"So you're Erron Black?" The general asked, turning to the cowboy approaching him.
"That's me." Black confirmed, "Your emperor wants you to test me."
"Our emperor." Reiko corrected, frustrated by his clear lack of mannerisms and loyalty to Shao Kahn, "Though I don't see how you're worth training."
"Pardon?" Black squared up to the general.
"I said: I don't see how a random cowboy is worthy of participating in the final Mortal Kombat tournament."
"Well, the whole point of this is to prove myself." Black reminded, "Let me do so."
"And that I intend to do." Reiko then informed, "I have arranged a group of Tarkatans to combat you, they're going for the kill."
"So much for training." Black joked, not concerned about these Tarkatans.
"Eliminate all the targets and I'll put in a good word to Shao Kahn."
"With pleasure..." Black said with confidence as he stepped into the courtyard, hands gripped to his guns however they remained holstered.
As Erron Black stepped into the centre of the yard, Tarkatans began emerging from all angles. Erron did a quick count, ten enemies, twelve bullets.
"Howdy folks." Erron greeted, his head turning between them all frequently.
"Attack!" The leader of the pack yelled, two immediately charging the gunslinger.
Erron Black drew both his revolvers, unloading a single bullet from each gun into the two Tarkatan's heads.
Erron then turned around to another Tarkatan who was attempting to sneak up on him, the Tarkatan quickly swung one of his arm blades at Erron, it was a wild swing though, performed out of shock on being spotted. Black ducked the attack and grabbed the arm blade, snapping it off before impaling it between the Tarkatan's eyes.
One then lunged on top of Erron, sitting up to draw his blades, leaving himself vulnerable to Black whom reached for his revolver and shot another two bullets into the stomach of the brute before pushing him off then stomping on his skull, crushing it.
Immediately after, Black was stabbed in the back by another blade, the Tarkatan struggling to pull out his arm blade. Erron spun around, barely phased by the attack, causing the arm blade to snap of the Tarkatan yet still remain inside Erron's back. Black then shot a bullet clean through his enemies neck before he could attack again.
Another two ran at Erron from opposite sides, Erron sidestepped at the last second causing the two to stab their blades into one another. Erron then landed a dropkick, one-foot colliding with each Tarkatan, the two tearing at each other's flesh from their intertwined blades as they fell over.
Black rolled through, avoiding another Tarkatans attack. Erron then shot the creature in the back of his left leg, forcing him to kneel, vulnerable to a headshot.
Another attack followed straight away, the creature enraged from the fall of his comrades as he swung his blades at Erron which he dived under the berserk swings and popped him in the back of the head.
Just one Tarkatan remained, the former leader of the men Black just slaughtered. He stood still, yet to have made an attempt of approaching Erron. After a couple moments of staring one another down, Black drew his gun and blasted a bullet which was deflected by the leader's arm blade.
Black then tore the arm blade out of his back, using it as a melee weapon as the two charged at one another. The twos blades collided, the Tarkatan having the advantage with more experience and a second blade, swinging the second at Erron who ducked it and leg swept his opponent, shooting another bullet at the head which was dodged.
The Tarkatan quickly got to his feet and Erron drew both his guns, shooting one which was blocked by the blades, the other shot piercing the Tarkatan's knee, Black then kneed him in the chin, breaking some of the Tarkatans infamous teeth, Black then smashing most of his teeth through bashing his revolver against the creatures permanently open mouth, Erron had left his opponent defenceless.
"Gave me a good fight, Big Mouth." Black complimented as he snapped off one of his arm blades with his own foot, talking over his screams of agony "I don't feel that kind of rush often these days."
Erron Black finished his opponent off by impaling his brain with his own arm blade.
"Well done, Erron Black." Reiko applauded, "That was quite the show."
"So, am I in?" Black asked, still carrying an arm blade for he now had the ambition to convert it to a sword.
"You have my approval, it's now up to Shao Kahn."
