Chapter 16: Old Souls, Part 2

AN: Been a while, huh?

I don't like long ANs at the beginning of a chapter, so all I'm going to say is that I lost my motivation to write for a while. However, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, so I hope you guys enjoy the chapter

Kuai Liang wasn't a detective by any stretch of the means, but seeing Li Mei's face morph into one of complete shock was enough to make him realize that whomever "Jerrod" was, he was someone important.

Li Mei, to her credit, was able to school her features back into a neutral look after a few moments. In the distance, Kuai could hear some of the guard's chatter.

"Jerrod? Who's that?"

"How should I know? He's probably some poor fool that got on Shao Khan's bad side."

"Khan stringing you up by your intestines is when you get on his bad side. This seems excessive, even by the Emperor's standards."

"Whatever it is, it's not our business. We're guards. We're paid to protect the village, not chase mysteries."

Li Mei put her hand on Jerrod's shoulder.

"You should come with us. You are in no condition to wander."

Jerrod shook his head.

"Shao Khan will soon chase after me. It is not safe for you."

"It's alright. We're not popular with the Emperor anyway. Besides, the forest is dangerous. I fear for your safety if you are left alone. " Li Mei replied.

"That makes it even more dangerous."

"Do you not want to see your child again, Jerrod?" Li Mei asked.

Jerrod froze.

"My child?"

Li Mei nodded. "Your child. I cannot tell you here, but if you come with us, I can explain everything in the safety of our village."

Jerrod stared at her for a few moments, before nodding.

"Very well. I will come with you."

As they began to leave, Kuai Liang turned to Li Mei.

"I'm guessing you know who this guy is?" he asked.

"I do. I will reveal everything once we get back to the village. We will be safer from prying eyes there."

Li Mei's Residence, Sun Do Village

"Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable" Li Mei said, opening the door to her house.

Jerrod(?) stepped through first, as Kuai Liang had decided to keep an eye on him throughout the journey, unsure whether to trust the construct or not. With the construct inside, Kuai Liang followed through.

Li Mei's house was, despite her position as the village leader, as plain as anyone else's. There were no grand paintings or gilded statues or stained glass windows, just simple furnishings and a small kettle of tea on top of a table. In the distance, Kuai Liang could see a small hearthstone that seemed to emit a small glow.

"Sit down and make yourselves comfortable. I apologize if my home feels sparse, My position isn't exactly an official one."

Kuai Liang stared at Li Mei, stunned. "Wait. Are you saying that your position as the leader of the village isn't your actual job?"

Li Mei chuckled. "No. Officially, I am just a teacher. For as long as I can remember, our village was led by a man who was old and wise. He was never given an official title, and he lived the same way all villagers in Sun Do did. We all looked up to him for guidance."

"A good leader lives the same lifestyle as those they represent," Jerrod remarked, before frowning and shaking his head.

Li Mei, ignoring the slight sign of turmoil the construct showed, smiled as she picked up the kettle instead. "A sentiment he believed as well. Sadly, he disappeared a little bit before the Tenth Mortal Kombat Tournament in Earthrealm was announced. No one knew where he went. As time passed, they began to turn to me for guidance, as I had spent much of my time with the old man, and I found I could not refuse them."

"What was his name?" Kuai Liang asked as she poured the tea into the three cups.

"Shujinko." Li Mei replied. She sighed, before putting the kettle down.

"Jerrod, I need you to listen very carefully to what I have to say."

An Hour Later

It wasn't often that Kuai Liang could be struck speechless, but sadly, it seemed this was one of the rare times he was.

He knew Shao Khan was a bastard. Anyone that saw the horrid conditions the villagers were toiling under could prove that. Bob's fear for his life due to possible failure was a sign that Shao Khan was not exactly a good person.

But everything Li Mei had told him? How Shao Khan had murdered the man right next to him, and then stole his wife and child and took over their lives? How he had most likely taken the body of his enemy and twisted it to become his puppet because of how much of a sadist he was?

