The sounds of metal clinking against a solid steel shelf awoke Kano with a start. His eyes bulged, and they both darted frantically around his current location. The walls of the darkly lit space he was contained in were covered in dirt, and grime. A small window brought in a glimmering ray of sunlight that reached it's way towards Kano. A long row of large, wooden barrels identified his position instantly. He was in the cellar of his favorite place to kick back, and relax. He was inside the secure walls of the Dragon Tooth bar cellar.
"Easy there big guy, you'll rip your wound back open." Came a female's voice. Kano looked over to his left towards a long, ground level, metal shelf to see a girl with long black hair, and a frame of a supermodel looking at him as she leaned her back against the sturdy shelf. After realizing that he was in no danger, Kano craned his head behind him to see that he was laid up against a thick metal sheet of wall, that was lowered down from the ceiling, and dug itself all the way into the ground . His arms were cuffed to his sides to prevent him from falling forward. Kano was shirtless, and his hairy torso was resting upon the wall, thus giving him cold chills throughout his entire body. He looked back at the girl who was leaning against the shelf.
"Get me down from here Tasia." Kano demanded impatiently as he wiggled his wrists around. The girl named Tasia smiled, and grabbed the cuff keys that were laying next to an assortment of metallic surgery objects that were lightly coated in blood. She made her way over to Kano, and slowly unchained him from his position. As she did this Kano grabbed both of his wrist, and popped both of them with a fast jerking motion. He would also shift his neck from side to side as he cracked that too. After slowly freeing Kano from his restraints, The woman named Tasia began to speak.
"Be careful moving around. That wound's freshly patched." Tasia warned as she stood in close to Kano. She began rubbing her fingers around in his chest hair. She was drawing perfect circles, and leaving lines. Kano ignored her movements, and pulled away from her. Tasia's eyes followed him around the cellar like an animal stalking it's prey.
"How bad was it?" Kano asked as he reached a hand over his shoulder to feel the smooth covering that Tasia had placed over his bullet wound.
"Not as bad as Jarek was making it out to be. He acted as if you'd been shot from point blank. There wasn't a hole, only fragments from a bullet. All I had to do was take them out, and stop the bleeding." Tasia said eyeing Kano's back sensually. Kano caught this, and turned his attention back to his wound.
"But the cocksucker did shoot me from point blank." Kano spoke sounding confused by the fact that he only had some bullet fragments inside of him. Tasia gave a small chuckle at Kano's confusion.
"Well then he either has a really shitty gun, or you have the best luck in the world!" She laughed out to him. Kano didn't laugh at all. This was no laughing matter to him. He about died the night before, and maybe he should have. He was so dumb for allowing himself to be found out so easily. He got all of those people in that nightclub killed. His mind would never allow him to forget that. He was alive though, and no matter how unready he felt, the Black Dragon needed a leader, and Kano needed his revenge. The nightclub incident only made his rage for Mavado grow stronger. He would never rest the same again until Mavado was brutalized in the most violent way possible, then made to suffer slowly, before being murdered by his own hands.
"I'll reckon it's the first one. My luck's been nothing but shit as of late." Kano said with a frown, as he lowered his head down to face the cracking cement floor.
"Maybe, but you're still here. That's gotta stand for something." Tasia noticed his sorrowed filled look, and began to move even closer.
"Yeah, maybe." He said in a wondering whisper.
Give me my shirt" Kano commanded before she could move in again. Tasia looked very annoyed by his demand, but turned that annoyance into an act of confidence.
"Oh? but you look so hot out of it. You don't really need that thing do you? I'll take mine off if it'll help make you feel more comfortable?" She spoke in a sexy tone as she leaned in, and kissed Kano's chest lightly. She looked back up into his eyes to see if her acts were working on him, and to her surprise it wasn't.
