"Are you sure we can trust this, Kharon?" Questioned Sektor. "He seems somewhat strange…" finished Sektor as he observed the man gathering items from the island.
"He normally resides in the netherrealm. Of course he's strange, but he's the only one with a ship capable of leaving the island." Explained Cyrax.
"There's a dozen boats on the docks." said Sektor.
"Sure, great if you wanna sail the waters around the island and fish. But Shang Tsung's island is between realms. No normal boat will get us home."
"Can't Raiden teleport between realms?" He asked.
"I'm not an expert on the abilities of gods. Besides he wouldn't dare leave his champions without protection." Cyrax continued.
"Bi Han told me he sent Typhoon and Cyclone Packing on one of the boats by the docks." Spoke Sektor. "Does that mean they're still here somewhere? Just floating around?"
Cyrax nodded. "Somewhere out at sea likely wondering why they haven't found land yet."
"That is if one of the sea creatures around the island didn't capsize them already." Spoke Kharon as he approached. "You're lucky I was on the island young man. If I hadn't decided to make this little stop, you'd have been trapped here." He explained.
"Indeed." Answered Cyrax. "We would like to leave as soon as possible."
"We're ready, I'll drop you in Hong Kong at the dock where you boarded Shang Tsung's ship. And the ride should only be a couple hours, I'm much better at navigating the realms than Shang Tsung."
"Very good, and thank you, Kharon." Spoke Sektor.
"Don't thank me. The Lin Kuei are gonna owe me for this. Once you settle your robot problem that is."
"Of course." Responded Sektor. He side eyed Cyrax who shrugged before the three boarded the ship.
It was larger than Shang Tsung's ship which was able to transport over a hundred passengers comfortably. However, while it was larger it was far less comfortable. The ship had none of the amenities of Shang Tsung's. No beds, no food, and strangely no crew. Anyone who'd heard of Kharon had known him to be the sole operator of his vessel. Some said he controlled many ships with nothing but his mind. It's said his primary purpose was to fairy damned souls across the netherrealm. However, it's also said his boats can traverse any realm. Why he'd be visiting any of those realms was a mystery.
Of course Cyrax was somewhat skeptical upon meeting the man. Very few across earthrealm were aware of the realms, fewer had heard the tale of Kharon. He was a borderline myth. Of course when the ship arrived on the island it was obvious that he at least could get them to earthrealm. Whether or not he was actually Kharon, or if Kharon could be trusted was irrelevant. This vessel was the duo's only chance to return to earthrealm. If they stayed on the island it would only be a matter of time until Shang Tsung had them killed.
The Lin Kuei had completely botched their mission on the island which the grandmaster would undoubtedly be livid about. Sektor was defeated by Johnny Cage in the first match of the tournament. Later Johnny Cage and Art Lean would defeat Cyclone and typhoon. Then finally Art Lean technically bested Cyrax. In the end the legendary Lin Kuei had been eliminated by just two fighters. Two Cyrax didn't hold in especially high regard. One an american martial artist, and the other a hollywood actor. It was not the best showing for their clan. Ryker had an alternate mission of killing Bi Han, and didn't even fight in a match. Cyrax had to wonder who's idea that was. Surely the grandmaster wasn't so deluded he actually believed Ryker would win that fight. He was skilled, but to compare him to Bi Han was a joke. Finally was Bi Han. In the tournament he was their enemy, yet he found his own mission was just as unsuccessful as the rest of them. He won several matches, killed Ryker, and bested an outworld assassin. None of that mattered when he faced Scorpion.
Hanzo Hasashi was a great warrior before his death. Upon returning he claimed it was the Lin Kuei that wiped out his clan, which of course was nonsense to Cyrax. He was younger, but a full fledged member of the Lin Kuei at that time, and would've known if the Lin Kuei attempted such a thing. Yet, someone did kill Hanzo Hasashi and Cyrax often wondered who would have the power to wipe out the Shirai Ryu. Cyrax could never think of anyone that both had the ability and motive for such action. One thing he knew for sure was that Scorpion was at least twice the fighter Hanzo was. His abilities as a fighter with the added power of a specter was truly terrifying. He barely displayed his power against his first opponents. It wasn't until he fought against Cyrax and Sektor that he was forced to put in real effort. They never stood a chance against Scorpion, and apparently neither did Bi Han. Cyrax did wonder if anyone on the island could defeat him. Nightwolf or maybe one of the Shaolin warriors could give him some trouble, but Cyrax didn't honestly believe they could defeat him. If Bi Han couldn't then no one could.