"What is your plan, Raiden?" Bo' Rai Cho asked, still upset about the invasion last night.
"I accepted the tournament proposal, which is why they attack stopped." Raiden informed.
"You accepted it too late." He muttered bitterly, however, not implying that Raiden was to blame.
"I am sorry, friend." Raiden apologized, resting a hand on Bo' who was kneeling down examining the corpses.
"Sorry to interrupt," Johnny Cage apologized, "But I still don't have a clue on what's going on."
"Do you remember what Shang Tsung said when the tournament began?" Raiden asked.
"Sort of." Johnny Cage tried to recall. "That Outworld thingie mixing with Earth or something like that."
"More or less."
"So, what's Outworld?"
"A realm ruled by Shao Kahn," Raiden began, only to be asked another question.
"Realms?! Shao Kahn?!"
"A dimension occupied by a single world, existing on separate planes of reality is the definition of a realm." Raiden answered, "Shao Kahn is the emperor of Outworld, because of his rule many realms have been merged into Outworld itself. Shao Kahn now targets Earthrealm."
"I understood like half of that but thanks anyway."
"I require your aid in the tournament." Raiden requested.
"I got my ass kicked by those things!" Cage reminded, "Why me?"
"Shang Tsung's offer to me was far too fair, the more Kombatants I recruit the better for Outworld will certainly have more Kombatants than Earthrealm, which they will no doubt utilize."
"What's in it for me?"
"Some honour for a start." Bo' Rai Cho remarked as Johnny's phone began ringing.
"One second, if this is my agent, he's getting fired." Cage announced, "Hello?"
"Hey, Cage." Came the voice of Jax.
"You alright, major?"
"Is Sonya still with you?"
"She left last night to come meet up with you."
"She never told me." Jax said worryingly.
"Anyway," Johnny proceeded, ignorant of the red flags, "What's your relationship with her?"
"I'm her CO."
"Lucky, a honey like that under my control- "
"Shut up, Cage." Jax ordered, aggravated by Johnny's ignorance and his irritating personality.
"I'm just saying that if she's single then- "
"Are you still at the temple? Sonya gave me the location." Jax interrupted.
"Well yeah, it's not much of a temple now though..."
"Tell Raiden I'm coming over." Jax requested. "Bye."
"Are you leaving, Johnny Cage?" Raiden asked.
Cage sighed "I suppose not, guess I need some exposure."
"Then you have my thanks."
"Jax is on his way here." Johnny added, "Sonya's gone missing."
"Already is Shang Tsung presenting his deception." Raiden said, "I reckon he's had her kidnapped."
"Then we've gotta save her!" Johnny yelled.
"Patience, we have little information so far."
"Haokah," Nightwolf addressed Raiden by the Native American name for a God of storms, "The Shaolin survivors could use your healing abilities."
"I will aid them immediately." Raiden said, following Nightwolf to the wounded men.
As the two walked off, another two figures approached in the distance. Bo Rai Cho squinted to make out the men, Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The two slowly walked over the ruins of their temple that stood grandly less than twenty-four hours ago.
Kung Lao collapsed to his knees, looking at the rubble on the ground to avoid eyeing the corpses. Liu Kang continued to walk to Bo Rai Cho, immediately recognizing his master, who hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry." Bo Rai Cho said quietly, comforting his students.
"Wh-what happened?" Kung Lao asked, his voice shaking.
"Outworld attacked the temple." Bo Rai Cho would provide more details but was close to breaking down himself and wanted to maintain his calmness, for the sake of his students.
"Why did they do this?" Liu Kang asked, angry yet too upset for it to be noticed.
"To force Raiden into accepting a new tournament."
"A new tournament already?" Kung Lao looked up, shocked.
"Digest this... horrid event first, Raiden will tell you what's happening later." Bo Rai Cho advised letting go of Liu Kang to comfort Lao.
"We will avenge them." Liu Kang promised.