Chapter 1: The Kombatants Kongregate
It was a cold, dark night on the coast of Hong Kong. The waves were thrashing against the boats and ships. Of all of them, only one stood out. It looked like an ancient Chinese sea vessel, one you would see in a book detailing one of the many Chinese civil wars. Certainly not what you would see being used as an actual ship in the 21st century. It had a menacing aura about it. The people who could see it felt like a spirit would follow them home if they stayed near it too long.
A single man stood in front of the boat's entrance. He was tall, about 6 to 7 feet, as far as the people at the harbor could tell. He wore a bamboo hat that covered his face enough that his race could not be deciphered, along with a black cowl, which made it even harder to tell. He had a blue leather jacket and a white robe underneath. His posture was firm, and his arms were kept behind his back, as if he were guarding the boat or perhaps waiting for someone.
After several hours of standing there alone, two other men joined him. One was a young, slim, muscular man with a red headband wrapped around his forehead. He wore a black and red vest with a dragon decal on the back and a black undershirt. With simple black pants and black kung fu shoes.
The man walking alongside him wore a black tunic with a white lotus symbol, adorned with a dark red sash and dark blue pants, and black shoes with shin guards. That definitely would not be the first thing you would notice upon seeing him. No, that would be the razor-sharp metal hat. It somewhat resembles the other man's bamboo hat, but flatter and a dark metallic color, with the tips of it colored white.
The two bowed to the man in the bamboo hat as soon as they got close.
"Lord Raiden." The one in red said while still bowing down. "We apologize for being late. We would have come sooner, but someone you might know took too long with his goodbye dinner at the Shaolin temple." He said in the most sincere tone of voice possible despite the clear passive aggression. The man with the bladed hat looked at him, annoyed.
"Well, maybe a certain someone should stop pretending like he was any different." The man with a razor hat replied back with a far less sincere voice, befitting the even higher levels of passive aggression.
"No need to bring that up, Kung Lao." The man in red replied back, his mask of politeness slowly wearing down.
"Right, cuz I'M the one who started it."
The man in the bamboo hat took it off, and his eyes glowed blue. "Enough. Liu Kang, Kung lao, you can discuss this once we are at the island, we are already running late at it is."
The two Shaolin looked around, seemingly trying to see if anyone else was there.
"I assume everyone else is already on the ship. " Liu Kang queried
An aura of disappointment emanated from Raiden's voice and face. "No, in fact, you two are the first ones here. "
They were both visibly shocked.
Kung Lao spoke up with the snark that Raiden came to expect from the cocky Shaolin warrior. "Well if that's the case then why did you get mad at us for being late, if anything you should be praising us, like your brother always does, for being so punctual, relatively speaking of course." Kung Lao said before Liu Kang lightly smacked him on the head.
"That isn't the point, Kung Lao. Lord Raiden gave us a clear time when to come, and we failed to meet his expectations of us." Liu Kang said.
"Liu Kang is right; I suggest you try taking after him in more than just fighting style, Kung Lao." Raiden sternly said to Kung Lao as he crossed his arms like a parent lecturing a child before he noticed two familiar-looking people walking up towards the ship. "Pardon me, I see two other Earthrealm warriors I must attend to, go inside the ship." Raiden walks away.
"Of course Raiden took your side..." Kung Lao mutters as they enter the boat.
"Have you tried giving him a reason not to?" Liu Kang mutters back.
Upon a closer inspection, Raiden realizes the two who approached him were, in fact, other combatants he asked to join the tournament.
They were both US Special Forces soldiers.
One was a tall, blonde woman with a green army cap and a green army uniform.
The other, an even taller black man with a shaved head and similar attire. However, he seemed to have machines around his arms to assist him in hand-to-hand combat.
" Lieutenant Sonya Blade, Major Jackson Briggs, you are late."
They kept composure but internally were flustered and embarrassed. It was one thing to disappoint someone, it was another thing to disappoint the God Of Thunder.
The blonde woman, Sonya Blade, spoke first. "We deeply apologize to Lord Raiden, we do not have an excuse other than rare incompetency on our part. We assure you this will not reflect how we will be in the tournament." She said sincerely and remorsefully.
