After being carried to the Special Forces Maximum Security Facility by his former partner in crime known by the name Tremor, No Face now found himself imprisoned in one of the most well guarded prisons in Earthrealm. Despite this, No Face wasn't unhappy, as he knew that this was where the man he looked up to had been taken to after being captured during the Black Dragon's attempts to aid Shao Kahn with supplying weapons and other forces decades ago. No Face now found himself on his first free period since his lifetime sentence for being an infamous terrorist had officially started. For No Face, this was the perfect opportunity to reunite with his old boss.
Searching the courtyard area, No Face began looking for Kano. At this moment, No Face suddenly had a feeling that he hadn't felt in so long that he could no longer remember the last time. He felt nervous. Not because of interacting with Kano for the first time in a while as No Face had always been quite comfortable around Kano and others in general due to his careless ways. But this was the first time No Face had been amongst others while his face was exposed with the guards having confiscated his mask that he wore whenever working for the Black Dragon. Despite how carefree No Face was and how he made the wounds from his burns a reason for his joking nickname, No Face was still nervous of being judged… even though he was rarely bothered by ever being judged until he was in a courtroom and his prison sentence was being dished out. No Face managed to ease himself, however, as he had a plan that meant this experience wouldn't be lasting long for him at all.
There was a row of tables in a corner of the courtyard area of the prison. It was right beside a barbed wire fence that would be charged at electricity were it nighttime, with No Face always dreaming of wanting to be shocked by such a thing. No Face looked around, examining the faces around the tables, before he found Kano himself at the head of one. No Face approached and saw that he and another inmate were playing chess.
"Kano knows how to play chess?" No Face spoke to himself. "He really is a genius!"
No Face approached the table and gathered around the group spectating the game. No Face arrived just as Kano had lost the game. No Face was then unsurprised to see his old boss throwing a fit at the defeat as he punched the table multiple times.
"Pay up, Kano," the winner of the game demanded. "A bet is a bet."
"I don't pay no one!" Kano snapped as he held to his pockets to guard his money after one of the spectators tried snatching it from him. "You should be paying me for letting you win instead of gutting ya!"
"You ain't got your fancy robot eye functioning, remember?" The man reminded him as if he were speaking with a child. "Without that, you're just another scrawny twat whose head I'll ping off this table if they don't pay up!"
"Double or nothing, ya prick!" Kano demanded only to be laughed at. "What's so funny, Randy?!"
"You'll just keep challenging me to that until you win," the inmate named Randy replied.
"I ain't paying until you agree!" Kano ordered.
"That's not how bets work, dumbfuck," Randy told him. "You hardly know the rules anyway! I wanna play against somebody else! You up for a game, Ramirez?"
"Don't ignore me!" Kano demanded. "I'm fackin Kano! Leader of the greatest crime syndicate on this bastard planet! I'm Black Dragon! The Black Dragon!"
"Former leader," Randy pointed out. "Plus, I heard the Red Dragon is better."
"LIES!" No Face yelled as he had finally heard enough.
"No Face?!" Kano was more than surprised to see an old friend.
"Who?!" Randy meanwhile, was simply confused.
"The Red Dragon doesn't have the passion that the Black Dragon has!" No Face claimed aggressively as he jumped on top of the table to make his presence known. "The Red Dragon is nothing more than a cheap imitation of the Black Dragon!"
"Didn't the Red Dragon come first?" Randy asked.
"Shut up!" No Face demanded as he ignored the contradiction. "The Red Dragon take themselves too seriously! We're criminals! We should be able to have fun!"
"I think that's called being efficient," Randy argued. "Something the Black Dragon knows nothing about."
"Ay, how the fuck do you know so much about the Dragon clans anyway?!" Kano questioned as he was especially puzzled how he knew so much about the Red Dragon considering how secretive the clan had been for centuries.
"Because I am with the Red Dragon, ugly," Randy revealed, which prompted Kano to swing for him, but Ramirez held him back. "Slow down, Kano. You're over fifty now."
"And still a ripper!" Kano claimed as he struggled only for Ramirez to lock him into a full nelson submission before dumping him onto the concrete floor.
"Prick," Ramirez commented before No Face dived off the table with his body colliding into Ramirez's.
"How dare you disrespect Kano!" No Face screamed as he began rapidly punching Ramirez in the face after getting on top of him.
"That's enough!" a guard yelled as they had spotted the violence that was unfolding in the corner of the courtyard. "Break it up this instant, or else you'll all be put in isolation!"
"C'mon, No Face," Kano spoke as he pulled him away. "Let's go."
No Face followed Kano as he took him away from the courtyard area before No Face's chaotic behaviour got the pair into any more trouble with the guards. No Face was surprised by such behaviour from Kano as the man he knew would've relished the chaos alongside him. Yet instead of them fighting back to back with a group of guards and hostile prisoners, No Face instead found himself sitting beside him in the prison's library.
"I think we skipped a beat," No Face remarked as he swung back and forth in his chair like a child. "Why didn't we kick those guys' asses?"
"Ain't worth it, mate," Kano told him. "So… you're here too now, ay?"
"It seems like it."
"How've you been?"
"Not so great," No Face admitted. "The Black Dragon isn't the same without you, boss."
"As I had imagined," Kano commented as his narcissism made him automatically believe any clan without him leading as inferior. "What's it like nowadays?"
"Doctor Rotwang leads now," No Face revealed, which made Kano audibly sigh. "He's currently been gathering new recruits. The clan has completely changed to what it was when you were in charge."
"Is the clan still struggling after those traitors divided us?"
"Not so much now," No Face assured him. "Rotwang has had a new headquarters built and is looking for brand new recruits to fill it."
"I sure as shit hope those newcomers are good picks then."
"Me too," No Face agreed. "I'm not sure if I trust Rotwang's judgement though…"
"Why's that?"
"Well, the last time he even tried to go on a prison break mission were those holding cells we were both in," No Face recalled what felt like ages ago to him. "I'm sorry that the others failed to get you out when they tried."
"Eh?" Kano was clearly confused. "No fucker ever came for me! That lying prick! When I'm outta here, he's dead!"
