"And here it is: my ultimate objective." Havik pulled Onaga's massive yellow heart - tinted slightly green by the fresh blood that continued to ooze and squelch out of it - through the large crater that had been created by Shujinko puncturing the Dragon King's chest with an almighty blow. "That old man is frighteningly powerful. He certainly made this easy for me; but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to have to rip open his flesh myself."
Kabal stood nearby, saying nothing as he kept watch. He was more interested in the mangled corpse of Shao Kahn, which had been strung up by the side of Onaga's throne as an ornament - a symbol of the Dragon King's dominance. He had seen Shao Kahn's visage back in the day, and it had been large, imposing, and loathe as he was to admit it, intimidating. To see the emperor now - broken, lifeless, rotting with maggots in the eye sockets - it highlighted just how much of a threat Onaga had been. And that Kabal would be wise to not get on Shujinko's bad side.
Shujinko himself was, presumably, still outside with the rest of the forces that had laid siege to Onaga's palace. Kira and Kobra had been instructed to remain outside with them, both to stop Kabal and Havik's absence from being too conspicuous, and to keep everyone else out while the two brought their contract to an end.
"This heart belonged the saurian, Reptile, you know. You've met him, yes?"
"Once or twice," Kabal responded with disinterest in the topic.
"Oh, come now, Kabal. This is a victory for you as well. This heart was the artefact I wanted your help to retrieve. Now that I have the power of resurrection through this heart, your debt has been repaid in full. You are free to return home with your new gang and... do whatever it is you do. Vigilante justice, underworld domination. The world is your oyster, I believe your people say?"
"What do you plan to do with the heart?" Kabal asked darkly.
"As I said, resurrection. Of course, as to whom, that information is not part of our arrangement, unfortunately. Run along, Kabal. That is what you're best at, yes?"
"No." Kabal connected both of his hookswords by their hooks and swung them around Havik's front, catching the second sword in his free hand and planting a foot firmly on Havik's back. The blades dug into the Chaosrealmer's throat as Kabal applied just the right pressure to not decapitate him. It had taken him years to get this technique down, but it had all been worth it.
Havik dropped the heart to the ground with a wet splotch, sending specks of green blood cascading across the floor. "K-Kabal... W-What..."
"I owed you a debt, Havik. I reformed the Black Dragon like you said, and helped you achieve your goal here. But my debt is repaid and our alliance is over. I can't let you leave with that heart until I know what you have planned with it."
Unprompted, Havik's neck twisted around sharply, turning around completely to face Kabal with a sickening snap. "Oh, Kabal," Havik tutted, his speech unimpeded by his inhuman position. "Did you think I wouldn't have planned for this?"
"Course not. You're more of a seat-of-your-pants kinda guy, Havik. It's in your nature as a Chaosrealmer."
"Hm. True."
Havik's knees snapped backwards suddenly, lowering his stance and catching Kabal off-guard. He thrust his fists into his former partner's gut, sending him reeling. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Havik's knees snapped back into place, bringing him to a standing position, followed by his body turning to match his head's facing. Despite his lack of a face on most of his skull, Kabal had the strange sense that Havik was smirking.
"There is a reason we Chaosrealmers worship the concept of Chaos. You know, some believe that the realms were created when a powerful entity was split apart and its essence morphed into several planes of reality. By that reckoning, my people were born from concentrated Chaotic essence, derived from this being's animalistic and destructive instincts. Others think we are simply undead. I can't say I blame them. I mean, look at me. Yet, others still believe we simply don't care at all for the concept of order, even within our own bodies."
"This little history lesson got a point?" Kabal asked impatiently as he took his stance again.
"The point," Havik sighed, "is that a mere mortal such as you cannot kill one of my kind. You saw how even that rotation of my neck is not fatal, as it would be for any other race. I like you, Kabal. You have a Chaotic determination to push forward despite the many setbacks life has thrown your way. One might say your entire life is one big, Chaotic mess that you have somehow managed to wrangle into something coherent. As much as I despise order, you have my respect for mastering such Chaos.
