to see the gunmetal plated metal men begin entering the temple and attacking cultists left and right. They had clearly not been made aware of these unexpected allies.
Having helped lead the assault to this point, Peron pulled her forces back and quickly went over to her Grandmaster.
"We were never informed of anything like this," she pointed out, also wearing a mask for the occasion. "I don't like being kept in the dark."
"Nor do I," Hanzo agreed. "I will speak with Raiden, this is… unusual."
Battling his way through a group of cultists, Aqua took notice of one cyborg in particular. He was not grey like the others, but a dark, royal blue color, and appeared to be designed slightly differently as well. Almost… personalized.
The cyborg grabbed a cultist by the throat, snapped their neck in seconds, and then dropped them. A few more attempted to attack it but its chest opened up to reveal a compartment that shot out a bomb that released superheated steam to burn the attackers.
In the midst of its onslaught, the cyborg seemed to take notice of Aqua as well. The two stared at one another for a few moments, almost as if they recognized each other.
Almost instinctively, Aqua yelled "Look out!" when a cultist attempted to attack the blue cyborg. Ultimately, their dagger clanged harmlessly against the metal plating. But that did not deter the cyborg from opening a compartment on its forearm and firing a blast of super heated water directly at the near-defenseless cultist.
The cyborg's use of water puzzled Aqua, a hydrokinetic himself. He was soon given an opportunity to make use of his abilities when a Brotherhood of Shadow assassin leaped down from the ceiling to attack him, knocking them back with a blast of water which he then shaped to constrict them, knocking the assassin unconscious against a nearby wall. Unlike this blue cyborg, Aqua was no large enthusiast of taking lives.
During the fighting, Hanzo made his way over to Raiden, Peron in toe.
"This is the additional force you had prepared?" Hanzo asked. "Cyborgs?"
"The Tekunin are our ally," Raiden assued. "You have nothing to fear, Hanzo Hasashi.
"Tekunin?" repeated Peron, clearly confused.
"I have never heard such a name either." said Hanzo.
"They are a new clan," Raiden explained. "Adopting the Cyber Lin Kuei's teachings in order to enforce order in the realms. "
As the assault continued, the leader of this "Tekunin" became visible. He wore robes almost identical to those worn by the original Lin Kuei Grandmaster, his entire body covered by them, and his hands covered by black gloves. Only his eyes were visible just above his facemask, but his face was hidden in shadow. All that could be seen was that his eyes glowed a bright blue, and appeared to be…..rectangular in shape.
As this Grandmaster moved, the cyborgs all flanked around him, defending him from even being touched by everyone around him. He walked through the temple slowly, methodically, as if he had some kind of purpose for being there beyond Raiden's assault.
"You are absolutely certain they can be trusted?" Hanzo asked, the garb of the Tekunin's leader instantly making him uneasy.
"You have my word," answered Raiden.
Hanzo nodded. Raiden's word was good enough. He quickly returned to directing his Shirai Ryu as the assault pressed on.
Raiden himself elected to continue the assault, summoning his thunder staff and leading a small group of Seidan Guard on the charge.
As the battle raged on around him, the mysterious Tekunin Grandmaster walked through the halls of the temple as if drawn to something. To the few that could make out the noise through the sounds of explosions and battle, a faint beeping could be heard. A homing device. After a few minutes of walking through the maze-like temple, he reached the source of the homing device.
It was a room formerly used by Quan Chi. Nothing within it was of interest to this Grandmaster, nothing except a few piles of scraps in the corner. Except, they weren't scraps at all. Upon closer inspection, they were cybernetic parts. Blue ones.
The remains of Cyber Sub-Zero.
These parts were long since discarded, when Quan Chi ripped the flesh from Kuai Liang's cyborg body and formed a new human body around it so that he might better serve as the sorcerer's revenant slave. Now, both Quan Chi and Kuai Liang were long gone from this place. But the parts remained.
The robed figure reached out to the cybernetic remains. He pointed his arm forward, and small silver wires began coming out of his sleeve. The wires could move like tendrils, and began to latch onto the cybernetic parts, pulling them closer to their master. More wires began to emerge, each grabbing onto a piece of what was once Cyber Sub-Zero, pulling it all together.
It was here that the Tekunin Grandmaster uttered a few words, in a steely robotic-sounding voice:
"Assimilation of LK-52O armaments in Progress."
Elsewhere, Kia and Jataaka had all but made their way out of the Brotherhood of Shadow temple. It seemed freedom would be theirs at last, in spite of the resistance they had faced.