It made Kuai Liang realize how twisted the Emperor of Outworld truly was.

Jerrod simply sagged into his chair, and Kuai Liang could not blame him for his defeated posture. The fact that he had not simply lay down and wept when he heard his wife had committed suicide was a testament to either how detached the man had become from his emotions…

Or how strong his character was.

"And my daughter? What happened to her?" Jerrod asked.

"Shao Khan has kept her alive all these years as his assassin. Not many people know this, but recently, Kitana and Shao Khan had a falling out. My guess? She must have figured out the truth of her origins."

Jerrod looked at her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"And how do you know all this?"

"Shujinko never believed the Emperor's propaganda. He made a strong effort to figure out the truth. Before he disappeared, he left his notes and research on my doorstep. Since then, I have tried piecing together everything he worked on, and using the contacts he established to keep up on what's happening in Shao Khan's court."

Li Mei took a moment to breathe.

"Jerrod, I don't know how he knew, but Shujinko believed one day that you would return, with a body and abilities that weren't your own. He believed that one day, you or Kitana would strike down Shao Khan, and take your rightful place as the ruler of Outworld."

Jerrod looked at Li Mei, stunned.

"You would ask a construct of Shao Khan to take the throne of Outworld? To lead people I have never known or met before today?"

"Honestly, from everything I've heard about Khan, these people would probably be desperate enough to ask anyone to take over if it meant not having to worry about the current Emperor." Kuai Liang stated.

"He does have a point." Li Mei added.

Jerrod sighed, before standing up.

"Whatever you believe I should do can wait. I must first find Kitana." He said.

"I understand." Li Mei replied. "I shall come with you."

Kuai Liang stared at her, confused. "Wait, what? Why are you going to look for this Princess Kitana?"

"Because Shujinko mentioned that there were various hidden caves and safe houses that were constructed for the royal family in case Shao Khan invaded. Some may still be of use, and if Kitana has been hidden all this time…"

"Then that's where she'd be." Kuai Liang finished. "All right. I was thinking that I'd have to return to finish the tournament and confront my brother's killer eventually. How about all three of us go together, then?" he asked.

"I wouldn't mind. Jerrod?"

Jerrod hummed, turning to face Kuai Liang. "I saw the bandages. Are you capable of handling yourself with your wounds?"

"I'm fine. Most of my wounds have already healed anyway."

Jerrod stared at the cryomancer for a few moments, before turning away. "Very well. Let us leave this place and find my daughter, quickly."

As Li Mei was preparing to leave, Kuai Liang couldn't help but ask her a question.

"Who're you going to leave in charge of the village while you're gone?"

Li Mei hummed for a few moments, before answering.

"I think Bob should be up to the task, right? It's only because of him this village isn't gripped by famine. I believe he'll make a fine choice for a temporary leader. Besides, as I said earlier, my position isn't an official one, so he won't have to worry about administrative duties."

"Thank god for that." Kuai Liang replied.

He knew how much Bob hated math.

Many Hours Later, Outworld Forests

Kuai Liang stared at the fire Li Mei had started.

"You seem to be handling this excursion pretty well." Kuai Liang remarked.

Li Mei smiled. "Before I settled down into my role as a teacher, I was quite the adventurer in my youth. Building fires, and camping under the stars, are not new experiences to me."

"I can imagine." Kuai Liang replied. He remained silent for a few moments before another question found itself worming its way into his mind.

"I was thinking about something. When you were talking about the Edenians…you said that they live for thousands of years. Earthrealmers like myself are lucky if we can make it to 80. How long do the people of Outworld live in comparison?"

"Without any artificial ways of extending our life? We live for hundreds of years. Sometimes longer. It all depends on where you were born and what species you are in this realm."

"Annndddd…how old are you?" Kuai Liang asked.

Li Mei laughed. "Come now, Kuai, you can't just ask a lady her age, it's unbecoming!"

Kuai Liang turned away, flustered. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend-"

"It's alright, I'm just teasing you. For your information, I am 142 years old. By the standards of Outworld, I am still an early adult."

