Chapter 7: Friendly Faces, Unfriendly Foes
Things seem to be coming along well, albeit at a small pace. Flora has been taught how to control her energy-based powers from her father Alex. Anthony on the other hand still has much to learn about his after he pulled off his first Shadow Kick from his mother Cassie. As a General, Cassie is well aware of her own responsibilities. She truly knows how Sonya feels. Alex can feel the same as her, Sonya and Johnny. He never believed he could come far as a colonel. Everyone else on the team did.
Anthony is starting to feel the same responsibility of leadership as his parents and grandparents did. Even though Flora lost the fight, she still thinks Anthony will make a good leader as a sergeant. Flora is fine being a specialist. Despite their personalities, they still take things seriously.
With training done, the family and Kabal along with some of the teams of the Special Forces are to meet up with Takeda and Jacqui, the new master and mistress of the Shirai Ryu. "Any word from the new masters of the fire clan?" Kabal asked.
"Not yet. They want to speak to us face to face. Don't know why. All they said was important." Alex replied.
"It's hard to believe that Hanzo Hasashi is finally retiring. He's been the grandmaster for many decades, even back in the Old Era. Same with Sub-Zero. It's not gonna be the same without them. Though I wish we could've seen Kuai Liang retire too." Cassie sighed. She, Alex and the Special Forces along with their other allies have since been aware of the death of Kuai Liang at the hands of Sektor, who resurrected himself as Triborg. Much to their relief, they are glad to hear that the Cyber Lin Kuei are extinct now.
"I've always heard he was such a cool guy. Bad guy turned good. That was a surprise to mostly Johnny, Jax and Sonya. They never liked him to begin with, but after being told about his history and how he and Sub-Zero made peace with each other, they gave him respect. If I was in their shoes, I would have done the same thing." Anthony Cage said.
"Guess he never liked the name Scorpion. Couldn't say I blame him. But glad he was there for Aunt Jacqui and Uncle Takeda. There was one thing I like most about him." Flora Cage said.
"What would that be, sister?" Anthony Cage asked.
"GET OVER HERE!" Flora Cage quoted. This caused everyone to laugh at that. They always found that to be catchy for some reason, particularly Cassie.
Cassie sits down next to her daughter. "I always liked saying that from time to time. It's hard to joke with him, but he knows we mean well to him. Hasashi was always fierce and brave for his clan and such. Glad to hear he saved Jacqui and Takeda. I'm willing to say your aunt and uncle will be more badass." Cassie smiles and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Alex nods and agrees. He never got to interact with Hanzo a whole lot, but always saw him as a good friend. He goes to check on Anthony as Kabal keeps flying their jets. "Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just a little nervous being the new sergeant." Anthony Cage worries.
"I hear that. Listen. I know it's not easy being a leader. General mom feels the same. So did Sonya. But I know you can do it. I've never been a leader myself, but I have seen how she has led for years. Being second in command is a different kind of level for me." Alex said.
"And I think Flora will make a good second in command for whoever else will be on this team. I do wonder who though?" Anthony Cage said.
"That's the spirit, son. It takes inner strength to embrace leadership. As for your question, you'll see soon enough. You'll love it." Alex said.
"I have a hunch that I will love it big time." Anthony Cage said. He and Alex salute each other as he goes back to his seat. They continue to pilot one of the jets.
The lead jet lands ahead of the other two outside none other than the Shirai Ryu Fire Gardens. He and his wife Cassie remembered their first time stepping into the gardens with help from Raiden. They liked the place so much because of the peaceful environment.
Alex, Cassie, Kabal and the twins step out and see five familiar faces. None other than former Grandmaster Hasashi, Master Takeda and his father Kenshi, their best friend Jacqui Briggs Takahashi and their daughter Vera.
"General Cassandra. Colonel Alexander." Welcome to the Fire Gardens. We have been waiting for you." Hanzo Hasashi greets them.