"SHHH!" sounded from the prison's librarian who was at their desk.
"Whoops," Kano said as he lowered his tone and attempted to calm down.
"Why are we here in a library anyway?" No Face questioned. "Did you forget that I dunno how to read, boss?"
"We're not here to read, No Face," Kano clarified for him. "We're here because we clearly needed a quieter space to talk."
"I still think we should've fought the guards," No Face commented. "Oh! Y'know, I actually wanted to come here."
"How come?"
"Gimme a sec," No Face requested as he searched through his bright orange jumpsuit trousers. "Here it is!"
"Mate… did you literally just pull that out your arse?"
"There was no other place to put it without it being found!" No Face explained as he placed the small device onto the table.
"What is it?"
"Rotwang's tech," No Face clarified as the two gazed at the device. "It's a prototype for what will eventually be Black Dragon portals. He made many of the Red Dragon portals, after all. We just need better resources to improve it…"
"Better resources which we'd have if I was still in charge," Kano arrogantly claimed. "What does it do anyway?"
"Because I plan for every scenario because I'm mildly insane, I kept it on me at all times in case I were to get caught," No Face explained the events to Kano as he picked up the device and held it up triumphantly. "Rotwang wanted me to use this to teleport internationally and find new recruits… but I knew what I really wanted to use this for is freeing you!"
"So, is it a teleporter?!" Kano asked as he became excited at the thought of freedom.
"See for yourself," No Face went to hand the device over to him.
"No ta," Kano declined. "I already know one place that things been, so I'd rather not touch it."
"Never knew you cared about personal hygiene," No Face remarked. "No matter, I'll get this thing working. Grab onto me, boss."
"Bit weird, mate, but alright," Kano complied and put his hand on No Face's shoulder.
"Now… if I enter the coordinates to our base and then press this button…" No Face heard a click after pressing the button and soon felt the device beginning to pulse with energy. "I think it's working!"
"Brilliant!" Kano cheered. "Cheers, No Face! Now we're finally free!"
Moments later, the two criminals suddenly found themselves in a completely different room far away from the prison they had been trapped in seconds previously. It was the main headquarters of the Black Dragon. It was of a far higher quality than their previous main base, which was an abandoned hospital transformed into a compound. Now, the clan had an enormous underground bunker filled with spacious steel rooms. Kano looked around at the unfamiliar territory and in the particular room they had teleported to there was science and technology equipment littered across a table that was so long it almost stretched throughout the entire room, but none of its space was wasted. Next to the table was an organised assortment of cupboards where the equipment was supposed to be stored. Opposite the storage cupboards was whatever project was being worked on. Kano approached the several in progress projects, seeing one was utilising the same technology that No Face had used as a teleporter and assumed this was an attempt at beginning a portal system like the Red Dragon's own. Looking beside it, Kano saw a unique suit of armour. He carelessly picked a chestplate up off of the mannequin it had been kept on to get a closer look.
"What material is this?" Kano asked.
"Depends which part," Doctor Rotwang spoke up as he entered the room. "Some uranium for the armour plating, paired with some of the finest steel from Outworld that I gathered while testing my interrealm teleporter."
"Ah, Doctor Rotwang," Kano spun around to face him. "It's been a while."
"It has," Rotwang remarked as he put his hands behind his back. "How was prison?"
"It was shit," Kano told him as his face grew angry. "Even shittier to learn that you've been tryin' to keep me there!"
"Dear boy, I would never!" Rotwang claimed. "This is all a misunderstanding."
"Then what 'av you got hidin' behind your back, eh?" Kano questioned Rotwang's suspicious behaviour.
"Only a badge of honour," Rotwang said as he took one arm from behind his back to present a badge that had been moulded to resemble the Black Dragon's signature logo on it. "It is for the leader of the Black Dragon."
"Fancy gift," Kano said as he approached Rotwang to take it from him. "I think I'll be keeping this armour too."
"You can't," Rotwang replied. "It's for the Black Dragon leader."
"The fuck are ya talkin' about?!" Kano began to get even more furious as he threw the piece of armour to the floor and got in Rotwang's face. "I'm back now, you old fuck, so I'm leader again!"
"Then I suppose we'll have to remove you again!" Rotwang suddenly drew a knife that he was holding behind his back with his other hand and immediately pierced Kano in the stomach with it.
"KANO!" No Face cried out as he ran over to intercept only for Quinn to charge into the room and throw No Face's skinny body to the floor.
"Do not interfere with progress," Quinn ordered as Rotwang audibly stabbed Kano a second time. Then a third… and a cycle began of sharp metal piercing flesh.
"You will not be able to taint this clan ever again!" Rotwang yelled as he continued to repeatedly stab Kano. "You will not be able to taint this realm ever again!"
Kano's body collapsed in Rotwang's arms as the mad doctor continued to stab him while violently twisted at his cybernetic eye before finally pulling it clean off of him and setting it on a table aside.
"That eye was the only valuable part of him," Rotwang stated as Kano's lifeless body gushed blood onto his lab coat, "and it was crafted with my own two hands!"
With one final stab with the knife, this time wedging the blade into his head, Rotwang had made sure that finally, the crooked former leader of the Black Dragon was dead…
"Take this parasite and dump him in the garbage!" Rotwang demanded to Quinn as he threw him to the floor as No Face began to cry after seeing what had happened to his friend.
"What about No Face?" Quinn asked as he was still restraining him.
"Release the boy," Rotwang instructed. "We need a private conversation, Damien."
"I'll clean this mess up," Quinn informed him as he slumped Kano's corpse over his shoulder before leaving the room.
"And that's the last we'll see of him!" Rotwang cheered as Quinn closed the door behind them. "Thank goodness! Thank me, Damien!"
"Why?!" No Face sobbed.
"Give me one good reason why not?!" Rotwang fired back with his own question. "Kano was scum! A pathetic leader that nearly burnt his own clan to the ground! An awful human being who had no talent to justify keeping him around!"
"We're Black Dragon, and you care about behaviour suddenly?!" No Face couldn't believe what was happening, and he hadn't even stood up yet after Quinn threw him down.