That meant they wouldn't have much time before the realms were merged. If the earthrealm fighters couldn't beat Scorpion they definitely couldn't defeat Goro. Cyrax and Sektor would have to deal with the grandmaster fast. Then they'd need to find transport to another realm. Outworld was massive compared to earthrealm. The entire clan could easily hide in the outworld for sometime without being noticed. Outworld would also be far safer than earthrealm during the merging. It's said that the merging takes days or weeks, and during that time earthrealm will become hell while Outworld will only grow until one day they're one in the same. Living in Outworld would be doable, but the realms of many species often wage war amongst each other. The Lin Kuei would need to be careful not to get caught in one of these. The Tarkatan horde could afford to wage a war on the Shokan armies because each species outnumbered humanity by a good margin. Not to mention most of each species considers combat a key part of their culture. Humans in general would not fare well in Outworld.
Sektor pulled Cyrax from his thoughts just as static began to form in the air around the vessel. They were about to tear through the fabric of the realm. They would then stay in that area for some time before reappearing in earthrealm. Cyrax let out a sigh as their journey in mortal kombat was finally over. They were gonna go home. That was until the static dissipated.
"We have a problem!" Shouted Kharon as he rushed out of the captain's quarters. Before he could say anything else a boot connected with his face sending him to the ground.
"You should not have disobeyed me, Kharon." Spoke Quan Chi as he stepped through the door.
"I do not serve you, Quan Chi." Stated Kharon. "Why invade my ship?"
"You're harboring enemies of the netherrealm." He answered. "The Lin Kuei have made it clear they cannot be trusted by outworld or the netherrealm."
"You don't stand a chance against the three of us by yourself, Quan Chi!" Spoke Sektor.
"Maybe if you brought your pet, Scorpion." Insulted Cyrax.
"I didn't bring Scorpion, but I'm not foolish enough to come alone." Said Quan Chi. With a snap of his fingers a portal opened that a giant oni creature stepped through.
Moloch stepped through the portal with Drahmin in tow. The duo was known as the most brutal oni in all of the netherrealm. The work they did, if you could even call it work, torturing damned souls was so terrifying they were whispered about amongst the realms. Those two were the main antagonists of plenty of scary stories in the Lin Kuei. As a child Cyrax was told that he would be left at their mercy if he was bad. Another myth proven true in an instant. That would have scared Cyrax once, but after seeing everything on the island. Little could scare him now.
"Are you ready, Sektor?" Asked Cyrax. His ally nodded. Quan Chi grabbed Kharon as the two oni looked towards the Lin Kuei.
Moloch rushed the duo, swinging a wrecking ball chained to his wrist. Cyrax leaped out of harm's way as the ball crashed through the hull of the ship. Sektor unleashed his flamethrower which forced Molock to stumble back. Cyrax fired his net, but Moloch charged through it. Cyrax dropped a few bombs before rolling away again. The explosion shot Moloch into the air before Sektor teleported underneath him and caught the creature's spine with a devastating uppercut that sent Moloch over the side of the ship.
Drahmin jumped in, bashing Sektor over the head with his club hand. Cyrax rushed to his allies' aid, Striking at Drahmin as the two began exchanging blows. Sektor hit the deck with blood gushing from his head while Cyrax kept the pressure on Drahmin. Just as Cyrax gained the upper hand, Drahmin spun around with a hard club strike. Cyrax blocked it, but the hit was so strong he still fell to his side. As Drahmin was about to smash his head in, Sektor fired a small rocket from his wrist that blew Drahmin over the side of the ship. Sektor and Cyrax both returned to their feet to see that Quan Chi had been beating Kharon pretty badly.
Cyrax blindsided Quan Chi with several powerful strikes. He countered attacking Cyrax with an impressively quick combination. It seemed the netherrealm sorcerer was quite the martial artist as well. Cyrax fired another net that didn't connect. Quan Chi had summoned a skeleton to get caught in the net for him. Cyrax rushed but fell into a portal that Quan Chi opened beneath his feet. He looked down to see a fiery pit beneath him and tossed one of his potions back up through the portal. Cyrax reappeared on the deck of the ship just as the portal closed.