"So I tell you this now as a friend: give up. With Onaga's heart, I can access his power of resurrection. And trust me when I say that you do not want to be here when Shao Kahn returns to rule Outworld and continue his war on the realms, drawing battle lines and ensuring that the order of peace never comes to the realms. In fact, if you go home now, I can put in a good word for you with the emperor. He's worked with the Black Dragon before, yes?"
"You really expect me to leave after hearing you say you plan to resurrect the guy that tried to wipe out every single person in Earthrealm? Guess you're not as smart as you like to think."
"Hm. I suppose my Chaotic nature compels me to exposit my plans to their own detriment. Oh, well. I'm sorry, Kabal, but if you won't step down then you'll just have to die."
"I guess even friendship won't get in the way of your propagation of chaos."
"Alas, no. If it makes you feel any better, I will strive to do as you do... and make it quick."
Havik was unlike any foe Kabal had ever faced. While the Black Dragon boss had the clear edge in speed, Havik had two advantages of his own: he was nigh on indestructible, taking every seemingly lethal blow before snapping his bones back into place with little effort; and he was also unpredictable in his movements, often dodging attacks by snapping his leg to fall out of range or shifting his body just enough to allow a blow to break an arm and slow Kabal's momentum enough to go for a counter. No broken bone or grievous wound seemed anything more than a minor inconvenience for him.
Eventually, Kabal went for a mad dash directly at Havik, who managed to grab Kabal by the oxygen tube. It was a feat that, if performed by anyone else, would have resulted in a debilitating shattering of their elbow, almost definitely a dislocation of the shoulder and potentially even taking the arm off entirely. But for Havik, such an injury was minor, not even significant enough to slow him down as he yanked Kabal's tube to both stun him and move him into place as he swung his morningstar directly into Kabal's face.
The runner had managed to evade Havik's attacks with this weapon up to now, it being so heavy and slow that he could easily outmanoeuvre it. But now, caught as he was like a fly in a spider's web, he was a sitting duck. And a moment later, he was lying on his front, his mask shattered, exposing much of his face to the elements. Ironically, about all that remained was the rebreather, covering about as much of his face as Havik lacked over his own skull.
While mostly intact, it was still a little more difficult to breathe with just the remnants of his mask now. Combined with the disorientation of the blow that, he was fairly certain, had actually sent him end-over-end, and it took him a moment to gather his bearings. He spotted Havik picking up the heart and approaching Onaga's throne.
"St-Stop!" Kabal sputtered, pushing himself up to a kneeling position with one of his hookswords.
"Last chance to back down, Kabal," Havik offered as he held out the heart in his hand. "You can still escape before the emperor returns if you run away now."
Still panting and trying to rise from the ground, Kabal simply shook his head.
"Well, I tried. Suit yourself. You can stay here and bear witness as Chaos reigns!"
Holding the heart aloft, Havik squeezed it fiercely, its green juices flowing out and pouring down into Havik's open mouth. His eyes, normally a glowing blue, turned orange with reptilian slits for pupils, similar to those of Onaga himself. Once the reptilian juices stopped flowing, Havik squeezed the heart tighter, until it was crushed like an oversized grape, the Chaosrealmer bearing no heed to the black spikes now digging into the flesh of his hands. The last remnants of the heart's blood supply fell in droplets over Havik's face like raindrops. He pointed the heart into the direction of Shao Kahn's remains.
"Now, rise again! Shao Kahn, Emperor of Outworld!"
The heart was awash with arcane energy.
Kabal knew enough about souls from the invasion to recognise the shade of green surrounding the organ.
His whole body tensed as his breath caught in his throat.
He gripped his weapons tight, preparing to either run away, or do something incredibly stupid.
...
Nothing happened.
The corpse remained immobile.
The green life energy emanating from the heart remained there and made no move towards the decomposing remains of Havik's intended target.
Confused, Havik quickly approached the corpse and inspected it. He removed the helmet and found, to his dismay, "An imposter?"
Kabal let out a wheezing laugh. "I guess you don't run a successful empire for ten thousand years without knowing how to cheat death and play your enemies like a fiddle. It's ironic that this development threw your carefully-laid plans into chaos."
Havik chuckled, despite himself. "Yes, I suppose that's true."
