Chapter 17: Preparations for the End
"Kitana, over here!" she shouted.
Her sister looked at her, a frown clear on her face.
"What did you find, Mileena?"
"All sorts of things! With a little bit of luck, some weapons our size might be among them!"
Kitana beamed. She'd been eager to get her hands on a pair of weapons, but Sindel and Shao Khan had both put their feet down and stated that both Kitana and Mileena were not ready to wield any such weapons right now.
"What are you waiting around for, then? Let's go!"
The two sisters raced across the palace, making sure to keep out of sight of the various servants and guards that were stationed throughout the palace.
Finally, they reached the room Mileena had found.
"Look at all this treasure!" Kitana exclaimed, as her eyes roamed over what seemed like an endless expanse of riches.
Mileena giggled "I knew you'd like it."
As the two walked through the room, Kitana and Mileena couldn't help but take in the splendor around them.
"What sorts of things do you think Father keeps here?" Kitana asked.
Mileena thought for a minute.
"A dragon?"
Kitana snickered.
"A dragon? Mileena, you're so silly. A dragon hasn't been seen in… millennia! Don't you think Father would flaunt such a creature in front of our people if we had one?"
Mileena huffed. "It was just a question."
As the two were walking, a glint of silver metal and blue cloth caught Kitana's eyes. She stopped, turning to see where the light was coming from.
"By the Emperor…" she whispered, awestruck by the beauty of the instrument that had caught her eye.
"Umm…that's a fan. Is that what you want as a weapon?" Mileena asked.
"It's beautiful." Kitana said. Her fists clenched. "I must have it!"
She ran up to grab the fans. However, as she bent to pick up the fans, she bumped into a display pillar. A jar of some kind wobbled, before it began to precariously tip over.
Mileena froze. Some sixth sense warned her that whatever that jar was, it was dangerous. She rushed to push Kitana out of the way.
The jar broke, and blinding pain hit Mileena's face.
Mileena woke with a start.
The first thing she noticed was how much pain she was in. Her entire body ached, as if she had been through a sparring match with Jade that lasted an entire day.
The second thing she noticed was chains encircling her arms and holding her in the air.
In her hazy vision, she could make out the small golden outlines of the armor of Shao Khan's second-in-command.
"Hmm. You're awake. I will admit, out of all my creations, you have always been the most durable out of all of them." Shang Tsung stated as if he was talking about the weather.
Creations.
Mileena should have already known at that point. The various bodies that looked exactly like her before she brought up her fears to Kitana should have already given it away that she was never born to be Kitana's sister.
That still didn't help with the crushing emptiness she suddenly felt at hearing the confirmation from the sorcerer.
"T-the memories….you planted them inside my head." Mileena stated, her voice hoarse.
"I did. The Emperor decided that Kitana required his own…personal touch to believe that you were a part of her family all along. Considering the fact you were 'born' the day his order was carried out, you were far more malleable."
Mileena tried to think, but it was incredibly difficult in the haze of pain she found herself in.
"He-he wouldn't be created out of the desire to not see Kitana lonely. Why? Why did he create me?"
Shang Tsung hummed again. He turned around, facing Mileena.
"Well, it is a rather long story, but I shall regale you. Consider it a final gift from your father."
You're not my father.
"Long ago, when Shao Khan conquered Edenia, he found himself rather taken with Edenia's queen, Sindel. He decided he would take her as his own. Sindel agreed, but on one condition, that she would also spare her daughter, Kitana. Shao Khan agreed to her terms, and the two were married."
"However, the Emperor did not trust the woman whom many believed to be the assassin of Edenia's previous king, and so he decided that should Kitana try and rebel against him again, then she would need to die, but not in such a way that could inspire rebellion. That's where you come in, child. You were created to be a clone of Kitana, with protocols implanted into your brain to kill and replace her in case she learned the truth and tried to rebel against the Emperor."
Mileena could only stare at him, incredulous. Perhaps with Kitana's clothes and veil and deliberately raising her voice higher, she could probably get away with looking like her sister, but without those? There was no chance anyone would confuse the two of them! And protocols? If what the sorcerer was saying was the truth, then why didn't she try to notify Shao Khan that Kitana had turned against him?
"If you intended for me to replace Kitana, then why do I have the features of a Tarkatan? Why did I not warn Shao Khan?"