"I've been with the Red Dragon, and let's face it: they're better in every conceivable way," Rotwang believed with No Face slamming his fist against the floor in anger. "I'm only here merely because this clan is so abysmal because of that Stück Scheiße that I can make more profit from me taking the reins with ease considering the standards of this clan than there is profits to make as just being another scientist for the Reds."
"Fuck you!" No Face yelled.
"My boy, with Kano gone, you are now at the bottom of the barrel for my generals," Rotwang began to warn him. "Gain his attitude… and I'll have you killed next."
"Just do it now, you bastard!" No Face demanded. "Please!"
"Everybody's life is more valuable than wasting it on behalf of Kano," Rotwang said as he picked up the cybernetic eye and began examining it. "This has the energy I need to complete the first interrealm portal that the Black Dragon has ever had. For the Red Dragon, this would be nothing special. But for us? It is huge because Kano set us so far back that all our rivals are leagues ahead of us! I am simply doing the very best to try and even things out after his constant fuck ups!"
"You're only in it for self gain…" No Face realised.
"I treated you like a son because this clan is the only family I have that isn't dying from illness!" Rotwang yelled, revealing a secret he never shared with any Black Dragon clan member ever. "Despite being a Unfug der Ratten, I made sure to share the profits that my leadership has been bringing in! Yet you repay with this pathetic behaviour paired with attempts to defend a vile one eyed monster!"
"I can't believe a word that comes out of your mouth anymore, liar," No Face said, only to shortly groan in pain after Rotwang kicked him in his side.
"Get up, boy!" Rotwang ordered. "These childish antics are exactly why I refuse to call you anything beyond just a boy!"
"I don't give a damn about what you think about me!" No Face yelled as he finally got up from the floor. "I don't give a damn about anything you have to say at all, you self centred decrepit liar!"
"Do you not realise who the people you're amongst are?!" Rotwang asked as he pointed to Kano's cybernetic eye for reference to the personification of 'self centred'. "If you want to find loyalty and all that bullshit, then you should've joined the Reds! Albeit currently you're hardly in any shape to deserve your rank as a Black Dragon, let alone a Red Dragon!"
"Then let me leave!" No Face demanded. "This is nothing like the clan I first agreed to join!"
"You're right, Damien," Rotwang agreed with him. "Because you joined while it was already on its downfall. Now we're on the rise and it is thanks to me and my new recruits!"
"LET ME LEAVE!" No Face demanded again, getting irritated that his request was ignored.
"You really are a stupid mad man," Rotwang shook his head in sheer disappointment. "At first I thought you could be shaped into something greater… and I hate being wrong with my hypothesis. This is why you get one more chance to impress me. Just one. If you fail me then I'll let you leave by casting you off to Hell!"
"What do you want me to do if I'm so useless, asshole?!" No Face questioned.
"Mop up this mess," Rotwang pointed to the blood stains left from Kano that covered the floor in a puddle of blood. "And give me that teleporter! You've clearly been misusing it!"
"Fine!" No Face said as the device rolled out of his pocket. "Take it!"
"Compliant at last," Rotwang smiled as he picked up the device and walked off with it into the next room which was a hub for members to sit around the tables as they waited for orders. "Libby! You're up for finding new recruits!"
"You can count on me, boss!" Libby sat up eagerly as Rotwang handed her the teleporter. "Saw that Kano finally got what he deserved. Felt like destiny considering the amount of times my mother had to save him."
Libby Hall had been the very first of Rotwang's new recruits. Her being the first only made sense with her family's already established criminal background with her mother being a former Black Dragon member amongst the highest ranks, but took her leave from the clan after being displeased with Kano bringing the clan downhill. With Rotwang taking control of the Black Dragon, the Hall family soon wished to align themselves with the clan once more now that there was better leadership. It was the perfect opportunity for Libby Hall, who has greatly impressed Doctor Rotwang in the past few months since she joined.
"She's more merciful than I am," Rotwang remarked as he pulled out a list he had neatly folded into his coat pocket. "Let's check the list…"
"List for what?" Libby asked as she curiously peeked over Rotwang's shoulder.
"I personally wrote down variously reported criminals who are yet to have been caught," Rotwang explained the purpose of the list. "I wrote down the specific location where the reports for each individual came from. Hence why I want you to use the teleporter."
"Who to start with?" Libby wondered as she looked at the top of the list. "Who is Benjamin Masterson?"
"New Yorker who let all the vigilante nonsense from those ridiculous Paragons get to his head," Rotwang explained who the man was. "You've probably heard him in the news as an alleged fire wielding vigilante who calls himself Kobra."
"I have," Libby confirmed. "Wait… why do you want to recruit a vigilante?!"
"Because this vigilante has gone a little crazy and is now a wanted criminal with his real identity completely exposed to the world," Rotwang revealed.
"Shall I fetch him before he does anything else that puts him in jail?"
"I've already tasked Rojack with locating him," Rotwang informed her. "He sounds like a valuable asset and I for one cannot wait to meet him."
"Well who am I finding?" Libby continued to ask questions.
"A man named Azal Azeez," Rotwang revealed. "They are one of the most infamous weapon dealers on the planet. Such a skill is useful for our clan."
"Any known whereabouts?"
"They deal weapons and various other supplies to criminals throughout the Middle East," Rotwang further elaborated as Libby paced the room as she eagerly awaited to begin her task. "I sent some of the goons to search around and one believes to have located Azal conducting business with a group of terrorists in the Afghanistan portion of the Himalayas. I'll enter the specific coordinates of the device now."
"I'll be as quick as possible," Libby promised as Rotwang handed her the teleporter after entering the coordinates required. "See you soon, boss!"
With a push of a button on top of the teleporting device, Libby Hall had been transported to Afghanistan. Rotwang looked around and saw Quinn approaching him after having disposed of Kano's corpse. Quinn gave him a nod of acknowledgement before any words were exchanged.
"The rat has been dealt with," Quinn informed his leader.
"Fantastisch!" Rotwang cheered.