"You are slippery, Lin Kuei. But it won't save you." Threatened Quan Chi. Sektor lit the Oni sorcerer on fire from behind. His flamethrower initially seemed to be hurting Quan Chi, but its effectiveness dwindled when Quan Chi muttered an incantation. A front kick sent Sektor through the wooden wall of the captain's quarters. Cyrax returned to his feet and chucked a few grenades at the sorcerer. Quan Chi simply waved his hand and the grenades flew off in different directions destroying the boat. Sektor and Cyrax rushed at the same time, but Quan Chi just waved his hand again and they were sent flying in different directions.
"Get off my boat!" Exclaimed Kharon as he aimed a cannon at the sorcerer. The cannonball fired but Quan Chi dodged. The cannonball did hit Moloch who'd just climbed back onto the boat, and sent him flying into the water.
"Kharon, get us into earthrealm now!" Called Cyrax.
"I can't while he's on board. His magic is messing up my vessel." Stated Kharon, loading his cannon again.
Sektor started fighting with Quan Chi again and Cyrax rushed to his aid. Together they tried to overpower Quan Chi, but the sorcerer was strong, and just as good a martial artist as them, likely better. Kharons cannon fired again. The shot split right between Cyrax and Sektor and nearly hit Quan Chi.
"You almost killed us!" Yelled Sektor. "Watch it!"
"You two won't last long, once the merge begins. Surrender now, and I'm sure Shang Tsung will at least let Sektor live." Spoke Quan Chi.
"You serve Shang Tsung now?" Asked Kharon.
"We have partnered, for now." Answered Quan Chi.
"You actually trust him, he betrayed us rather quickly." Spoke Sektor.
"You know it probably wouldn't hurt to have Lin Kuei owe you a favor, Quan Chi." Cyrax began. "Let us go, and we'll be in your debt."
"I have no use for your services. Earthrealm assassins are a dime a dozen." Answered Quan Chi.
"Don't bargain with this one, boys." Kharon said. "He'll swindle your souls away."
"You do fairy lost souls, Kharon. It's only fitting you are their passage." Spoke Quan Chi.
"Aye, and I have some on board. Damned souls going to the netherrealm, as well as some I grabbed on my stop."
"You only went to Shang Tsung's island for souls?" Asked Cyrax as he started to piece together why Kharon ventured out of the netherrealm.
"That's right, I managed to snag a few earthrealm fighters, outworlders, and even a chaos realm fighter. Souls are currency to people like Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. And you need em to trade em." Explained Kharon hinting at an offer.
"This deal is…. acceptable." Said Quan Chi before disappearing into a portal.
"You just traded earthrealm souls to Quan Chi. Did Raiden know you even had those?" Asked Sektor.
"He did." Answered Kharon. "Don't worry, all the earthrealm souls I took were probably headed down anyway. Black dragon and the like." He explained. Cyrax and Sektor were satisfied with the answer and collapsed onto a nearby bench.
Hours passed and the duo relaxed for a short time as they now looked out into earthrealm skies. "We made it." Said Sektor as the coast of Hong Kong came into view.
"Yeah." Replied Cyrax as he scanned the docks and nearby market. The sun in earthrealm was only just setting, yet there was nobody in sight. "Where are all the people?"
"I don't know." Stated Sektor now just as worried and Cyrax. "Would Quan Chi or Shang Tsung attempt to ambush us here?"
"I don't know, maybe." answered Cyrax. "Be ready."
"We made it boys!" Exclaimed Kharon. "It was a pleasure fighting oni with you, but personally I'd rather stick to shipping. I'll leave the fighting to younger men." He finished.
"Thank you, Kharon. We are in your debt." Stated Sektor. He nodded before letting the bridge down to the dock. The Lin Kuei duo quickly stepped down off the boat and waved Kharon off as he disappeared into the fog and out of the realm.
The duo had no choice but to disembark the vessel. It was either that or tag along with Kharon during his travels through the netherrealm which was not really an option. Cyrax was certain they were about to be ambushed, but by who was a mystery. It was unlikely Quan Chi thanks to the deal Kharon made. Would Shang Tsung send his assassins to earthrealm knowing the scene that would cause? He normally wasn't so brave, but Raiden wasn't here to stop him and soon enough earthrealm may not even exist. Cyrax could only guess some outworld spear men or tarkatans were about to rush them from one of the abandoned boats or market stands. The duo prepared for a fight when they heard the grandmaster talk.