"You don't need to call me Jackson Briggs either; just call me Jax; everyone else does." Jackson Briggs said.
Raiden's angry expression loosened and seemed to be more at ease with his choice of kombatants. "Do not fail me when the time comes. Now, please enter the ship." As the two soldiers boarded, Raiden looked towards the moon, increasingly more impatient for the last two kombatants to finally arrive. Do mortals not understand the importance of punctuality? The thunder god thought to himself.
A few more moments passed by, and after observing the ships and people go by, he felt a sudden chill in the air. This cold air was previously absent from the harbor. As footsteps approached Raiden from behind him, he knew it could only mean one thing. "You finally arrive." He said without turning around. "I would expect the Lin Kuei's greatest warrior to be less tardy and value his client's time. It is no wonder why your business has been declining in recent years. Tell me, what kept you so late?"
The footsteps stopped, and the person making them clenched his fists. "That is none of your business, thunder god." He said.
Raiden turned around and saw him, the Assassin from the Lin Kuei clan he hired to take part in Earthrealm's defense.
He wore a ninja-looking cowl and mask. He wore a blue tunic that left his biceps exposed with belts around his waist and guards around his arms and shins. "It would not be most people's business, Sub-Zero, but I am your client, the person who spent money for your services. I am entitled to know why you do not meet my expectations."
Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed and his face hardened in annoyance. "Do you want to discuss that now? Will you hire someone else? Or ask another warrior to join your effort? I know that it is too late for that, Raiden." He said in a deep, angered voice.
The Assassin walked towards the ship without the Thunder God's prompting. Raiden began walking with him.
"I believe it is best if I accompany you to the ship to assure...the others that you do not have ill intentions." Raiden says to Sub Zero. The assassin doesn't respond and keeps walking.
The kombatants already inside sat and conversed with each other.
"Wait... so Raiden just... Teleported to your base and asked you two to join the Mortal Kombat Tournament? Just like that? You never met him prior?" Kung Lao asked the two special forces.
"We thought he was absolutely insane." Sonya replies.
Liu Kang chuckled. "Makes sense, though that makes me wonder... Why DID you join us then?" The Shaolin asked.
"Well." Jax began. "When the teleporting man with glowing hands begins shooting lightning from his hands into the sky, starts telling you a bunch of crazy and insane shit, you don't really have much of a reason to not believe the crazy and insane shit." He joked. Or, more accurately, half-joked.
Liu Kang and Kung Lao had a hearty laugh.
"Makes sense." Kung lao said.
Before they could continue the conversation, the four of them heard footsteps approaching the door that led to the room they were in.
"Looks like another one of Raiden's chosen kombatants arrived. God, Lord Raiden must be so disappointed in us." Liu Kang said sadly.
"Trust me, Liu Kang, you get used to it." Kung Lao joked to lighten the mood.
The door opened, and the Lin Kuei Assassin walked in slightly, standing in front of the open doorway and examining his allied kombatants.
All 4 of them looked shocked.
"Is that.." Liu Kang looked in disbelief.
"A Lin Kuei?!" Kung Lao yelled in anger.
Raiden teleported into the room, putting himself between The Lin Kuei and the Two Shaolin. 'Please calm yourselves, I have hired him to assist us in our battle to defend Earthrealm. He has no reason to do us wrongly.'" Raiden said in an attempt to soothe the tension.
"Lord Raiden." Liu Kang said. "Do you truly believe hiring a Lin Kuei Assassin was the best course of action? You know of their reputation."
Sonya Blade chimed in. "Rai-I mean... Lord Raiden. The Lin Kuei are considered a criminal organization in more nations than just China. We all know what they do. We can't-"
"Enough." Raiden interrupted. "I have observed our new ally here in the past. I think we can trust him not to betray us. And if he attempts to betray, I assure you I will be the first to put a stop to any treachery he enacts."
Despite his best efforts to calm the situation, the atmosphere stayed thick enough to rip in your hands.
