-Chapter 12: The Tournament - The Calm-
Sprinting through a dense wood, sunlight reflected off the silver armor and blue yoroi robes of a Lin Kuei warrior. Like all the participating kombatants, he had been teleported to a pre-determined place on the island and pitted against whatever foes he could come across. In this particular instance, he was attempting to outpace one who had slaughtered fellow Lin Kuei ninjas. A true beast of a creature.
Scaling tree branches with an agility even a cat would be jealous of, he spun in mid-air and hurled a trio of throwing knives towards rustling bushes behind him. He paused atop a branch, watching as the rustling died down. Had he felled his quarry?
An explosion of flame scorched his footing, obliterating the tree and throwing him to the ground as a spectral figure clad in yellow teleported above him. Grabbing the Lin Kuei by the shoulder, he drew one of his katana and drove it through his shoulder as he slammed him into the ground. Turning and throwing his foe, the fiery ninja tackled his foe, landing hard blows to his gut and a flying knee to his face that shattered his metallic menpo armor. Blood flew from his lips as the spectre gripped him around the throat.
"Where is the one you call Sub-Zero?" He demanded. The Lin Kuei's response was to spit blood in his face, the viscera dripping down his golden menpo armor. The demonic warrior snarled, turning and throwing the Lin Kuei against the tree again, a resounding CRACK from fractured bones echoing throughout the wood as the Lin Kuei fell to his hands and knees. "Die knowing I will kill every last member of your clan on this island." The spectre snarled, turning away from him as the Lin Kuei struggled back to his feet, staggered and bloodied.
Whipping back around, the spectre launched his kunai from his outstretched arm. The metal blade sliced through the air until it stabbed deep into the head of the Lin Kuei warrior. The ninja's head lurched back until the spectre reefed on the chain with such supernatural force it tore the head from the body, blood spurting from the stump of a neck left behind. The head sailed through the air, flying past as the spectre reached for his belt and threw a dagger after it.
The head collided with a nearby tree and was promptly pinned there as the dagger speared clean through the face and into the bark behind.
Satisfied with his kill, the spectre teleported away, leaving yet another gory scene in his wake…
Within the island's Great Hall, an enchanted map hovered before the dias. It contained the entire territory of the island and orange lights flickered back and forth, revealing the souls of the participating kombatants scattered across the island. One by one, they winked out as they were defeated or yielded. The tally was growing painfully obvious to those watching.
Hands folded as he sat on his throne, Shang Tsung smiled devilishly. "So it begins." He mused. "And so it will end. Earthrealm will belong entirely to the emperor... and to me."
"So you say." A voice thundered from beside him. Raiden stood with arms crossed, his electric gaze flickering between the map and the foul sorcerer beside him. "You forget that there is a tournament to fight first. Many things may happen." Shang Tsung glowered.
"Tell me, Raiden, god without miracles, why do you come? To see your fighters destroyed, your realm lost, and you yourself humiliated? Is it really worth the price you must pay to come here, to see those things?" He questioned bitterly.
"I have reason to expect a slightly different outcome." Raiden said mildly. "Tell me, if you are so confident of the results of the tournament, why do you continue to cower behind Goro?"
"I pay respect to Outworld's greatest champion, letting him have first blood." Shang Tsung replied. "What is so odd about that?"
"Nothing… if you did not have the aid of other realms." Raiden retorted. Shang lost his temper.
"My reasons are not to be questioned by such as you!"
"Of course not." Raiden looked to the shadows beyond the throne where his senses revealed another tainted soul lurking in the corner of the dias. "You can come out now, warlock. Skulking in the shadows may be fine in the Netherrealm, but it is unnecessary here." He called out, stoic and unmoved.
At once, heeding his summons, a pale man covered in intricate tattoos written in a vile script and layered in armor forged in the depths of the Netherrealm, strode towards them. Much like Shang Tsung, he had black eyes that covered a fire lurking behind them. Demon eyes.
"The mighty thunder god of Earthrealm." Quan Chi greeted mockingly. "As much a protector as he is a failure in his own right."