"What else can I do for you, sir?"
"With Kano gone, I think it is time to assess the failures he's made," Rotwang spoke as he put his list away only to pull out a different one from the same pocket. "Let's see what tasks we can complete that he could not."
"You sure like lists, sir," Quinn noticed.
"They are the best format to depict a range of relevant information," Rotwang expressed his belief on the information format as he unfolded the sheet. "This one wasn't even written by me though… it was written by Kano."
"If this list is in relation to Kano's plans then I don't imagine many are worth doing, sir," Quinn expressed his own opinion as the pair looked at the list.
"Goodness his handwriting is abhorrent!" Rotwang complained as he put his reading glasses on and squinted at the scruppy writing. "Let's see what ideas he had… kidnap the Queen's corgis?!"
"Pardon?!" Quinn thought he had both misheard and misread. "He never actually sent anybody to attempt that… right?"
"Start a pirate crew in Outworld…" Rotwang continued to read the list aloud. "Talk about regression. Pirates! In this day and age! Ludicrous!"
"We could do without Mileena's Union hunting us too," Quinn pointed out.
"At the time he wrote this, Shao Kahn would've been in charge!"
"Talk about insanity," Quinn commented as Rotwang laughed so hard he began coughing.
"Steal the gold from Shang Tsung's island… we all know how that went," Rotwang said after clearing his throat as he continued reading. "Oh! Steal Matokan artifacts! That seems easy, and profitable."
"I take it you're unaware of which tribe the hero known as Nightwolf is a part of," Quinn presumed.
"Now it is your turn to teach me, Quinn," Rotwang said as he pulled a chair for both himself and for his favourite fellow Black Dragon member.
"Kano actually already tried this," Quinn told him as he began recalling the events with Rotwang fully listening to his most trusted and respected ally. "He sent myself who at the time was just amongst some other low ranks and we were instructed to just waltz over and trespass the Matoka's land under the command of Jim Woo."
"Jim Who?!" Rotwang had never heard of the man that Quinn spoke of.
"Former bodyguard for Kano," Quinn told him. "Like my role is to you, sir."
"I presume the outcome was a poor one," Rotwang guessed with Quinn nodding.
"The bloke known as Nightwolf gained his powers from that entire incident…" Quinn revealed as he continued his story.
Akicita was walking home after having completed his daily work at the local museum. Everyday after work Akicita would head over to the grounds that belonged to his tribe: the Matoka. The land served as a meeting place for his fellow tribe members and Akicita made sure to visit the land everyday. When he first stepped foot in the grounds he felt relaxed with how peaceful and quiet the area was… then it felt too quiet. Normally, Akicita would always hear the joyful exchanges that the members of his tribe would have with each other. But today there was complete silence.
"Hello?!" Akicita called out for if anybody was present at the grounds as he continued to wander through, before he approached a part of the grounds that was a lodge belonging to the Matokan Chief that sat on the hill before all of the teepees amongst the campsite area.
Akicita began to walk up the small hill, presuming that his tribal chief named Chatan would be in his well made structure which housed many sentimental artifacts and relics of their people. While the group had agreed for Akicita to donate many of their artifacts to his museum where he made sure to preserve their sacred history, there were still many precious artifacts that the tribe had no wish to part with. As he reached the wooden doors to the log cabin, Akicita finally began to hear sounds. Men were talking inside and they sounded unfamiliar… and hostile too.
"Now that everyone is here we can begin!" yelled a man from inside. "Somebody tell us where your precious artifacts are… NOW!"
Akicita began panicking as he peeked through one of the windows in the lodge and loudly gasped when he saw as he had feared after the aggressive shouting he had heard. Akicita saw several of his fellow Matokan on their knees with rope restraining their arms behind their back. It quickly became apparent to Akicita that these were trespassing criminals holding his friends and family hostage. He even saw emblems on the coat of the crook seemingly in charge of the hostage situation as well as recognising him to be the wanted criminal named Jim Woo. For Akicita, this became even more concerning as the badge was shaped in the logo of the infamous Black Dragon clan that the news had warned of. Akicita stopped peeking to avoid being spotted as he tried to come up with some form of plan. Before Akicita could construct a plan, however, the Black Dragon members were already moving onto the next step of theirs.
"Tell us now!" Jim Woo ordered as Akicita peered through the window again to see him grabbing Zonta. "Or else I kill her!"
"Zonta!" Akicita cried out in a voice level that was high enough to have been heard.
"Who's that?!" Jim Woo questioned.
"Wait!" Chief Chatan spoke up as he held a wooden box before the criminals. "It's all in here! Just leave us be!"
"Looks like it is!" Jim Woo spoke happily as he examined the contents of the box. "By the way, I lied about sparing you for the artifacts. Kill them, Quinn."
"Woo, we have the artifacts!" Quinn spoke up. "Let's leave!"
"Did you not hear me, Quinn? Kill them, you big oath!" Jim Woo demanded once more. "Kano told you to follow my command!"
"I'll do no such thing," Quinn refused with Jim Woo grunting in frustration.
"Fine!" Jim Woo yelled as he handed Quinn the box before pulling out a handgun from one of his coat pockets. "I'll do it myself!"
Jim Woo aimed the handgun at Zonta's head as those compliant to Woo's command made sure to hold back any of the other captives who tried stopping them. Before Woo pulled Akicita, in a moment of desperation and with adrenaline flowing through him out of the fear of not just losing a part of history of his people that he had dedicated his entire work life to preserving, but now he feared losing Zonta and seeing a weapon pointed at her was too much for Akicita to just standby. After barging through the door shoulder first, Akicita charged at Jim Woo who immediately unloaded an entire round into his body before he collapsed on the ground before Woo.
"Akicita!" Zonta cried out as she and many other Matokan members began to sob.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Quinn asked Jim Woo as he laughed maniacally. "That wasn't necessary at all!"