"Hanzo Hasashi. Glad to hear you're still in good health. Heard about what happened yesterday. Glad to hear Takeda is stepping up for you. About damn time he becomes master." Alex expresses gratitude.
"Thank you, Alexander. You can tell that to them yourselves." Hanzo said as he steps aside, showing Takeda and Jacqui.
"So can we call you Master Takahashi now?" Cassie joked.
"Only when we go on missions together. You know that, even after all these years with our parents." Takeda replied and bowed his head to head as they hug.
"Figured you'd say that. Good to see you again." Cassie said.
"Same here. Haven't changed much, have you?" Alex asked.
"I can say the same to you, except you sort of copied my beard." Takeda joked before they fist bump and hug each other.
"Sorry. Force of habit I guess. Can't wait to see how you'll lead the Shirai Ryu from here, my bro." Alex replied.
"It won't be easy, but there's always a start, right?" Takeda asked.
"Pretty much anywhere in reality. But I think if you play your cards right, then you can get the job done just right." Alex said.
"Aren't we forgetting someone?" Jacqui asked, giving them a teasing glare.
"Oh. Sorry, Jacqui." Alex and Cassie both said at the same time.
Jacqui snickers before she giggles. "Relax. I'm only teasing you guys. Still works every single damn time. You, in terms of looks, still haven't changed a fucking bit. Glad to see your faces." Jacqui smiles as she and Cassie hug.
"Same to you, Jacqui." Alex smiles and hugs his best friend. Jacqui kisses Alex's cheek and smirks.
"Good to see you too, Colonel Alex. Must be good being the new second in command." Jacqui smiles.
"Not as easy as you think. But it's not too bad. I think I can handle it just fine. After all, I learned from you." Alex smirks.
Vera, who was in the middle of her training with her escrima sticks, sees Anthony and Flora come from the jet. She puts her weapons away and comes up and hugs them. "Hey, you weirdos. Hope y'all have had a safe flight." Vera said as she smiled at the twins.
"Hey, Vera. Heard you became chujin. That's gotta be great news to hear. How does that feel? Being the leader?" Flora Cage asked.
"Comforting so far. Helping Master dad lead a clan sure will be a lot of work like hell. Can't imagine what could be coming our way. I was lucky enough to pull off that win and discover my telepathy. I'm still trying to work on that last part, though." Vera said.
"I hope Satoshi isn't taking the loss too hard. Heard he was a great guy and looked up to Aunt Jacqui and Uncle Takeda, and of course, you. I was told he's a very nice guy." Anthony Cage said.
"Oh, don't feel bad. In fact, he's getting his own squad to lead to make up for it. That way he won't be too bummed out by it." Vera tells him. That's a relief to them. At least they know Satoshi is happy regardless.
"Hello, Vera." Cassie said as they walked over to her.
"Hey there, Auntie. How's life been for you?" Vera asked.
"Things have always been rolling well in the Cage family. Always finding a way to shine their name and show it off with pride." Cassie said as the two hug.
"Never change a bit." Vera said as she turns to her uncle. "Uncle Alex. You doing alright?"
"Doing well, Vera. Hope you're doing well, kiddo." Alex replied as they hug.
"You bet I am. Just surprised that I'm chujin, to be honest." Vera stated.
"And as a chujin, you must not be so modest with yourself. You must live up to your own expectations, no matter how difficult the situation gets." Takeda advised. Vera smiles at her father.
"So. What's the biz? What did you need to talk to us about?" Kabal asked.
Takeda and Jacqui both looked at each other, both sharing the same look with each other. They both feel super reluctant to tell them. They turn to Hanzo Hasashi and he nods to them.
Jacqui takes a deep breath and steps forward. "Cassie. Alex. You're not gonna like this. At all. We found this in a small fire when one of the villages was being raided." Jacqui shows them a paper with a logo. A logo that they wished wasn't true. The logo of the Black Dragon.
