Author: emperor

MORTAL KOMBAT CONQUEST: AFTERMATH PART 1
The Second Series

Shao Kahn walked up to Rayden with a sinister laugh as Rayden was force to bow to him. Shao Kahn threw a punch to Rayden and knocked the thunder god to the floor. The two guards took Rayden by the arm and restrained him. “I control it all and now nothing can stop me,” Shao Kahn said in a calm tone.
Sounds of fighting came from outside the throne room and moments later the elder gods walked into the room. “You have defiled the rules of Mortal Kombat and now all shall be reversed,” the elder god of fire said. With a blinding flash of red and blue light Rayden disappeared. Shao Kahn could now see that all those killed by the Shadow Priests were now alive.
The only thing that hadn’t changed was that his forces still occupied Earthrealm. “Now they must fight your forces and win back Earthrealm in mortal kombat,” the elder god of water explained.
“I’ll play your game but know this I will win this war and Earthrealm will be mine,” Shao Kahn said with a dangerous tone. The elder gods disappeared in a flash of light. Shao Kahn sat down on his throne and Reiko walked into the throne room. He bowed and walked up to Shao Kahn. “All your enemies have been brought back to life, what is the next step?” Reiko asked.
“We prepare our forces for the greatest war imaginable,” Shao Kahn said and walked up to Reiko. “And when we are finished, we’ll destroy even the elder gods,” Shao Kahn said and walked out of the throne room.

Kung Lao woke up in the city of the Shakannan’s city. It was completely deserted and he climbed to his feet. Siro and Taja were lying only a few feet away completely motionless. Kung Lao’s eyes widened and he ran up to them. “Guy’s wake up, we have to get out of here,” Kung Lao said. The two of them stirred and moments later their eyes opened. “Kung Lao is that you?” Taja asked.
“Yeah but how are we here, what’s going on?” Kung Lao asked himself. “The last thing I remember are the Shadow Priests and then blackness,” Siro said. Flashes erupted through his mind and Kung Lao saw exactly what Siro had described. “About time you got up, I was waiting for half an hour already,” a familiar voice said. Kung Lao looked up at the roof of the building and spotted Sub-Zero.
“What are you doing here?” Siro asked with a slight tone of caution. “The elder gods sent me, they said I was needed…well more like they forced me,” Sub-Zero muttered. “They sent you to help? I thought you couldn’t care less about Earthrealm,” Taja said with a thingyed eyebrow.
“I don’t but Scorpion is working for Outworld and I intend to kill him,” Sub-Zero growled. “I see the Elder gods are gathering their playing pieces,” Rayden said as he emerged out of a flash of lightning. “What do you mean?” Kung Lao asked in a calm tone. “What he means is that the elder gods are preparing for us to fight against Outworlds forces,” Sub-Zero muttered.
“And I thought you couldn’t be anymore of a sour puss,” Taja shot back. Sub-Zero just muttered something and turned his back to them. “There are still others who need to fight besides us since we cannot win this alone,” Rayden added. The four of them left the Shakkannan city and they didn’t see a single local on the way out.
When they reached the woods they spotted Omegis who didn’t look very happy. “Omegis what’s wrong?” Kung Lao asked. “Those blasted Elder gods revived me what do you think!” Omegis shot at him.
Kung Lao realized that for Omegis this was a bad thing since she had given up on life. Rayden looked up at the purple sky and knew it wouldn’t be long until the battle for their lives began. “I see that you have all been brought back,” a familiar voice said. Taja had learned to hate that voice and they turned around to see Master Cho.
“Oh great that had to revive you didn’t they,” Taja growled at the old but very experienced man. “As a matter of fact I was never killed, I almost was though,” Master Cho answered calmly.
“Listen now is not the time for old feuds, we have to get back to the Zhu Zin,” Rayden explained to them all. In a flash of Lightning all of them disappeared.

Shang Tsung opened his eyes and got to his feet. He could still feel the throbbing pain from the fight against the Shadow Priest. The last thing he remembered was their black cloaks and his soul being sucked out of him. “What’s going on here,” Shang Tsung muttered.
He spotted Vorpax who was quickly waking up. Shang Tsung ran out of the tent and saw once dead Kreeyans waking up.
”So the Elder gods decided to finally interfere, well I guess I know what the next step should be,” Shang Tsung said. Vorpax walked out of the tent and watched Shang Tsung carefully. “What’s going on here?” Vorpax demanded with a venomous tone. “The Elder gods have brought everyone back and now the war has begun,” Shang Tsung explained calmly.
“The war so we’re supposed to be against Outworld in an all out war?” Vorpax asked with a thingyed eyebrow. “Yes and if my guess is correct we are supposed to team up with the Earthrealm warriors,” Shang Tsung said with a sneer. “I guess we have no choice if we want to stand a chance against Shao Kahn,” Vorpax muttered.

In the Shoalin temple Kitana opened her eyes and memories flashed through her head. The Shadow Priests had her by the throat and one of them had her steel fan blades. The last thing she remembered was being impaled and the searing pain. Kitana climbed to her feet and knew she had to get to the trading post fast.