"My shirt?" He pleaded with both of his eyebrows raised. With this Tasia gave out a disappointed groan, and backed away from Kano hesitantly. She made her way behind the metal wall, and from behind it she appeared with Kano's red T-shirt in her hands. She tossed it over to him, and he threw it over his head, and placed his arms through the pockets. His head poked through the shirt, and his hair was made a mess. Knowing this Kano shooed Tasia back, as she began to make her way back to him to fix it.
"So yeah, thanks for patching me up mate." Kano thanked Tasia as he felt the covering of his wound getting caught against the fabric of his shirt.
"It wasn't free, I think the correct price for taking care of that would be a kiss...or maybe something a little more." She replied as she leaned in, and pouted her lips.
"You just don't give up do you? I'm really just not in the mood right now Tasia." Kano was getting beyond annoyed now with Tasia's persistence to make love to him. Usually Kano had no issues with sexing up Tasia, as they had done it over a dozen times in this cellar alone. Kano, and Tasia used to run down here away from the rest of the clan, and rip into each other. Out of sight of Kano's father purposely. They were only caught one time, and it was Kabal who caught them, as he was looking for Kano to help him with some maintenance. Kano recalled laughing when he was caught, and what made it even funnier was that Kabal said no words when he found them out. He just scuttled away instantly, and would later pretend that he never saw anything.
"What do you expect from me Kano?" Tasia spoke bitterly at his words. She was the one backing away now, and she did so with anger.
"I haven't heard a thing from you in weeks! You didn't even send me one letter! I've been alone here shut up in my room planing for Mavado's attacks that never came!" Tasia bellowed out to him. Kano was now really confused by her sudden rage of emotion.
"We both agreed that this relationship would be no strings attached Tasia! Don't tell me you have feelings now! We both know that this isn't how we work! Why all of a sudden do you care so much? We've always been friends with benefits, nothing more! If you were so lonely why not just invite Jarek up to your room?" Kano spit back as he suddenly figured out what this had all become about. Tasia smiled at him widely as he mentioned Jarek's name.
"Jarek? Come on, if I'm gonna sleep with anybody I wouldn't let it be someone in our friend circle." She shook her head.
"We're friends before anything else Tasia. Now you've got me scared to sleep with you anymore, because I can't trust that you won't have feelings afterwards." Kano implied with a look of great disappointment.
"No, no you're right. I get that... Listen I just got caught up in all this war stuff. Any day could be my last, and it's been getting to me, and I forgot for a second where we stand... I remember now. We won't have another talk about any of this." Informed Tasia who even seemed to be in disbelief at what she even had said. Kano licked his lips quickly, and nodded at the fact that she regained her understanding of her role.
"Good. Where's Kira?" Kano asked trying to change the subject. Tasia looked up at him nervously as he asked this.
" Why?" She asked with a disgusted scowl.
"She's in the bar." She spoke quietly afterwards. After hearing her answer Kano turned for the door.
"If you could, send me all the reports about Mavado's men that you've written down. I'm gonna need those suckers for later." Kano said before leaving through the cellar door. He walked down the murky hallway that led to a slowly rotting staircase that was leading upwards into the bar. Kano carefully made his way up the stairs, and took a deep breath at the top of them as he took in a view that he hadn't seen for so long.
The Dragon Tooth bar was one of the most fancy bars in all of New York City. The bar has been passed over from clan leader to clan leader for over a hundred, and fifty years. This bar was the hub for any Black Dragon members to come, and share a drink with their comrades. Important meetings, and events had taken place in the leader's headquarters over the years, and Kano himself had been of importance enough to attend such meetings with his father. It was here where the decision to align with the Special Forces took place, and though at the time many disagreed with the terms, and ideas of teaming with the government force, it turned out to be the best alliance the Black Dragon has ever known. The bar was also the location where Kano's father declared the clan's second war with the Red Dragon. A war that is slowly turning out to end up much like the first. It was well known to the world that the Black Dragon clan was created as a spin off of the Red Dragon faction. Kano's great-great grandfather was a high ranking officer in the Red Dragon, who were much different in their time. They were much like the Black Dragon of today. They stole from the government, and the corrupted. They hardly ever killed, and when such situations occurred when they did it was usually when they were at war with lower level gangs, and mobs who were murdering innocents for their incomes.
