Kabal found himself sitting beside Jarek, and Tasia at the Dragon Tooth's bar counter. Jarek had built up quite the buzz, while Kabal found himself looking down into his beer bottle. He felt at home, but it'd felt like his home had changed since he'd been locked away in the Special Force's prison. He could sense everyone's paranoia. They were just sitting around waiting for something drastic to happen. While he sensed the fearful expressions on their faces, he himself felt different. Almost like an outsider. He couldn't wait for something to happen. He was ready for either Mavado, or Shao Kahn to make their moves. He was excited about the prospect of gutting either one of them. He didn't know if it was the bottle talking, but he was extremely confident that he could end both the invasion, and this gang war in just two swipes of his hooked bladed swords.
"I wonder what's gonna go down when this Shao Kahn guy starts this thing." Jarek spoke before taking a long drag of his known favorite drink, the black tooth venom shot, a Dragontooth specialty of vanilla whiskey mixed with cream soda.
"Kano says he might have an actual dragon that can spit fire." Tasia added as she took a small sip of wine. Kabal turned his head over to their direction.
"A dragon huh? Such bullshit." Jarek chuckled as he took another drag of his whiskey.
"It's not bullshit." Kabal replied darkly. He saw both of their eyes dart towards him. Jarek's mouth formed a small smile.
"C'mon man. Dragons are stuff the nerds used to dork out about in like tenth grade." He brushed off Kabal's serious tone as some kind of joke.
"You guys weren't at the tournament. You didn't see the type of crazy shit we saw." Kabal responded as he turned away. While Kabal didn't exactly see a dragon at the tournament, he'd heard both Sonya, and Kano's accounts of fighting Goro, who was something like a half dragon. If they were packing something like a half dragon with four arms, then that mother fucker had to originate from something, and that didn't leave too many other options.
"Has anyone seen Kano around?" Tasia asked as she placed her wine glass down.
"He's probably off with the readhead somewhere." Jarek gulped his drink.
"He better not be." Tasia gritted her teeth. Kabal noticed her clutching her glass tightly.
"What's going on with you two lately?" Jarek asked from behind his cup.
"What do you mean?" Tasia sighed with a windy huff. Kabal watched as Jarek plopped his glass down on the counter top.
"Don't act like things haven't been weird since he's been back. I've seen how you two have been talking to each other. How you keep glaring over at Kira." Jarek spoke as he raised his eyebrows.
"I don't know what you're talking about. You're paranoid." Tasia quickly downed her wine.
"I think you're getting jealous." Jarek voiced honestly. This statement caused Tasia to chuckle in a way that Kabal sensed was out of annoyance.
"Don't be ridiculous. I just don't trust her. That's all." Tasia spat. Kabal could sense the bitterness in her tone.
"And why's that?" Kabal asked curiously.
"The ways she's around him constantly. The way she willingly volunteered to break you out of prison, and the way she speaks to me. I can just see it in her face. She's no good." Tasia explained. Kabal saw Jarek roll his eyes from the corner of his vision.
"Okay Tasia whatever helps you sleep at night." He groaned. Kabal had just turned back to his beer when he heard Kano's voice from across the bar.
"There you guys are! I was wondering where you boys were!" Kabal turned his head sideways, and saw Kano, and Kira making their way towards the group. Kabal spotted that Kano had reattached his cybernetic eye to his face. The stitching of the surgery was still fresh.
"Whatcha think? Looks pretty damn good if I say so meself." Kano knocked his knuckles against the solid steel. Tasia groaned.
"Oh not that stupid shit again." She spat as she swallowed down the last of her wine. Kano waved her off.
"This eye here's saved my hide before. It'll prove its value before too long." Kano reassured.
"If it doesn't draw the girls then it ain't valuable." Jarek argued jokingly.
"Oh bugger off mate." Kano grinned.
"I think he looks good in it. Kinda badass really." Kira added from the back of the group.
"I'm sure you do sweety." Tasia scoffed coldly. Kabal watched Kano tense up suddenly.
"Easy there Tasia. No need for hostilities we're all friends here. Now how about I get us some more rounds?" Kano asked calmly to break the tension. Kabal sure as hell noticed how much Jarek loved the sound of that.
"Vinny!" Kano called across the bar. An old, balding man turned over to the lot of them from the other end of the bar top.
"Yes Sir" His withered voice called back.
"I'll take two Blacktooth's, a glass of Crostellas, and a nice cold Korona beer, Kabal you want a lime with that?" Kano asked as he looked over to Kabal. Kabal smirked, and nodded.
"Right, put a lime in it Vinny!" Kano finished the order, and sat beside Kabal on a barstool. Kira followed.
