Francine grabbed her broom and duster and headed to Shang Tsung's library. Once there, she swept the rows upon rows of books.
Why does he need this many books? I only see him read the same four books.
Francine climbed up on a step stool to reach the top of the bookshelf. She tried reaching over to the other books but lost her balance and almost fell. She grabbed onto the ledge of the bookshelf.
That was close!
The bookshelf shook from her weight. A book fell onto Francine's head. She hissed in pain and stepped off the stool.
"What even is this book? Let's see if he notices if it goes missing." Francine inspected the spine and cover. The book had strange and unreadable gold lettering.
Francine opened the book and flipped through the pages. More of the unreadable text filled the book.
"This is… just gibberish?" As Francine neared the end of the book, a figure drawing caught her eye.
"What's this?"
The drawing was in multiple poses. The last figure lay on its back. On the book's last page, a dagger with notes underneath appeared.
"This looks just like the dagger I have. Hm, weird poses… dagger."
Francine placed the book on the ground and finished cleaning the library. Once she had finished, she grabbed the book and headed to her room. She took the dagger from its holster and looked at it.
"I wonder what would happen if I did these poses. In the last one, I have to lie in my bed." Francine locked her door.
She mimicked the poses from the book and lay in bed while holding her dagger. Francine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened one eye and looked around.
"Did this work? I mean… what moves was I supposed to do, anyway?"
Francine looked around her room and sighed once more. She exited the bed. Her room turned pitch black. The wood flooring changed to checkered tiles. A large icicle tree stood in the distance. A soft guitar melody came from the tree. Francine inched to the tree and encircled the trunk.
Francine stared at a dark brown monkey humanoid playing the guitar. The monkey wore some Indian women's clothing and white face paint with red stripes colored on her face. She stopped playing the guitar and looked up at Francine.
"A visitor? That's surprising!" the monkey said.
Huh? She sounds black as hell…
"Where am I? Who are you?" Francine looked behind. The pitch black continued endlessly.
"We're in your mind space, baby! I'm Croach, a simple amalgamation of your subconscious." Croach chucked her guitar into the sky, and it disappeared in a cloud of sparkles.
"Wouldn't my subconscious look more like me? I mean, you look crazy. I shouldn't have done those weird poses in Shang Tsung's book.
Croach climbed down from the tree and squinted at Francine.
"Hm…" Croach grabbed Francine's face and stared into her eyes.
"You're wrong, and I'm you. We don't look alike, but I'm all the weird things you are and enjoy." Croach turned to appear like Francine. "How's this?"
"Weirdly calming, but I think the monkey form is better."
Croach turned into her standard form, and she walked away from Francine.
"Where are you going?" Francine said.
"I'm not sure. This place is big but empty as well. However, I saw what you were doing through your eyes."
"Makes sense." Francine walked behind Croach. She stops for a moment.
"I can't go any further." Croach pointed to the ground. The tile stops and leads to an endless abyss.
"You would think that since we were inside my brain, it would go on forever," Francine said.
"I know, right?! But it doesn't. Shang Tsung said something about how this place could one day grow." Coach said.
"What are you exactly? I know you told me you're my subconscious, but what does that even mean?"
"My only purpose is to hold you together; without me, you'd be dead right now! All Shang Tsung did was take another person's soul and throw it together to make me. You have bizarre ideas, so it was hard for him to make me in any logical manner." Croach sat at the edge of the ground and looked down. Francine followed suit.
"So you're just a vessel? Thank you, then. So, you watch everything I do?"
"Yep, just like a movie." Croach wrapped her long monkey tail around Francine's waist. "But you're welcome. Usually, this shouldn't happen for an Earthrealmer,"
"Why not?"
"Shang Tsung said it because Earth can't handle strange anomalies like other realms. So, the Elder Gods put fake religions on Earth."
"Gay."
"It's a little gay, but the only reason you tapped into your mind is because you're not in Earthrealm, that's all. Maybe if you go back there, you can spontaneously combust and die."
"Ya right! When I go back to where I belong, I'll tell everyone that some crazy serial killer cut my face off and barely kept me alive. The ice powers…" Francine held her face in her hands. "I don't know."
"Suit yourself. But I would be careful. You're like a tiny ant in the world. You can get squashed whenever." Croach pushed herself off the ledge and into the abyss, waking Francine. There's a knocking at the door.
"Francine! What are you doing in there?!"
"Hang on a minute!" Francine threw the book underneath the bed and unlocked the door.
Before Shang Tsung could speak, Francine glared at him.
I got my eye on you, and so does my monkey brain.
"What is that look for?" Shang Tsung said.
"The look is for you making me clean your library."
Shang Tsung rolled his eyes and dragged Francine by her arm to the palace's throne room, where Quan Chi and Tanya stood.
"Someone was enjoying some shut-eye," Tanya said. "This plan of yours, Shang Tsung, sounds foolproof."
"What plan?" Francine said.
"If you were here at the specific time I had told you, you would already know." Shang Tsung pinched Francine's cheek, causing her to bite his hand. Shang Tsung put her into a headlock.
"Now, if you will listen for a moment, there is only one reason I had you spy on Liu Kang. We must take him out because he stands in the way of all our goals."