Shang Tsung sighed. "The unfortunate truth of the matter is that, in order to create a perfect clone of Kitana, we would need her corpse to accomplish that, and since the entire point of your creation was to replace her only if she rebelled, we needed to find a different solution. Shao Khan and I tried to splice Kitana's DNA across various species. Outworlders, Shokan, Centurians, Osh-Tekk, Kytinn, Naknadians, and even Tarkatans. Every attempt with these species failed, save for one."
"Tarkatans."
"Yes. For some reason, it seems that the Tarkatan's legendary endurance and strength manifested itself even in their DNA. It bonded with Kitana's DNA, and after a few more failed attempts, you were born, ready to serve Shao Khan should he order Kitana's death. We even took the liberty of implanting false memories in both your heads, so that the ruse would be successful. Even after Sindel's death, the two of you seemed inseparable. For a time, it seemed that our project was worked."
At this, Shang Tsung turned to glare at her.
"The problem was that it worked far too well. Your loyalty to Kitana seemed to supersede that of even our Emperor and overwrote the protocols we put into your head. Thankfully, Skarlet was able to uncover the truth, that Kitana was planning to betray the Emperor and you decided to aid her. With the new enhancements I have given her, she will succeed where you have failed. She will kill and replace Kitana, and usher in a new age for Outworld, while you will be executed for all to see in the Coliseum."
Shang Tsung sighed again.
"It is unfortunate that the entire hybrid project Shao Khan and I worked on will have to be discarded. All because you grew weak and couldn't do what you were told."
At that, Mileena's head hung low. Shang Tsung, believing that her will had been broken by the revelations of her creation, turned away from her, intending to leave the prison.
"You're wrong."
Shang Tsung stopped. He turned to face her.
"I may die in that gaudy arena Khan created, but my experiences? My feelings? They didn't make me weak. You, whose heart is too black to ever experience the love and joy that comes from caring for another person, to look beyond something besides the feeling of power? You are the weak one, Shang Tsung, and I pity you for it."
"Silence!" Shang Tsung roared, backhanding her across the face. Mileena grunted in pain, before smirking at the sorcerer.
"And your lack of strength could probably be tacked onto that list too-"
A blast of green lightning hit her body, forcing a scream out of her. Breathing heavily, her vision began to darken.
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention one last thing, Shao Khan believes that putting you in the arena will force Kitana out of hiding, as well as the…vigilante."
"Izuku…will beat you…" Mileena mumbled, suddenly feeling lethargic.
"We shall see, child." Shang Tsung replied, as Mileena finally fell unconscious.
Kitana's Hideout
Kuai Liang had to admit, if there was one thing that this realm was good at doing, it was throwing surprises his way.
"Are you…Johnny Cage?" Kuai Liang asked, almost in disbelief.
"The one and only!" Johnny replied.
"Wow. I…wasn't expecting to see you here, of all places. Name's Kuai Liang." He put out his hand.
Johnny grabbed his hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "Not many people would. You a fan?" Johnny asked, his smile expanding by a few molars.
"Yeah. Your second movie, Ninja Mime? It inspired me to take up karate."
"Really? That's…amazing! What style did you learn?"
"Shotokan."
"Nice! I was more of a traditional guy myself when I first started. Later on, I decided to expand to Jeet Kun Do."
As the two Kombatants talked, Kuai Liang spotted a green-haired man sparring with another man in a metal-tipped hat, seemingly wielding a switchblade with its blade turned off.
"Who's that guy?" Kuai Liang asked, pointing at the green-haired man.
Johnny turned around to see what Kuai Liang was pointing at, before sighing.
"That's…Izuku. He's had it pretty rough recently, so go easy on the questions if you start talking to him."
"Noted."
In the distance, Jerrod could be seen talking rather animatedly with Kitana.
"How did this happen?" Kitana asked.
"Ermac was the fusion of thousands of souls Shao Khan was responsible for slaying, bound to his will. It was only thanks to your friend with the sword that I was able to free myself. He severed our connection to Shao Khan, and in the chaos of the souls fighting for control, I emerged victorious."
"And mother? Is she…"
Jerrod sighed. "No, Kitana. I'm sorry, but Shao Khan has not touched Sindel's body since her death. I fear I am the only one of your family to come back from the dead."
"Oh." Kitana said, a small note of disappointment in her voice. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry for sounding disappointed. I am happy beyond words that you're here with me, don't think otherwise-"
"I understand, Kitana. For what it's worth, I wish she was here too."
