-Chapter 1: Destined for Greater Things-

Kristiansund, Norway

It was a crisp autumn day. The breeze blowing off the coast sent a chill through the air that infected everyone with a damp cold. Many bundled up, others made efforts to remain inside. The heartier ones weathered the temperature shift, going about their daily lives like nothing had changed. Still, many in the fjord found themselves in the comfortable indoors, enjoying warm temperatures and the warm company of friends and family.

At one of the bars in town, many gathered in booths to catch up over drinks. A hole-in-the-wall, it was a local favourite for the quality of the drinks and the homey atmosphere. But away from the cheery gatherings, one man sat alone at the end of the bar. He was broad-shouldered, built like a lumberjack with trunk-like legs and round sculpted shoulders. Beneath his long, unkempt, dirty blonde hair, he wore an old wool long-sleeve shirt and stained jeans. Thick calloused hands gripped a pint of mead, the shifting sleeves of his shirt occasionally revealing deep blue intricate tattoos. Piercing blue eyes sparkled with intensity above a thick blonde beard that was partly stained with runoff from his mead.

On his own he cut a foreboding figure. No one spoke to him, everyone left him alone. And he was fine with that.

Lifting his mug to his lips he tipped the glass back and downed his mead in a single swig, planting the empty mug down firmly on the bar. He signalled the barkeep. "Hei… en annem." He grunted. Another full frosty mug soon appeared before him.

"Long day, venn?" The clean-shaven aging barkeep asked.

"Every day is long." He grunted, savouring another sip. Behind his eyes, flashes of memory darted back and forth as the context of his life was recalled. Nothing had been the same ever since…

"Well, so long as you pay up, drink as much as you want." The barkeep proffered, cleaning a glass.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Got a name?" The question made him pause mid-sip. This small talk was getting annoying, coming between him and his drink. 'Give him what he wants and maybe he'll leave you alone.'

"Magnus." He mumbled. The barkeep nodded.

"First one's on the house, Magnus. The rest, on you." He said. Taking that in stride, Magnus raised his mug in salute before downing more of his mead. The barkeep moved on and Magnus was left to his blissful solidarity again. He downed the rest of his mug, enjoying the buzz that was creeping up on him. Sure, being drunk was no fun thing to shrug off, but at least it helped him forget… made his miserable existence a little easier to manage…

A third mug arrived and he started on it just as the door to the bar opened up. He paid it no mind, only offering his attention when the clunking of boots drew closer to him. What he saw caused his stare to linger a lot longer than he intended.

A woman took a seat a few chairs down from him, a bright pink scarf bunched up around her mouth and a dark violet hoodie draped over the back of her chair. She brushed a few strands of her short, bob cut black hair away from her face, the rest swept over one side to partly conceal one of her dark brown eyes. Her eyes possessed a sharp, sweeping look to them, like a predator analyzing her surroundings.

She was dressed in a sleeveless dark pink croptop, old and stained as if it hadn't seen a thorough wash in days, and black jeans that were stained, torn and faded, but tight enough to cling to her shapely legs like a second skin.

More noticeable than her clothing was the tattoos adoring her arm. Red, bold, and they didn't resemble any shapes Magnus was aware of. They seemed foreign, from somewhere beyond his homeland. They reached from her shoulder down her arm, but the remainder were hidden behind black fingerless gloves. Also noticeable were her nails, long and dark but not in an aesthetic way… more like claws. The barkeep approached her, "What'll it be?"

"Something to warm me up." She answered, speaking clearly in a silken voice. Magnus finally noticed how ramrod straight she sat, like someone trained at the most regal of tables… and it certainly did wonders for her. The contours of her voluptuous body were on display, from the supple curve of her sizeable breasts to the swell of a perfectly-shaped ass. 'Hellig dritt… get it together and don't get caught staring.'

He turned back to his drink, trying to focus on achieving that buzz he sought. After another swig, half of his third mug was drained. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve, letting some of the remnants cling to his beard. He heard the telltale sound of glass on wood and glanced over to see the woman's drink, a bottle of gløgg, arrive. She pulled down her scarf, revealing soft near-Asian facial features and helped herself to a swig. 'She's a looker, no doubt about it. Søren, she probably gets enough unwanted attention. Don't need to add to it.' Shunting thoughts about the beautiful woman from his head, Magnus focused on his drinks…

The same could not be said for others in the bar.

It wasn't long before some drunken patron rose from a booth full of his friends and attempted to greet the woman with whatever swagger he could muster. "Hei, pen dame… gem like you all alone? That ain't right." He mused with a booze-fueled smile. She paid him no heed, staring straight ahead while nursing her drink. "You wanna come sit with my boys? We'd be happy to keep you company?" Again, no response. He refused to acknowledge her existence. "Come on, beautiful. No need to be frigid. Throw a guy a bone, huh? You and that amazing body of yours…"

What happened next occurred within the span of a few seconds.