"Your presence befouls the hallowed nature of this tournament." Raiden stated in retort, standing his ground. "If only Shao Kahn had enough faith in his warriors that he would not stoop so low as to recruit others to his schemes."
"You know the rules as well as we do, thunder god." Shang Tsung interrupted. "There is nothing against alliances in the midst of the tournament. In his wisdom, the emperor has chosen to field as many champions as possible. And as this is my domain, Lord Raiden, the emperor's word is law." Undeterred by the fact the odds were against him, nor the fact he stood in the presence of two evil men who were devoid of all honor and virtue, Raiden simply tilted his head down to conceal his eyes behind the brim of his hat.
"We will see if it is the quantity or quality of champions that prevails." Raiden replied, his voice fierce while the God of Lightning's eyes were blazing with cold blue fire.
Shang ignored him, leaning forward to study the enchanted map for a moment. More souls winked out as more rounds of kombat ended. Of those still alive and fighting, all six of Raiden's champions were present. "Impressive, Raiden. Your warriors have made it further than I would have thought." He complimented snidely. "To think one of them is the long lost Princess Mileena of Outworld no less. How fascinating that you managed to recruit a traitorous vagabond to your cause." Shang sneered.
"You mock my decision, and yet the emperor's favorite child lost in her very first match. While Mileena, the supposed failure, advances in the Tournament." Raiden replied, his voice smooth and even, speaking with such a confidence it made Shang Tsung regret asking. The sorcerer sank back into his throne, shooting the thunder god a glare out of the corner of his eye. "You will find all of Earthrealm's warriors are strong in spirit, Shang Tsung." Raiden declared. "You will not win today."
"I have heard such promises before." Shang Tsung bit back. "Thankfully, after Goro kills whoever makes it to the final round, I will not have to hear them again." The map shifted again, more kombatants falling as one in particular scythed through the competition like fire consuming dry grass. "And Quan Chi… your warrior from Netherrealm is proving to be quite formidable." Shang Tsung loudly complimented.
"For the glory of Outworld. The Circle of Shadow serves at the pleasure of Shao Kahn." The Netherrealm warlock replied with a bow, the two sharing knowing looks.
"Indeed." Shang said simply.
"You won't succeed." Raiden stated, earning looks of ire from the two. "No matter how many foes you put between the Earthrealm fighters and your champion, they will make it to the end."
"Oh? I'm glad you feel that way." Shang replied, voice smooth and filled with guile. "Surely you know of the Black Dragon? It seems that several have made it onto the island… with orders to kill your Earthrealm friends." He mused, a sweeping hand gesturing to the sudden appearance of new souls arriving on one of the island's beaches. Raiden stopped and stared for a moment, the pieces suddenly coming together. He could feel the smile in Shang Tsung's eyes, that everpresent smugness he brazenly waved so casually in his face.
Had the rules not been present, Raiden would have finished Shang Tsung long ago. As it stood, he would have to settle for divine authority.
"How dare you…" Raiden growled while electric arcs sprang from his body to the floor and his eyes glowed with an uncanny blue light. Thunder rumbling overhead, his power thrumming to such an intense degree both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi cowered before the threat of his divine might.
"Are you accusing me of something, Lord Raiden?" Shang meekly inquired with a soft, curious smile that belied a serpent's fangs.
"You brought them here to interfere with the tournament! And paid them to attack the Wu Shi Academy before Mortal Kombat had even been declared!" Raiden said sharply, hands balled into fists.
"And break the rules? Even I am not so bold as to anger the Elder Gods in such a way." Shang hurriedly responded in his own defence. Raiden realized he was right. Someway, somehow, conversations had happened long before the tournament with no way to directly tie their implications to Shang himself. The sorcerer was clever. Crafty, even. His serpentine skillful ness was a constant danger, despite his ability to play the fool.
Raiden allowed his power to abate, crossing his arms as he fixed his posture so he stood a whole head taller than the wizened sorcerer and his demonic ally. "You will not succeed, Shang Tsung."