"Oh god. Not them. Anyone but these fuckfaces." Cassie looks in disbelief.
"That shouldn't be possible. I ripped Kano's head and spine off years ago. The Black Dragon died with him. That was the last time we ran into them. That was during the whole shitfest with Geras and fucking Shao Kahn." Kabal stated.
"I can't believe this. Why can't they just stay dead? Haven't we been through enough bullshit with them?" Alex asked out of annoyance.
Anthony, Vera and Flora listen with curiosity and shock. They were always told about the horrendous things the Black Dragon have done, which gained Sonya's and Jax's attention, which then steered intense hatred from the former. What made things worse was their loyalty to the Cyber Lin Kuei, Shao Kahn, Mileena and Kronika. They were also told about the deaths of Kano. It was something that pleased everyone, but were shocked that Kabal of all people killed him since he used to be part Black Dragon.
"Who could possibly be in charge of those assholes? There shouldn't be anyone left period. It doesn't make sense." Flora Cage asked.
Anthony quickly figured it out. "Tasia and Tremor. Who else could be involved. Remember, general mom and colonel dad tried to find them on scanners, but nothing." Anthony Cage stated.
"A wise son you have, Cassandra and Alexander." Hanzo compliments them. "It would stand to reason that they suffered too many casualties to carry on the Black Dragon after the death of Kano."
"Let's not forget the fact that Shao Kahn actually abandoned Kano right before he got his ass killed. Serves him right for trusting an arrogant backstabber in the first place. We should've known this would happen." Jacqui said.
"Knowing the Black Dragon more than anyone, they have recovered before and gone fucking downhill. This isn't the first time. Anthony is right. It makes sense for Tasia and Tremor to take over. They're the only named ones who continued to follow Kano." Cassie said.
"I highly doubt they would seek to reforge their alliance with Mileena with Shao Kahn dead. They're trapped in the Netherrealm, with no magic, no army, no proper leader. Mileena doesn't know magic, besides she can't recruit anyone from there." Alex said.
"With no doubt, they're pretty much on their own. There's no one left we know. The Red Dragon is gone too." Takeda said.
"Whatever they're trying to do, they're probably stuck in a corner like mice. They're pretty much going nowhere. For all we know, they could plan something. But why are they trying to attack villages of the Shirai Ryu of all places?" Vera asked.
"I do not know. That is why I called your aunt and uncle and cousins here. They know Black Dragon better than anyone. We will need their experience." Hanzo said.
"You bet your ass, Scorp-" Kabal briefly gets cut when Hanzo gives him a glare. Apparently he doesn't like being called Scorpion. "I mean Hanzo."
"Jacqui. Takeda. How much do you know about the villages that are with the Shirai Ryu? You've journeyed across here before." Alex asked.
"Everything. After we became full members, we took time to study all the locations. So we can memorize them all in case we need to do duties here and there. Tasia and Tremor must have had reasons." Takeda said.
"Exactly. We need to see which one of the villages has been attacked and why they did it. Figure out what they're doing." Jacqui backs him up.
"That is where we come in, Jacquline." Hanzo said. As he said that, he looks at the newly arrived Satoshi. He appears to be covered in a bit of blood. Satoshi is leading a small portion of his team, with at least three people holding a blindfolded man prisoner. He seems to be part of the Black Dragon.
"Satoshi!" Vera said as she ran over to her friend to check on him. "Are you alright? What the hell happened out there?"
"The village got attacked. Most of our stuff has been raided by the Black Dragon. But me and my squad managed to fight off most of them. We killed them, but I ordered them to capture this one, in hopes that we can find out where did they come from." Satoshi explained. The blinded prisoner continued to struggle to break free, but was held back.
"It is a relief that you made it out safely, young one. And a smart move you have played. Bringing a valuable prisoner. He may yet provide some intel for us." Hanzo praises the young student.