"What a fool pretending to be the hero," Woo remarked as he began reloading his gun, taking his time in doing so. After finally reloading his weapon, Jim Woo once more aimed directly at Zonta's head… but he was interrupted once more…
A terrifying howl echoed throughout the land as a bizarre mist that seemed to glow green began seeping through the wooden planks and logs that made up Chief Chatan's lodge. The mist began to gather beside Akicita's fresh corpse as it built up the form of a spirit in the form of an imposing giant wolf.
"What the Hell is that?!" Jim Woo said as he began trembling at the sight of the bizarre spirit. "Stay away, monster!"
"It's her!" Chief Chatan cheered. "The Great Spirit! She's returned!"
The spirit's essence began to seep downwards and into Akicita, who's eyes suddenly opened as he began to stand. The Great Spirit had resurrected him! But not only that, she had parted the brave Akicita with her power! Green energy seeped through Akicita's entire body as he stood to his feet. Jim Woo, out of desperation much like Akicita was moments ago, began firing his gun as fast as he could while his hands were violently shaking with both fear and shock. The energy acted as a reflector for Akicita, and the bullets immediately bounced off of him and back at Jim Woo with one bullet firing straight through his head. Jim Woo fell to the floor, now dead. Unlike Akicita, Jim Woo had nobody to revive him from his own doing.
"Take it!" Quinn threw the box containing the artifacts Kano had ordered for them to retrieve to the ground. "We'll never return!"
Quinn and his fellow Black Dragon members quickly ran out the lodge and moments later they were long gone from the land of the Matoka. Meanwhile, Akicita began freeing his loved ones from their restraints. He finally managed to release Zonta, who immediately threw her arms around him.
"You saved my life!" Zonta cried out with her immense gratitude.
"You saved all our lives!" Chief Chatan praised. "Thank you, Nightwolf."
"Nightwolf?" Akicita was surprised to be referred to by the sacred title of the Matoka's protector with the last of the mantle having passed long ago. "My goodness… it finally just hit me."
"You are the next in the long line of Nightwolves," Chief Chatan confirmed. "The Great Spirit herself brought you back to life!"
"Thank you, Great Spirit," the new Nightwolf expressed his gratitude as he looked up.
"This is amazing," Zonta commented. "What now?"
"I believe Nightwolf here certainly scared off those crooks," Chief Chatan said, which helped relieve everybody else from concerns of the Black Dragon returning. "I shall make a report to the police immediately. Please return home, everybody. Or stay if you wish to speak with me."
"I have a lot of questions right now," Zonta said as she and everybody else was struggling to process everything that had just happened. "But… I also need a lie down."
"If you feel upset or concerned about what has happened," Chief Chatan delivered a brief speech, "then just remember that the Great Spirit watches over us. Nightwolf watches over us!"
The Matoka members cheered and applauded as Nightwolf and Chief Chatan had both greatly aided in immediately raising spirits after what could've been a heavily tragic day for the Matoka. Chief Chatan picked up the box from the ground carefully before handing it to Nightwolf.
"In case they return, then I suggest you take these," Chief Chatan said as he gifted Nightwolf the box holding various Native American artifacts.
"You honour me, Chief Chatan," Nightwolf said as he gratefully accepted the gift.
"Keep it for yourself or add it to the exhibit in the museum," Chief Chatan instructed him. "I do not mind either way, my friend."
"I'll keep them safe," Nightwolf promised.
"I know you shall," Chief Chatan said as he greatly trusted all Matoka. "If any of you do wish to stay, then I suggest we leave the lodge…" he glanced at Jim Woo's corpse. "This does count as a crime scene, let us not forget."
"I didn't mean for him to…" Nightwolf frowned as he saw the dead criminal.
"It wasn't your fault," Zonta attempted to reassure him. "You protected us!"
"Besides… technically it was an accidental suicide…" Chief Chatan pointed out. "I'll ring the police now. Don't worry, everyone, this will be resolved."
"Thank you, Chief Chatan," Zonta said gratefully. "I'll go home now."
"Farewell, Zonta," Chief Chatan replied.
"Do you want to walk home with me, Nightwolf?" Zonta asked with Akicita blushing slightly.
"I need to get used to having the mantle," he realised as he was still caught off guard by being referred to as 'Nightwolf'. "I shall join you, Zonta! Goodbye, Chief Chatan!"
"Hello, Chief Chatan!" Nightwolf enthusiastically greeted the Matokan Chief as he and his family entered the grounds.
"Ah! Nightwolf!" Chief Chatan approached with open arms. "I see you brought the family! Always a pleasure to see you, Zonta!"
"It's mutual, Chief Chatan," Zonta said as she hugged him.
"And Eyota!" Chief Chatan greeted as he looked past Zonta while hugging her. "How are you, future Nightwolf?"
"I'm well, Chief Chatan," Eyota replied. "You really think I'll gain the mantle?"
"I know it!" Chief Chatan told her which made Eyota smile. "Being the daughter of two great people and a protector of this realm, I'd expect nothing else!"
"Thank you," Eyota replied. "Is Mapiya here?"
"By the earth lodges," Chief Chatan pointed over to an area of the land where there were several circular, dome shaped dwellings made with timber centuries ago and covered in resources gathered from the earth itself. "She's busy taking care of the relics we keep in them."
"I'll go help!" Eyota said as she ran off to see Mapiya.
"Our little girls sure do have an interest in history," Chief Chatan said with a proud smile. "Just like you, Nightwolf."
"Eyota's still in education, but helps out at the museum every now and then," Nightwolf told him.
"Mapiya is the same but instead of a museum it's these grounds," Chief Chatan related as he looked around at the well kept sacred land. "Arguably a museum in itself," he joked with Nightwolf and Zonta laughing warmly.
"I've missed you, old friend," Zonta remarked kindly.
"As have I missed the pair of you," Chief Chatan replied. "How's the museum?"
"It's going well," Nightwolf told him. "A new exhibit was just opened."
"What's it about?"
"The Defenders of Earthrealm," Nightwolf revealed.
"Sounds interesting," Chief Chatan commented. "I'll have to visit it soon."
"My love forgot to mention the fact that he got a statue made!" Zonta added the great accomplishment which Nightwolf's humbleness had made him not mention.
"Congratulations, Nightwolf!"