"We'll know soon enough, won't we?" The sorcerer teased. Raiden fell silent, his eyes turning to the table where a multitude of new souls began to spread out across the island…
Meanwhile…
Having made his way down from the mountainous heights of the island, Johnny Cage took a moment's reprieve to find rest under a tree. The thick canopy above provided excellent shade as the actor slipped out of his loafers and massaged his sore feet. "What I wouldn't give for a frozen margarita…" He muttered to no one in particular. "Brought the wrong shoes for this." Stretching his legs, he leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes, thankful for the peace and quiet-
"Hey!" With a frightened yelp, Johnny bolted to his feet, only to find Sonya standing before him with an unimpressed look on her face. "Really?"
"Sorry! Been a long day of people trying to kill me." Johnny excused, making to slip his shoes back on. "Raiden never said this tournamnet was to the death!"
"We're trying to keep our world safe from invasion. What did you think was gonna happen?" Sonya retorted with a dismissive wave.
"I dunno. All paparazzi and flash photography, like the sport karate circuit." Johnny replied, quickly moving beside her. "I had to fight one of those Tarkatan things with all the teeth like what Mileena has, and I barely got out alive!"
"No shit." Sonya said, sounding disinterested, crossing her arms. "I fought one of those lizard things. Saurians." Johnny quirked a brow, looking at her in surprise.
"So did you-"
"Took it's head off. No big whoop. Acid was a pin in the ass, though." Sonya replied, silently missing her other power glove. "Listen, I'm willing to play nice and help you out of here but we need to stick together." She stated.
"Yeah, no, sure. Absolutely. Best idea I've heard all day." Johnny readily agreed. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with more Outworld kombatants all by himself.
"First rule of combat is to secure our position. Let's find somewhere to hole-up and then we can start recon." Sonya stated.
"A sound strategy." A new voice concurred. Whirling around, Johnny and Sonya saw trees and leaves part as Liu Kang stepped into view. He, like them, was sporting some wear and tear from previous rounds of kombat. "I'm pleased to see you both made it. Have you seen any of the others?" He asked.
"No."
"You guys are the first friendly faces I've seen since the hall. And that's saying something giving how batshit-crazy these Outworlders look." Johnny said.
"I fear it's only going to get harder from here." Liu mused, hands on his hips.
"I fought a walking set of teeth on the side of a mountain. How hard can it get?" The actor questioned nonchalantly.
"Don't jinx it, Cage." Sonya snapped, jabbing a finger into his chest. "We're not training anymore. This is the real deal. And I want to survive this tournament in one piece."
"As do we all." Liu Kang agreed. "But until Outworld has run out of kombatants, we will have to fight those who remain."
"Maybe we'd do best by doing both," Johnny said. "Stick together and fight the bad guys. I, uh, think that splitting up again would be a bad idea." The blonde rolled her eyes.
"Everybody's a tactician," Sonya grumbled with resignation.
Johnny shrugged. "Hey, like it or not, warrior princess, we're in this together. Besides, I've got more than enough stunts left to dazzle the competition into submission." He promised, lowering his shades to offer a wink. Sonya, huffed in indignation.
"Civilians," she muttered, making the word sound like a curse. "There are other ways besides drawing fire to annoy those around you," she snapped. For some reason Johnny got the impression of clenched teeth. "Now are you going to be sensible, or do I have to punch you out, leave you here, and pick you up on my way back?" The actor raised his hands, taking a few steps back as he let the blonde have her way.
"Alright alright, relax, Lieutenant. I'll follow your lead." He relented. Satisfied with his response, Sonya turned back to Liu Kang. She was all-business now, ready to trailblazer her way to victory as only an army gal could.
"You said you know where we are?"
The Shaolin nodded. "Yes." He affirmed. "It will be dark soon, we need to make camp. Rest while we can."
"Agreed."
A sudden scream from somewhere in the woods had all three whirling around. Having contended with kombat all day long, the champions were immediately on their toes and tensing in expectation of a fight. They moved to investigate, Liu and Sonya in the lead with Johnny bringing up the rear as they powered through the forest foliage following the screams.
They soon emerged into a clearing… where they were met by absolute carnage.