At this, Jerrod noticed the green-haired man speaking animatedly with the one who had freed him. He floated towards the two.
" ...he can't hide forever. If we can ambush him-"
"Then what? If we take down Shao Khan's second-in-command, he might just claim that we're trying to sabotage the tournament-"
"I don't give a shit about the tournament!"
"Midoriya, calm down. He's right. If we are to save Mileena, we must win this tournament. The final matches have been postponed to the end of this week, so that will give us roughly three days to prepare for whatever Shao Khan has in store for us."
At this, Jerrod's body glowed green for a moment.
"I still hold the memories of the various warriors Shao Khan bound to this body, and I will use it to train you as best I can. Mister Cage?"
"Yeah?"
"If what you have told me of your fight with Goro is true, you may have the second-best chance of winning this tournament. You will be my main focus of training in the coming days."
DAY 1
Johnny, for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, flew through the air before landing down hard on the floor.
Man, telekinesis is such bullshit
As Johnny struggled to get off the floor, Jerrod hovered above him.
"Concentrate, Cage. That ability you used during your fight with Goro may be the only thing that could save you in your rematch with him."
"Yeah, I know. That doesn't mean I like getting bounced around like a doll."
At least I'm not the only one suffering in this.
Next to him, Kung Lao wheezed.
"This…agh… this takes me back to the time I had to train for first degree."
Behind them, Liu Kang laughed.
"You should have seen him then. I had to drag him out of bed in the morning to get to training."
Kung Lao turned to Liu Kang, unamused.
"You know, you could probably use some help too. You haven't fought anyone the whole time we've been here!"
"He will be training with me later this evening. Right now, your performances are what you both should be worried about."
Jerrod sighed.
"I need a moment with Kung Lao. Take a break for a few minutes, Mister Cage."
Johnny and the others looked at each other, confused. Liu Kang shrugged his shoulders and took Johnny out of the room.
"What's this abo-"
"Stop holding back." Jerrod stated, his stern tone cutting through Kung Lao's question.
"Excuse me?" Kung Lao asked, taken aback.
"Don't lie to me, child. I was there with your fight against the Tarkatans, and against Skarlet. In those situations, you didn't hesitate. You always went straight for the killing blow. Here, you are holding yourself back, measuring every move so that Liu Kang does not realize that you do not follow his ways."
At this, Kung Lao's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting observation." Kung Lao replied, his tone brittle.
"When you have the combined experience of thousands of warriors, these details are impossible to hide from me."
Kung Lao and Jerrod stared at each other for a few moments.
"Are you going to tell Liu Kang?" Kung Lao asked.
"Me? No. But I want to know why. Why do you two have such differing views? Why do you not want him to know?"
After a few more moments of silence, Kung Lao sighed.
"What do you know about the previous champion of Earthrealm?" he asked.
Jerrod's face twisted in thought.
"The previous Earthrealm Champion…hmm…it was over 500 years ago, from what I remember. He was famed for saving Earthrealm when it was on the verge of it's tenth defeat from Outworld. Shao Khan was furious that day. I believe that's what prompted him to start creating me. His name…his name was…"
At this, Jerrod froze.
"I should have known. He's your ancestor, isn't he? The Great Kung Lao?"
Kung Lao grimaced. "Yes. My ancestor. He fought and won the Mortal Kombat tournament against Outworld. When the tournament was over, he had Shang Tsung at his mercy. However, instead of killing him, he followed his teachings, and spared Shang Tsung's life."
At this, Kung Lao's fists began to clench.
"My ancestor was repaid for his mercy by being killed by the sorcerer's schemes fifty years later, at the hands of his champion. From then on, our family has carried the stain of his defeat for over four centuries."
Suddenly, the pieces began to click together.
"And I'm guessing when you were born, at a time where there was a chance Earthrealm could lose it's tenth Mortal Kombat tournament again, there were…expectations?"
Kung Lao scoffed.
"Expectations? Expectations?! Let me ask you something! Do you have any idea what it's like, being told from the moment you were old enough to train that the hopes of Earthrealm were resting on your shoulders?! That your whole family wants you to fight and win in a tournament that decides the fate of the world?! That all your younger relatives, your cousins, all look up to you because they think you're going to save them from the horrors that might be coming their way?! That, despite you wanting otherwise, you have to learn how to kill because you can't repeat your ancestor's mistakes?!"