Sub-Zero decided, for whatever reason, that now was his time to speak and worsen the situation. "I was aware of your closeness with the White Lotus Monks, Raiden..." He turned to Liu Kang and Kung Lao. "But do you truly want them to fight in their tournament? You cannot trust a tournament known for its brutality to be fought well by a faction that produces nothing but spineless pacifist cowards." He emphasized those last words as he looked at the two monks.
Kung Lao's fiery mouth spoke with venom Liu Kang had not seen since their training days. "Spineless? SPINELESS? I have a razor-bladed hat that is sharp enough to cut through concrete if thrown by someone who possesses my strength and technique. Would you like for me to test it out on that head of yours? I've never killed, but I would not mind starting now with you."
Suddenly, Raiden's eyes glowed, and lightning sparks began to erupt from different parts of his body. Haphazardly shooting at any small item present in the ship. "ENOUGH." Raiden said in a loud, echoing yell.
They were all silenced, and as it was clear they would no longer argue, the thunder god calmed down and began speaking. "I know that the Lin Kuei and the White Lotus have a less than flattering history. But this tournament will decide Earthrealm's fate. Either we succeed now, or Earthrealm is lost. Put your differences aside and come together in ensuring our realm's freedom."
The Kombatants looked at Raiden with ready faces. With their goal refreshed in their minds.
"We apologize, Lord Raiden." Liu Kang said. "We shall do as you say."
"But ONLY if he." Kung Lao says as he points toward Sub Zero. "Does the same."
Raiden looked at Sub-Zero, and the Assassin's look of anger towards the Shaolin cooled down. His glare of daggers softened to a look that made Raiden trust that he would cooperate.
"So..." Jax begins talking. "Is this everyone?" Jax gestured around the room.
"No." Raiden replies." There is another, however, if he still won't come, I'm afraid we will have no choice but to leave him beh-" Raiden's words were interrupted by the door swinging open.
Standing in the doorway was a white man with brown hair that was slicked back., with sunglasses on his face despite it being nighttime inside a ship illuminated by lanterns. He wore a black suit with the tie loosened.
"There you are, you thundery son of a bitch! You told me you would be waiting by the ship. I was waiting for like 5 minutes."
The Kombatants were shocked, but not in the way they were with Sub-Zero.
"Johnny Cage, thank you for joining us, I am glad my sudden appearance in your home did not scare you from joining the tournament." Raiden said while approaching Cage.
Cage smirked. "'Sudden appearance in your home,' that's a weird way to say 'teleported into my house in LA and wrecked a bunch of my shit,' still waiting for your payment for the damages, by the way."
Sonya spoke up about their shared concerns first. "Lord Raiden, do you really think it's the best idea to ask...some movie star to help protect Earthrealm?" Johnny's eyes lit up once he heard that someone recognized him, and they lit up even more when he realized that the one who said that was a hot blonde.
"So." Cage said flirtatiously while slowly walking towards her. "You know me huh? Want an autograph?" Cage said while pulling a marker and a picture of his headshot from his pocket. "You can get some for any possible friends and siblings too!"
Sonya scoffed in disgust. "No, no, most definitely no."
Cage stayed persistent. "Ah, come on! You see a world famous action star and recognize him and won't even ask for an autograph? You could sell this for big bucks you know, why the hell wouldn't you want that?"
"Because your movies all suck...?" Kung Lao muttered. Quiet enough that Johnny was not sure who said it, but loud enough that he knew for a fact it was said.
"What was that?" Cage turned around and asked.
"Because your films are all atrocious." Sub Zero said loudly and turned to Kung Lao as if to say he was a coward for not being upfront about it.
"Well, screw you then." Cage said back.
"Now that we are all here, let us begin the voyage. I cannot ensure that you will all survive, so use your abilities to the fullest to make certain that all who are on this ship during departure are on it once more when it returns." Raiden said, cutting in to avoid any further bickering.
The ship had everything tethering it to the harbor removed and set sail. They were about to embark on the most important tournament in Earthrealm's history. The one that would decide its fate once and for all. The 10th and final, Mortal Kombat tournament.