"What the fuck…" Sonya breathed in shock. The blonde had been in some messy military situations before… but nothing like this.
Savagely mutilated bodies lay scattered across the ground, bits and pieces of flesh and innards lay amongst steadily-growing pools of blood. To their right, a headless body slumped at the foot of a tree with their head impaled some distance above it. To their left, two bodies lay beside one another; one had been completely disemboweled while the other had been ripped in two by unknown forces.
In the centre of it all stood a man. It was the yellow-clad ninja they first saw on the boat opposite Dragon Wing when they were en route to the island. He had another unfortunate soul held above his head, who he promptly killed when he snapped him in two, his spine breaking with a sickening CRUNCH as he threw down his broken opponent. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Johnny gulped, promptly dry-heaving shortly afterwards. Recovering his composure, he looked back up as recognition set in. "Hey, wait, you're that guy from the bad-lookin' boat." He realized. The ninja turned towards them, revealing the same soulless eyes hiding a sinister malice.
Liu quickly stepped ahead and assumed a Jun Fan stance. "Stay behind me, I'll take care of this." He stated.
"What is this, nineteen-fifty?" Sonya scoffed, muscling past him. "Step back, I'll handle this bitch." Putting up her fists, she meant every word and probably would've thrown the first punch had Johnny not lept to the forefront.
"Woah woah woah! Everyone just chillax!" He called out, stepping between his allies and their possible adversary. "No one needs to fight anyone right now, especially some guy that just went psycho on a bunch of, uh…" In response to his question, Sonya glanced at the corpses around them and frowned. She recognized them. A small band had been present in the Great Hall on their arrival.
"Black Dragon. Mercenaries. Assassins." She said. Johnny quirked a brow.
"Wait, the same chumps who attacked the monastery? Well, great! You're fighting them, we wanna fight them, that puts us on the same page! Nobody needs to fight anybody, see?" He urged them all.
"We have to continue." Liu insisted. "Once Mortal Kombat has been declared, it must be finished."
"Did you declare Mortal Kombat?" Johnny asked and Liu shook his head. "Did you?" Sonya also shook her head. The actor looked to the ninja. "How about you, Mister… uh-"
"Scorpion."
"Oh. Catchy." Johnny complimented. "Did you declare Mortal Kombat?" Scorpion shook his head. "Good! Great, then no one needs to die." Johnny decided. "Come on, we'll set up that camp you talked about, put our feet up, take five and not spill any blood for a few minutes."
Sometime later…
While the four decided to do as Johnny Cage suggested, Magnus Shadrix found himself doing a lot of bloodletting.
A small troupe of Tarkatans had discovered him as he trekked through the dense forests of the island which had promptly led to a heated one-on-four round of kombat. One of the Tarkatans already lay dead… and another was about to join his fellow.
Thrown to the ground as Magnus tackled him in a Glima stance, the Tarkatan snarled furiously until he was abruptly silenced by an axe buried in his face. Magnus stood and promptly stomped down on his weapon, ramming it the rest of the way through the Tarkatan's head. Bone and sinew shredded by the blade, his head was split cleanly in two by the time Magnus bent down to retrieve his weapon.
Another lunged with blades outstretched, loosing a furious roar as his weapons collided with Magnus' own. The Yngling warded him off with back and froth swings of his axes, moving on the backstep until he ducked low and let the Tarkatan's blades become buried in an old oak tree. Magnus quickly skirted his foe, hooking the open part of his axe around the Tarkatan's neck before he executed a push kick that slammed him up against the tree, burying the axehead deep in his neck. The Tarkatan burbled, gagging on his own blood as he tried to recover, only for Magnus to grab the handle of his axe and tear it through the rest of his neck, decapitating him.
A sudden bundle of sparks struck his body, pitching him to the ground as a Tarkatan advanced menacingly. With a shout in his native tongue, the Outworlder pounced on Magnus, seeking to run him through his blades…
He never got the chance.
Shooting out from the foliage, a pair of high-pressure columns of water bored through the Tarkatan's head and neck like drills, piercing clean through flesh and bone until they exploded out the other side. The Outworlder soon hit the ground, dead where he lay, and Magnus hurried to his feet in anticipation of further kombat. What he discovered instead, was not an enemy, but an ally.