“Quan Chi got to his feet and saw his assassins dead but why hadn’t they been revived. It didn’t matter; Quan Chi could always get more of them easily enough. “Hm so the Elder gods want to play games do they, well I’ll play along…for now,” Quan Chi said and walked out of the room.

In the realm of Zatarra, the emperor of the Zatarran people opened his eyes and climbed to his feet. “What is this?” Reptile asked himself and looked around the room. Kiri climbed to her feet and her eyes widened when she spotted Reptile. “But I saw them break your neck,” Kiri gasped.
Reptile turned to face her and smirked from beneath his mask. “We’ve been revived…by the elder gods and I can guess why,” Reptile muttered. “How can you be sure what the elder gods want?” Kiri asked with a raised eyebrow. “They put what they wanted all those revived to do,” Reptile answered.
“And that is by the way?” Kiri asked with an irritated tone. “We have to join the others in the fight against Outworld or all is lost,” Reptile said. They walked out of the Zatarran throne room to be greeted by thousands of his Zatarran warriors. “We will fight with you my lord,” the Zatarran general said and bowed down to Reptile. “Good everything is in place and the war begins,” Reptile said.

Kung Lao and his friends were rebuilding the trading post as it had been wrecked in the aftershocks from the earthquake. They hadn’t run into any Outworld forces but they hadn’t found any humans that were alive either. There was a knock on the door and Kung Lao dropped the bricks to the floor. Taja and Siro ran to the sides of the door and Kung Lao stepped in front of the door.
They opened the door and as soon as Kung Lao saw who it was Kung Lao got into his fighting stance. “Shang Tsung what are you doing here?” Kung Lao demanded. Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his torso. “I’m not here to fight you, merely to join you against Outworld,” Shang Tsung calmly replied. “What? But why would you consider that?” Kung Lao asked.
“It is what the elder gods want and this is the only way to truly ensure that I won’t be under his rule again,” Shang Tsung replied.
“Fine come in,” Kung Lao said and Siro and Taja ended up with shocked looks on their faces. “Kung Lao you can’t be serious?!” Taja yelled. “Just so you know I’m not alone I came with help,” Shang Tsung said as he stepped inside. Vorpax and four Kreeyan warriors stepped inside.
Kung Lao didn’t like the situation the elder god had put them in but hopefully it was only temporary. Kung Lao was about to close the gates when Reptile forced the door open and walked in with Kiri following. Taja looked like she was about to blow her top off at the sight of Tomas’s murderer.
Siro put an arm on her shoulder and shook his head. Taja restrained herself and walked off into the trading post and slammed the door behind her. Kung Lao and Siro winced and knew they were going to suffer for this later. “I’ve been sent by the elder gods to help you in this war,” Reptile said and leaned against the wall. Kiri sat down on a bile of hay and was eyeing Vorpax.
Kung Lao shut the heavy wooden gate and Sub-Zero walked into the courtyard. “What’s gotten into Taja she almost gave me a black eye?” Sub-Zero asked. “Nothing should be feared more than a woman’s wrath,” Siro said. Sub-Zero only thingyed an eyebrow and muttered something under his breath.
Cho and Omegis walked into the courtyard and they immediately spotted Shang Tsung. “What the hell is he doing here?!” Omegis demanded and Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. Cho was obviously ticked off but he just walked back inside the trading post silently.
In a flash of green light Quan Chi emerged in the centre of the courtyard and Shang Tsung was the first to react. Shang Tsung did a triple spinning kick combo but Quan Chi blocked it. Quan Chi countered with a rising sun kick but Shang Tsung dodged it and punched Quan Chi in the gut. Quan Chi took a step back and fired a green fire ball at Shang Tsung.
Shang Tsung deflected it with his own orange flaming skull. Shang Tsung ran through the flames and did a spinning snake fist which connected with the side of Quan Chi’s face. Quan Chi did a ten punch combo but Shang Tsung blocked the attacks and with the last punched grappled Quan Chi’s arm. Shang Tsung then flung Quan Chi to the floor and got into his fighting stance.
Rayden just shook his head and knew this was going to be harder than he realized as Quan Chi flipped himself to his feet. Quan Chi did a spinning axe kick which connected with Shang Tsung’s face and made him fall to the floor. Quan Chi then followed that up with a roundhouse kick which knocked Shang Tsung onto his back. Shang Tsung swept his leg out and knocked Quan Chi to the floor.
Shang Tsung flipped himself to his feet and took a few steps back. Quan Chi flipped himself to his feet and did a spinning dark lance kick which knocked Shang Tsung to the wall. Quan Chi ran forward and threw a twin lancer fist at Shang Tsung. Shang Tsung quickly dodged it and his fist ended up hitting the thick brick wall. Shang Tsung then unleashed a fireball that hit Quan Chi in the stomach.
It sent Quan Chi flying back and he landed flat on his back in the centre of the courtyard. Shang Tsung fell to his knees and it was easy to tell that if he hadn’t made that one move Shang Tsung would have lost the fight against Quan Chi. Shang Tsung climbed to his feet and walked past Quan Chi.
