A/N: Hello, fellow readers. I have returned once again with a new chapter. So now, we're crossing into the lore of Shadow Lords, where everything is at stake. Without further ado. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Check the sign: "I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie."

The U-ship flew at hyper-speed, heading to New York, carrying passengers in its belly. When Orchid and Maya contacted their groups to explain the current events, their followers dislike the idea, but they did not oppose it, for saving the world was important.

Carrie stared at the metal floor before she shifted at the captive. The Ultratech soldier gazed at her as though trying to find the monster. She clenched her jaws as an unseen force slammed the captive's head against the wall.

He grasped his head while sucking air into his teeth. "Hey, stop banging me, you freak!"

TJ drove his elbow against the captive's face. The soldier groaned as he grabbed his blood-leaking nose. "Stop calling Carrie a freak, and thank Jago for saving your stupid ass!"

Jago smiled before he rubbed Carrie's back. "Are you okay?"

Carrie wagged her head slightly. "I still believe it's a trap."

"You're not the only one." Orchid tweaked her weapons. "I hate siding with the enemy, but what choice do we have?"

Maya rubbed the scarab jewel on her chest. "I'm surprised they kept a watch on the Coven."

"You never mentioned them," Pemba said.

"A memory I'm not ardent to this day. I was at the Ural Mountains, seeking the Coven-a group of vampires intending to spread their evil influence to the world. Mira-my sister and partner-accompanied me on the mission. It became grim, and Mira sacrificed herself to save me…" Maya paused, wiping any tears before she continued. "Being a monster hunter is a dangerous job. We've lost members before, but when losing someone close, it hits you hard."

"Attention," ARIA's voice boomed in the speaker. "The Pinnacle is in eight minutes and twenty-two seconds."

The U-ship zipped through the clouds until the city emerged, with portals staining the sky. It landed at headquarters, where the gang stepped out with their hostage. Standing before them was Cinder and a Fulgore unit.

"Glad you're back to normal, Cindy," TJ said. "I guess being a Human Torch carbon copy is not fun when someone almost turns you into a hardened lava statue."

Cinder shuddered from that moment. "Don't remind me. Anyway, the boss sent me to escort you to her office, but first…" He tapped the cyborg. Fulgore teleported itself and the Ultratech soldier away, perhaps to a hospital wing. "Everyone else, follow me."

As Cinder led the crew inside the building, the employees kept their distance from the monster responsible for Black Prom. Carrie ignored the staring, but a firm and gentle grip on the hand from Jago eased her. They approached an elevator, where Cinder pressed a button, the doors closed. No one uttered a word, except for the music, until a ding signaled the lift to stop, and the doors opened. The gang strolled the halls until they reached ARIA's office.

"This place hasn't changed." Orchid spotted Thunder and Aganos sitting on the stairs. "Thunder! Aganos! They have you as well?"

"Yes, but we're fine," Thunder said. "We had trouble at Sabrewulf's castle; faced someone pursuing the relic: a woman with pale-white skin and gold eyes. Though corrupted, her skills match those of the Night Guard."

Maya furrowed her brows. Was there a traitor in the Night Guard sister locations? Before Maya could solve the puzzle, the automatic doors opened as ARIA arrived in a new frame.

"I'm sure you're aware of the portals emerging from the sky." ARIA showed a picture of Earth stained with portals via satellites. "Where it leads is unclear, but with these entries, something evil lurks. Footage of Kan-Ra from one of my drones confirmed my suspicions."

The screen changed to a chamber with Kan-Ra chanting something in a book resting on the altar. The book floated as it shot a small blue light stream towards a circular inscription on the wall.

Aganos curled its hand to a fist. "Kan-Ra. He's back."

"That's Kan-Ra? He's a freaking mummy!" TJ remarked.

"What is he doing?" Carrie asked.

Maya sensed a déjà vu from the video. "He's summoning a portal, but why?"

Kan-Ra continued his spell until the beam strengthened, creating a portal. A wide grin spread across his face, and his eyes gleamed until the entrance turned blood-red. He struggled to shut the gate, but streaks of lightning sent the sorcerer flying, and a wicked laugh echoed.