Needless to say that things changed around that time, and Kano's great-great grandfather would gather up a few loyal allies, and his son to attempt to bring the Red Dragon back to it's old school ways. This caused a rebellion that sparked the first war. Kano's great-great grandfather would create what would be the foundation of the Black Dragon, and once he was killed by the Red Dragon leader Daegon, his son would lead the future Black Dragon forces. He overtook the Dragon Tooth bar which once served as a small base for the Red Dragon faction, and now it stands as the Black Dragon's main residence as a reminder of how even the mighty could be brought down if even only for a short amount of time. Once Kano's great grandfather was killed, Kano's grandfather ended the horrible war that caused him to lose both his grandfather, and father. He signed a peace treaty between the two, and the Red Dragon leader Daegon allowed the Black Dragon to keep the Dragon Tooth as gift. Kano's grandfather would then end his leadership, and even talked of ending the clan all together, but Kano's father wouldn't allow that. He took the mantle, and reluctantly served Daegon's mafia for quite a while. Kano blames himself for what sparked the second war. If only he hadn't been such a rebellious troublemaker. Both he, and Kabal caused so many issues between Kano's father, and Daegon that it wasn't much of a surprise when the Red Dragon asked for Kano's head. Kano's father wouldn't allow that, and that's what caused the second war to begin. Now Kano's father retired, and this left Kano to deal with the mess that he had made for himself. Being a Black Dragon leader often ended in two ways. Retirement, or death, and Kano wanted neither, but you can't always get what you wanted, and this knowledge terrified him to no end. In times of war it's important to surround yourself with people you can trust, and that number was getting smaller, and smaller everyday. There was only four people Kano would ever trust his life to. Jarek, Tasia, and Kabal. They were always with him for the good, and the bad, and this was the biggest test the four of them have ever gone through. The four childhood friends had each grown up for this precise situation.
As Kano scanned the bar he saw dozens of people sitting around the area. The pub was bright, and very neatly put together. Clan members were all gathered around into groups. Some were enjoying themselves at booths. Others were sitting in long rows on stools that had been placed along the outer side of the bar stand. Some of the faces Kano had seen didn't look so joyful. Kano knew that the clan had lost some good people just the day before. They lost their brothers, and sisters at arms, and they lost them all strictly because of him. It made Kano feel miserable, but he couldn't let himself stay focused on those feelings. He knew that this now constant anger for the Red Dragon would be his people's driving force for continuing, instead of their feelings of blame that could be aimed at him. As Kano moved further away from the staircase, and out into the bar he was spotted by Kira, who was sitting at one of the booths all alone. She bolted up from her seat, and moved quickly over to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him in tightly for a squeezing hug.
"You okay?" Kano asked as he stood there patting her shoulder.
"No." She cried out in a weep.
"The things you did! The things I did! Kano I..I killed somebody, and you... you gouged a man's eyes out!" Kira sounded almost disgusted with both of them, but still she held on tightly.