One moment his hand had reached down to suggestively grasp her meaty thigh. The next moment, he was on the ground screaming while clutching his broken wrist.

Magnus snorted in amusement, but sobered instantly when he saw his entire table shoot to their feet.

"Hva i helvete? Din kjerring!"

The blonde man grumbled and took another sip, his attention entirely on the unfolding commotion now. The group hurried to help their friend to his feet, now an absolute wreck. "What'd you do that for?! He needs that for work!" The woman eased her half-empty bottle down and Magnus noted the way her muscles tensed. She was expecting conflict and was ready for it.

"He was harassing me." She said simply, in a quiet, reserved manner. Magnus had to give her credit. She held her patience better than he did.

"So you broke his faen hand?!" Another friend cried. 'Way to ruin the quiet.'

"He had it coming." Magnus mused aloud, polishing off his mug.

"Hey! Drit og dra!" Another of the group snapped. Magnus slammed his mug down and stood. All eyes were on him.

"Oh? I'm supposed to be afraid of some kuks trying to raise hell with a random woman?" He retorted, striding up to them.

"Back off. I'm warning you." Another, one much shorter than Magnus but boasting a significant amount of confidence, barked as he levelled a finger at his burly chest. "You don't want this." Magnus chuckled, his partial drunkenness helping his fearlessness.

"I don't, eh? What's your name?" He questioned.

"Modi Oskarsson." Shorty said proudly. Magnus snickered.

"More like Modi Horesønn." That set the group off.

"You looking for a slår? Huh, skitne ingen?" They said, crowding his space. Tempers were rising, the flying of fists was now inevitable. Magnus welcomed that inevitability.

"I'm good for two things; winning fights… and pissing mead." He retorted, cracking his knuckles. "You wanna fight? What're you waiting for?" He rumbled, cocking his fists.

"Hey!" The barkeep's shout cut through the tension and all eyes turned to his stern expression. "Not here! Take it outside!" Taking his glares in stride, Magnus looked back to the gang and chuckled.

"I'll wait in the alley while you girls powder your noses." He teased, turning on heel and striding for the back door. A blast of chilly air hit him and he breathed deeply, exhaling just hard enough to see a cloud of his own breath. The sudden nip struck his drunkenness head-on and he loosed a rough breath as he braced himself against the adjacent brick wall. "Helvete…" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes. The door to the bar opened again, much sooner than he expected.

"Hey. You." The voice was distinctly feminine and Magnus turned to see the dark haired woman approaching him. He quirked a brow.

"You, uh… you don't want to fight, do you?" He asked.

"No." She said simply, crossing her arms. "But I think you at least deserve a thank you before that happens." Magnus shrugged.

"Eh… they're a bunch of fittes. Just needed someone to stand up to them." He replied.

"Well, I for one appreciated the effort." She thanked him.

"I'm glad you're not one of those 'I don't need someone to stand up for me' types." Magnus replied, still feeling slightly buzzed.

"Oh I can hold my own. But it is nice to be aided once in a while." She responded. "You have a name?"

"Magnus." She nodded.

"Thank you, Magnus. I'm-" The door behind them opened and Magnus fully expected to see the group of harassers emerge.

They did… but they were led by two unknown parties.

One was a blonde haired young man, dressed in a white gi with thickly-padded kick-boxer's gloves. The other was a woman with long brown hair dressed in a black corset and red vest… who had a large pair of knives strapped to her hips. "Oh good. You're both here." She mused.

"And you are…?" Magnus replied.

"A motivator, you might say." She replied. "This lot wanted to beat you up before, but now they're getting paid to do it." The explanation stirred something in Magnus, something he didn't like.

"This isn't your concern." He retorted.

"Oh, but it is. You just don't know it yet." She replied with a wicked smile. Her gaze landed on the woman. "Don't think you're off the hook either, sister." Her brown eyes narrowed in a frown.

"You do not want this."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do." Came the reply. "Sic 'em boys. Kobra, give 'em a hand." Six men in total advanced on Magnus and the blonde could only sigh as he sized up his enemies.

Half-drunk nobodies were no problem. The other two, however…

He wasted no time grabbing the waistband of the closest man and threw him into the nearby wall, driving a knee into his gut before landing a wild uppercut that snapped his head back and dropped him like a stone. Magnus whirled on another, grabbing him by the waist of his pants and hurling him into another, winding up and delivering a hard kick that slammed into the head of one of the men. The others pounced on him, trying to capitalize.

But then the woman came to his aid.