"Pitiful creature. Did you think you'd close it once I convinced you to open it?" a voice said. "With the gateway opened, I, Gargos, will claim this planet, as I had tried so long ago."

Silence lingered in the Pinnacle as the video ended.

"This is not good," Pemba said. "What did he mean he sought to claim Earth?"

"A logical assumption is that Gargos had invaded Earth in the past but failed. Since then, he lied in wait, gaining strength to pierce the barrier." ARIA altered the screen, exposing ancient ruins with cryptic drawings. "Angelic beings called Ichoriens formed a barrier around the planet for protection. They maintained the wall for millennia until they vanished. By my estimation, it'd be mere months before the Shadow Lord breaks through and destroys Earth."

"Couldn't we go to Kan-Ra and convince him to seal the main portal?" Thunder suggested.

"The damage is beyond repair, but you are right on seeking Kan-Ra. His knowledge of the Shadow Lord could give us insight on a defensive strike, but he's not alone. There are two more we must seek." ARIA formed another holographic screen, showing two fighters of her interest.

The first was a man with short golden locks and elaborate tattoos etched on his muscled torso. He carried a massive broadsword with stylish rune designs on the blade.

The second was a half-Korean and half-Chinese descent woman with a red-rose and golden dragon tattoo on her right arm and hand.

"Time to give y'all a crash course on these two." Cinder rubbed his flaming clawed hands. "Tusk might resemble an average guy with a sword, but he's 10,000 years old. You're thinking: 'No way could anyone live that long,' but he's immortal, meaning he cannot die nor age. His sword even listens to him! To Kim Wu here: her ancestors formed a bond with a dragon spirit. A few weeks ago, she became the spirit's host. Now Gargos is after her for it; a drone had caught a fight between her and Jago's evil twin. We have video evidence if you want to see."

"We already have the idea," Orchid said.

Jago shifted with a low growl, not wanting to remind himself of that tragic history.

"That wasn't you," Carrie spoke through telepathy. "This was Omen's doing." Although her words cheered Jago up, it didn't mean it still hurt.

"Since time is short, my technicians are working on tablets that will provide the information I mentioned," ARIA said. "We'll need everyone, even Carrie, in the upcoming fight."

"What? No!" Jago placed a comforting arm around Carrie. "She's not ready for this ordeal."

"She did well to defend herself until she changed into the Dark Phoenix," Cinder noted.

"Only because of the shit you and ARIA started!" Orchid argued.

"Enough! Fighting against each other won't help us if Gargos comes. We must work together, or the Earth will succumb to the Shadow Lord's rule," ARIA said. "On the first mission, one of us must convince Kim Wu to join our cause."

"I will go," Jago said. "With Gargos after her, she must know what she's facing if she hasn't already."

"I'm going with him too," Pemba added.

ARIA produced a screen with a red dot rippling California. "Kim Wu is in Chinatown, San Francisco. I'll give you this portal key, Jago. It grants you easy access to any place you choose. Cinder and I will dispense portal keys to each member of the Alliance for future missions."

"Is it safe?" TJ inquired.

"You might have side effects such as nausea, headaches, and whatnot, and your body might distort if you become trapped but safe to use," Cinder swore.

"You and Pemba should go to Chinatown by flight, Jago," Carrie advised. "I don't want to lose you both if using this portal key."

"Still, it's the quickest way to reach Chinatown, if it works. Orchid, in case Pemba and I get trapped and can't return, I need you to tend to Carrie. Can you do that for me?"

"I will. We'll head back to the City of Dawn. Be careful, both of you."

"We will." Pemba changed into her Qilin form. "Are you ready?"

Jago nodded and inspected the portal key. "So, how does this work?"

"Press the red button. The rest will handle itself," Cinder briefed.

Jago searched around the item until he found the glowing button and pressed it. A beam of light emerged from the gadget, forming a portal. He and Pemba approached the gateway, and once they stepped through, the entrance thinned and vanished.

As one of the oldest towns in the United States, Chinatown was a magnet for tourists, from the Dragon Gate to Portsmouth Square. On a building, Jago and Pemba arrived through the gateway.

"Cinder was not kidding when he mentioned the side effects." Pemba shut her eyes, waiting for the headache to subside.