"Thank you both," Nightwolf responded as the three hugged once more.
"The others have a campfire going by the teepees," Chief Chatan told them as he pointed over to the distant tent-like structures. "We'd be more than happy for you to join us there, friends."
"Lead the way, Chief," Zonta replied. "C'mon, Akicita!"
As Nightwolf, Zonta and Chief Chatan went to the other Matokan currently at their meeting grounds, Eyota had found Mapiya leaning against the exterior of an earth lodge while polishing an artifact. Hearing the approaching movement, Mapiya gazed up as she brushed a few strands of long, thick, black hair out of the way of her face to see her close friend. Eyota waved at her before standing beside her.
"Good to see you here, Eyota," Mapiya spoke as she returned to polishing the artifact that she held firmly in her hands. "How have you been?"
"I'm good," she replied. "You?"
"I'm doing well."
"What's that you're holding?"
"It was a talisman worn by a previous Nightwolf," Mapiya explained to her. "I'm unsure which Nightwolf this belonged to though."
"The penultimate Nightwolf," Eyota was able to recognise. "The one before my dad."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've taken up studying history, I've also been working with my dad at the museum," Eyota told her what she had been up to lately. "There are paintings for several past Nightwolves. That talisman was depicted on one of them."
"I can't remember," Mapiya admitted, "what did the last Nightwolf do?"
"She offered to help fight against Outworld in one of the old Mortal Kombat Tournaments," Eyota vividly recalled from her dedicated research. "Unfortunately, that Tournament was where her life was taken… She's the only spirit of a past Nightwolf that my dad cannot connect with. He believes that sorcerer Shang Tsung may have her soul…"
"That's horrible," Mapiya said as she felt bad just from hearing the short tale. "The fact that old sorcerer is still somewhere out there in the realms is… creepy."
"Yeah," Eyota agreed.
"Impressive that you know all this stuff," Mapiya complimented. "I take it that the current Nightwolf is why you know so much about this then."
"My dad's got a lot of history to impart," Eyota told her. "Although, he never directed me into taking up history. I made that decision myself."
"Well that's good to hear," Mapiya said as she finished polishing the talisman and carefully returned it inside the earth lodge with Eyota following her inside. "It's also good to get to know you a bit more, Eyota."
"Well it's always a pleasure to talk with you, Mapiya," Eyota replied with Mapiya becoming slightly flustered as she sat down in the earth lodge.
"Are you alright?" Eyota asked with Mapiya blushing, surprised that she had noticed her flustered behaviour.
"Y-Yeah!" she confirmed as she patted the ground beside her. "Want to… uh… want to sit down? I think I could use your expertise with these relics!"
"Gladly!" Eyota replied as she eagerly sat by her as they began to examine the sacred artifacts that were still kept on the Matoka's land…
—
"Who's next?!" the criminal nicknamed Kobra asked as he threw a beaten man to one side.
Benjamin Masterson stood in an alley with a sizable group surrounding him and his next victim as they formed a circle area for him and his foe to fight. The group were making bets on fights and Kobra was by far the favourite in each of his fights. Another man moved through the crowd to confront Kobra. The crowd became more split considering the size comparison. The man was at least seven foot tall and he towered over Benjamin, making the infamous Kobra seem like the underdog.
"Bookie!" Rojack called for the bookmaker as he had joined the crowd to observe Kobra and so far he was impressed. "I'll put a tenner on blondey."
"Goodluck, mate," the bookie replied as he took the betting money from Rojack.
"This'll be the easiest ten dollars in my life," Rojack said to himself as the fight was about to begin.
"Who's ready to see me snap this twig?!" Kobra's opponent yelled with the crowd cheering. "Don't worry, kid, I'll knock you out quickly and it'll be over in a flash!"
Kobra didn't respond to the threats. He simply put his blood covered fists up, ready to fight. The tall man laughed as he tore his own shirt off, revealing a chiselled body. He beat his chest violently as the person acting as the referee signalled for the fight to begin.
Kobra immediately ducked an incoming left hook, before unloading a combination of strikes to his opponent's stomach with his fists pounding against the large man's strong abs. A sudden knee strike to the chin made Kobra stagger back into the audience, who pushed him back into the man who picked him up with ease and brought Kobra into a single arm standing triangle choke. Kobra fought back with a sequence of elbows to the side of the man's head, causing him to release Kobra. The man was then stunned by a combination of roundhouse and spinning heel kicks. He then got into a new fighting stance for Shorin Ryu, a style of Okinawan Karate. The man snickered as he recognised the fighting style.
"A street brawler trying to use karate?!" he said between chuckles. "How ridiculous!"
"You're only saying that because you're too much of a meathead to learn it!" Kobra finally began to return the insults, knowing he could get in his opponent's head. "Speaking of ridiculous, I think Meathead is a better name for you than Chad!"
"Says the boy calling himself cobra with a K," he fired back with more insults. "Take your shit gimmicks back to kindergarten, kid."
"Still better than being named Chad," Kobra said with a smug grin which made Chad snap in a fit of rage with him charging forth at Kobra only for him to roll aside and for Chad to end up crashing into an audience member.
"Outta my way!" Chad yelled while he spun around and was immediately met with a crane kick which knocked him down.
"Fight!" Kobra shouted as he began a ground and pound on the fallen man before Chad was able to finally shove him off and begin standing, but he was dropped again by an axe kick with Kobra's foot swinging upwards into Chad's face, and slamming his foot down onto the back of his head as he brought him face first against the concrete.
"He's out!" the referee announced after checking on Chad before raising Kobra's arm. "Your winner!"
"Anybody else!?" Kobra asked, still ready to continue fighting.
"Scuse me, kid," Rojack spoke up as he moved past the crowd. "I have an offer for you. Come with me, and I'll explain."
"I ain't got time for you, old man," Kobra dismissed him. "I'm here for a fight."
"Then how about I give you one, boy?" Rojack offered as he stepped into the circle. "Then may we talk?"
"If you still can after I break your jaw," Kobra warned.
"Feel free to try," Rojack said as both men raised their fists.