It seemed that way at least.
The two would be abruptly stopped on their path by a group of Seidan Guard. They had dealt with a few now, but the trained soldiers of Orderrealm were still a concern.
Even more so was when a few of them stepped aside to reveal their leader Hotaru.
"Halt, demon cultists," Hotaru commanded. "Surrender, and you have my word that you will be imprisoned quickly and without further hassle."
"And what if we don't want to surrender?" asked Kia.
"Yeah, what if we don't want to be bullied by you and your thundery friend." added Jataaka.
"The punishment for resistance, as well as insulting a senior officer of the Seidan Guard during an active battle," Hotaru stated like he were a police officer reading them their rights. "Is death."
"Oh… death…." said Kia.
"Yeah we're actually trying to avoid that," Jataaka clarified. "I'm sure you understand."
Hotaru snapped his fingers and all the guards pointed their naginata at the two, Hotaru himself doing the same soon after.
"This is your last offer to surrender," Hotaru said firmly. "I will not ask again."
Jataaka pulled out her sword and it began glowing blue with energy.
"You don't scare me." she said to Hotaru.
"Uhh...maybe he should…." argued Kia, pulling out one of her trademark razor-sharp boomerangs and hoping it would be enough to deal with the small squadron of Seidan Guard now moving towards them.
The two demons were now effectively surrounded, no way out apparent to them.
Just as this was happening, the blue cyborg Aqua had encountered went up to Raiden, apparently having some information to share with the Thunder God.
"The bombs have been planted as you asked, Lord Raiden," came the cyborg's steely voice. "We are ready to detonate them on your command."
"Thank you, Hydro," acknowledged Raiden. "Tell your Grandmaster that the order is given. Begin the detonation sequence. Level this place."
"It will be done, Lord Raiden." assured Hydro, firing off blasts of concentrated water from his back that served to propel him like jet boosters.
Minutes had passed and Kia and Jataaka's situation had not improved in the slightest. The Seidan Guard had them surrounded and Hotaru had issued his demand for surrender.
"I don't usually believe in them," Kia said to her partner. "But I could really go for a miracle right now!"
Just as she said that, explosions began rocking the temple.
"What's going on?!" demanded Hotaru.
"It appears to be explosives, sir." one of the Guard explained.
"On whose orders were explosives planted?!" Hotaru shouted. "And why was I not made aware of this!? This assault must be ordered if it is to succeed!"
One of the gunmetal grey cyborgs landed just in front of Hotaru at that moment.
"Well, I would hope you have some explanation, Tekunin." Hotaru said sternly.
"Explosive devices were planted at the behest of Lord Raiden," the cyborg's robotic voice detailed. "Detonation command was given T-minus three minutes ago."
"Raiden?" Hotaru asked, baffled at the breakdown in communication. "Why did he not inform me?"
"This unit does not possess the necessary information to adequately answer that query," said the cyborg. "Suggested course of action would be to contact Lord Raiden directly."
"Indeed I shall," Hotaru decided. "Step aside Tekunin, I have two cultists to attend to the apprehension of, then I shall have word with Raide-"
When the cyborg had moved aside as requested, Hotaru now realized that Kia and Jataaka had escaped in the chaos caused by the bombs going off.
Oh how Hotaru hated chaos…
For Kia and Jataaka however, chaos was just another form of an advantage. They quickly ran out of the under siege temple, turning back only to exploding and falling apart before their very eyes. It was almost sad in a way, since although they weren't fully devoted to the Brotherhood of Shadow like many of the others, the temple had served as a sort of home for them.
The fact that they were now without a home would be a matter that needed to be attended to at another time, as the two quickly took notice of the forces now rushing out of the temple. Seidan Guard, Shirai Ryu, Tekunin, and the few surviving Brotherhood of Shadow cultists that were inside the temple at the time had begun to evacuate like a stampede, much to the worry of the two demons.
The two looked around frantically for a means of escape, finding unexpected salvation when a familiar voice yelled "Hey! Over here!"
Kia and Jataaka ran in the direction of the voice, thankful that the other cultists served to distract Raiden's forces and keep potential attackers off of them. They ended up jumping into a small trench, finding the source of the voice to be none other than their former comrade Sareena, now accompanied by Ashrah, Jade, and Stryker.
"You?!" they immediately both shouted.
"I know this isn't exactly the reunion any of us had in mind," began Sareena. "But given the circumstances, I hope we can put the past behind us."
"Put the past behind us?" Kia asked as if she were offended by the mere notion.