"How?" Francine said.
"Returning you from once you came requires activating the dagger I gave you. Starting the process, we will use his blood to do just that."
"Uh-huh, and how will we kill him exactly?"
"I will disguise myself as Kung Lao and be with him while he trains. You and Tanya must locate Kung Lao and knock him out. Do not kill him!"
"What about Quan Chi?"
"He will hide near me and only emerge at my signal."
"If you say so."
Shang Tsung dropped Francine and cast a portal before the group. They pass through the portal to a spot close to the academy. They all hid behind a bush.
"Francine, see if you can get a vantage point." Shang Tsung said.
"Right."
Francine sneaked through to the other side and hid behind a wall. Then she jumped up, grabbed a tree branch, and swung herself to the top of one of the temples. She closed her eyes and looked around; she spotted Liu Kang walking to the training grounds. Francine went to the rooftop's edge and gave the group a thumbs-up.
Shang Tsung transforms into Kung Lao, and Quan Chi heads to the training grounds. Tanya jumped to the rooftop where Francine was. They looked down at Stang Tsung as he walked to the academy entrance.
"Ha! That disguise truly is fooling the monks." Tanya turned to Francine. "Now, Kung Lao."
"I'm thinking if we use my ice powers, we can chuck him somewhere, then go to the place the other two are at."
Tanya nodded.
"Have you seen him?"
Francine closed her eyes and then looked around.
"It looks like Kung Lao is praying inside one of the shrines, and there's no one else around. Let's go!"
Francine and Tanya leap from the rooftops of each shrine until they reach the one where Kung Lao is. Francine climbs down to a window. Using an ice shard, she cuts a hole into the glass. Francine slips through the window, freezing her palms with ice shards. She stabs the wall and climbs to the ceiling. Tanya also tries to climb through the window, but Francine shakes her head. Francine looks down at Kung Lao; he continues praying.
I'm sorry, I have to do this.
Francine hung from the ceiling and dropped onto Kung Lao. She grabbed Kung Lao by the neck and put him in a chokehold, but he broke through and threw Francine off.
"Who the hell are you?!" Kung Lao grabbed his hat next to the statue.
Francine ignored his question and skated around Kung Lao at a high speed. He chucked his hat at Francine. It nearly missed her forehead and hit the wall. Francine grabbed her hockey stick and skated around Kung Lao until she climbed against the wall and up to the ceiling. Francine shot down at Kung Lao, but he blocked her attack. He smirked and threw Francine off of him again. Francine stared at him.
"That wasn't very smart," Francine said.
Kung Lao felt a cold sensation in his arm. The ice spread from his arms down to his legs, immobilizing him. Kung Lao tried to move but couldn't. The ice stabbed through his skin until he froze.
"Done!"
Tanya entered the shrine.
"He is not dead, correct?" Tanya said.
Francine went up to Kung Lao and touched him.
"He's alright. He'll have cuts from the ice." Francine scanned the room. "There's a closet over there. Let's put him there."
Francine and Tanya pushed Kung Lao into the closet, and Francine closed the closet.
"Come on, I got a feeling we don't have much time left," Francine said.
The two exited through the window and ran along the rooftops, reaching the training grounds. Francine slid off the root and ran to Quan Chi. Tanya followed suit.
"Is it time, Quan Chi?" Francine said.
"No, Shang Tsung is speaking to Liu Kang."
Francine peeped out from the bush.
"I'm surprised you didn't pray today." Liu Kang said.
"Don't worry, I did, but we need to train." Kung Lao said.
"Well, alright. Let me stretch first." Kung Lao crossed his arms and watched Liu Kang. Right as Liu Kang turned around, Shang Tsung transformed into himself and pounced on Liu Kang.
"Shang Tsung!" Liu Kang pushed Shang Tsung onto his back and punched him several times.
"We gotta help him!" Francine said.
"Not yet. Wait for the signal."
Liu Kang and Shang Tsung continued their fighting. Liu Kang threw Shang Tsung to the other side of the ring. Shang Tsung faced the group and blinked twice. Quan Chi and Francine emerged from the bush and got into their stances. Francine threw an ice beam, and Quan Chi threw an energy beam at Liu Kang. The blast hits Liu Kang and stuns him.
Shang Tsung pounced on Liu Kang again, grabbing his head.
Liu Kang clawed at Shang Tsung's hands. Shang Tsung leaned into Liu Kang's ear.
"You have destroyed my life, humiliated me in front of thousands, and taken pride in my suffering. That ends now."
Liu Kang's eyes shot open from a loud crack in his neck. His mouth opens ajar as Shang Tsung lets him go. He drops to the ground, motionless. Shang Tsung looked at the group. Francine, Quan Chi, and Tanya circled Liu Kang's body. Francine pushed Liu Kang with her feet.
"Dead," Francine said.
The group looked at the man momentarily before Quan Chi and Tanya walked away.
"Give me the dagger." Shang Tsung said.
Francine handed Shang Tsung the dagger, and he stabbed Liu Kang. The dagger glowed red, and he handed it back to Francine. Shang Tsung walked away from Francine.
She kneeled next to Liu Kang and shut his eyelids.
"I'm sorry."