"Stand down, boys." Spoke Oniro as he appeared nearby. "Fighting now would be a waste of time."
"Father?" Asked Sektor, confused. "Why are you here?"
"I tasked you two with a very important mission, and you let me down." He began. Sektor was about to speak when the grandmaster continued. "It's not that you failed. You willingly chose to disobey my orders. My own son."
It was now that Cyrax noticed the Lin Kuei revealing themselves from their hiding spots. They were in the dozens at least. Cyrax knew they were going to be in trouble with the clan, but didn't know how the grandmaster knew where to meet them. Kharons ship was a complete surprise to Cyrax. No one should have known about their arrival. Yet, a complete Lin Kuei ambush was prepared for them.
"Our deal with Shang Tsung is now meaningless. I will have to take steps to ensure the clan's survival." He said as more Lin Kuei emerged from the shadows.
Glow, Oniros personal bodyguard was now standing beside him. She was Chinese, short, with black hair. Her outfit was not that of a ninja, no she wore a tight blue dress that revealed much about her figure. She wasn't mute, but all in the Lin Kuei knew better than to speak with her. From birth she was trained with the sole purpose of protecting Oniro and was only permitted to speak to him. It's said that if you hear her speak, you won't live long enough to tell anyone. She had some kind of light abilities, but nobody alive had ever seen her use them.
"Father, we did our best, but the earthrealm delegation was far more skilled…" began Sektor.
"I'm no fool, Sektor! You lost your match to that actor. Disgraceful, but not unforgiving." He said, confusing Sektor. "What's unforgivable is how Cyrax purposely lost his fight, and how you two have plotted against me."
"How could you know all this?" Asked Cyrax. "You were not on the island."
"You think we've developed the technology to create cyber warriors, but couldn't create the technology to traverse between realms." He explained shocking the duo. "I will admit creating a portal to Shang Tsung's island was a bit harder, but we simply needed Ryker to hide a tether on the island and we were able to transport there at will."
"You've had spies on the island this whole time." Stated Sektor, in realization.
"Glow was on the island with the specific goal of watching you all. To ensure you were loyal." Spoke Oniro.
"We won't be turned into machines, father!" Yelled Sektor. "What were you thinking, sending us to the tournament to kill earthrealm warriors? We're helping doom billions of humans." He argued as the Lin Kuei warriors started to approach.
"Your failure is unacceptable. And you must be punished." Stated the grandmaster.
As if on cue the Lin Kuei warriors uncloaked and revealed their true appearance. Cyrax and Sektor were surrounded by at least three dozen cyborgs. The grandmaster sped up his plans for the cyber initiative while they were away. Cyrax, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately swung at Oniro. A wasted attempt as Glow caught the arm. A pair of Cyber warriors kicked his knee out from behind and forced him down. Sektor was struggling in a similar situation.
"How many have you turned?" Asked Sektor in shock.
"Over half the clan in just under a week." Answered Oniro, shocking them both. "Glow also did me the favor of grabbing Cyclone And Typhoon They are on the operating table as we speak."
"How many do you plan on turning? Are you gonna kill me? Strip away my humanity?" Questioned Sektor.
"No, you're my son and I still intend to have you take over the Lin Kuei once I'm done, but there must be consequences. What I'm actually going to do will hurt me just as much though." He said before turning to Cyrax.
"No!" Screamed Sektor. "He's my best friend. He's my brother!"
"And he's like a second son to me!" Oniro screamed back. "But this is the only way you will learn, my son." He finished as the Cyborgs dragged Sektor and Cyrax off in different directions.
Cyrax couldn't even speak as Sektor yelled and screamed, fighting for freedom. Everything they survived on the island was meaningless. Ryker and Bi Han were dead
Cyclone and Typhoon were cyberized, and Cyrax would be joining them soon. How many would the grandmaster spare? Cyrax couldn't say. He hoped at least Kuai Liang would be smart enough to run before it was too late. Cyrax should have ran when he had the chance.
Before he could fight the Cyborgs or even say anything he felt the sting of electricity on his neck. If he'd ever wake up he'd be different. Not waking at all might be preferable.