Landing a scissorkick sent one of the men slamming into the opposite side of the alleyway and she kipped-up to her feet and swung around to deliver a roundhouse kick that clubbed another man across the face. 'She wasn't kidding when she said she could hold her own.' A pair of high kicks staggered the gi-wearing Kobra before she pounced on his face and used her momentum to ride him to the ground. She sprang to her feet. "You!" She snapped, levelling a finger at the brunette woman. Her opponent smiled.

"Nice to see you've got some fire." She drew her knives, revealing long, wicked blades with jagged edges. She swung first, aiming for her head. The ebony-haired woman ducked and sidestepped, moving with the speed and agility of a practiced fighter. Palm strikes batted her hands away and she ensured the fight-line was even between them.

Kobra closed in on Magnus and struck with rapid-fire jabs, the Norwegian batting some away as others collided with his burly chest. The kicks, however, he failed against as Kobra's feet struck up the length of his leg and staggered him. A spinning back kick had Magnus stumbling backwards until he hit the ground. 'Dammit! Ground is bad. Get up.' Magnus clawed his way back to his feet as Kobra bounced back and forth, ready to keep going. He moved in almost as soon as Magnus was up, but his opponent reached out and grabbed Kobra by his neck and shoulders, locking him into a Glima hold. "H-Hey! Let go of me!" The kick-boxer cried.

"Poor choice of words!" Magnus chuckled, turning and throwing Kobra into a nearby wall with enough force to splinter pieces of bricks. Then he drove his boot into his save, savouring the audible crunch of his nose as red blood spurted around the toe. Magnus then turned about as one of the final drunks came stumbling towards him. Rearing back his arm, arcs of electricity suddenly formed around his fist before he pitched a powerful, jaw-breaking right hook that sent the drunk spinning before he collapsed in a heap.

Suddenly, Kobra was back on his feet, launching a crane kick that pitched Magnus back across the alley as a bruise formed on his chin. Kobra was bloody and angry, ready to pounce on him as the two women grappled nearby-

"ENOUGH!"

The booming voice was matched only by the sudden surge in violent weather. Thunder split the sky overhead with a deafening CRACK as flashes of lightning lit the alley with a fierce blue hue. The four conscious fighters turned to see a tall man standing at the end of the alley, dressed in blue-white robes with his face largely concealed behind a wide, metal douli hat. His head slowly raised, his conical headpiece lifting to reveal glowing blue eyes that radiated a vibrant power.

All kombat paused as he strode forward, his powerful figure dwarfing Kobra and his ally. He spoke with a commanding voice, the sheer power behind it enough to shake Magnus' bones. "Kobra and Kira. I am unsurprised Black Dragon degenerates are behind this." He growled. The kick-boxer stammered for a response.

"Hey… Wha-… Who are-?"

"You want some of this too, glowstick?" Kira demanded, far more confident than her ally. Metal boots stopped just short of her, the powerful figure towering over her.

"Do not provoke a god, Kira." He thundered. "Leave now, and I will let you escape with your dignity." He stated.

"Or else?" Kira sneered, pushing her luck. Bursts of lightning sparkled around the man, forming an aura that threatened to be death by electrocution if Kira so much as brushed it.

"Or else you will know my wrath… and you will not survive." He threatened. Kira's gaze narrowed and she shoved her knives back into their sheaths.

"Come on, Kobra. Let's beat it." She grumbled. Her ally seemed perplexed.

"Huh? Why? We were doing fine, we can take him!" The kick-boxer protested.

"You wanna mess with a fuckin' god, idiot? Be my guest." Kira snapped in retort. Her words lingered and soon Kobra was stomping off along with her, disappearing around the corner and leaving just the three in the middle.

The deftly let his power relax, but his eyes remained aglow. "Magnus Shadrix. Mileena. I had originally planned to test you both… but it seems you have passed this one just fine." He greeted them. Magnus picked himself up and dusted off his pants, not that it mattered given their state.

"Are you hurt?" The woman 'Mileena' asked.

"Me? Nah." Magnus said with a dismissive wave. "More confused than anything." His gaze turned to the newcomer. "Who are you? How do you know my name… and hers for that matter?" He questioned.

"I am Lord Raiden. Protector of Earthrealm. God of Thunder." Magnus arched a brow, rubbing the back of his head.

"Thunder? What, you think you're Thor?" He retorted.

"That is but one of the names I have been known by throughout human history." Raiden told him. "As for how I know your names, I am Earthrealm's protector. I know all things about the realm."

"Earthrealm? Don't you mean Earth?" Magnus questioned. Mileena stayed silent. While Raiden may be opening Magnus' eyes for the first time, he was using terminology she was very familiar with.

"There is much you have yet to understand, but in time you will." Raiden answered. "Today, you have proven worthy of joining my champions." Magnus remained confused and his drunkenness wasn't helping. But Mileena was downright riveted by the offer. She knew exactly what he was asking and was completely shocked by it.

