The lower levels of the palace were finally complete. There, Francine pushed along a wheelbarrow filled with carcasses. She tried covering the scent of rotting flesh with her pink bandana, but the smell overpowered her.
"You know it would be nice if you installed an elevator here," Francine said.
Shang Tsung walked beside Francine as they went down the corridor. At the end of the corridor were a pair of large, jade doors with a dragon etched into each. Francine dropped the wheelbarrow and stretched.
"My back is gonna give out if I keep doing this," Francine said.
"Do not fret. The palace is nearly complete. You will enjoy your relaxation soon." Shang Tsung pulled on a lever mounted on the wall, and the doors opened. The duo walked into the chamber.
"I wanna go to the beach like we did on your island," Francine said.
"In time." Shang Tsung said.
"When you said basement, I thought it would be the same size as the one in my house."
"Well, perhaps you enjoy this basement more."
Francine thought about it. The palace was twice the size of the other one on Shang Tsung's island, and Shang Tsung even allowed Francine to furnish the place to her liking.
"I want my house back, maybe even my old life?"
Shang Tsung stopped in his tracks and raised an eyebrow at Francine.
"Your house? You have all your heart's desires here. You had a lavish life. However, it seemed void of purpose."
"I had a purpose. People practically worshiped me when I was a hockey player. I'm nothing here, thanks to you." Francine dropped her wheelbarrow and got into Shang Tsung's face.
Shang Tsung grabbed Francine's shoulder and squeezed it.
"Previously, you spoke of having no care for people taking a liking to you. Had your mind changed?"
"No! I like it when people pay attention to me–"
"Pay attention to you? My, that is quite selfish even for you." Shang Tsung lowered her head. "Could this, by way, you take a liking to me?"
"What kind of retarded question is that?! I'm nothing like you, and I'm a nice person who helps people occasionally, especially when keeping promises. You can't keep a simple promise of bringing me back home; you always say you will, but it has been years." Francine pushed Shang Tsung away from her.
He grabbed Francine's arms and shoved them behind her back, forcing her to walk back down through the corridor.
"The fuck are you doing?! Let me go!" Francine began to freeze Shang Tsung's arms, but he squeezed her arms hard.
Shang Tsung pushed Francine up against the jade doors and grabbed the back of her head. She stared directly at the door.
"Take a look inside." Shang Tsung said.
Francine shook her head and tried to kick Shang Tsung, but he retaliated by crushing Francine against the doors.
"Now, I do not want to hurt you."
Francine closed her eyes, looked through the door, and saw two figures gnawing on the carcasses. One of them is nearly at the height of the chamber.
"What are those, your pets?" Francine said.
"Possibly, though, I suggest you quit misbehaving. I would not want you to be eaten by those two." Shang Tsung said.
It took Francine a moment to realize what Shang Tsung meant. Her skinned face grew white at her thoughts. The zombies on Shang Tsung's island had already tried to kill her, but this was something else.
"The blade you have will be the key to your return, and you must be patient." Shang Tsung let go of Francine and walked away from her.
Francine looked through the door and stared at the two figures again. She paid particular attention to the smaller one, eating an arm from one of the carcasses. Francine squinted to get a better look. Her vision wasn't much better, but she could make out what looked to be a club on one of its arms.
"Interesting." Francine got up and turned away from the door. A roar came from the side of the chamber.
"Nope, nope, nope!" Francine ran up the stairs and shut the door to the basement stairs.
"Are you alright? You appear as if you've seen a ghost?" Tanya said.
Francine got spooked, but Tanya sighed with a sense of relief.
"I'm fine."
Francine and Tanya went outside the palace and to the incomplete arena not far from the palace.
"If I were building this palace, I would…" Francine's voice became higher pitched. "Put a large stage here to play my guitar in front of thousands?" Francine shook her head and gave Tanya a puzzled look.
"I mean, I wouldn't waste time building something so dumb."
"I did not know you played guitar," Tanya said.
"I don't!"
As Tanya and Francine approached the arena, an argument began within the giant hole in the ground.
"This is ridiculous! An arena does not need a hole, let alone one like this!"
"I don't make the rules! It's Shang Tsung's orders, after all!"
"Who's Kano arguing with?" Francine said.
"It is most likely Li Mei. She has grown quite bothersome these past weeks." Tanya said.
"I would tweak out too if I was in her situation."
I'm basically in her situation. But at least she hasn't been a slave for years.
"That is it!" Li Mei dropped her pickaxe and uppercutted Kano, sending him to the ground. The other slaves stopped to marvel at the fight.
"This is getting good," Francine said.
Kano got up and was ready to hit Li Mei but stopped because of Quan Chi.