Emerging from the wood and clad in the robes of a Lin Kuei ninja, the one called Hydro approached the Norwegian. "It appears my arrival was not coincidental." He remarked.
"If it is, it is a coincidence I welcome." Magnus replied, tucking his axes back into his belt. "I owe you one, Lin Kuei." He said with a slight bow.
"Call me Hydro." The ninja responded, returning his gratitude with a Lin Kuei salute of one arm across his chest. "I am pleased to know I have been able to assist another of Earthrealm's champions."
"Perhaps you can assist this one a little further. I am seeking my allies, the ones who came with Raiden. Have you seen them?" Magnus questioned.
"Not in person." Hydro replied. "But I passed a camp not far from here. It's fire was little, it's occupants at peace. Perhaps you'll find them there." He added. "Come, I will show you."
"My gratitude." Magnus said, joining him in stride. "Your powers… they are not the icy ones Raiden claimed Lin Kuei possessed."
"They are not. But it is certainly helpful for the others to freeze things that are wet." Hydro replied. "I have been blessed with the arcana of a hydromancer elemental."
"Hence your alias." Magnus mused. They walked a few paces before he spoke again. "I too have an elemental arcana. That of an electromancer."
"Then we are kindred spirits. Gifted with great power from the realm itself while also charged with its protection." Hydro mused. "We should look out for one another. Ours are a rare breed." Magnus nodded, appreciating the ninja's openness.
"You are more than welcome to stay with my fellow champions and I." He offered.
"Normally I would accept. But I cannot." Hydro promptly answered. "Someone out there is targeting the Lin Kuei. I must be vigilant and bring him to the end he is due. I will not stand by as members of my clan are slaughtered." His words sparked something in Magnus. He remembered his family and tribe. His homeland. If he were older and trained in his powers, he would've fought Shang Tsung when he came for their souls. 'He is right… we are kindred spirits.'
"I understand."
Night came to the island. A full moon had risen and cast its ghostly light across the landscape. Alone together in the forest, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade and Liu Kang sat around a small campfire while a surly Scorpion stood off to the side, lurking in the shadows. In the time it had taken them to build and establish their little camp, they had been discovered and joined by Kung Lao and Mileena who now sat around the fire with them. Five of Earthrealm's champions had assembled, all of them showing the signs of hard-fought kombat. But there remained an empty seat that was hard not to notice.
"Do you… think he's alright?" Mileena asked quietly, her voice more guttural than it had been before.
"Who? The modern viking? Of course he is. We all made it, why shouldn't he?" Johnny replied. "Big as a tree, built like one too, probably racking up the wins." The actor stretched, propping himself against a tree with his hands behind his head. Then his stomach growled audibly. "Ugh, man… does anyone have any food on them? I'm starving." He asked aloud. Most shook their head. Except for Kung Lao.
"Here." Reaching for his belt, he withdrew a small wrapped red cloth that revealed a cluster of small brown balls. They looked like breaded meatballs. "Swiped some of these from a table at the Great Hall before the tournament began." Johnny beamed.
"Alright! Cool Hand Lao to the rescue!" He praised, swiping a couple for himself as the monk passed the food around. Everyone took some to partake, feeling the need to rejuvenate after a strenuous day. Mileena lowered her veil, revealing her Tarkatan teeth as she started consuming the meatballs. After a moment's savouring, she discovered she recognized the food.
"Yes… I know what these are." She mused between chews. "A regular Outworld delicacy. Ground dried bloodworms, lightly breaded and sauteed in monkey oil." She described. Liu maintained a stoic expression while Johnny and Kung Lao blanched and stopped chewing immediately.
"They're great," Sonya commented. She wolfed hers down without complaint, ignoring the sound of Johnny gagging across from her.
"What the hell is wrong with everything on this island…?!" The actor whined. He looked down at the remaining meatball in his hand. "Hey, Scorpion! Hungry?" He called out.