"Kabal!" Kira called out as she and Kobra entered the chamber, their clothes splattered with the blood of the Onaga soldiers they had slain in the siege.
Rising to his feet, Kabal pointed a hooksword in Havik's direction. "He's trying to resurrect Shao Kahn. Fuck him up!"
"You got it, Boss," Kobra responded, not missing a step as he ran into the fray, Kira close behind.
Havik suddenly produced a large, red dome-shape gemstone in his free hand as Kabal's two proteges approached. They stopped in their tracks, clutching their heads. Unseen by Kabal their eyes glowed red for a moment.
"What the hell are you stopping for?" Kira suddenly demanded, turning to face her compatriot.
"Me?" Kobra responded furiously. "I don't see you still runnin' in to kick this guy's ass!"
"You expect me to go in on my own and get killed so you can be Kabal's top guy? I mean, that's the only way a little bitch like you can get that position, right?"
"You know what, Kira? I'm fuckin' sick of your shit. I'm gonna prove I can take your narrow ass any day of the week!"
"I'd like to see you tr-" Kira taunt was cut off as Kobra struck her hard across the jaw, busting her lip open. "Ooh, big man, can't get a win without a sucker punch."
"Fuck. You." Kobra went to kick her in the gut, but she was ready for him this time. She caught his foot with both hands and deftly slashed his calf with one of her knives.
Kabal pushed his aching body to get himself over to his allies and pushed them away from each other. It didn't take a genius or one with arcane knowledge to realise Havik had done something to them with that gem.
"What the hell did you do?" Kabal demanded taking his stance again. "What is that?"
"This?" Havik said, holding the gem aloft and, if he had lips, he'd no doubt be grinning triumphantly. "Have you ever heard the legends of Tetsurri?"
"No."
"Quick summary: long-dead Zaterran warlord - the last male leader before their society shifted to a matriarchal one, in fact. His heart was crystallised into this very gemstone. Saurian and dragon hearts have great potential for sorcery, you see. This one is said to darken the soul and bring out the worst attributes in those under its sway. Let's see what Chaos we can bring with this, hm?"
"You here to steal my glory, old man?" Kobra cried as he rushed Kabal from one side.
"You think I can't do this on my own, Kabal?" Kira growled, approaching from the other side with her dagger drawn while Kabal was busy defending against Kobra. "You think I need a big, strong man to help me? I've got more balls than both of you limpdick-"
Kira was flat on her back before she could finish her insult. It wasn't that Kabal was offended. He was just tired and wanted this over with. Ideally without either of his protégés getting maimed or killed. Kobra was definitely a skill martial artist - maybe the best he'd ever fought. Keeping up with his assault was only possible thanks to Kabal's superhuman speed. He was almost caught off-guard by Kira's next attack thanks to Kobra's skills distracting him. But he managed to recover quickly and block her attacks with his blades. Unfortunately, both of them were now focused on fighting him, making keeping up his defence almost impossible in his current state.
"Yes... YES!" Havik cried rapturously. "Feed the realms with your Chaos energies! Break down the ties of camaraderie and honour that bind you! Embrace Chaos!"
Kabal threw his sawblade at Havik when he saw the chance, managing to sever the cleric's upraised arms just above the elbow.
"That was uncalled for," Havik whined in the background while Kabal continued to guard against his allies' attacks.
As jaded and cynical as Kabal had become over the years, there was only one option he could see potentially working out for him right now, given how worn out he was from all the fighting. He grabbed Kobra and rushed clear across the chamber with him, slamming him up against a wall with enough force to knock the wind out of him and buy himself time to dash back to Kira's position and deliver a fierce clothesline to her, knocking her end-over-end onto the floor.
"You think..." he panted from the extreme overexertion. "You think I... underestimate you because... you're a woman?"
"Everyone does," she growled, tightening her grip on her dagger. Kabal pinned her wrist down with his foot, causing her to yelp from the pain. "You men are all the same. Doesn't matter if it's America or China or Afghanistan or anywhere else. You see a woman in my line of work and you think she doesn't belong there."
"Then why did I pick you for the Black Dragon?"
"What?"