He understood her feelings of disgust. He really did. It was no doubt her first ever kill, and Kano knew how bad the first one always was. He remembered seeing the faces of other Black Dragon members who first killed someone. Some were never the same again. Kano remembered his first kill to this day, and it's always the one that haunts his dreams. Kano was sixteen, and while he was a very rebellious trouble starter, he still had traces of innocence within him. He was a lot more light humored in those times, before his first kill. It changed him as it should to anybody unfortunate enough to have to take another's life. Kano was shadowing his father for a weapon's dealing one day, and Kano thought nothing of how bad things would go. He thought it would be a normal day of training. Training for the role he was destined to one day take over. That wasn't the case. Kano, his father, his father's now deceased favorite general Tremor, along with many other nameless faces arrived at the weapon's deal to find out easily that it was a setup for a hit on all of them. Kano's father's men eliminated all of them in a shoot out, and saved the last one remaining for Kano himself to deal with. Kano remembered his father telling him that sometimes things like this were part of the job, and that Kano needed the experience for this situation. So Kano's father had Tremor break the man's legs, and arms in front of him, and left him a broken man laying on the ground. Kano's father would then hand Kano a smooth, black pistol, and told him to shoot the man's brains out of his skull. Kano remembered the man's cries of mercy, and the look on his face. The look of knowing that his life was over. He remembered hesitating when pulling the trigger, but he did it. The bullet entered, and Kano shielded his face with his free hand. The worst thing about it was that Kano's father seemed proud of him for doing it. He did the right thing. It was acceptable to do such a horrible act. The one, and only thing Kano's father wasn't thrilled about was the fact that Kano had shielded his face. His father stole his innocence, but he wasn't wrong. Kano would need the experience. Kano never got along well with his father, but he respected him for what he would teach him.
"Listen to me when I say this Kira." Kano said rubbing his hand over her shoulder to do his best comfort her. He moved her body backwards a bit so that they could look into each other's eyes. Kano noticed that her's were red, and puffy as if she was up crying all night.
"They were gonna kill us darling.. You had to do that, I had to do that. Those things we did, they'd have no second thoughts about doing those exact same things to us." Kano's voice came with a sense of sincere soothing. Kira still seemed very shaken up by the events, and Kano's words were not fully putting her mind to ease.
"I saw Johnny die! Kano he was my hero! He was the one person who got me through everything bad in my life, and I saw him get shot down!, and you! I thought you'd died too! I thought you'd died saving some troubled waitress like me! How could I have lived with myself if you had?" Kira broke down in tears as she exclaimed with all of her heart. That was the first time Kano had heard someone other than Kabal say something like that, and mean it. Kano always thought his life was the least valuable out of anyone. He was always told how important it was that he lived, but it was never out of emotion. He always got the "you're the next in the bloodline" treatment, but he hardly ever got that type of genuine reaction for his safety. He didn't know if he liked the feeling it brought, or not.
"I know Kira, I knew him for a short period, and he was a good guy." Kano said thinking back on his, and Johnny's time at the tournament, and then flashing forward to where the life of him had been shot out.
"As for me, you don't have to worry about me. I have close calls like those all the time. It's what I'm known for around here. I'm not just Kano, I'm Kano "The Survivor". It's my gift." Kano tried to joke slightly with her in an attempt to make her lighten up at least a little, but it didn't work.
"It doesn't get closer than that! That should've been it! It's like God is keeping you here for a reason, and eventually that reason will expire! What happens after that! Kira argued Kano's thought on the matter. It seemed she believed it was more than luck that he survived.
"My God left me a long time ago." Kano said this as he thought about how Raiden hasn't been around since the tournament.
"Apparently not." She rebutted not sounding convinced by Kano's statement.
"Just be more careful from now on please?" She asked with a plead. Kano shook his head slightly.
"You're right I need to be, but you have to understand. I'm caught in a war with a lot of very horrible assholes. You saw those fucks last night. They want my head, they want my buddy's heads. I have to do everything I can to end this. The danger won't end if I don't end it myself." Kano explained his current situation.
"Just know that you can't end this war if you're dead." She said to him as warning of how reckless he'd been. Kano listened to her words carefully, and looked down already knowing how careless he had been.
"There you two are!" The voice of Jarek came from the right of them. His hair was buzzed short, and colored brown. He was wearing a plain tan vest, and a pair of green cargo pants that clashed well with it. His eyes were brown, and his jawline was very chiseled. He walked up to them with a thick mug filled with alcohol resting loosely in his grasp.
"Gave us quite the scare there Kano. It's good to see that you're not super fucked up." Jarek joyed as he placed an arm around Kano, and attempted to hand him the mug. Kano declined the drink by shaking his head to the offer. With that Jarek downed the drink in one gulp.