"Glad to see you listened to my advice." Kabal told Kano warmly. Kano looked much different with that metal plate covering a quarter of his face. He still hadn't got used to it even though Kano had worn it the entire tournament.
"Well it ended Hsu Hao, might as well give Mavado a go with it too." Kano huffed. Kabal watched as Kano pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it up with a match that was laying on the counter, and puffed a cloud of smoke. Kabal was waiting for it. He'd been waiting for it ever since he cllimbed aboard the helicopter.
"You want one mate?" Kano asked seriously.
"Do you really have to ask?" Kabal retorted. Kano gave a silent chuckle, and looked down. He reached into his pocket, and handed Kabal a cigarette. Without hesitation Kabal lit his cigarette with a match, and inhaled the biggest hit he'd ever taken. A cloud flew from his lungs, and faded into the air. Kabal felt an instant buzz, and if any nerves he felt inside his body remained they were now gone.
"You remember how we used to steal my father's cigarettes back in the day as teenagers? How we used to smoke them on the roof? A good cigarette always got me ready to face the day." Kano recalled. Kabal could see the gears working in Kano's mind.
"To think we used to get nervous just over small arms dealings. Now look at us. Pretty much at the end of the world." Kabal added as he thought back to his better days.
"None of us are prepared for what's gonna happen." Kano sighed as he ashed his cigarette.
"How could we be?" Kabal spoke truthfully.
"We need to talk about something important Kabal." As Kano said this Kabal took note of his tone, and looked him dead in his eye.
"This has to stay between you, and me. Am I clear?" He asked in a whisper. Kabal's eyebrows dropped, and he looked greatly confused. Kano usually had no problem letting the group in on issues.
"What's up?" Kabal hushed.
"Kenshi told me we might have a traitor in the gang." Kano hushed after eyeing around the bar to see if anyone was listening. Kabal wasn't that surprised honestly. In a gang like the Black Dragon you're bound to have vermin who'd wanna save their hides if they were discovered breaking laws.
"We've handled rats before." Kabal replied.
"But only a few people know where I was held up at. Only a few people knew of the mission I assigned Kenshi. We both were ambushed by the Red Dragon, and only Tasia, and Jarek had any idea of the plans." Kano's words had shook Kabal down to his core with that revelation. Neither of them would ever do something like that! Kabal had known them for years, and had been friends with them through just about everything! What would even be the motive?
"Come on now Kano. Be careful throwing shit like that out there with no proof! Tasia, and Jarek? We know they'd never pull some shit like that. Look I know we can all be assholes, but damn man!" Kabal hissed.
"I didn't believe it either, but Kabal, nobody else knew! It can only be one of them!" Kano insisted. Kabal didn't want to even think about all this with what was going on in the world.
"Who's to say somebody else didn't find out the plans?" Kabal asked quickly to try, and take this unknown blame off of his friends.
"Has anyone else found out about such crucial stuff before mate? Never. Look just keep what I've told you to yourself until I figure this all out. Until then don't talk anyone but me about plans around here." Kano warned darkly. Vinny finally had came up to them with a tray of booze, and Kabal saw Kano gave out a loud cry of joy, as he gripped his hands on the bottles. He handed Jarek, and Tasia their drinks, and when Kabal got his he didn't even feel like drinking it. That bombshell Kano had just dropped had caused an explosion of his thought process. Kabal opened his beer, and forcefully chugged the whole bottle in one go. He put his burning cigarette out in disgust at these unfounded accusations. He climbed from his seat, and began to walk away from the group, and towards the stairs leading to his bedroom. He felt Kano's eyes watching him.
"Leaving so soon mate?" Kano called out aloud. Now Jarek had noticed Kabal's sudden attempt at leaving.
"Too drunk already? I've always told you, you can't handle the bottle!" Jarek taunted him in hopes he'd at least stay for the next round of shots.
"I'm tired." Kabal didn't even look back at the group before walking off up to his bedroom. He flopped into his ravaged bed, and contemplated a moment.
Tasia, and Jarek had been his family since he'd lost his actual family all those years ago. How could either have them have done this? Kano had to be wrong! He had to be!
For a second Kabal understood. Kano had to have become paranoid by his constant hiding, and undercover work. There had to be a reason these things were found out by Mavado's men, but it didn't have to be the reasons Kano were thinking. Kabal reminisced about all of the times that Jarek, and Tasia had proven their loyalty to their friendships. They both have risked their lives for both Kano, and Kabal himself ten times over, just like Kabal knew he, and Kano would do for them.
Kabal gave a deep sigh of confidence in his feelings before deciding to call it a night.
"They're no traitors." He thought before falling asleep.