"You betrayed us!" argued Jataaka.
"I had to leave!" Sareena countered. "I can't believe after all these years you still don't realize how evil the Brotherhood is...was."
"It's not about that." Kia corrected.
"It's about how you left us." Jataaka added.
"Kia, Jataaka, really, I'm sorry…" Sareena said with a discernible sadness in her tone.
Kia approached slowly, a hollow look on her face before she walked right up to Sareena's face. Sareena saw the traces of tears in her old friends eyes before her vision was obscured by that same friend's palm as it slapped her right across the face.
"You… want to apologise? For betraying us?" A dark chuckle forced its way out as a sick grin complimented the tears streaming down her face. "How could you ask for forgiveness when you don't even understand what you did."
Sareena just stood there for a moment, mouth agape, processing everything that had just happened. She looked over at Jataaka as if she held any answers, but she only held a more reserved version of the same resentment held by Kia.
"Do you know what they did when they learned of your betrayal? They said we could prove our loyalty or repent in death." She turned and lifted her hair to reveal her back between her shoulder blades. Along with the dozens of whip scars and the symbol of Brotherhood of Shadows burned into her flesh. This act of fury drained the fire from her and Kia fell to her knees sobbing as Jataaka moved to comfort her, while Sareena stood frozen in shock at what she saw. With a cool glare, she continued where Kia could not.
"They told us to bear the marks of our sins. 42 times Bi-Han struck Shinnok. So 42 times would we know the pain of failure. And if we made even a single sound? Then it would be treated as proof that we did not care to repent and were traitors alongside you." Kia cried harder as she remembered what followed, and reached around to the brand. The multiple scratch scars on her back making her intentions clear. As Jataaka whispered in her ear to comfort and reassure her, holding struggling hands in a tight grasp to stop Kia from harming herself, she finished the tale.
"The final test was one of fire. We would accept the symbol of our Lord Shinnok forever or we would die. As the heat of the metal burned us, as we cried in pain in the privacy of our own chambers, as I had to tell Kia that she was not ruined by these marks, only one thought remained. Why did you abandon us? Not the Brotherhood, not Shinnok, us. So tell us Sareena, our sister in all but blood, why did you abandon us?"
"Now hold on," started Ashrah, acting in Sareena's defense. "Sareena cannot be hold responsible for what those vile monsters chose to do to y-"
"Ashrah, no." Sareena interrupted.
"But they accuse you of-"
"No," Sareena repeated. "I don't need your defense. I don't need excuses. They're right. Don't you see it? They're right."
"Now ma'am," Stryker interjected. "I know a thing or two about pity parties, and I think-"
"I know you're trying to help, but stop it, just stop it," demanded Sareena. Stryker did as requested, though it seemed that both he and Ashrah had the desire to say something. Only Jade possessed the tact to realize that silence would best suit the situation. Sareena turned her gaze back to the two women she once considered friends, sisters even.
She took a deep breath, and started talking:
"Listen to me. If I had any clue of the horrors they inflicted on you, I would've come back. I would've come back and I would've fought Shinnok himself if it meant you didn't have to go through that. But that doesn't change what happened. I was wrong, ok? I was… I was selfish. I was thinking about myself and my desire to escape from Quan Chi and from the Netherrealm, when I should have been thinking about the people who had been there with me every step of the way. When I should've been thinking about you."
The indistinct chatter of Raiden's forces could be heard nearby. Some form or another of "Fan out! Track down any survivors!"
Time was short, Sareena decided to finish saying her peace, doing so in spite of the tears now streaming down her face, which had started as she confessed her guilt to them both.
"I won't ask for your forgiveness, because frankly, I don't think I even deserve it. But I am going to ask you to trust me, just one last time, if you want to be able to make it out of here. Can you do that? P-Please?"
Kia and Jataaka stared at her, wiping away tears as they tried to see if they could trust her, to see if this wasn't some sick game before she turned them over to her Earthrealm allies. Finally, Kia stepped forward and spoke, standing tall with a confidence she thought lost.
"We don't trust you. I'm not convinced you won't give us over to the Earthrealm God to buy your freedom. But right now, we don't have a choice."
"I promise you, I would never-" Sareena stopped herself. She wasn't going to convince them of her sincerity now. That would take time. Time they didn't have right now. "Alright, fine. You don't have to trust me. Just follow."
Kia and Jataaka looked at each other, still uncertain. They looked back at Sareena, and nodded.