"I have a long list of potential recruits. And I only needed two for this job. Two specific people with two specific skillsets. You were one of them. Why would I pick you for such an important position if I didn't think you were capable?"
"You... You just wanted a woman so you could take advantage of her." There was hesitation there. Did she really believe what she was saying, or was this chaos magic trying to shift the goalposts to find a new excuse to keep her angry?
"You know that isn't true. Man or woman, I respect the hell out of your abilities and your tenacity. So does Kobra."
"Kobra just wants to fuck me."
"Not just that. I saw you two training each other. Every time you gave him pointers on weapon use, he always paid attention and applied it to his techniques. You saw him in the siege, right? He's a hell of a lot better with a gun now than he was when he was just a street fighter. I didn't teach him that. The militias didn't teach him that. You did."
"He's not-"
"You know how much we respect and value you and your contributions to the team. You know it. So then why are you letting yourself think otherwise? Why are you letting that man from Chaosrealm take advantage of your insecurities?"
"I... I don't..." Kira clutched her head, grunting in pain as she fought back against the magic.
"Get away from her!" Kobra cried as he swung his machete at Kabal, who blocked the attack with his hook swords. This would have to be enough for now. Hopefully, Kira could do the rest herself while Kabal did the same for Kobra.
"Looking out for her now, huh?" Kabal taunted. "Weren't you just trying to kill her a minute ago?"
"Not kill her, dumbass! I wouldn't do that to her!"
"And what about me? You seem pretty intent on cutting my head off. With the blade I gave you."
"That's-"
"Not a good look. Especially in front of her." Kabal indicated towards Kira with his head, in a manner he hoped would resemble her own tendency to do the same. Kobra's eyes shifted towards Kira, before coming back to Kabal and flaring.
"What did you do to her!?"
"Snapped her out of this chaos magic. The same one you're under right now."
"What magic? The fuck are you-"
"The magic that's making you lash out at the guy who got you out of prison and gave you a place in the Black Dragon. You're not normally this ungrateful."
"Shut up!"
"Why, so the magic doesn't need to redirect your anger when I poke a hole in its warped logic? A minute ago, you were angry at her for stopping. And now, because you want to protect her? And between that, you came at me for going after your 'glory'. First, you contradict yourself, then you suddenly care about glory when that only ever mattered to you in street fighting. Was it glory you were after when you beat down drug dealers and gangbangers in New York? Or when you helped train Kira to defend herself better in hand-to-hand? Your mind is all over the place because of this magic inflating parts of yourself to keep you angry. Angry at me and Kira. That doesn't sound like the Kobra I know."
"What do you know!?" Kobra shoved Kabal back and swung with his blade again. Kabal, of course, managed to get a hook around the oncoming blade and swing it around until it flew from Kobra's hand. He then elbowed Kobra in the face to stagger him, then kicked him in the gut to floor him.
"I know a lot. I know that you're the kinda guy who puts his all into everything. The kinda guy who'd be so determined to win a rematch that he'd go to Japan for three years to bolster his martial arts prowess. The kinda guy who'd fight an army of Outworld monsters despite the odds. The kinda guy who'd still step in to help his comrades, even while invasive magic twisted his values."
Again, he indicated towards Kira, who seemed to be on the mend.
"I didn't pick you just because you're a good fighter. Despite your bloodlust, you've tried to do good with it. How easy would it have been to sate yourself by mugging random pedestrians, instead of the armed crooks victimising them? A lot of people don't realise, but there's a lot that goes on inside that head of yours. You're not just streetsmart. You're real smart. You put a lot of logic into your actions, even now while you're being manipulated. So show this asshole what you're made of, King Kobra."
Like Kira, Kobra was clearly in agony as he fought off the magic. He screamed, clutched his head. This mental manipulation shit was no joke, Kabal thought. He stepped over to Kira to check on her.
"Kabal, what... what was I...?"
"Go help Kobra," he told her with a hand on her shoulder. "Havik's mine."
Kira did as asked, while Kabal stepped closer to the cleric.
"You've been unusually quiet for a while, Havik," Kabal taunted, brandishing his blades.