"Place your bets now, folks!" the bookie yelled as the referee signalled for the fight to begin.
Kobra immediately rushed Rojack, tackling him to the ground and landing a couple of punches to Rojack's face. Rojack fought back with an elbow which busted open Kobra's nose as blood gushed down onto his attire. Kobra wore a white karate gi along with some dark baggy trousers which were loose to help Kobra move freely when in combat. Most notably was the black belt he wore to signify his skills in martial arts, with the gi helping reflect that he has been trained in many fighting styles. The martial arts academy he had been a part of had kicked him out for his violent tendencies, yet Kobra still donned his uniform for whenever he'd look for action, often in a hooded jacket which he had tossed aside before he began fighting the crowd of people.
Kobra laughed as he wiped the blood from his nose, carelessly embracing the violence of the fight. He immediately retaliated with two left jabs and a right hook that knocked Rojack over. Kobra quickly picked him back up, delivering a kick to the face as he pulled him upwards. Kobra continued to unload a flurry of punches, but Rojack had begun blocking a series of strikes. This hardly mattered though, as Kobra was such a fast and hard hitting striker that Rojack wasn't finding any openings. Rojack attempted a kick to the shin but Kobra leapt over it, hitting Rojack with a knee into his nose as a result. Now Rojack also had a bloody nose. When Kobra approached again, Rojack delivered a leg sweep to Kobra before stomping down on his gut to wind him. Rojack then rolled over so that he was on top of Kobra, before nailing several of his own punches.
"You're good, kid!" Rojack spoke as he continued to hammer in punches mercilessly. "But you've got much to learn!"
Kobra fought back with a heabutt with Rojack pushing his head back against the concrete and pushing his elbow at his face to hold him down. Kobra still kept fighting though, as he wrapped an arm around Rojack's head and began to lock in a guillotine chokehold. Rojack threw wild punches in a desperate attempt to escape, but Kobra grabbed his right arm and began pulling on it with his spare arm in a half kimura lock while also choking Rojack with his other arm.
"Ah!" Rojack screamed out in pain as he tapped out. "I give up!"
Kobra didn't care about Rojack's submission and kept him trapped within his submission manoeuvre.
"Let go of me, boy!" Rojack cried out angrily. "Now!"
"I ain't done with you yet!" Kobra remarked as he refused to let go of him.
"You asked for this!" Rojack yelled as he used his free arm to draw a pocket knife and he then proceeded to stab Kobra in the arm with it which forced him to release him.
"I think that's gonna be all for today…" the referee remarked as the crowd stared in horror after watching Rojack casually stab a man.
"Was that really necessary, you prick?!" Kobra asked as he clutched his bleeding arm.
"Come with me," Rojack demanded. "You promised we'd talk."
"Fine," Kobra said as Rojack had already begun dragging him through the crowd. "The hell do you want?"
"You ever heard about the Black Dragon, kid?" Rojack asked him with Kobra nodding in response.
"What about it?"
"I'm a part of it," he revealed while lowering his tone until they got a fair distance away from the gathering in the alley. "You can be too."
"Why would I want to join one of the two most wanted criminal organisations in the world when over half the members have apparently either deserted the group or died?!" Kobra questioned with news about the Black Dragon having been made well known to the public due to their worldwide threat.
"There's been a change in powers," Rojack told Kobra in an attempt to get him to change his mind. "We're rebuilding and stronger than ever."
"I don't see what I gain from joining this clan either way."
"We can give you whatever you want," Rojack listed to entice the office to Kobra. "Besides kid, you're wanted for murder. This is the logical next step in the path you've taken."
"Anybody I killed was asking for it," Kobra claimed defensively.
"Yeah I'm sure that random local corner store was really horrid," Rojack joked with Kobra angrily clenching his fists. "Relax!"
"First you stab me and now you're making a crazy offer about joining a group of terrorists?!"
"What else are you gonna do, kid?!"
"I don't know!" Kobra yelled aggressively as he continued to grow constantly frustrated. "I've never known! One day I want to protect these streets and the next I'm deciding to commit crime!"
"Then go all in on the latter!" Rojack advised. "You already fucked up the hero gig."
"Joining a Dragon clan sounds like something I'll regret pretty quickly."
"I joined this clan when I was a teen and since I'm an 'old man' that's pretty impressive, right?"
"Maybe you can hang around with them," Kobra admitted, "but maybe I can't."
"You're prime Black Dragon material," Rojack told him in what was an attempted compliment. "You'd fit with the new version of the clan quite well."
"Prove it," Kobra demanded as he realised that was the only way for him to be convinced. "Prove that this clan isn't some dying mess. Prove that it's a place for me to be able to live with. Prove that your clan can offer whatever I want since that was your selling point."
"I have a teleporter device and I can bring you to our headquarters right now for you to see if you like it," Rojack offered as he already began preparing the device.
"Are you nuts?!" Kobra couldn't believe him. "A teleporter device?!"
"We have many fine gadgets, boy," Rojack told him. "Now are you with me or not?"
"Fuck it," Kobra finally came to a decision. "I ain't got anything better to do."
"This will only take a second," Rojack said as he grabbed onto Kobra while activating the teleporter device which brought the two criminals to the Black Dragon headquarters…
While Rojack was seemingly successful in his search for a new Black Dragon member, Libby Hall continued her search in the Afghanistan area of the Himalayas for her target: the arms dealer named Azal Azeez. She soon found a village which a nearby Black Dragon spy confirmed to her that this was where Azeez had been spotted.
Libby walked over to the village and the closer she got, the more concerned she grew. She heard yelling and cries throughout the village as she walked between the many buildings cramped together in such a small plot of land for the typical standards of a village. Libby Hall quickly realised there were no civilians roaming the dusty streets which made her even more confused as to all the loud noises. Venturing further, Libby past around a corner store and soon saw a group of ninja warrior's clad in black and yellow battling with a group of terrorists. Libby was unsure who the terrorists were, but she recognised the ninjas as members of the Shirai Ryu clan which had several territories spanning across the Himalayas. Libby quickly clocked that they must be protecting the town from terrorist occupation.