"I know more than you think, Kung Lao, considering the current circumstances of my existence."
At this, Kung Lao's anger subsided. It was easy to forget that the man with the bandages and glowing green eyes was once the previous King of Edenia.
"My apologies. In any case, I was trained not only by Bo Rai Cho, but other masters who taught me how to take a life. It is through their teachings that I learned how to use my bladed hat to fight."
Jerrod hummed.
"I always did wonder why a pacifist would decide to wear a weapon that could never be used non-lethally. In any case, we have veered off-topic. Why do you refuse to show this side of yourself to Liu Kang? Is it because you are ashamed of it?"
"I…I suppose I am, yes, especially because it's Liu Kang. Liu Kang has believed in the core tenets of the Shaolin all his life. In all the time I have known him, he has never veered away from it. What makes it even worse is that he won! I was prepared to fight for my realm, and to avenge my lineage and my ancestor. I was ready to step in because I believed Liu Kang didn't have what it took to win the Mortal Kombat Tournament. Instead, the God of Thunder came down from the heavens to smite me down, and Liu Kang not only won, but he won by showing mercy! The healing potions that kept us in the fight? We only got those because Liu Kang spared Kitana's life! Our hideout? We would never have been able to find this place without her! At every turn, Liu Kang has followed the way of our brothers, and I have not, and at every turn, I have failed!"
"Then I only have one piece of advice for you, child."
"What's that?"
"Be honest. Not just to Liu Kang, but to yourself. From the way you speak, it's clear that you have no idea what you yourself wish to do. You must find your own path, Kung Lao. No one can find it for you."
Later that evening
Kuai Liang could only stand back and watch in awe.
From what he'd heard from the others, Liu Kang was a prodigy. The Champion of Earthrealm. The Chosen Representative of the Shaolin.
But seeing him in action didn't do the titles justice.
As the blows Jerrod threw at the monk increased in speed, Liu Kang was able to easily keep up, dodging, weaving, or blocking every attack.
The spar session ended after ten more seconds, in which Liu Kang was able to exploit an opening in Jerrod's defense and delivered a brutal backfist to the man's chin. Tumbling down to the floor, the King grunted.
"It's good to see Earthrealm's champion hasn't gotten rusty."
"It's good to have someone that can keep up with me." Liu Kang replied.
And this is the type of guy my brother would've been able to fight against?
Not for the first time during his entire misadventure through this realm, Kuai Liang couldn't help but feel a pang of inadequacy. However, he quickly crushed it down.
His brother was a trained killer. He was a civil engineer. Of course there was going to be a gap between someone like him and the Champion of Earthrealm.
Besides, that's why he was here. To train himself to the point that he'd be able to fight in the tournament without much issue.
Jerrod clapped his hands.
"Alright, we're done here. I need to speak to Mister Cage for a few minutes. In the meantime, I believe Kuai Liang could use your help."
Liu Kang looked at Jerrod, confused.
"You want me to teach him?"
"Shang Tsung claimed that you were to soon become a Shaolin Master. I see no better way to test your skill than to try and teach someone else. Besides, I have already spent a significant amount of time training him while we were coming here."
At this, Jerrod left. The two men were left staring at each other for a few moments.
Deciding to take the initiative, Kuai Liang bowed.
"I know this might feel a bit weird, but I look forward to training with you."
Liu Kang smiled, before bowing down.
"As do I."
As the two trained, it was clear to Kuai Liang that, while Liu Kang was a bit out of his depth teaching someone, he was still a great teacher. He made sure to explain why he used certain techniques, and how to best apply them to various situations that could happen in the tournament, and remained patient as Kuai Liang stumbled through a few of the tougher moves Liu Kang showed him.
"Well done." Liu Kang commented, finishing up their sparring session.
"Thanks." The two took a moment to relax. "So…was that your first time teaching someone?"
"That obvious, huh?"
"Sort of. Don't worry, though. I learned a lot today."
"That's good! I wasn't sure if I could teach you much, considering that you're already very much experienced in martial arts, but I'm glad that I was proven wrong."
In the distance, the two could see Jerrod teaching Kenshi on telekinesis. A training dummy floated in the air, before slamming into the ground and splintering into countless tiny pieces. The pieces froze, before reassembling back to it's original shape.
"I heard that you saved an entire village from Shao Khan's wrath. It was a very brave thing, what you did."
