Chapter 4
Rolling Thunder
Storm clouds rumbled gently over Kung Lao's new and improved temple. It was full of new structures, improved buildings that fortified the Shaolin Temple against weather and fire. The streets were paved with a mixture of cobblestone and modern smooth roads. Bikes and pedestrians filled the general area of the temple, but the greater cities surrounding it were full of vehicles and modern-day life. Statues of Kung Lao filled the place from entrance to exit. The Great Kung Lao was at the center of town, but one would be hard-pressed not to find the image of the current Kung Lao immortalized in stone every other street.
There was alas a statue of Liu Kang and Kung Lao together. Side-by-side as expected with none being grander than the other. However, the placard on the statue was paved in gold with only Liu Kang's name on it and a brief set of words beneath.
"My brother, my friend, the greatest warrior I have ever known.
Liu Kang is not only one to aspire to be in skill, but as a human being.
Never turn down a helping hand, and never curl your fist to one in need."
The placard was signed by Kung Lao himself.
Though rain fell over the temple, Liu Kang and Jiao-Long kept dry under a large umbrella. Liu stopped to read the placard in front of the temple and scoffed at it. "How long did it take for them to convince you to agree to this, I wonder?" He said to himself humorously. "Come, Jiao-Long. Let's go see Kung Lao."
Father and son were allowed access to the most restricted areas of the temple without question. They were guided by monks to Kung Lao's private dojo where Kung Lao was in the middle of going through a series of attack movements with one of his visitors, Johnny Cage.
Cage, like all of them, had aged a little since their dealings with Shinnok. However, Johnny maintained his youthfulness through his insanely expensive custom sunglasses and A-Lister body build. He was lean and muscular as to not sacrifice his natural speed, but hit like a man three times his size.
The dojo was built in the interior of the temple. It was as large as a basketball court with benches to sit on along the side. It was a remade version of the old Shang Tsung Island's courtyard without the life or death stakes.
"Okay, look. Let's try this idea," Cage said to Kung Lao. "You and me are cops right? I'm from the west coast, you're from the far east coast, but we come together to solve a crime that spans two continents, right? There's like a kid involved, and a bomb, and we have to fight like freakin' Triads on a plane, yanno? We'll call it 'Last Plane to LA' or 'Last Plane to Hong Kong', or something like that!"
"Do I get top billing?" Kung Lao asked humorously.
"I'm the headliner here, alright pal? I'm Jordan, you're like…Rodman or something."
Liu Kang made his presence known by knocking on one of the large dojo's wooden pillars. "Knock-knock." Liu said with a smile. "Second and third place together in the same room? Just like old times."
"You're still in first place for being a dick, old timer." Cage quipped and quickly covered his mouth. "Shit, your kid's here, my bad. Cass is here too, she's just coloring."
"Good to see you in good health, brother." Kung Lao shook Liu's hand firmly and pulled him into an embrace. "You as well Jiao-Long. You are not outdoing your father already are you?"
"Almost!" Jiao hopped up and down after hugging Kung Lao. "I don't see Cassie anywhere."
"Commander Cutie?" Johnny called out. "You've got a friend here!"
"I'm busy!" Cassie called from behind the benches.
"Doing what?"
"I gotta beat Shin-ark! Pew pew!" She stepped from behind the benches and flashed her flashlight off and on as if firing a weapon. "Just like you!"
"Of course, sweetie. Kick 'em in the berries for me!"
Liu Kang directed his son over to go play with Cassie. As the two children greeted one another, Liu Kang draped an arm over Kung Lao and Johnny's shoulders. "She is aware who actually beat Shinnok, right?"
"May have taken liberties with the trilogy I put out." Johnny said while patting Liu solidly on the back.
About twenty minutes later, the three were on the benches watching the children play here and there. Though the conversation at hand flip-flopped from old times to current back and forth.
"One of the greatest mysteries in all of Earthrealm is how in the world you and Sonya got together." Liu Kang said playfully. "You got a wonderful child out of it, but you must have used some forbidden technique to get her attention."
Kung Lao raised a single finger. "Vodka. Was it vodka?"
The three laughed together, but Johnny pointed an accusing finger at Kung Lao. "Hey hey! Don't let the one-liners fool you. I can be pretty charming. It was a lot of being careful with what I said and being honest. Love her but we're always going through something or other. Divorce is actually been brought up."
"I'm sorry to hear," Liu said frowning. "Are you going to go through with it?"