"Would you believe that putting one's hands back on without hands to cast the magic with is actually rather difficult?"
"Uh-huh."
"Such disinterest. Alas."
"I'm just wondering if you can reattach your head after it comes off."
"Who knows? But, in the name of our friendship, I will admit that I've not been entirely honest with you. I had my hands back almost immediately. What I was really up to was this."
Havik held out two gems. One, the red Gem of Tetsurri that had caused the confrontation with the other two to begin with. And the second, the green one, was brand new. It was then that Kabal realised he'd lost track of Onaga's heart.
"That's right, Kabal." Kabal could hear the smug grin in Havik's hollow voice. "The Gem of Onaga. A crystalised, more resilient, and more conveniently-carried gem with the power of resurrection. Oh, what Chaos I could sow with dead rulers in my power. Just imagine it: Onaga, Shao Kahn, Jerrod, Ankha, Al'Sheva - I could go on and I would love to, but I should leave now, before I say too much again."
"You think I'm just gonna let you walk outta here with that kind of power?"
"I think you won't much care, because you'll be too angry at the betrayal of your associates to do so." Havik held up the red gem once more and it began to glow blue. It took a second for Kabal to realise that the glow had been red. It was the block of ice now encasing the gem and the hand that held it that made it appear blue. For a moment, Kabal thought Sub-Zero had entered the chamber, but he was quickly disproven.
"Enough of your games, Havik!" exclaimed an older man's voice from behind Kabal. Shujinko stepped up beside the Black Dragon leader and took his own fighting stance.
"Hello again, Shujinko," Havik greeted casually, as if his hand had not just been frozen solid by the subject of his greeting. "I didn't have a chance to mention it earlier, but you have not aged well, my friend. Did your dip in our waters awaken your inner Chaotic self?"
"It may have disconnected my physical and mental ages, but that is not enough to convert me to your way, cleric."
"A shame. You have grown mighty in the years since." He indicated towards the husk of Onaga nearby. "What I would not give to have one such as you as my brother in Chaos."
"Bonds of brotherhood mean nothing to your kind, Chaosrealmer."
"Hm. True. You have become wise."
"If you two are done with your little reunion," Kabal interrupted, by now mostly recovered from the weapon blow, "I'd like to wrap this up and go home."
"You will not be waiting long," said a voice Kabal recognised from the doorway. Kabal turned to see Sub-Zero himself enter the chamber, flanked on all sides by most of the other warriors that had converged on Onaga's palace.
"The telepathy I picked up from Kenshi allowed me to inform my master, Bo' Rai Cho, while I stalled Havik," Shujinko explained quickly.
When Kabal turned back to face him, Havik was using another of his stones to open a portal behind him. He retrieved the crystalised Onaga heart from the throne's massive armrest with his unfrozen hand and made to flee.
Kabal rushed up the steps and swung his hook swords. The first impacted Havik's wrist and dug deep into the bone. The second pushed it down further until both broke through. Havik's limp hand landed flat on the ground, the crystal skittering off the edge and into the spike trench surrounding the area.
Havik took one look at the severed hand, then at the one still frozen, shrugged, and hopped back through the portal, which promptly closed behind him.
Outside, Kabal stood with Shujinko. After confirming that those remaining were on the same side, the wind god Fujin retrieved the gem and took it and Onaga's corpse with him as he departed Outworld. Whether he intended to seal them away or destroy them, he didn't say.
"Thanks for the assist back there," Kabal said as he patched up the minor damage his pack had sustained.
"Think nothing of it. If anything, we should be thanking you for keeping Havik at bay long enough for us to scare him off."
"He'll be back," Kabal said, choosing to ignore the actual focus of Shujinko's statement. "And he's still got the other gem."
"Tetsurri, you said? I am not familiar with Zaterra or its history, but I trust Lord Fujin to find a way to deal with it."
"A lot of people put faith in their gods. It rarely amounts to much."
"It is not blind faith that I place in him, Kabal. I fought alongside him for much of this conflict. I speak from experience when I say that I trust him to find a solution. Likewise, it is no mere intuition or assumption with which I judge you. I have observed you since you joined our forces. You project a self-centred character, but your sense of honour is at once clear and commendable. Were you as jaded as you pretend, you'd not have been deceived by Havik's manipulations. A man of Chaos is not to be trusted. I know this from experience as well."