"Whatever information we may hear, it won't be good. This is the Black Dragon we're talking about." Alex said.
"Nothing is ever good with the Black Dragon, Alex. They've became more and more dangerous before. We don't want that to happen." Cassie corrected him.
"But what is their damage towards the Shirai Ryu? It doesn't make any sense one bit." Alex stated with some confusion.
"Alex is right. That was the Red Dragon until we killed them all when we took down Daegon's son Dogron. But it's too weird hearing the Black Dragon being here." Jacqui backs him up.
"There's only one way to find out. We cannot stand here pondering in confusion all day and night. They may not be as big as a threat as the Red Dragon or Netherrealm, but they've proven to be formidable many times." Takeda said.
In Hanzo's home, the heroes bring in their prisoner. His wrists and ankles are tied up to a chair. Vera takes the blindfold off the man. He looks like a mid-50s man with black hair, brown eyes, jagged up clothing and some blood and bruises on his face. It took several moments for the man to regain his eyesight. He looks around and sees Hanzo, Vera, Satoshi, Takeda and Jacqui. He easily recognizes Kabal and four people from the Special Forces being Alex, Cassie, Anthony and Flora.
The prisoner tries to lunge at them, but is held back by the tight restraints. He glares at them. "Where the fuck am I? Why are the goddamn Special Forces here?" The man demanded.
"That is none of your concern. What should be your concern is that you're the Shirai Ryu's prisoner for attacking our clan. We know you're with the Black Dragon. Why did you come here?" Takeda questioned the man.
"None of y'alls fucking business. We just want some payback on what you've done to the Black Dragon and killed Kano. Now Tasia and Tremor run the show." The man quietly chuckled before spitting out some blood.
"We ended y'alls club decades ago. You shouldn't have come back. Should've quit when you had the chance." Kabal said to him.
"Coming from the weak, asshole traitor. You had a good life with us until you turned traitor on us like a real fucking dumbass. If you stuck with us, we would not be here." The man grudgingly said to Kabal.
"Kano is a cheater and a liar and you fucking know it. He dumped me like a chew toy. Special Forces has shown me better things than the Black Dragon. He was a backtabbing, two-faced, ugly motherfucker." Kabal stated. He still hated what the Black Dragon did to him back that day he was betrayed.
"Still a better looking man than you, dickbag." The man insulted him. Kabal nearly gets angry and was about to punch him, until Alex and Cassie stopped him by grabbing his wrists.
"Kabal, no! We need that intel! If we kill him, then we won't know what else Tasia is doing." Cassie corrects him. Kabal grits his teeth in anger, but then he relents.
"But from the looks of it, he won't give it up that easily. They may be fucking idiots, but they do know when to shut up." Flora Cage stated.
"Considering the fact that they were trained in nasty ways by Kano and Tasia. Question is how can we see what they have planned for Shirai Ryu and most likely us, given that we're usually their worst enemies." Anthony replied, knowing Flora has a point.
The heroes try to think of a way to try to get information out of the prisoner. Given the wounds he already sustains, it appears that he will not give it up through being beaten. And from the looks of him in terms of personality, he seems to be tough as nails. That was when Vera had an idea. "Hey. I think we know how we can make him talk. The family has telepathy, so why not use that against him?" Vera suggested.
"Hmm. That is a good suggestion. But it could have risks." Hanzo said.
"He's right. Reading a guy's mind isn't always easy. Telepathy is easy to use on the weak-minded. From what I'm able to tell, he is harder to read. Apparently he must have been trained to control his mind in case this would happen." Takeda points out.
"Knowing Tasia, she knows how to make contingency plans, unlike Kano. She isn't as short-sighted or egotistical as he is. Tremor is nothing but a blind loyalist." Cassie said.
"Only problem is we don't know how many new members they have. Hundreds, maybe thousands. It must be taking them forever to recover from major losses since the last few times we went after them before and after Geras happened." Jacqui said.