Sareena motioned for them to start moving, and the makeshift group began carefully making their way along the trench, doing their best to avoid detection. Thankfully, the noise of their prior discourse had been drowned out in the pandemonium that had resulted from the temple's destruction. However, Raiden's forces were nothing if not efficient. The surviving Brotherhood of Shadow members were being rounded up at that exact moment.
"Psst...Ashrah...why don't you make another light show?" Stryker suggested. "Seemed to work the last time."
"In case you haven't noticed Kurtis, we're trying not to draw attention to ourselves." Jade pointed out.
"She's right," agreed Ashrah. "It's too risky with this many of them around."
"We might be able to sneak past them," suggested Sareena. "But we'll need to hurry."
Kia and Jataaka did not partake in the discourse, their focus instead being on their captured former comrades, all heavily monitored by either Seidan Guard, Shirai Ryu, Tekunin, or some combination of the three. Curiously, Siann, Mika, and Sora seemed to have managed to escape. For fanatics, the three had always proven crafty….
"God, Raiden... what's happened to him?" Stryker asked himself.
"What do you mean?" Jade questioned.
"After you rejoined the land of the living, actually after Shinnok got taken down, Raiden paid Liu Kang and Kitana a 'visit'," Stryker explained. "He was wearing this black armor and his eyes were red. Angrier than I've ever seen him in all my time as human and revenant. Sounded like he was done playing nice. Said that anybody who messed with Earthrealm was dead."
"By the gods…" said Jade, realizing how much she'd been out of the loop and reacting to this new information at the same time.
"You would call a being like that your protector?" asked Jataaka. "He sounds only marginally better than Shinnok."
"He wasn't always like this," Stryker argued. "He used to… he used to be our friend."
"His heart was kind and just then," Jade recalled. "What he's become now…"
"Something changed him," Stryker hypothesized. "Something even bigger than Jade, me, and the others kicking the bucket."
"Could you not refer to our deaths so nonchalantly?" requested Jade.
"Sorry, but it's been like 20 years…" Stryker responded.
"I don't know how you can keep track of time down here." Jade said both irritated and impressed.
"Your 'Raiden' is going around wearing Shinnok's amulet now," Kia pointed out. "We were with the Brotherhood of Shadow long enough to hear both him and Quan Chi boast about its power. It might have something to do with what's happened to him, if what you say about this radical change is true."
"That's certainly possible," Stryker acknowledged. "I wouldn't know. Magic has never really been my expertise."
"That blasted amulet should be destroyed," Sareena said with an uncharacteristic amount of spite. "It's caused enough trouble to last multiple lifetimes."
"I doubt we can destroy it while it's in Raiden's hands," Ashrah posited. "We'd have to get it away from him somehow."
"Unfortunately, all of that might have to wait," Jade reminded the group. "Getting out of here is our first priority."
After going a bit further, they reached the end of the small trench that they had been hiding in thus far. The group had no choice but to go topside and into the line of sight of Raiden's forces and they knew it.
"What do we do now?" asked Kia.
"We'll have to make a run for it." answered Sareena.
"I should've known," Jataaka said spitefully. "This is some kind of trap, isn't it?"
"I swear to you, I will lay down my life before I let anything happen to you two," Sareena promised. "I've failed you enough."
"Actions speak louder than words." Kia responded.
"Enough of your slights," interjected Ashrah. "You have my sympathy for the tortures you were forced to endure, but some of us were forced to fight the Brotherhood of Shadow head-on. Fight people we knew…. So don't think for a moment that Sareena has had it easy while you have suffered. "
Kia and Jataaka were about to respond, much to Sareena's dismay. Seeing her new friend and the friends she'd abandoned argue like this made her feel terrible. Luckily however, Jade decided to take charge of the situation:
"Enough," she said firmly. "Arguing will get us nowhere. We must work together if we are to evade Raiden's forces."
"Ladies, I hate to interrupt, but I think we have an opening," said Stryker, unholstering his gun in case things got messy. "You ready?"
The five women nodded.
"Good," Stryker responded. "Now let's go!"
With that, the group leaped out of the trench and began running for their very lives.
"Hey, you there, stop!" shouted a Seidan Guardsman.
"More of these blasted, cultists," Hotaru observed. "After them!"
"Wait!" demanded Raiden, taking a moment to get a good look at the escaping group.
His two former allies couldn't help but look back at him momentarily. Alas, they kept running all the same.
"J-Jade? Kurtis Stryker?" Raiden questioned. He couldn't believe it, seeing them both alive.