"No." The spectre rasped, not even acknowledging Johnny. The actor shrugged.
"Your loss… fried bloodworms, yum yum."
Trees suddenly shook, leaves falling as the heavy tromp of footfalls jerked the champions to attention. Expecting an attack, they all bolted to their feet and tensed, expecting kombat. A figure fought their way through the trees, batting aside branches and broadleaves until they emerged into the clearing and laid eyes on the fivesome around the fire. "Nice to see you're all still in one piece." Magnus remarked.
Mileena breathed a sigh of relief as he strode over to join them and the rest of the champions were just as pleased to see their remaining remember was still in good health. "Good to see you again." Liu greeted. "You're looking well, Magnus."
"Well enough. An Osh-Tekk didn't make things easy for me." The Norwegian responded as he took a seat beside Mileena. He accepted some of the remaining meatballs from Kung Lao. "What's for dinner?" He wondered, casually popping them into his mouth.
"You don't wanna know." Johnny said with a grimace. "Hey, question now that we're all one big happy family again, did any of you all aside from the lieutenant know this was a death match tournament?" To his surprise, most of them nodded. "So… you've all killed your opponents?"
"Yes." Kung Lao said.
"Uh huh." Sonya echoed.
"All of them." Magnus answered.
Johnny sat slack-jawed for a moment. "Since when did I miss that memo?"
"Since you probably fell asleep when the monks were explaining things to you." Liu Kang remarked.
"Not my fault you held a conference at oh-dark-thirty. I need my beauty sleep, I can't perform before ten in the morning." Johnny retorted.
"You must've been a big disappointment to your ex." Sonya snarked. Johnny sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I MEANT I work ten to two, I'm not some midnight-hour actor. I'm not Tom Cruise." Johnny snapped back. "Still kinda wish they'd made that a little more obvious to us. Especially Raiden. Here we are training and not once does he mention the fact our opponents are trying to kill us!" He complained. Everyone else seemed to ignore him and Johnny loosed a huff as his gaze trailed off into the forested darkness where Magnus had come from.
A pinpoint of light appeared before him. In an instant it expanded to a ball of electricity, then in a thunderclap that left Johnny's ears ringing, it changed into the form of Raiden.
"Lord Raiden." Liu Kang hurriedly greeted as the rest stood respectfully in the presence of the thunder god.
"Well well well, if it isn't mister one-point-twenty-one gigawatts himself." Johnny remarked.
"You have survived your first rounds of kombat. Good." Raiden noted, eyes aglow.
"Yeah, about that, why didn't you say we had to kill the bad guys? Huh? Or the fact they'll kill us if we're not careful?!" Johnny griped.
"Was it not obvious, Johnny Cage?" Raiden responded, folding his arms behind his back. "You have been called to fight for the fate of the realm, one of the scarce few charged with preventing it's extinction by invasion. One does not win a war by merely kicking your opponent to the ground."
"Well… could've spelled it out a little better…" Johnny grumbled.
"Enough." Raiden turned his eyes on each of the six, one after the other. "The time for hesitation is past." He said. "What you are about to face is vastly more important than your individual fallacies. Now you have seen what the tournament holds for you, and what Outworld is doing to try and win." Raiden stated, looking closely at the six.
"You mean Goro?" Kung Lao asked.
"Or the Outworld warriors?" Magnus clarified.
"All of them." Raiden replied, drawing closer. The pale starlight made the forest seem a ghostly silver, with deep shadows forming inky pools between the foliage. Raiden himself appeared as a spectral form in the dimness. But as he drew closer to the fire, his towering godly stature was revealed in full, no longer a voice but a tangible presence. "As host, Shang Tsung is no one to take lightly. He is crafty, unpredictable, and far more dangerous than the brute force of Goro." He said, looking at Kung Lao. "His power comes from the souls of vanquished warriors. To fight Shang Tsung is to face not one, but a legion of adversaries." The God of Lightning turned to look directly at Liu with knowing eyes. "Remember that."
"How can we win?" Sonya asked. Her shoulders were stiff with tension.