"By the standards of Earthrealm, you'd be a medical miracle." Kuai Liang replied, his voice taking more of a joking tone.

Early adult, huh? That stage of development would probably place Li Mei at around 22-34 years old in Earthrealm terms. Most likely the latter half, judging by her talk of how she spent her "youth".

At that moment, Jerrod chose to make his reappearance.

"I checked the perimeter. We should be safe for the night, as well as the rest of our trek to my daughter's location."

Kuai Liang couldn't help but feel apprehensive about what he'd heard.

"Why is that? Wouldn't Khan would have his guys searching all over Outworld if a soldier as powerful as you just up and disappeared?"

"I'm not sure what happened, but in my last battle, something happened that severed my link to Shao Khan, as well as the more violent souls contained in my being. Shao Khan may believe me dead."

"And he wouldn't want your body, or the souls in that body, found again?" Li Mei asked.

"I don't know. In any case, it could just be because Shao Khan is now putting all his attention on the tournament. It is his last chance to conquer Earthrealm, and Shao Khan will not allow anything to distract him from Konquest."

Jerrod sighed. "In all honesty, his reasons don't matter to me. All that matters now is finding Kitana. After that, I can spend more time deciding what to do next."

The trio spent some more time basking in the (relatively) peaceful silence of the forest before Jerrod turned to Kuai Liang.

"I am curious about one thing. Why do you wish to fight in this tournament so badly? From what I can tell from my memories and my experience with you, you are no killer. You carry yourself as a warrior, but it's almost as if you're copying someone else's idea of it."

Kuai Liang sighed, before turning to face Li Mei.

"Do you remember that day near the Coliseum, when I was talking about why I was even fighting in the tournament?"

"I do. You said that you were doing it to avenge your brother, right?"

"I did. The thing was…." Kuai Liang's words were caught in his throat, almost as if they were refusing to admit what he wanted to say.

"...the truth is…my brother….he wasn't a good man." Kuai Liang whispered. He felt shame well up in his chest. Bi Han had always done his best to look after him, to ensure that he had never lacked for anything. To speak ill of his brother, especially now that he was gone, felt like he was disrespecting the memory of the man that had sacrificed so much just to give him a future.

But at the end of the day, the truth was that his brother was an assassin. He had killed scores of people, both innocent and guilty.

The worst part was, however, that Kuai Liang never felt angry at Bi Han for killing other people. He felt angry because Bi Han had left him alone. Left him alone to deal with his brother's stolen honor and a madman that believed destroying your soul was the path to power.

A madman that had stolen his best friend and was most likely turning him into a mechanical monstrosity right this moment.

"I know what you mean. Sindel, my wife? She wasn't born into royalty. She was a bandit, a ruthless one, at that. It was only after I defeated her that I realized she wasn't the monster I believed her to be. She had a code. She would never steal from the poor and disenfranchised, only the rich. She wanted to help others, but the only thing she was skilled at was fighting. Sindel opened my eyes to the suffering of my people, and without her, my people would never have prospered as much as they did without our rule. Still, sometimes it kept me up at night, thinking about how many people my wife hurt before we met. How I would reconcile that image of the bandit with the image of the queen that doted on my daughter so much? And now…"

His voice broke, and Kuai Liang couldn't help but feel a stab of pity for the poor man. At least Bi Han had died fighting. Sindel, on the other hand, had suffered horrifically. She had been forced to watch as her husband was killed, forced to marry the man who killed said husband, and forced to see her daughter and the rest of her people become enslaved to a tyrant.

Bi Han had suffered an honorable death, Grandmaster be damned. Sindel did not even have the dignity of that, taking her own life from the sheer hopelessness of her situation.

And her husband only found out about it a few hours ago.

Clasping Jerrod's shoulder, Kuai Liang did his best to sound reassuring.

"I know I might not be the best person to say it, but…we are gonna get your daughter out of this. You have my word on that."