"I'm just thankful you showed up in time mate." Kano said, and turned his head to smile at his dear friend.
"Well I had to put my drink down, and just pray to God that I didn't get pulled over on my way to get you." Jarek joked in a deep voice. Kano got the joke instantly, and gave a small chuckle, but Kira didn't understand so Jarek looked at her, and explained.
"If I was in jail for a DUI I wouldn't have been able to pick you guys up you see?" Kira didn't give the joke any reaction, and this kinda got to Jarek, and he looked over at Kano for reassurance.
"Was the joke that bad?" He asked as he gritted his teeth, and raised his eyebrows.
"She just went through a lot last night mate." Kano assured him as he looked over from Kira back to Jarek. With that Jarek became more straight faced, and placed the mug down.
"I gotcha, she just scored her first one." Jarek implied by the emotionless look on her face.
"Yeah." Kano replied rubbing his head, and looking sideways at the polished wood below him.
"Say no more." Jarek said shifting his body to give Kano more space.
"How's your room? Is everything to your liking?" Jarek asked her carefully.
"It's fine." She said simply.
"Good, good." Jarek answered in a now awkward conversation.
"I've still been planning our little side operation Kano." Jarek said shifting his full attention to his friend.
"Are we close?" Kano asked hurriedly. If this is what Kano thought it was he wanted to hear this with all of his heart's content.
"Very, I'd go as far to say that operation rescue Kabal is ready to be carried out." The two of them shared identically wide grins at Jarek's words.
"That's great news! Give me the info, and we'll do the job tomorrow!" Kano was almost overjoyed to hear the plan to free Kabal from Special Forces custody.
"So, we needed a way to do this without pissing off our allies right? We know that breaking the law in their jurisdiction will cause nothing, but trust issues between us, and will damn near guarantee that our alliance ends, so that rules out a straight out assault, and freeing. So the plan will have to be to go undercover, and slip him a key. We need to frame an agent, and make it look like they forgot, or just got lazy to seal up his cell." Jarek explained his plan to perfection, and Kano was into the ideal all together.
"I'll be the one to do it. I'll be the undercover." Kano nominated himself straight away for the task at hand. Jarek didn't seem to key on the idea of using Kano for the role, however.
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea." Jarek objected.
"Why's that mate?" Kano sounded almost disappointed at Jarek's quick response to shut that idea down.
"Well there are multiple reasons if I'm being honest. For one your Australian verbiage is a clear give away, two we can't afford to keep putting you out in the field in times like this, and lastly you're not really the quietest person in the world." Jarek expressed.
"I bet you can't tell me one man who could do this job better though, can you mate? I've got a lot of personal reasons for needing this operation done, and there is no way I'll fuck this up." Kano argued in response.
"I get that, I really do. I know how personal it is for all of us to get Kabal out of there, and bring him home, but that's the reason none of us are going to get in there. We can't risk either you, me, or Tasia getting too emotional for our own good." Jarek corrected, and to Kano his points kinda made sense. Kano knew the first thing he'd do when he saw Kabal would be to give him the biggest hug he's ever given.
"I'll do it." Kira said simply, and with no hints of insecurities. Her words made both of the two friends look at her in shock.
"I don't think you're gonna wanna do this." Kano assured her, as he himself didn't feel confident with sending her out into the field.
"Actually Kano, I don't know if that'd be a bad idea." Jarek agreed as his eyes sized her up.
"Whoa there mate. You can't be serious? She's only seven-teen" Kano enforced as he remembered Kira's relatively young age.
"Look at her for a minute just a minute, and put your worries away Kano. She's paper thin. She'll easily go unnoticed." Jarek pointed out her small frame. Kano formed a toothy smile, and shook his head as technically he shared Jarek's thoughts on that opinion.
"I mean I guess, but she's so inexperienced." Kano laughed shortly. With that Jarek retorted.