"Goro can be killed," Raiden replied, turning directly to face the Special Forces lieutenant. "Shang Tsung's power can be destroyed by mortal men and women. You can overcome any adversary, no matter how bizarre their powers may seem. There is always a way. Only one thing can defeat you: your own fear."
"Who says we're afraid?" Johnny challenged.
"Who says you are not? You must first face your fears if you are to conquer them," Raiden responded. He extended a finger, levelled at the actor. "You, Johnny Cage, are afraid people will think you're a fake. so you'll rush into any fight to prove you're not. You'll fight bravely enough, but foolishly, carelessly, without thinking. And you'll be beaten." Raiden then turned to Sonya. "You, Sonya Blade," he continued, "are afraid to admit that even you sometimes need help. If you are afraid to trust, you will lose."
His gaze flicked to the Shaolin. "You, Liu Kang, fear your destiny. You fear you do not live up to the standards of the Prophecy. That to call you the Chosen One of Earthrealm is a false hope. If you focus on your fear instead of your abilities, you will fall. You, Kung Lao, fear being forgotten. You fear you do not live up to the standard of your ancestors; the Great Kung Lao. As such you will make foolish choices to ensure your name is remembered. But yours is a fool's hope. You must find that being yourself is enough and that who you are matters more than being remembered. If you do not, you will pick a fight you cannot win."
At last his gaze turned to the remaining members of his chosen champions. "You, Magnus Shadrix, fear failure. Failure to avenge your family and tribe. Unless you find the strength within your soul to focus on your own survival, you will never reach your goal. You, Mileena, fear a lack of identity. You pursue abandonment and waywardness to isolate yourself from the pain that threatens you. Find it within yourself to belong, to give yourself a chance, otherwise you will be cut down by the multitudes who have already found belonging."
The thunder god paused, giving his words the opportunity to sink in. He turned to address the six as a group. "Know this: despair is the most dangerous fear of all. Guilt over the past. Dread of the future. These are your enemies. I know all this. And so does Shang Tsung. He can peer into your souls and use the fear he sees there against you. You must be prepared for whatever challenge he sends your way! You have survived his initial onslaught. Expect more to come." His voice commanded in tones of thunder. He spoke and the champions listened, their attention reverent and transfixed.
The thunder god lifted his gaze, looking past Scorpion to beyond the trees. It was as if his vision could see something the others could not, something beyond green and bark. "Head towards the temples where your final battles await… and your destinies will be made clear." He instructed. "But be on your guard, there are others on this island who will try to keep you from the final round." Without elaborating, Raiden's body began to glow with blue electric light. It collapsed again into a ball of lightning. Then, without warning, the ball of lightning vanished, leaving a smell of ozone in its wake.
"Great. Sounds like we're kinda screwed." Johnny sighed as he leaned back against a tree.
"If Lord Raiden believes we can make it, we can." Liu stated aloud.
"No. You can't." Scorpion rumbled.
"Well, you seem like oodles of fun, Mister Scorpion." Johnny muttered.
"Shang Tsung has the numbers. He has that monster, Goro." The ninja continued. "Go. Hide in the jungle until it is over."
"And let Earth be destroyed?" Sonya retorted. "Sorry, pal. I took an oath to defend it. No matter the odds."
"He would not understand, Sonya." Liu Kang interjected. "A champion of the Netherrealm has never known anything worth dying for." Scorpion fell silent, his body turning ever so slightly so that his pupilless, soulless eyes met those of the group.
"You cannot survive."
"Our will is strong. Our destiny is our own." Kung Lao retorted.
Scorpion loosed an irritated huff. "You are as naive as you are doomed." He said dourly. "I've been here too long. Know that the next time we meet… it will not end well." With that, the ninja strode off into the forest and disappeared from sight. The champions were left to contemplate his thinly-veiled threat.
"Well, that was cheery." Johnny remarked.
"Shut up, Botox." Sonya retorted.
"Scorpion was right about one thing; we've rested long enough." Liu decided as he stood up. "Now that the six of us are back together, we can continue on and finish this." Taking him at his word, the rest of Earthrealm's champions stood and extinguished the fire before departing as a group into the night.