Kuai Liang shook his head. "I only did so because I had no other choice. Khan's Coliseum needed to be complete if I wanted to seek the answers to my brother's death."
"Your brother…I take it he was the original Sub-Zero?"
"He was. I know he was an assassin, and he most likely killed someone important to his killer, but I suppose I just want to know why this Scorpion character wanted my brother dead, and to finally put this whole chronicle behind me. I have much bigger things to worry about once this is all over."
"Like what?"
"Sektor's made it clear that he'll hunt me to the ends of the Earth to turn me into one of his Lin Kuei machines. I need to be ready to fend him off."
Liu Kang hummed, before lowering himself into a fighting stance.
"In that case, we'd best keep working on your defense."
DAY 2
An explosion of green light could be seen from the room Jerrod and Johnny were training in.
"Sorry, old-timer. I'm not really sure how this energy stuff works." Johnny said, his tone apologetic.
"Don't worry, Johnny. You'll get the hang of it." Liu Kang said.
"Yeah. You got this." Kung Lao added.
Jerrod sighed.
"Children, enough. I need a moment with Mister Cage. Alone."
Johnny and the others looked at each other, confused. Liu Kang shrugged his shoulders and took Kung Lao out of the room.
"Alright, old-timer. What's this about?"
"Mister Cage, I'll be brief. What do you know about the green energy you conjured during your fight with Goro? The same energy that I've been forcing you to bring out during our training?"
"Honestly? Nothing at all. It's kinda freaky. You know what it is?"
"I have my suspicions. I've been busy parsing the knowledge within Ermac's well of souls, and while I cannot confirm anything yet, I believe I have an idea as to what that energy is."
"Alright. What is it?"
"To put it simply, Mister Cage, that green energy is a power that was wielded by your ancestors. Long ago, in Earthrealm, there was a cult who were said to breed warriors for the gods. Their power was so great that it was rumored that they would participate in the Third Mortal Kombat Tournament. However, Shang Tsung did not wish for his master's claims to be threatened so soon, so he quietly eliminated the cult. And now, it seems he wasn't as thorough as he was led to believe."
Johnny rubbed his eyes.
"Jeez. That's… a lot to take in, to be honest. You said Third Tournament, right? Must've been… four hundred years ago, right?"
"No. Outworld originally won nine tournaments, but Earthrealm ended up victorious in the very last one. Outworld then had to win nine more. What I have described to you may have happened around a thousand years ago."
"...Well, that's certainly food for thought. So, this green energy stuff…are you telling me that it'll help me defeat Goro this time?"
"No, Mister Cage. I'm telling you that this energy will help you win the tournament."
DAY 3
Izuku pulled back the slide on his pistol, before slipping it back into his holster. It was time for him to leave.
"Mister Midoriya." a voice called out.
Izuku turned around, his scowl hidden by his mask.
"What do you want?" he asked, agitated.
"I want you to stop and think." Jerrod replied.
"We've waited long enough! I'm not gonna sit back and do nothing while Mileena's in Shao Khan's hands!" Izuku growled.
"Do you believe that Mileena would want you to walk right into an ambush and die, in a misguided attempt to save her?"
Jerrod sighed, before summoning two chairs with his telekinesis.
"I'm sorry haven't talked to you yet. I've been…busy."
Izuku scoffed. Saying Jerrod had been 'busy' felt like saying that All Might had taken down 'some' villains. Ever since he'd walked into the hideout, Jerrod had done nothing but train Johnny, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kenshi, and Kuai Liang around the clock. Izuku wasn't even sure if Jerrod had even slept the entire time he'd been here.
Then again, he was a reanimated construct of Shao Khan, so maybe he didn't even need sleep anymore.
"In any case, I wanted to tell you this earlier, but I forgot to bring it up. Mileena is being kept prisoner, but Shao Khan will not kill her. Not yet. He plans to make an example out of her, as both a show of strength and ruthlessness. He will execute her in the Coliseum, in the final fight of the Tournament."
Izuku sat there for a few moments, unmoving. He suddenly rose from the chair.
"Then we gotta get her out now, befor-"
A green glow surrounded his body.
"I did not tell you this just so you can rush headlong into danger again, boy! Sit down!"
Izuku's body was forced back into the chair.