"This is enough from the both of you." Quan Chi lets go of Kano's arm. "As for you, Li Mei…"
Li Mei backed away from Quan Chi and held her fists up.
"Calm down. I am not here to fight you. Shang Tsung sent me here to speak to you." Quan Chi said.
Li Mei dropped her guard but still looked on edge.
"I am quite shocked, but he would like to create a deal with you."
"A deal for my soul?" Li Mei said.
Quan Chi chuckled and shook his head.
"He managed to take pity upon you and your people. He proposed that there should be a tournament. If you win, you will all be released."
"And what about failure." Li Mei said.
"Your soul and the others' souls will be taken."
Silence fell over the other slaves, waiting for Li Mei's response.
"What a man child, it always games with Shang Tsung." Francine crossed her arms while watching what was going on.
"I accept the deal." Li Mei shook Quan Chi's hand.
…
The tournament was nearing the end as Li Mei defeated Kabal. Francine and Tanya sat on makeshift thrones, waiting for their turn to fight.
"Remember, we must hold back," Tanya said.
Francine and Tanya rose from their thrones and stood in its middle.
Li Mei got into her stance and gripped her wooden staff.
"We won't go easy on you!" Francine said.
Li Mei ran toward Francine, but Tanya got in front of Francine and jabbed Li Mei in the stomach. Li Mei fell back but used her staff to get up and ran towards the duo again/ Francine skated out of the way of Li Mei and swiped Li Mei's feet. Li Mei fell on her hands and kicked Francine in the face. Francine flew to the arena's edge, nearly falling to the spikes below. As Francine got up, she saw Tanya telling her to lie back down. Francine held her leg and flopped over, closing her eyes and sticking her tongue out.
I look so messed up right now!
Tanya sighed. Though Francine thought her acting skills were superb, they looked easily faked, especially with Francine having one eye open. As Tanya was distracted by Francine, Li Mei swooped in and hit Tanya in her chest, then headbutted her. Tanya fell to the ground.
Li Mei placed her foot over Tanya and raised her staff. The slaves cheered for her victory.
"Not so fast. You still have me to fight!" Kano charged at Li Mei wrapped his arms around her, and suplexed her. Li Mei bunny kicked Kano away from herself and jabbed three fingers into his neck. Kano grabbed at the spot and grimaced.
"What did you do?!" Kano said.
Li Mei smirked as Kano's eyes shot open, droplets of blood leaked out of his mouth. He falls over as well.
Francine closed her eyes and turned her head away.
What the hell did Li Mei do?
The crowd erupted in a roar. Li Mei had won the tournament. Quan Chi went beside Li Mei and raised her fist in the air.
"Your champion, Li Mei!" Quan Chi said.
…
"I had only heard of legends of this place." Li Mei stood before the dragon army.
"Marvelous, is it not?" Shang Tsung said.
While Li Mei looked down at the dragon army, Tanya approached her and choked her. Li Mei clawed at Tanya's arm.
"I apologize, Li Mei; I cannot fulfill the deal. There may be a next time." Shang Tsung used his magic to suck Li Mei's soul out of her body. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her body went limp. Shang Tsung brought the soul to the last member of the dragon army, the general. Once Shang Tsung placed the soul into the general, he awoke.
"So much for a deal…" Francine said under her breath.
"What are you on about?" Shang Tsung said.
"I almost fell to my death today, and all of that was so that you could take that lady's soul?"
"She was a lively fighter," Shang Tsung looked at Francine. "Possibly a more useful fighter than yourself."
"I–" Francine stomped her foot and exited the chamber.
A "useful fighter"?! What's that supposed to mean?! I'll show him.
Francine entered her room and sat on her bed. She held her face and groaned.
"He might as well throw me to the things in the basement if he keeps threatening me like this."
Francine got an idea. She grabbed a handful of pearls she had collected from the beach on Shang Tsung's island and headed to the basement.
Shang Tsung has these things living in the basement for a reason. So…
She made sure the coast was clear and pulled on the level. The doors opened, and she entered the chamber.
"Hello?" Francine looked around, but the two figures were nowhere to be seen. "Ah, well, I'll just leave these pearls here. Who wouldn't like something so valuable."
Francine bent over to drop the pearls on the ground. As she got up, she felt something behind her.
"Huh–" Francine blocked a club about to hit her head. She started to form ice around the club. "Wait–"
Francine stared at the man in front of her. His body was void of skin and smelt of beef jerky. He wore a green mask with yellow, orange, and blue details. He wore tattered gray pants with a skull on the belt holding his pants. He had one shoulder pad on his right shoulder with a sword attached. Completing his look was long white hair. He grabbed Francine's jaw.
"Who are you?" the man said, squeezing Francine's jaw more.
"Francine… and you?"
The man took a second to answer Francine's question.
"Drahmin."