"Well, It's not like we're asking her to go in there, and fight off thirty Special Forces agents. All she has to do is slip Kabal a key, and frame somebody." Jarek explained in a way to show that the job wasn't impossibly difficult to pull off.
"Kira you're sure about this? This is massive trouble you're dealing with. We're talking fifty years at the least here." Kano warned her instantly. Kano knew how dreadful the risks were, but his whole life he had grown up knowing that jail time was just another part of the job. Kira didn't grow up in the same life that Kano, and all of his buddies had. He didn't really want to risk her getting caught and squealing about the operation, and who was involved. Even the people who seem the most loyal can turn out to be rats.
"I can handle it. I've done worse than this. Plus, remember what I told you Kano. You can't take the risks you like to take anymore." She recalled. Kano bit his lip in frustration, and lowered his head again, knowing that she was pretty much right.
"Fine. It's settled Jarek I'm going to trust you to inform her about the plan, and make sure she's well suited for the task before we send her out there, alright mate?" Kano asked as he turned his attention back to Jarek with full seriousness.
"Have I ever let you down before?" Jarek asked with the smile. If only Jarek knew how clumsy he could be sometimes. Kano has known him for over ten years. Jarek's father was a trusted member of the Black Dragon dating back to when Kano's father had just started his leadership of the clan. Jarek was Kano's oldest friend as their fathers, along with Kabal's were all good buddies back before Kano's father took power over the clan. Jarek was always good at going unnoticed out in the field, but when it came to basic everyday activities Jarek would often be the guy who wasn't prepared for situations such as planning, and focusing on what's important. He was often stuck in his own little mindset that he knew everything already, but when he'd go into the field he was often completely clueless about how to achieve his objectives . He was just really good at making split decisions in the heat of the moment.
"I'm not saying you have, but just make sure you tell her every little detail. Make sure you go over all the possibilities, and objectives." Kano replied with a teasing grin in response.
"I've got this boss." Jarek finished before walking to stand beside Kira.
"Right, I'm about to head up to the war room for a bit, and go over some paperwork. I need to find a lead on where Kenshi is, and how much danger he's in. If anybody needs me just knock." Kano explained before walking away from the pair of them.
"Alright, talk to you later." Kira called out to him. Kano walked past the bar locals, who all had their eyes focused in his direction as he headed into a long hallway. He reached the last door all the way at the end, and noticed that the golden Black Dragon shield that always hung from the door was still dangling there. He opened the door to see the familiar office that at the same time felt so unfamiliar to him. He hadn't been in there since the day his father told him about the Mortal Kombat tournament. It had changed a lot since then. All of Kano's father's personal belongings had been removed, leaving the shelves that were filled with his father's trophies now resting empty. The room suddenly gave him a sense of loneliness. As much as Kano disliked his father, he always felt safe with him around, and now he was gone, and all that remained was the feeling of unwanted exposure. An attack could happen any day, and now Kano felt wide open for those attacks. Kano had many memories from this room. He remembered a lot of important meetings that went on in here. He also remembered the day he punched his father here. Kano had enough of his father's shit one day. He, and Kabal had just been attacked by Mavado's men, and almost met their ends that night of the broken weapons dealing, that showed the Red Dragon that Kano wasn't going to be threatened so easily with the hit put out on him. Kano's father cared more about the fact that they took all the guys out, and that they were almost caught, rather than their own safety itself. Kano's rage was almost uncontrollable. He knew right there that he was ready to take over the clan. One hot headed situation brought him into this world of war, and death. He did honor his father though, and stole a very expensive diamond from Shang Tsung's island to show that he was ready.
Kano made his way over to the massive, polished wooden table that stood in the center of the room. He placed his hand over the back end of the small chair that laid at the end of the table. He was lost in thought. His mind kept shuffling through all the old memories this room brought, but then he heard a loud sound he had heard before. There was a sound of crackling, and a white flash that almost blinded him as he caught a glance of it from the other end of the table. The flash faded almost as soon as it came, and standing in the after math was the God of thunder Raiden. The person that Kano hated the most in the world at that point. He was in shock at first, but quickly turned that shock into rage.