"Listen to me carefully. Despite everything Shao Khan tells his underlings, he does fear three Kombatants in this tournament. The first he fears is Liu Kang, because he is the Champion of Earthrealm, the one who defeated Goro and Shang Tsung. The second he fears Johnny Cage because of the slumbering power within him, one that almost destroyed Goro, and is already responsible for the defeat of many Outworlders in the last tournament. The third he fears is you. Do you know why?"
"Because I lasted the second longest in the last tournament?"
"Because of your brain, boy. In the millennia that Outworld has fought against the various realms in Mortal Kombat, their Kombatants have never faced someone as talented as you are in your strategy and analysis. Lest you forget, it was those two skills that allowed you victory over the Thunder God, and what helped Liu Kang and Cage last as long as they did in the tournament."
For a few moments, the two didn't speak.
"Why are you telling me this?" Izuku asked.
"Because, instead of stewing in your anger and wanting to use your strength to save Mileena, I want you to get out of that mindset and start using your head instead. To look before you leap, in a sense. We still have twenty-four hours before the final matches begin. Use that time to think of a way we can defeat Outworld's remaining Kombatants."
For a few moments, Izuku didn't speak. Instead, he dug out a notebook and a pen. Flipping a page, Izuku began to write.
"Well, looking through my notes, the only Kombatants left for Outworld are Skarlet, Goro, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Scorpion, and possibly the big man himself. And on our side, we've got Liu Kang, Kitana, Johnny, Kenshi, Kuai Liang, Kung Lao, and me. Am I missing anyone?"
"There is one more. Another Shokan has decided to join the Tournament to avenge Goro's honor. His name is Mortaro. I've been training Kung Lao on how to best prepare for a fight against him."
"Really? I haven't seen him around."
"Shao Khan brought him in after the tournament started. He's a…recent addition."
"Seriously? I feel there should be a rule against that."
"Mister Midoriya, when it comes to Mortal Kombat, there are only two rules, and half the time Outworld is busy finding a way around both."
"Figures."
Izuku hummed, before he began to trace arrows on the various names he had written down
KITANA → SKARLET
GORO → JOHNNY
SHANG TSUNG → ME
QUAN CHI → KENSHI
SCORPION → KUAI LIANG
SHAO KHAN → LIU KANG
MINTARO → KUNG LAO
"Interesting. You believe that this composition will result in the best chance of victory?"
"Johnny fought Goro once before, and he was able to put a decent dent on him. With your training, I feel he'll be able to defeat Goro. Kitana was caught unprepared last time. She should be better prepared for her next fight against Skarlet. Kenshi told me about how Shang Tsung stole the souls of his ancestors from his sword, so pitting the two against each other wouldn't be a good idea, especially since most of Kenshi's strength resides in the remaining souls in his blade. I've been planning how to take down Shang Tsung the moment we all got into Outworld, so I might be better equipped to handle the snake. Kuai Liang's a bit of an unknown factor, but you seem to have faith in him. Same thing with Mintaro and Kung Lao. Liu Kang's the Champion of Earthrealm, and the best fighter we've got. If anyone here's got the best shot at the Emperor, it's him."
"Seems you have everything sorted out. Time to put it into action."
"You read my mind."
AN: Well, this certainly took some time.
The writer's block has been really insane this time. I think it's because I want to end the MK2 arc as best as I can, which means tying up the various subplots/rivalries that have been featured in this arc, as well as having everyone bond with the newcomers in the shortest amount of time without making it feel weird that everyone got attached really quickly.
Now, we've got the fighter bracket lined up for the MK2 finals. I'm not gonna deviate from this, this part is set in stone.
Some of you might be wondering where the other fighters are. In any case, I hope to address them. Feel free to comment if I missed any big ones.
Ermac: Considering that he's lost a fair amount of his power and is no longer answering to Shao Khan, it's safe for everyone else to think that he's either incapacitated or dead. In any case, he's out of the Tournament.
Jade: She was (seemingly) knocked out in the first bracket of the tournament, next to Reptile. Besides, no one trusts her right now. Even Kitana's a bit weary around her green friend.
Cyrax/Sektor: They dipped out of the Tournament as soon as they got Smoke. They plan on retrieving Sub-Zero after the tournament is over.
Rain: Smoke took him out.
Kano: Smoke took him out.
I don't know when the next chapter will be out. However, from now on, I'm gonna be trying something a bit different. If I find that my pace is getting dragged down pretty bad, I'm going to do what I did this time, and make a sneak peak for what the next chapter will look like. That ended up contributing a lot to me finally finishing this chapter.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!