"It won't last. We should focus on finding Kim Wu. I have sensed none of Gargos's agents, but it'd be a matter of time." Shouts reached the duo's ears as they spotted several thugs chasing a woman with flowing red hair tied to a ponytail and a child in an alley. Though brief, Jago spotted a swirling dragon tattoo on the woman's right arm and recalled Kim Wu's descriptions from ARIA's briefing. "That woman, I sensed a powerful spirit within her. It must be Kim."

"Those thugs could be trouble. Shall we?"

"Let's go."

Kim sprinted while carrying a girl on her back, with the goons behind them. Two strips of her lilac martial arts belt with Chinese symbols around her waist flapped against the wind. She kept her breathing steady in the chase until they stopped at a dead end. With the thugs approaching, Kim set the child on the ground and placed herself between the girl and the attackers.

"Well, boys, it looks like we'll be having a two-for-one combo. Did your mom tell you not to stick your nose in other people's business?" the bandit leader said.

"Did your mommy tell you and your cronies not to hurt kids?" Kim said.

"Oh, so we have a funny one here. Let's teach this bitch some manners!"

Kim brought forth her nunchaku comprising gold markings and a Chinese Dragon motif. The nunchaku blazed with a golden light with each spin, and she shifted to her fighting stance. She motioned with her hand for her opponents, baiting them.

The thugs tried to attack from each side, but Kim countered, from kicks to whacking them with her weapon. The brawl lasted for a minute, resulting in the thugs reeling and unconscious. Kim placed the nunchaku around her neck and dusted her hands.

"Don't lower your guard," a mysterious voice said.

"I know, Yeo." Kim checked on the child. "Hey, you're good?"

The girl nodded until she spotted the ruffian leader edging closer with a pocket knife. "Ne Dwie!"*

Before Kim handled the attacker, something pounced on the crook. She shielded the girl from the force before she peered over her shoulder. The man lay on his stomach, coughing blood, with a pair of paws planted on his back. Kim followed this creature's legs until she reached its draconic head, equipped with spiral horns, golden eyes, and whisker-like feelers. Its equine body shined a brilliant ruby, hiding a bite-mark around its shoulder.

Is that a friggin' Kirin?

The Kirin remained tall and not alone; Jago was on the creature's back. With Kim and the girl safe, they focused on the bandit.

The thief shifted his head until his eyes bulged, and the Kirin's snout moved closer to his face. "Holy—"

The Kirin roared, showing a mouth full of teeth to the ruffian leader. His followers recovered but scampered once they spotted the creature. The Kirin whipped its tail around a fleeing bandit's feet, dragging the poor boy towards them and off the ground.

The crony brought his hands together. "Have mercy."

"Did you give them mercy when you and your friends were chasing them?" Jago asked.

"That red-headed bitch…started—" The leader howled from the Kirin sinking its teeth on his right shoulder.

With the ruffian hushed, Jago shifted his attention to the crony. "Let your leader know that if I catch him, you, or anyone from your gang harassing people, my friend here will see you. Tell him!"

The boy recoiled. "Hey, boss, he told us not to badger anyone again, or this dragon-horse thing will revisit us. Can I go now?"

Jago patted the Kirin, allowing it to drop the boy and hoist itself off the injured leader. The crony helped his comrade to his feet and scampered. They shifted towards Kim and the child. "You okay?"

"Yeah, but I had things under control!" Kim said.

"Until one of them unveiled a knife."

"Oh, what—wait, have I seen you somewhere?"

"No."

Kim scratched her head. "I could've sworn I had seen you."

"You're referring to Shadow Jago—the demon you had fought weeks ago," Yeo spoke in Kim's head. "This is the original Jago—the one we've been waiting for."

Kim compared the man standing before her and the demon she had once encountered. Of course! The OG Jago doesn't have that evil jazz.

The girl tugged on Kim's coat. "Are you going to take me home?"

"Give me a minute," Kim said. "I know why you're here, Jago, but can we talk later? I must bring her home—"

"Pemba and I could help."

"What?" Kim connected the dots. "Oh, no. No, no, no. Are there safety measures with your friend?"

Pemba snorted and whacked Kim in the head with her tail.

