"That's enough Mavado. I'll hear no more of it. It's done." Daegon spoke greatly annoyed at his second in command. Both Daegon, and Mavado were both located in Daegon's heavily secreted, and absolutely private headquarters. No one other than those two have ever stepped foot in this room. Daegon was never keen on having a second in command before Mavado, but one day he came to the realization that even he couldn't do everything on his own. As much as he hated to admit it, he was no fool he was only a half god. The only power he had was that of immortality. Meaning he had to forever live with the shame his Earthrealm mother had brought upon him. An act of cruelty by the Elder Gods themselves. Daegon's quarters were not as fancy as the legends made it out to be. He has been worshipped as a godly being for so long that even he had times where he had gotten tired of it. This quarter was just one of many that he owned. While some were lavish, and made fit for a god, this one was consisted of mostly black marble walls, with Red Dragon sculptures, and engravings carved into them. In the center of the room was a purple portal stone he often used to teleport from place to place. Flame torches lit the room in a magical, smokeless brightness. A marble table was nearby, and a massive bed was found in the very back of the room. Mavado was seated at the table, and was chewing on a massive steak that bled a little with each bite.

"I'm just sayin'." Mavado mumbled with a mouth full. "I'd rather not waste my life walking through a dead Outworld." He finished. Daegon was standing away from the table, and was staring at one of the dragon engravings in the marble.

"Tell me, where did you picture yourself staying after Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm?" Daegon asked curiously without taking a glance over to his second in command. Mavado was silent for a second as he swallowed a bit of his steak. He started cutting into the meat again before speaking.

"Seido probably. At least there I won't get gutted in my sleep." Mavado replied taking another large sloppy piece into his mouth. Daegon always figured Mavado was an utter fool, but at least he was good at his job, at least until recently.

"What happens when Shao Kahn decides he wants to conquer Seido as well you fool?" Daegon turned his head over to look at Mavado who was now looking at Daegon very seriously. Daegon sensed that Mavado had finally put it all together. It was about time.

"See now I'm starting to think we should just betray, and murder him. Why in the Elder God's names would we ever align with someone so against our livelihood?" Mavado asked pushing aside his finished plate. Mavado was so out of the loop that his question made complete sense to Daegon. Daegon always prided himself in his mysterious ways. Even his second in command could never fully know what ends he was reaching for.

"I have powerful allies Mavado. Those even more powerful than Shao Kahn. All of this is just one big power play to put the rightful ruler in charge of the entirety of the realms." Daegon spoke without giving too much away. Mavado still didn't seem to fully understand what Daegon was talking about. Daegon was never surprised at that.

"You mean you right? You seem like the type to be in charge of all of reality." Mavado spoke as he rested his arms carefully in a crossed motion. Daegon turned to him, and looked very annoyed with his allies lack of focus.

"You think I want true power for myself?" Daegon asked mockingly as he turned away from Mavado coldly. Mavado squinted his eyebrows in confusion at his commander's mocking tone, and answered carefully. "Why wouldn't you? If given the power to control the entire world's destiny I find it hard to believe that anyone would turn down that chance to take it." Daegon signed at Mavado's response.

"That's what you would do Mavado. As someone who's seen what real power is, I've learned to understand that no mere man can handle, or attain such a feat. The power to control the entirety of the realms isn't meant for the likes of you, and I. We would both eventually go mad, and be locked within the confinements of own nightmares for all of an eternity." Daegon explained casually, and with little interest. Daegon felt Mavado's expressions shift to a slight anger as he had finally put a few pieces together of what Daegon was hinting at.

"No mere men you say? You're serving someone else. Please don't fucking tell me you've allied with the Elder Gods Daegon." Mavado called from his seat as he uncrossed his arms. Daegon gave a minor chuckle at Mavado's stupidity.

"No you idiot I've not allied myself with the Elder Gods. I have always served the one true God. The one that the Elder Gods have punished for being the only one able to do what was required to protect, and govern the realms." Said Daegon as he once again turned back to Mavado. Daegon saw that Mavado had finally understood. After ten years he had been finally let on to what Daegon had been planning for.

"You serve Shinnok. The devil of the Neatherrealm." Mavado whispered finally.

"He is no devil. He has always been the one destined to rule this world." Daegon corrected.

"Stories say Shinnok eats innocence, and rapes demons. How can a being that vile be worthy of such a fate?" Asked a horrified Mavado as he slumped back slightly in his chair.

"You know absolutely nothing when it comes to the world outside of Earthrealm. You've been so focused on this minor war with the Black Dragon that you've been blinded by what the Red Dragon's ambitions truly are." Daegon informed bitterly at Mavado's void knowledge of what Shinnok was actually like.

"Why would you waste our time with the Black Dragons at all if we're all meant to be on some holy conquest to bring Satan to rule? This war with Kano has brought me nothing but personal pain. Pain it sounds like was completely avoidable." Mavado spoke through gritted teeth. Daegon sensed Mavado's rising anger, and was angered himself by it.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me! Remember to whom you speak! This war with the Black Dragon is to make sure we remain a thriving force in Earthrealm, so that when Shinnok arrives to take it he'll have our forces at his call alongside his personal armies! We need the Black Dragon eliminated as to avoid them from draining our forces before Shinnok arrives! You are proving more, and more everyday that you are incomptnent as my second in command. You lost in the tournament and were captured and imprisoned, and you have so far failed to kill any one of the Black Dragon's figure heads all while losing dozens of men in skirmishes! If anyone here has a right to be angry it is I! I don't take failure lightly Mavado, and you're just about one mess up away from being buried in the ground alongside Hsu Hao!" Daegon barked to his underling, who was now sinking in his chair.

Daegon took a second in the long silence that followed his shouting, and regathered himself. "If we succeed in bringing Shinnok to power, and we both survive to that point you will be rewarded kindly for your service. Fail me again Mavado, and I fear you may have no use to me, and seeing as you know more about me than most, and you know that I am a very secretive, and a very private person, you know what will happen to you. Do you understand me?" Daegon warned sternly. Mavado now had his head dropped in intimidation. He would not even so much as look at Daegon.

"Yes sir." He replied silently, but Daegon had heard him, and the fear in his voice.

"Good" Daegon breathed coldly.

(Leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far. Also would like to thank those who've followed, and have favored the story. It means a lot, and I look forward to reaching the end of this story with you.)