"You want me to…? But why?" She asked. Raiden fixed her with a piercing gaze, like his godly powers could see through her and expose all of her innermost secrets. Perhaps omnipotence and omniscience were within his sphere of abilities, perhaps he knew more about her than she had ever revealed to anyone.

"Because I see your heart and I see the heart of a champion, Mileena." Raiden answered, his tone pitching softer and more gentle than it had been. "Who you were, where you came from, does not matter. What matters is who you are now. Your ability and character have been proven true this day." His answer caused Mileena's hesitancy to grow, uncertain about his offer and her place in it.

'I know what he wants… but do I have the strength to do it?'

"Both of you are destined for greater things than drunken brawls. Your lives have not taken the most fortuitous of turns, but the hardship you have endured has strengthened your character and souls. Perhaps the course of your lives has been leading you to such a time as this." Raiden proffered. Magnus and Mileena shared glances, a pair of perfect strangers thrown together by unbelievable circumstances.

"You talk quite a talk." Magnus finally said and Raiden nodded.

"All will be revealed, Magnus Shadrix. I am here to offer you both a path forward. You both have been chosen and I have faith that you will rise to the challenge." Magnus remained unswayed.

"I… don't know." Raiden drew closer, his eyes meeting the Norwegian's.

"Would you prefer to continue drinking? To dull your pain with drunkenness? Or would you prefer to harness it, to master it, to become something greater like your father always wanted for you?" He asked.

The mere mention of his long-dead father sparked something within Magnus. At first he was angry for the thunder god to be trying to use his past as leverage. He didn't aspire to greatness. But at the same time, the chance to move on and become something more than a drinking vagrant was appealing. 'When was the last time I did anything worthwhile? Who I am, who I was, I was convinced it died that night. Is there more to me?'

"I know who it is that killed your family." Raiden suddenly continued. "Come with me and I will help you bring him to justice." Magnus' head rose, his eyes bright with the spark of vengeance. That had been a detail he had been missing all his life. It felt like leverage, the thunder god getting what he wanted in the process. But Magnus chose not to see it that way.

"Fine. I'm in." He agreed. Raiden nodded. Mileena glanced at her newfound ally, noting the sudden shift in his presence as if a fire had been lit within him. Everything about his reaction told of an old wound that had never been healed. Something personal was driving him now.

"Mileena?" The mention of her name caused the dark-haired woman looked down, refusing to meet his gaze. The burden he was offering seemed to great for her and she remained confused as to why he was making such an offer to her to begin with.

"I still do not know why you would choose me." She said at length. "If you truly know me, then you know who I am and what I've done." Raiden's hand settled on her slender shoulder and their eyes met.

"Perhaps your past does you no credit, but as of now you are a noble figure. Your name is not tied to your history. Starting now, your legacy is what you choose it to be." He stated. Mileena mulled that over. For too long she had been no one, a face with no name, merely surviving here without actually considering it to be her home. But to become a champion of Earthrealm… she wasn't stupid, she knew what was going on, what had been going on for nearly 500 years now. What Raiden was asking of her meant going back entirely on everything she had been. It meant cutting ties with her former identity and embracing a new one…

'Dare I? Dare I let go of the one thing that used to bring me a modicum of comfort? Dare I believe the next day could be better than today?'

"I make no promises. But I will try." She quietly answered. That seemed sufficient for the thunder god.

Stretching his hand to the sky, Raiden summoned a thunderbolt that teleported them out of the alley, leaving no trace of their existence…


The thunderbolt dissipated and left the trio standing on new ground. Immediately struck by the warmth of the air and the sweet scent carried on the breeze, Magnus and Mileena looked around to see cherry blossoms surrounding them as well as stone-hewn architecture that was not Norwegian. "Where are we?" Magnus questioned.

"This is the Wu Shi Academy of the Shaolin Order of Light. Here you will train to become defenders of the realm. We will smooth out your rough edges and sharpen your minds to prepare you for the grand martial arts tournament." Raiden explained.

"Hang on, tournament?" Magnus repeated. "You want us to fight for sport?"

"Not sport. All will be revealed in time, Magnus Shadrix. Your questions shall find answers and explanations will be given in full." Raiden responded. "Come. The monks await to continue your tutelage. I will rejoin you later, there are other champions I must summon." With that, the thunder god led the way into the brightly-lit Shaolin monastery with Magnus and Mileena slowly trailing him from behind. Having never left his homeland, this was all a bit to take in for the Norwegian… as were a few other factors…

"So… Mileena, is it?" He queried. Ebony hair bobbed as Mileena glanced towards him.

"Yes. That is my name." She quietly affirmed.

"Doesn't sound very Scandinavian." Magnus mused. "Where are you from?" The woman seemed to start, eyes widening slightly.

"I… I'd rather not answer that question, right now." She murmured.