"Lord Raiden, I can dispatch my men to deal with these escapees," Hotaru offered. "Perhaps if a few of these cyborgs help we can catch them before they get very far."
"Desist, Hotaru," Raiden requested. "Let them go."
"But-"
"Let. Them. Go." Raiden interrupted, his red eyes boring into Hotaru as if he were observing his very soul.
"Very well," Hotaru acquiesced. "But what of the ones we've captured?"
"The Special Forces can hold them in Earthrealm," Hanzo suggested. "Or perhaps your Orderrealm can contain them."
"No," Raiden shot back. "There will be no prisoners on this day."
Hotaru knew what was coming next, and began lining up the surviving cultists for summary execution.
"Raiden, you can't be serious!" yelled Hanzo. "You would merely execute them?"
"The battle is won," Peron pointed out. "There's no point in spilling further blood."
"Agreed, they are beaten." added Aqua.
"The Brotherhood of Shadow is partially responsible for the death of the original Shirai Ryu… of your family," Raiden reminded Hanzo, in spite of the fact that he didn't need reminding and likely never would. "Or have you somehow forgotten? They are a blight upon all the realms and will dealt with as such. They are no better than the Black Dragon or Red Dragon in Earthrealm."
The mention of the fate of Hanzo's family caught the attention of Dairou, who had suffered similarly, but he decided to hold his tongue.
"I allowed vengeance to control me once," Hanzo admitted. "It cost many others their ability to be restored to life. Or have you forgotten?"
"I need no reminding of what befell them," Raiden growled. "It is because of their deaths that I must do what needs to be done. I had thought you understood, Hanzo Hasashi."
"I do understand," Hanzo argued. "I understand more than most, but Raiden-"
"Lord Raiden." The Thunder God corrected.
"This battle is won! This war is won!" Hanzo continued undeterred. "This was the last respite of the Brotherhood of Shadow. They are beaten. Why cause them further suffering?"
"Because every second these insane fanatics are alive is a second they are allowed to pose a threat to innocent lives," Raiden responded. "And I will not allow that."
"So you would just wipe them out?" Hanzo asked. "As Quan Chi wiped out my clan?"
Lightning began crackling in Raiden's eyes. "Do not dare compare me to Quan Chi, Hanzo Hasashi! You are not the only one who has suffered loss because of that blasted sorcerer!"
"I…" Hanzo quickly realized that his comparison may have been uncalled for. "I am sorry. I know you could never be as cruel as that monster."
"Enough of this," Raiden decided. "Take your clan and return to Earthrealm. You will be summoned when you are needed."
"The Shirai Ryu are not subject to your every whim," interjected Peron. "We agreed to help, not be at your beckon call."
"I will leave when I have your word," said Hanzo. "That no more blood will be shed on this day."
Raiden nodded.
"Alright then," Hanzo decided. "Peron, Aqua, gather the others. It's time to go."
Raiden utilized his divine powers to open a portal, allowing Hanzo and his Shirai Ryu to enter through it and return to Earthrealm. Once they had departed, the portal closed, leaving only Raiden, the Seidan Guard, the Tekunin, and their prisoners.
"Kill them," Raiden immediately ordered. "Kill them all."
"Did you not just say-" Hotaru started.
"That was only to maintain Hanzo Hasashi's loyalty," Raiden explained. "He need not know the truth."
"If I may be so bold," spoke the enigmatic Tekunin Grandmaster. "Entrusting this important task to the Shirai Ryu may be illogical."
"I care not for your disdain for Hanzo Hasashi's clan," Raiden said frankly. "He is my ally and will be treated with respect. That does not however mean I will allow his weaknesses to cloud my judgement."
"Perhaps he has a point," argued Dairou. "Going this far seems rather excessive."
"That is not your place to decide, mercenary," Raiden said spitefully. "Do as you are told and you will receive your promised reward."
"I may only be here under contract," Dairou admitted. "But I-"
"Do not make your loyalty a purchase that I come to regret." Raiden warned.
Dairou fell silent. He didn't like this arrangement much at all, but he knew better than to incur the Thunder God's wrath.
"Shall we begin the executions, Lord Raiden?" asked Hotaru.
"No, please-" begged one of the cultists, only to be punched by Hotaru, who looked to Raiden for his final answer.
Raiden nodded with a baneful red glare at the cultists.
That was all the confirmation they needed.
Escaping the siege of their temple and now the slaughter that was unfolding had been no simple task, but somehow, Siann, Mika, and Sora had managed it. They thought the few Seidan Guard and Shirai Ryu they'd killed along the way wouldn't be missed. They were wrong, but none of that mattered at the moment. Only running. Getting as far away from Raiden and his forces as possible.