"The Grandmaster is almost here!" one of the ninjas announced to their allies as they used the environment to their advantage. The group of terrorists had firearms which greatly countered the Shirai Ryu's far more old fashioned arsenal.
"Fire!" yelled one of the terrorists with a man wielding a rocket launcher blasting a shot at the building that many of the Shirai Ryu members had gathered by or even inside. The blast sent parts of the building flying with many of the ninjas unfortunately being wounded with one piece of rubble nearly hitting Libby who was opposite the street the ninjas were on.
The fight was occurring in what seemed to be a town centre, an open space which many paths led to. Libby Hall knew she couldn't just stand and watch, so she saw a ladder leant against the corner store she stood beside to climb onto the rooftops. With how closely connected every structure in the village was, Libby was able to easily traverse through the rooftops before standing above the group of terrorists. Libby gasped as she saw a group of civilians having rope tied around their wrists and being dragged over to the battle as hostages.
"Surrender occupation of this territory and we will spare these innocent lives!" promised one terrorist who held a gun against the head of one of the poor citizens.
"You promised there'd be no civilian casualties!" yelled another of the terrorists who was the most heavily dressed of the group as they wore an attire fully covering their body which made it so they couldn't be identified.
"I don't care, Azeez!" the terrorist yelled back at them.
Libby Hall having overheard this now knew who Azal Azeez was but now she was unsure as to how to approach the man considering the current situation.
"Time's up!" the terrorist shouted and went to pull the trigger but Azeez quickly snatched the gun from them in time.
"You aren't using my weapons for this!" Azeez yelled as the two struggled for control of the gun with the other terrorist pushing at Azal's face to try to push him back… only to cause his mask to fall off.
"You're… a woman?!" the terrorist shouted with a tone of disgust.
"And the name's Kira, you sexist prick!" she yelled as she drew a pair of knives and impaled them through both sides of the terrorist's head.
Another couple of terrorist's that were stood behind the two immediately aimed their guns at Kira, but Libby leapt down from the roof and landed on top of the two terrorist's while stabbing one butterfly knife into each of them.
"Who are you?!" Kira questioned.
"I'll explain later!" Libby promised. "We have these guys to deal with first!"
More terrorists ran up the narrow street that had been crammed between two more stores. Kira ran along the walls before swiftly springing off them and going into a cannonball-like state as she spun into them like a bowling ball knocking down some pins. As Kira went to stand, she immediately had to use her knives to block an incoming attack from a machete. Fortunately for Kira, Libby charged in, shoving a butterfly knife between the man's eyes before helping Kira to her feet.
"That's twice you've saved my ass," Kira realised as she was still processing all the chaos that was unfolding.
"And we ain't done yet!" Libby cried out as she pointed down the street to draw attention to another group of terrorists charging forth with swords and their own knives at the ready.
Having the agility advantage, Libby and Kira were striking at the terrorists too quick as they lined up only to be stabbed or slashed each time one managed to attempt an attack. At one point in the conflict, Kira dropped to her knees to duck an incoming melee swing and proceeded to rapidly stab the man's feet which caused them to fall back into his allies. While she was down, Libby elegantly leapt off of her and began stepping onto the heads of each terrorists before landing on the other side of the group.
"Look out!" Kira warned as the terrorist wielding the rocket launcher had emerged from behind Libby Hall and was aiming directly at her.
"Get over here!"
Before the terrorist could fire the rocket launcher, the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster had arrived with several reinforcements. The warrior known as Scorpion had impaled his signature chained kunai into the back of the terrorist and dragged him towards his grasp where he then choked him until he was unconscious. The Shirai Ryu reinforcements grouped up with the other members already at the village as they swarmed the remaining terrorists before quickly incapacitating them all.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!" Kira angrily screamed over and over again as she stabbed an already definitely deceased terrorist.
"Are you alright… Kira?" Libby asked as she cautiously checked in on her.
"Yes!" Kira answered cheerfully. "I've never felt so fucking alive!"
"That sure was crazy," Libby agreed. "Crap like this is pretty much the regular for me though."
"Really?"
"Between you and me, I'm a Black Dragon member," Libby revealed to Kira quietly so no Shirai Ryu member overheard her. "I actually came here to find you because your arms dealing work has earned you an invitation."
"Really?!" Kira asked excitedly with Libby nodding in confirmation. "This is brilliant! Today couldn't get any better! I got to finally kill those fucking pigs and now this?!"
"So you'll join me?"
"Of course!" Kira accepted immediately. "Besides, you just saved my life more than once back there. I'm indebted to you."
"Sweetie, the best part of the Black Dragon is that we don't owe anybody shit," Libby said with a smile and Kira burst out laughing somewhat maniacally.
"Thank you both for helping protect this village," Scorpion expressed his gratitude as he approached the two women. "If you'd like, I'm sure there'd be an open spot in the Shirai Ryu for you both."
"No thank you," Kira declined. "I'm already sold on a new occupation."
"Well I wish you luck on whatever that occupation is, ma'am," Scorpion replied. "Know that the pair of you are welcome on Shirai Ryu territory always."
"Thank you, sir," Libby and Kira expressed their gratitude with Scorpion bowing before returning to tend to his wounded clan members. As Scorpion left, a civilian ran up to Libby and Kira speaking in their native language.
"What's she saying?" Libby asked Kira.
"She's saying 'our heroes' in Pashto," Kira translated for Libby to understand. "She's also thanking you for liberating this village from terrorist control."
"No problem," Libby replied to the citizen who smiled at her before running off to their family. "Woah… it's almost like I'm a hero."
"You are to me," Kira said, which made Libby blush. "I never caught your name, Miss…"
"Hall," Libby introduced herself. "Libby Hall."
"More like Libby 'Liberator' Hall," Kira joked which made the two chuckle.
"Are you ready to leave for the Black Dragon clan headquarters, Kira?"
"Take me away, Libby!" Kira said with certainty. Libby pulled out her teleporter device and held Kira's hand and a second later the pair were suddenly gone from Afghanistan and were now in the Black Dragon headquarters…