"Marriage is a serious thing. I'll fight for it as much as I can. For me and Cass' sake."
"Liu Kang would know nothing about marriage," Kung Lao interjected. "Mr. Fire hands always has cold feet."
"I thought you learned after all our yeas of training that I just have good timing?" Liu lightly jabbed his friend's shoulder. "Besides, out of the three of us you are the only childless one."
"I am a bit too busy for love." Kung Lao said confidently. "I happen to be very sought after."
Cage lifted his chin after Lao spoke. "By Rosie Palms, maybe."
Liu and Johnny shared a laugh with Kung Lao joining in at the tail end of it. The conversation strayed from love and went into something more centric on Liu Kang's struggle.
"In all seriousness, I have been feeling incomplete," Liu began. "I feel as if I have peaked. I crave a challenge. I find myself dreaming of the days I fought the likes of Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. No battle has compared since. Not that I do not enjoy sparring either of you or Kitana. There is just something different about a fight in which my life is on the line. I have never been sharper or more focused during those battles."
"Don't go looking for another war." Kung Lao said firmly. "Let the past be past. You experienced what you are capable of. Hope that you do not have to reach that potential again. Focus on that."
Thunder struck the floor.
The children and adults were all equally startled from the interior lightning strike. The lights in the dojo flickered and showed the image of Kitana in the center of the dojo floor. "Jiao-." She said as she turned to her son. She rushed over and hugged him tightly.
Liu Kang moved from the bench to her side in a hurry. "What's wrong?" He could feel it in the air. She wasn't herself.
"The temple was attacked by the Black Dragon," Kitana said while standing. "We lost many people. Suchin and Takeda are fine, but it was a hired hit on us."
"The Black Dragon?" Johnny moved beside them next. "Hey, kids? How about we step over here for a little bit? I've got this pretty awesome new fightin' move to show off." Johnny looked back at Liu and Kitana as he got the children out of earshot. "Fill me in later, guys." He said in parting.
The story of the Black Dragon invasion and Shang Tsung's 'offer' was told to the two Shaolin. Kitana's fists clenched tighter every time she spoke the sorcerer's name. "He knows about Shen," she said with her voice cracking. "He made her sick. I know he did. It wasn't me!"
"It was us." Liu Kang corrected. "Jiao has not gotten sick like she did. We got lucky. Edenian and Earthrealm blood does not mix well, we were warned of this. We knew going in that there was a chance she would not survive."
"It was him!" Kitana shouted. "It wasn't us. It wasn't me. He taunted me with it, I saw it in his eyes! He killed her, Liu! We have to go find him, we have to kill him for good!" Electricity crackled in her eyes as her voice raised. "I should have killed him the first chance I got. I should not have been merciful. All of this, all of this is because of him!"
"If you go to him and kill him, you are not getting revenge, Kitana." Liu said firmly. "You are starting a war that we cannot afford to have."
"I have Earthrealm's greatest warriors. That is more than enough."
"So did Lord Raiden. But he acted in the best interest of the realm. Not like a tyrant."
"He needs to learn respect! He took my child; I'll take everything from him!" Thunder rumbled loudly outside of the temple. "I will take all of the souls from his weak, pathetic, and mangled corpse and stomp them into the dirt!"
"Listen to yourself, Kitana." Kung Lao said softly. "Really listen to yourself. Those are words Shao Kahn would say."
Kitana reached for Kung Lao's throat but her wrist was captured by Liu Kang like a snake snatching a bird from the air. The two locked eyes. Electricity crackled along her figure until she pulled her hand away.
"We have to leave this in the right hands. People who can take the correct actions." Liu said with a lion's gaze on Kitana. "You are compromised. Stop, breathe, and think. You mentioned Noob Saibot putting a hit on our home. There is someone we can talk to. Sub-Zero will aid us knowing his brother is behind this. We handle the Saibot situation, and perhaps in the process we can find out what Shang Tsung has to gain in warning us. I will not condone killing him without question. Every snake has its game."
Kitana was quiet. She stepped away from the two and ran her hands along the sides of her head. She'd done so much to make this life the perfect one, but her grip on control was slipping by the minute. "Fine." She said after consideration. "We will go to the Lin Kuei temple. But if I so much as see Shang Tsung in person, I will kill him without hesitation."
A/N
Sorry it took forever. A number of tragedies occurred in my life but I finally got around to writing. It is a short entry but progress none the less. I am going to challenge myself to get through this as often as possible. Please let me know what you think, as always, reviews and feedback motivate me.