But where would they even go? The Netherrealm was a vast domain, and now they had nothing to call home, no group to belong to, no master to serve. They were aimless.
How fortunate then, that the three demons would run face-first into a new purpose.
The three kept running until just ahead of them they saw a towering behemoth of a being. The Demon General, Belokk.
They were familiar with Belokk. Familiar enough to be terrified of him. They knew he had risen shortly after Shinnok's fall and waged a warpath throughout the Netherrealm since. He was known to particularly target the Brotherhood of Shadow, carrying a hatred for them not dissimilar from Raiden's.
A hatred the three expected to experience firsthand as they met most painful ends indeed….
Until Belokk spoke...
"You managed to escape the Thunder God's onslaught," Belokk observed. "Impressive. Most impressive."
"U-Umm… thanks?" Sora stammered.
"Normally I would not associate with followers of Shinnok," Belokk admitted. "However given the circumstances, I believe the talents of you three would be most useful."
"And what might those circumstances be?" asked Siann, still assessing the situation.
"Pretenders sit upon the Netherrealm's throne," Belokk explained. "Earthrealmers and Orderrealmers make brazen attacks on this realm, arrogantly presuming that they know best. A sense of stability must be restored. Surely, the three of you know this."
"We have indeed observed the chaos that has spread throughout the Netherrealm since Lord Shinnok's defeat," Siann acknowledged. "Well, more chaos than usual anyway."
"And Quan Chi…" Mika added.
"That is why it is paramount that the Netherrealm's true monarch rises once more," Belokk continued. "And reclaim what was stolen from him by your 'Lord', Shinnok."
"Stolen?" Siann asked. "Lord Shinnok is the one true ruler of this realm. If you intend to bring about his return, we will aid you, but we will not aid any other party in ascending to the throne. That is why we refused to bend the knee to those revenants."
"Yes, the corpses animated by Shinnok's magic," Belokk recalled. "They are our primary obstacle. At least, as far as internal threats are concerned."
"What do you mean?" asked Sora.
"The Earthrealm Thunder God will be a problem," Belokk elaborated. "You have witnessed his wrath firsthand."
"He wears our Lord's amulet like some mere trophy," Siann said disdainfully. "We will gladly aid in his downfall."
"I care not for your zealous devotion to that fallen god," Belokk responded. "In fact, I can show you a far greater master than he."
The three cultists scoffed at the mere notion. What master of the Netherrealm could possibly surpass Shinnok?
Suddenly, another being materialized just behind Belokk. He had the appearance of a thin man in occult attire, although not that of the Brotherhood of Shadow. His strangest feature however, was that he had the head of a goat. The head of a goat and glowing white eyes that seemed to peer into the very soul.
"This is Baphomet," Belokk introduced. "An Elder Demon."
"Elder Demon?" asked Mika and Sora in unison.
"I would have to concur with my associates," said Siann. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Baphomet is one of the oldest creatures to inhabit the Netherrealm," Belokk explained. "He has existed centuries before you or I."
"Greetings, children." spoke Baphomet in his strangely ethereal voice.
"Is this 'Elder Demon' the master you speak of?" asked Siann.
"Oh no my child, I am but a mere messenger," Baphomet explained humbly. "A harbinger of the Lord of Hell's will."
"Then we still don't know who your 'Lord of Hell' is," Siann decided. "And what makes them superior to Lord Shinnok as you claim."
"That is what I am here to show you, my child," Baphomet clarified. "I have seen this realm's history for a very long time. Why, I remember when your precious Shinnok first came to power. But today is not about Shinnok, no no. Today is about our master."
"Get on with it Baphomet," Belokk instructed. "Show them the truth."
"Yes, you've made bold claims," agreed Siann. "Now we need evidence."
Without another word, Baphomet walked up to the three. He seemed to examine them for a moment, before evidently deciding to begin.
"Now my children, you may experience some…. Discomfort." Baphomet warned.
"What do you mean?" asked Sora.
"Is it going to hurt?" Mika added.
"No, not pain," Baphomet assured. "Something more… complicated than that."
Suddenly, Baphomet's white eyes glowed with a brighter intensity, and began to swirl like some hypnotic device. The world around the three demons started to become distorted and strange.. strange even for the hellish Netherrealm. It was as if they were being thrown into another world.
"Now," spoke Baphomet.
"Let me tell you about the Master of Sin, and the one true ruler of this realm..."