"Maybe you were just naïve."
"Perhaps so. But whatever sense of camaraderie you may have felt with Havik, I can assure you, it was a lie. Such is the nature of the denizens of that nameless realm." Shujinko turned as Kira and Kobra made their way over. "But I suppose those two are evidence enough that you need no lecture on the machinations of chaos. I look forward to seeing what becomes of the Black Dragon under your guidance, Kabal. Until we meet again."
With that, the old man departed, making his way down the hill towards a portal he had revealed the location of to the gathered forces that could take them home.
"Where's he goin'?" Kobra asked.
"Home. And it's about time we did the same. Course, we'll need a new one seeing how Havik knows where the current one is. But I know some guys who can hook us up."
"'Hook'. Good one."
"You're trying too hard. If you've got something to say, then say it."
"Nothing gets past you, does it?" Kira said, her tone uncharacteristically meek. "Look, about before-"
Kabal let out a loud, gravelly sigh that sounded like that of a lifelong chainsmoker. "That wasn't your fault. I've seen someone much older and wiser than you two fall a lot harder to magic mind voodoo before. But even she couldn't break out of it the way you two did. Life isn't about never getting knocked down; it's about getting back up and soldiering on."
"You know that better than anyone, huh?" said Kobra, softly.
"Sure, but the things I said-"
"Are perfectly understandable. I get it. It'd hard not to after how you lived back in Afghanistan. You think being a woman did nothing but hold you back from the life you wanted to live. Just remember that with us, that's not the case, and you'll be fine."
Kira looked over at Kobra, who nodded his concurrence.
"And you," Kabal added, turning on Kobra. "We'll work on getting that bloodlust of yours under control. I don't think just having an outlet is enough anymore. But there're plenty more Red Dragon guys we can use to keep it at bay for now."
"That's... That's it? No wise analysis of my character flaws?"
"Some people's problems are easier to identify than others'," Kabal shrugged. "The takeaway is that you both got caught off-guard by chaos magic and it brought out the worst sides of you. But that doesn't mean you're weak or undisciplined. You've just got something to work on, same as anyone. We've all got our demons."
"What are yours?" Kobra asked with a grin. "Speed demons?"
Kira chortled.
"I'll give you an eight," Kabal replied before turning and making his way towards the portal. "Come on. The Black Dragon's got more recruiting to do."
"You really do have a list, huh?"
"A long one. Lots of places to visit. But you know me. I work fast."
"My spies inform me that you attempted to revive me as your puppet."
"Indeed. Oh, the Chaos I could have caused with one as mighty and feared as you at my side. Alas."
"Bold of you to admit it so freely."
"I could not get a lie past you, Emperor. One cunning enough to foil my schemes without ever knowing I existed... some might call it chance. But I believe it simply highlights the sheer reach of your masterful deception. Yours is a Chaos not to be underestimated."
"If chaos is what you seek, I may have a use for you. A war is coming, a final battle between what fools would call 'good' and 'evil'."
"Naïve categories created by those who find comfort in order."
"Indeed. Those same naïve fools will be our enemies. Structured factions may not suit you, but I trust you can endure in the name of experiencing the largest battle the realms may ever see?"
Havik shook with anticipation. "Indeed I can, Emperor. Chaosrealm loyalty is impossible to claim, but such a tantalising offer can certainly earn you a loan."
"Coming from one of your kind, that is high praise."
"Indeed. I believe our terms are clear: I bathe in the unadulterated Chaos, you acquire your objective, and then you and I face off for the final glory."
Shao Kahn leaned forward and grinned sharply. "A fight with a Chaosrealmer is one to look forward to."
Shujinko originally showed up right after Kabal separated Kira and Kobra and made it a 2v2 where he "easily countered every blow Kobra sent his way, like the master in an old kung fu flick." But once I had Havik go off about breaking bonds, I realised it had to be Kabal alone fighting them to focus on that bond. And that this focus would have to occur during the fighting, not afterwards, as was originally planned.