Jerrod wiped his eyes. "Thank you" he replied, his voice hoarse. "It's just…everything I did, everything I sacrificed…it was so my family and people could see a better future. Waking up to this…this horror…it's a nightmare beyond any I could have imagined."

"I know."

The camp was silent for a few moments longer before Jerrod got up.

"If you're serious about fighting in this tournament, then you're going to need to practice."

Kuai Liang stood up, confused. "Are you saying you're going to train me? But…aren't most of your souls gone?"

"I said that the more violent souls that made me are gone. I didn't say that all of my souls are gone. Now, prepare yourself. We only have a few nights before you'll be forced to fight if you wish to not be disqualified from the tournament."

The Next Morning

Kuai Liang hissed as he walked. The various bruises his teacher had left him were a keen reminder that "Ermac" had not lost his edge.

Behind him, Li Mei shook her head.

"Did you seriously not think that this was a bad idea, Kuai? You knew we were going to have to walk a fair distance today, did you not?"

"I know, I know. It's just…well, Jerrod's right. I have no business being in this tournament. If I want to stand a remote chance of defeating my brother's killer, then I have to start training harder. Even if it means some bruising."

"And what will you do if you catch your brother's killer?" Li Mei asked.

Kuai Liang sighed.
"I'll just ask him one question. Why? Why kill Bi-Han?"

"And after that?"

"Nothing. I'm done with all this assassin business. My brother was right. Tomas was right. Hell, even Sektor was right. I'm not cut out to be an assassin. Whatever my brother's killer decides to do? It'll be none of my business. Besides, I have a feeling I'll have to start getting ready for a confrontation with Sektor and his merry gang of Terminators."

"The metal men? You believe that they'll return?"

"From the way, Sektor was rubbing his hands in glee at the prospect of turning me into an elemental cyborg, I have a feeling I haven't the last of him. If I'm wrong, then I'll have just trained a bit for a fight that didn't happen. If I'm right, then I'll at least have a fighting chance to keep my soul and will free from Sektor's madness."

A few moments later, the trio stood in front of the entrance of a sealed cave.

"Alright, this is the last one. What do we do if she's not here?" Kuai Liang asked.

"She's here. I'm sure of it." Jerrod replied. Reaching his hand to the rock, Jerrod uttered four words.

"Triad of the Just."

The entrance of the cave began to shake, as the rocks slowly disappeared.

Jerrod turned to Li Mei and Kuai Liang. "Give me a minute and let me go in first. If Kitana is here, then I need to show her that we are not hostile."

"Alright." Kuai Liang asked.

Putting his hood up, the construct walked into the cave. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see Kitana point her fans at his head.

"Halt! How did you find this place? Speak quickly, before I decide that you are a threat!"

The man raised his hands into the air.

"I mean you no harm," he said, his voice calmly echoing through the caves. Right next to Kitana, a green-haired man frowned.

Kitana huffed. "I will be the judge of that."

Just like her mother

"Gods above, I'd nearly forgotten how much of a temper the women in the royal family had."

Kitana froze.

"Wait…the royal family? What are you talking about?!"\

The construct began to take off his hood. As the light shined on him, Kitana and the green-haired man gasped in shock.

"Ermac" smiled, his green eyes betraying his happiness.

"I have missed you, my daughter."

Sooo, five months without the next update, for an overall of eight months since an actual chapter update to the story, huh?

The only excuse I'm going to give is that the semester I finished recently was the roughest in all the years I've been studying in college. The professor for two of my classes was a gatekeeping sadist whose exams involved memorizing 30 different PowerPoints full of information, and he weighed his exams as 50% of the overall class grade. He constantly went off-topic in his lectures and either ranted about the projects that he worked on, or taking the piss out of Elon Musk.

Hey buddy, I hate Elon Musk too, but if you're going to weigh your exams for 50% of your grade, I'd rather you focus on what you're teaching instead of talking about that rich idiot.