"Well then that's why we have to be prepared for anything. Besides, Uncle Takeda and Vera make a point. There is no other way of finding out information from him. No point into beating him senseless." Anthony Cage said.
Vera feels a little nervous. She has had some training for a week. Vera has not yet completely mastered it unlike her father and grandfather. That was until her father put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Vera. I know you can do this. I will help you." Takeda assures his daughter.
Vera smiles and nods. She then turns to Hanzo, who also nods in approval. Vera's aunt and uncle and her cousins Anthony and Flora also have faith in her. They knew that if Takeda could master his abilities, so could Vera. The two then turn to their prisoner. They slowly walk over to him.
"Go ahead. Do whatever the fuck you want. You'll never beat the info out of me. Tasia got me prepared like hell. It'll take more than punches to get me to talk." The prisoner claimed.
"Oh. We don't plan on beating the shit outta you. What we're gonna do is gonna be far worse than what you know." Vera tells him. She turns to her father. "Are you ready?" Takeda nods.
Takeda and Vera put two finger tips to their heads. At first, the man started feeling nothing. He just rolls his eyes and spits out some blood. But then slowly but surely, his head starts feeling funny. Then he starts feeling pain. The man is shaking his head nonstop, trying to brush off the pain. Takeda and Vera press their fingertips to their heads harder. Their prisoner tries to put up a big fight. But then, he starts gasping and his eyes slowly start rolling back, having a flashback.
Takeda and Vera open their eyes and find themselves in what appears to be an old, washed up factory. Like it was used in a war. This does not surprise Takeda, given that the Black Dragon would pick these most of the time. Vera on the other hand, is amazed that her telepathy worked.
"Holy shit, it actually worked. This is amazing." Vera is amused.
"You have no idea how powerful it will get later on. That will always come in handy, even in dire situations." Takeda said.
"Where the hell are we anyway? Looks like a factory used in a war or something." Vera said. She looks around and sees that she is unfortunately right. "There's no name, but looks like it may have been used in a cold war."
"That's not surprising, coming from the Black Dragon. They're workaholics when it comes to weapons of mass destruction." Takeda said in annoyance. It is rather annoying to everyone in the Special Forces about the Black Dragon's lack of originality. But then again, unlike the Red Dragon, their rival clan were never known for magic or anything else dangerous.
"We're in his head, right? These must be his memories. Of what happened before the attack on the village." Vera guessed.
"Exactly. If we're in his head, then that means he is going to a meeting made by Tasia and Tremor. No one else could orchestrate the whole thing." Takeda said. "Question is where will they go?"
Takeda and Vera start walking slowly, trying to see where the supposed meaning will take place. At first, there was nothing but silence. They look onto a computer monitor and find a map. It seems like this place has existed for several decades. But then they start hearing footsteps. Behind them they see more than several members of the Black Dragon walking towards them. "Oh, fuck." Vera was about to get out her escrima sticks, but Takeda stops her.
"No, Vera. It's okay. They can't see us. We're not part of their memory. Nothing will happen to us." Takeda reassures her. Vera sighed with relief.
"Right. We can't be seen. Can't be touched. But that also means we can't do anything but watch, right?" Vera asked.
"Yes. Come on, these guys should lead us to the meeting." Takeda said. He and Vera follow closely to the Black Dragon members as they walk towards their meaning. They walk straight ahead and take two turns left and one right turn go upstairs. They walk past the second floor and onto the third floor and past a hallway and a big area and then finally into a room.
As they wait for Tasia to show up, the members begin chatting with each other. One of them looks like their prisoner. Dariou in terms of appearance of a marking on his forehead, and hardly has any hair except has long black hair tied up on the back of his head into a ponytail, and seems angry. Dariou is sporting a sleeveless brown and gold shirt with arm and wrist guards and tight brown pants with golden shin guards. Darrius on the other hand only has a goatie and seems to be missing an eye. He seems to be more calm and collective compared to his brother. He sports a gold and black vest and karate-like pants and has shin guards and elbow guards.