"It won't hurt us, right?" the girl queried.

"It will be fine." Kim stroked the back of her head while casting a brief glare at Pemba.

"You sure?"

"Positive, now let's bring you home."

"Keep in mind: I'm not a common pack mule and refuse to become that way," Pemba said.

"Noted." After Kim lifted the girl and placed her on Pemba's back, she hoisted herself behind Jago.

"Hang on," Jago instructed.

"Hang on, for—?"

Pemba leaped towards a wall and scurried up the building, with Kim wrapping her arms around Jago. Once on top, they hopped from one building to the next. While Kim clung for dear life, the girl was having too much fun. They arrived at a small apartment rooftop with a stairway hut.

"That was fun!" the girl said. "Can we do it again?"

"Maybe another time." Pemba wrapped the girl with the left whisker-like feeler and helped her to the ground. "Will you be okay from here?"

"Yes. Thank you so much." As the child headed to the stairs, Jago and Pemba checked on a trembling Kim.

"Is this your first time?" Jago asked.

"Yeah, and my last," Kim said.

Pemba snickered. "Let's find someplace to talk in private."

They departed from the apartment and reached another alley, where several market stalls remained with Chinese signs and red lanterns dangling on the line. People and cars passed through the street, taking no heed of the alley.

Kim collected herself from the ride, but what surprised her was when Pemba switched to her human form. "I can't believe you're a Biànxíng Zhe, Pemba. Jago, how do you stand this?"

"I adjusted, but onto important matters. I understand you had met with one of Gargos's minions—a demon that resembled me."

"How can I forget? That thing threatened to hurt my family. That alone was a turning point for me to defeat him. Yeo helped too."

A little golden dragon arose from Kim's body, bathed in an azure aura. "Oh no, you've done that on your own. I only gave you a push. Regardless, you must've had an awful experience with Gargos, Jago."

"That bastard tricked me into thinking he was a benign deity, but I won't fall for his tricks again. Anyway, I came to recruit you, Kim, for the war against Gargos. An alliance has formed between those involved in the tournament and Ultratech."

"Wait, are you two with that firm?"

"Oh no, heck no," Pemba said. "We only joined forces because Gargos is a more significant threat. Why?"

"Because I had a fiery guy named Ben and a few raptors come after me, claiming they want to 'study' Yeo and me," Kim said. "I sent them packing before they did anything stupid."

Pemba knitted her brows. "Ben?"

"She meant Cinder," Jago said. "Well, you have nothing to fear from Pemba or me, Kim. If you join us, you could be under their protection, and we'll need the help we can muster."

Before Kim spoke more, a thunderous pop stopped the chat as a black void emerged. The trio prepared themselves as it spewed out a shadow creature. "What is that?"

"Omen, another of Gargos's minions. I'll handle this one." Jago stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Gargos has called to arms, brother. Will you answer?" Omen replied.

"No way in hell will I bow to that foul name."

"Then, I'll drag you by force!" Omen threw three black spheres towards his opponent, but Jago dodged and slammed a fireball against the demon's back. Omen cried, but after he recovered, he growled and vanished.

Even though unsure where Omen was, Jago remained calm until he sensed the demon and evaded a grab. He threw a fireball at close range, blinding Omen. After that, he attacked, ending it with an energy-infused rising uppercut. Omen's body dissolved into small streams of shadow and seeped into the portal. The void remained as eerie voices echoed, calling to something or someone.

"Don't listen to it!" Yeo said.

Though Jago and Kim heeded the dragon's warning by covering their ears, Pemba advanced towards it, entranced by the voices. She was near the gateway until Jago pushed her away. A light flashed from the entrance, blinding everyone until it faded. She was still emerging from her entranced status when Kim called to her.

"Pem! Pem, are you okay?"

"Yeah, but where's Jago?"

"That portal abducted him."

A/N: Uh-oh, this does not seem to be going well. Will Jago find a way to get back to the human world before Gargos influences him again? Also, a "Kirin" is the Korean or Japanese name for the Qilin for those that may not know. It's the same creature but a different name. Anyway, time for my brain to rest, so I'll see you later.

*Ne Dwie: Korean for "Behind you"