To top the whole shitshow, one of his questions on the final exam regarded a fucking infomercial for HIS RESEARCH PROJECT, that he talked about ONCE.

Fuck him. I honestly stopped showing up to his class physically because I was wrestling with the temptation of wringing his fucking neck for all the insane amount of stress he was putting me under.

I also got my hands on MK11 Ultimate Edition. All in all, the only good things I can say about the game were that it had a good discount when I brought it, some of the costumes look pretty good (Scorpion's default is honestly so good that I never equipped anything else), and it's nice that they brought Tagawa to voice Shang Tsung again.

I'd heard the story was bad (it's one of the big reasons I started writing this fic.), but seeing it firsthand was….wow. What a fucking trainwreck, lmao. The only thing I liked was Aftermath's portrayal of Shang Tsung.

That's it.

The Krypt is also really awful. Everything is randomized and a whole section of it is locked away because one of the key items to open it can only be obtained by performing 50 fatalities on Centrion.

In Klassic Towers/Towers of Time ONLY.

Also, Kombat League sucks ass. You'll either go up against complete noobs who I honestly feel bad for beating, or "pro" players that keep spamming the same three moves that are somehow effective because chaining them together = "ez win". I still remember the time when I went against six Noob Saibots in a FUCKING ROW

Honestly, the only way I have fun in Kombat League right now is just hitting Random Select and pretty much playing Russian Roulette with the characters. I'll either get someone good like Mileena (who ended up beating a pro Skarlet player with a character I never played before), or I end up with Robocop, who's as stiff to control as his robot parts would suggest. I am not gonna waste my life going "pro" in MK11. I have better things to do with my time.

Like updating this fic.

Other issues I have with the game

Mileena's voice is terrible. I can't take anything she says seriously because I'm always thinking of a chainsmoking Saturday morning cartoon villain every time she opens her mouth.

The "10000 pints of blood spilled" challenge in Kombat League is awful. The only way you're going to get to that goal is either playing the entire season, doing Fatalaties every chance you get, or playing Skarlet daily. I don't even like Skarlet, yet I had to main her for the last half of the challenge to make it on time for the season's end.

Ronda Rousey's voice as Sonya Blade is pretty bad. It's a big reason why I've never played Sonya in a match.

Kronika is an awful villain. If I ever use her in this fic, rest assured, she's going to have VERY different motivations from the game version.

While some costumes are good, a lot of them are extremely gaudy.

D'Vorah. If she ever makes an appearance in this fic, it's to be killed off with a bullet to the head. No ifs, and, or buts. Hate that damn bug. All of her outfits suck too.

Sindel. It's one thing to hear about how badly Neatherrealm butchered her character. It's another to experience it. Ugh. Shao Khan sucks as a villain, too. Midway Era Shao Khan at least had the perks of having the brains and brawn to be the top-tier villain he was in MK. This one has neither.

Unless there's something similar to the Peacock Project for Hitman in the works, then MK11 will inevitably die when the servers go down, since it requires the player always be online.

You probably noticed that things moved at kinda breakneck speeds for this chapter. Originally, I was going to have a flashback scene to show how Jerrod had suffered his fate as Ermac. I was also going to have a few more scenes where Ermac and Li Mei would spend time training Kuai Liang so he'd be better prepared for the tournament. However, after eight months of no updates, I want to finish the MK2 arc as quickly as I can. Once MK2 is done, I can dedicate more time to flesh out character backstories in the epilogue arc chapters. So, once I start writing those, be on the lookout for Jerrod trying to sort out his broken mess of memories, Izuku reminiscing on his traitorous ex-lover, Kuai Liang trying to decide what to do with his life, and a bunch of other stuff that will set up MK3.

I don't want to make any more promises, because I'm getting tired of getting your hopes up and then not updating for months on end because I have to deal with something. All I'll say is that I will never give up on this story, and if I can't make sure that this story ends by MK Armageddon, I'm at least going to see it through to MK3.

Also, I really gotta catch some shut-eye. It's 2:31 am right now, lmao.