"Hey, Damian. What do you suppose they will be talking about here?" A man asked.
"No idea. Hopefully something regarding the Special Forces. They told us many times about much of a fucking pain in the ass they have been to the Black Dragon." Damian said.
"I hate it when people don't know when to mind their own business. Where did that get us for god's sake?" Dairou asked.
"Exactly Tasia's point. She said it may involve more than the Special Forces. Something about their other friends." Darrius replied. "Hoping it'll be a bloody good one too."
As they talked, Tasia and Tremor come in. This time, they brought in some new faces. They appear to be quite special to the two de facto leaders of the Black Dragon. One of them, however, seems very familiar. He has no hair, looks very angry and wears Black Dragon-like robes. His right shoulder pad looks partly cybernetic as well as his knee caps and has a cybernetic left arm and a metal gauntlet on his right wrist. This gives Vera and her father a bad hunch.
"Fellow Black Dragon crew members. For years we have been in hiding since we lost Kano to the Special Forces. But now it's time for some payback to so many sons of bitches who have wronged us, took everything from us! I alone will not be leading the Black Dragon as generations pass on. I have brought in some close friends of mine to help us turn the tables." Tasia announced. "I will introduce you to Kobra and his sister Kira. Tell us how you became part of the Black Dragon."
Kobra steps up. He looks like he is wearing a black and red leather jacket, long black hair, and plenty of facial hair and is very muscular. He is sporting a black belt and has an angry, yet calm expression on his face.
Kira on the other hand is wearing a black vest, partially exposing her breasts. She has long red hair, wears red short shorts and black boots. She also has dragon teeth-like daggers and long-sleeved combat gloves. Kira seems to be showing a devious smirk, as if she knows what Tasia will be announcing.
"Me and my sister Kira were just kids back then. We only lived in a small house back then with our parents in Utah years ago. We were having such a goddamn good time. Eating dinner, having laughs. That was until the shit happening between this club and the Special Forces happened. The entire town was being evacuated because of the damn military. Unfortunately, a red missile was launched at our home during one of their missions. Our parents threw us down into a basement and locked it so we couldn't leave. Thankfully it wasn't a nuke. We survived, but our parents didn't." Kobra explained. He seems so angry, blaming the military for the deaths of their parents. It appears that he loved his parents growing up as a kid.
"We were on our own for the next several years. We were taken to an orphan home. Me and Kobra decided to do something with our lives alongside school. Plan revenge on the Special Forces for taking our family away. They never found us. They thought we were dead. We blamed them for not saving our whole family. I ended up getting a job with a different military that's a sister counterpart of the Special Forces and Kobra took karate. They trained me to fight with melee weapons and ranged weapons. At one point, Tasia came to me, overhearing me hating the Special Forces for what they did. She decided to recruit us into their ranks. I talked to Kobra and he approved, thinking it was a good idea. Tasia told us to wait until something happened. For now, without anyone noticing, I sold weapons of each kind to her so she can have weapon experts create more. Weapons dealing. No one suspected anything." Kira tells everyone as she sharps her knives.
"I got my black belt easily. I dominated every last person in the dojo. Throughout my training, I focused on my anger towards the Special Forces for what they did. I wanted to be a teacher and show them the same lessons and show no one any form of mercy and always finish them. However, the others were too much of idiotic assholes to think it was a good idea, so I was throw out. I resorted to beating common muggers to death, going from criminal to criminal, still thinking of the Special Forces. I ended up getting arrested by the cops and got put in prison. Thankfully, my sister Kira abandoned her post without anyone noticing, knowing that fighting through them would do no good. She erased her entire encrypted file and killed everyone who guarded me. That was when Tasia rescued both of us and made us part of the Black Dragon." Kobra finishes the story.