"Greetings Kano." Raiden spoke casually. He was looking a lot different from the tournament. He looked like some peasant farmer that you'd see out working the fields from some distant Chinese era. He was wearing an all white clothed shirt that was trimmed with black around the collar, and sleeves. His straw hat laid perfectly on his head, and his white hair was long, and reached the lower base of his spine. His eyes were glossed over, and looked white.
"Greetings?" Kano asked in awe of his sudden appearance. His tone was not polite.
"It's been three weeks with no words, and all you've got is greetings!" Kano spat as he pushed the small chair over. It landed with a loud thud. Kano made his way aggressively over to Raiden who locked eyes with him as he did so. Kano grabbed him forcefully by the scruff of his collar. He threw a hard fist across his face, that knocked his hat straight from his head. Raiden showed the attack no signs of effects.
"Allow me to explain." Raiden insisted calmly. After saying this, Kano threw another fist across his face, and again Raiden showed that the strike had no affects on him.
"No save it! I don't need to hear your bullshit excuses as for why you didn't show! Have you even seen what we've been doing? All the shit we're going through!" Kano shouted bitterly as he again threw another fist across the thunder God's face.
"Indeed I have." Raiden spoke. Kano gritted his teeth in absolute anger.
"Oh..Oh you have? Then fine, tell me why you haven't done a god damn thing to help us!" Kano managed to growl as the veins in his head began to find their way pressed against his forehead. He deep down actually wanted to know why the protector of Earth didn't lift his fucking fingers to help out the people who fought, and almost died for him.
"I have aided you in more ways than you understand Kano." Raiden smoothed over the best he could. Kano didn't believe a fucking word he said.
"Every single god damn thing that has gone good is because of me! I'm the one who had to gather everyone back together, and try to form a fucking plan! I'm the one who's out there fighting for my life every single god damn day, just trying to survive for the day that we're invaded where I might fucking die anyway! So you listen here you son of a bitch! Don't paint yourself as some holy figure who did all of that! I did it! I did it alone, and without anybody's help!" Kano screamed at him. He gave a snug push, and forced Raiden away from him.
"Yes you have. You were the only person to gather everyone back together. You have done all you can to aid Earthrealm, and I am grateful beyond words at your efforts to assist in something that does not only involve yourself. I have not given up on Earthrealm much like how you have not. I have been occupied with other tasks to aid in our coming war with Outworld. Tasks that only I can accomplish." Raiden informed as he continued to keep his eyes locked with Kano's.
"Like how? You didn't do a god damn thing when Kabal's brother was being killed, you haven't helped in getting him released from prison, and you sure as hell didn't help Johnny Cage right before he got his fucking brains blown out right in front of me!" Kano recalled all of the times Raiden had been absent.
"Kabal's situation is something I am not allowed to involve myself with. As a god, and protector of Earthrealm I cannot overstep my boundaries with human nature. I can only interact with Earthrealms warrior's safety. My absence from certain situations were due to me pleading with the Elder Gods. I pleaded with them to place a protective boarder around my chosen warriors, and that plead was granted." Raiden explained informatively.
"What do you mean?" Kano was confused by these words.
"Due to my actions the Elder Gods have placed a protective barrier on all of my chosen Earthrealm warriors. I have ensured all of your lives at least until Shao Kahn's invasion begins. You cannot die until Shao Kahn steps foot in Earthrealm." Raiden finished. Kano thought for a moment. That would explain why the bullet fragments were the only thing found in his body. The bullet ricocheted off of his body, and the flash was fromthe barrier being struck. Raiden was telling the truth. He was watching over all of them. This brought another thought into his head.
"So then by what you're telling me, Johnny-" Kano began before he was cut off by Raiden's words.
"Johnny Cage is indeed very much still alive."
(I finished this late last night, and left a few errors I needed to fix.)