"And for years, they have proven useful and very reliable to the Black Dragon. They have told no one nor spread rumors about our return. Special Forces have been a thorn in our asses for far too long. They have wronged us, taken our leader and pride. But we have the element of surprise." Tasia said as she steps aside and the same young man steps up to introduce himself.
"My name is Mateo. Son of Kano and Tasia." Mateo introduces himself. This greatly shocked Takeda and Vera. They did not see any of it coming. Kano may be a loudmouth, but he isn't dumb enough to give away secrets.
"I was raised here and shown how to lead the Black Dragon. I was homeschooled and when I got older, my mother told me about what happened to my father Kano. A bastard named Kabal turned traitor and killed him. Kabal became part of the Special Forces assholes that followed us everywhere like dogs with bones. But soon they will be dogs with fists up their asses and buried alive with bullet holes in them. Soon, we will show the world that we do not need the likes of Shao Kahn's followers to back us up and we can stand on our own. But Special Forces are not the only ones." Mateo said.
"Outworld. Edenia. The Shirai Ryu. The Lin Kuei. They have wronged us, but not as much as the Special Forces has. We will draw them out. By attacking the Shirai Ryu first. Some members have moved on to the Shirai Ryu while others remained behind. What they do not know is that we have new allies. They barged a deal with us, but the name of our associates will remain secret to the leaders only. They will know we are back, and they will try to come for us. It will not be so simple like last time. It's time we learn from our past mistakes." Tasia announces to everyone.
"Attack the closest villages of the Shirai Ryu. Take everything you want and kill anyone who tries to escape. Some will try to fight us. Let them. Regardless, Takeda and his wife will call their friends and let them know that we are back. We are prepared this time. For my father, Kano. Real fucking assholes Special Forces will be on their knees. We move out immediately. Black Dragon will not be pirates to these fuckers any longer." Mateo gives his speech as everyone cheers at their leaders and new recruits. Mateo looks back to his mother and she evilly smirks and nods her head as well as Tremor. Mateo seems to share the same feeling as Kobra and Kira. Takeda and Vera look at each other and decided that they've seen enough.
Takeda and Vera return to reality as Damian, their prisoner, is heavily gasping for air. Vera on the other hand feels dizzy from using her telepathy for so long. She nearly falls back but Anthony and Flora quickly catch her. Jacqui comes over to check on her daughter.
"Vera? Takeda? Are you two okay? What happened? Hope you two found something interesting." Jacqui asks out of concern for her family.
"Oh man. You're not gonna believe every single piece of shit we just saw in this asshole's head. None of it is gonna be good." Vera said, still catching her breath, head hurting. "We saw everything."
"Vera's right. In fact, it's even worse than we thought. Tasia and Tremor are leading the Black Dragon. Not only that, they have some new recruits. They're called Kobra and Kira." Takeda replies.
"Kobra and Kira? I've never heard of those names before. They sound familiar, but only god knows why they joined them out of all things." Cassie said.
"It's even worse. They claim that Special Forces bombed their house with red missiles. During the invasion of Shao Kahn when he attempted to invade, but failed and got pushed back to Edenia. Tasia personally saw to it that they joined." Takeda said.
"Special Forces? Killed their parents? That has to be a lie. They would never do that. Kano was the one who sold the firepower to Shao Kahn in the first place. Black Dragon always schemes shit like this, but lying? That's going too far." Alex stated. He feels rather disgusted by the fact that Black Dragon would poison everyone's heads with information with no evidence of their claim.
"Even with new members of the Black Dragon, it still shouldn't be enough to wipe us all out. I mean this is Tasia and Tremor we are talking about here." Flora said.
"Deception has always been a skill for the Black Dragon. Always poisoning everyone's heads with lies and they easily become gullible enough to believe said lies." Hanzo points out.
"They're not alone. They found an associate but they won't say who. Only the leaders, as well as Kobra and Kira know. Wonder why." Vera said.
"Whatever that is, it definitely does not sound good. It can't be the Netherrealm. Shao Kahn cut all ties with Kano after their last failure. Doubt they would even try to contact Mileena. The Cyber Lin Kuei are gone, and so is the Red Dragon." Jacqui said.
"Could be someone new." Alex replied.
"There is one more thing. But you're gonna absolutely hate it." Takeda said, gritting his teeth out of reluctance.
"What?" Cassie is confused.
After a long moment of silence, Takeda was ready to speak his mind. "Kano and Tasia….. have a son named Mateo. A new leader of the Black Dragon. He is in his mid-20s." Takeda said with great reluctance.
Cassie's and Jacqui's eyes widened while Alex's jaw dropped. Anthony and Flora looked at each other in disbelief. Kabal gives a rather surprised, yet annoyed expression. Satoshi showed confusion as he is not familiar with the Black Dragon. Even Hanzo Hasashi seems to be surprised by it. No one would think that Kano and Tasia would go this into having a son of their own. Especially with Kano's death at Kabal's hands.
"Oh, you gotta be shitting me right now. Apparently Kano and Tasia fucked each other sometime while I was in prison. They're goddamn stupid and desperate to try to keep their club alive by any means necessary." Kabal said out of annoyance.
"For the first time in my life, there's no way to describe how much I am surprised and annoyed by the fact that Kano has actually surprised me. That asshole tries to find ways to help the Black Dragon cheat death. This is fucking ridiculous." Alex said, rolling his eyes.
"With Kano having a son and leading the club with his mother and Tremor, that just makes things even worse for us. For all we know, they could plan something more devious this time around rather than the usual thing." Anthony Cage said.
"Now you fucking figured it out, assholes." Damian said, getting their attention. "Mateo, Tasia and Tremor have new recruits. You're playing right into their plan. You were too late to stop us from stealing your shit and calling you military bitches out here. It's not vengeance they are all after. It's satisfaction."
"Satisfaction? What do you mean? Who could they be working with or for?" Hanzo demanded.
"By the time I tell you, you're gonna be wasting more shit than you are now. By the time you figure it out, you'll be too late, assholes. You'll never be a match for them all. They have new allies. They will get what they want, and you'll be kissing the ground soaked in your blood." Damian quietly chuckles. He smiles and closes his eyes, awaiting his fate. Hanzo brings out his sword and swiftly swings at the prisoner's throat and blood comes spewing out. Within a few moments, Damian's head falls off the shoulders and falls forward to the floor. Blood is everywhere on the man's shoulders and most of his upper body.
"Now what do we do? We can't just stand around here and do nothing. If what Uncle Takeda and Vera say is true, then we need to make a plan of some sorts to stop them and find out who their new allies are." Anthony Cage said.
"Knowing the Black Dragon too well, even with newbies on their side, Anthony has a point. From what it sounds like, they have just become more dangerous than ever. For their supposed new allies, it could be anyone." Cassie said, agreeing with her son.
"You're right. Like Jacqui said, it's not Mileena. Since obviously they don't give a shit about the Black Dragon after Shao Kahn dumped them. And Sektor is gone for good thanks to Frost and the Red Dragon is also dead. But something still doesn't add up." Alex said.
"Then we must make a plan. Thankfully, I pictured the map in my head while using the telepathy powers." Takeda points out, gaining everyone's attention. They hope that they can make a good plan to counter the return of the Black Dragon. They have truly stepped up their game this time. More dangerous than ever.
Note: Yup! I am bringing in more characters from the 3D games. Kira, Kobra, Darrius and Dairou! Kira and Kobra are brother and sister this time around. Kobra's apparence has been changed from being blonde and will have different abilities and a fighting style. He was infamously known for ripping off Ken Masters from Street Fighter. As for Darrius and Dairou. There will be a different backstory on them. I hope you guys enjoy!