Kitana walked into the courtyard of the trading post and she raised her eyebrows at the sight before her. Quan Chi shakily climbed to his feet and lied down on a nearby chair. Quan Chi had to admit that Shang Tsung had gotten more tactical in his fighting. “Why did he attack me like that,” Quan Chi growled and Rayden walked past Quan Chi. “Hm maybe it is because you two are mortal enemies did you think of that,” Rayden said in a thingyy tone.
Quan Chi sent a murderous glare at Rayden but knew better than to attack the thunder god as he wouldn’t stand a chance.
A few Zatarran warriors became visible in the centre of the courtyard. Reptile walked up to them and the Zatarran warriors bowed to their leader. “What is your report?” Reptile asked with an emotionless tone. “A platoon of Shao Kahn’s warriors are heading this way they will arrive shortly,” the Zatarran warrior answered.
“Looks like the war starts sooner than expected, luckily my forces are ready,” Reptile said and walked up to the others. “Are we really ready for this?” Siro asked with a thingyed eyebrow. “We have no choice but to warn you since this is now officially mortal kombat I cannot assist you,” Rayden said.
“That makes this battle all the more harder so we will to do this carefully,” Sub-Zero said. The others walked out of the trading post and they prepared for battle. Now that Taja and Master Cho were in the courtyard, they were ready for battle. They ran out of the courtyard and into the streets of Zhu Zin. They ran down the streets and saw a few dozen Outworld warriors. What stood out from all of them was Scorpion, a four armed monster and Mitaro.
“So Goro is here as well, Shao Kahn must really want this realm if he sent his general here,” Rayden said from the rooftop. “Yes Goro, he took my place as leader of the armies after I lost to Kung Lao in mortal kombat,” Shang Tsung snarled. “Yes and I made a better general than you ever could,” Goro boasted.
The Earthrealm defenders and allies got in their fighting stances and the Outworld warriors did the same. Three guards charged Kung Lao and he flipped over their heads. He did a spinning axel kick and knocked them to the floor. The three guards flipped to their feet and attacked Kung Lao.
They did triple kick combos and Kung Lao gracefully dodged most of them. He blocked the ones he couldn’t and punched the nearest guard in the gut. Kung Lao followed that up with a blazing double uppercut. That attack sent the guard sliding across the street and the other two guards continued their attacks. Kung Lao rolled out of the way and did a drop kick that knocked out the nearest guard.
Sub-Zero did a spinning backhand fist but Scorpion blocked it and did a triple kick combo. Sub-Zero dodged it and did a twin lancer kick which knocked Scorpion back a few feet. Scorpion fired a ball of flame but Sub-Zero flipped out of the way. Sub-Zero did a spinning frost kick. Scorpion ducked beneath it and threw an uppercut at Sub-Zero but he dodged it.
Sub-Zero did a ten punch combo and every punch connected. Scorpion took a step back and did a sliding axel kick but Sub-Zero flipped over him. In mid air Sub-Zero delivered a powerful kick to the back of Scorpion’s head. Scorpion fell to the floor and disappeared in a flash of flames.
Goro sent a powerful punch at Shang Tsung but luckily Goro was very slow. He easily dodged it and pounded as much punches as he could into Goro’s stomach. Goro did a wild swing with his fist but Shang Tsung flipped over Goro but then felt a powerful punch from Goro knock him to the floor. Shang Tsung flipped to his feet and took a few steps away from Goro.
Shang Tsung knew that he couldn’t win Goro in a head on fight so he had to try something else against the behemoth. Shang Tsung fired three flame balls at Goro and the all exploded on his chest. “You’ll have to do better than that,” Goro said but Shang Tsung could tell that he was hurt. Shang Tsung charged forward and Goro prepared to throw another punch at the sorcerer.
Shang Tsung dodged the blow and swept Goro’s feet out from under him. Goro climbed to his feet and Shang Tsung did a spinning snake jab. Goro blocked it and flung the sorcerer to the floor. Goro stomped on Shang Tsung’s chest and he cried out in pain. Goro grabbed Shang Tsung and threw him across the area. Shang Tsung landed with a heavy thud and struggled to get to his feet.
Shang Tsung charged in and did a flying kick but it only made Goro step back. Goro swung a punch and knocked Shang Tsung down the floor dazed. Shang Tsung summoned his remaining energy and unleashed a fireball that collided with Goro’s face. Goro collapsed to the floor and Shang Tsung searched for a nearby enemy fighter. He quickly found one and stole his soul and climbed to his feet.

Quan Chi did a spinning ridge blow that knocked out the nearest guard. He then leaped in the air and delivered three kicks that knocked down three different guards. He spun around and unleashed a green skull of energy that hit a nearby guard in the torso. Quan Chi blocked a thrust punch and countered with a spinning blade kick that knocked down the guard that attacked him.

Kung Lao did a spinning axel kick and knocked out the nearest guard. He turned around to see two guards running towards him. Kung Lao leaped through the air and hit the nearest one on top of the head with his foot. Kung Lao did a thunder falls kick that knocked out the closest guard.
“How many has Shao Kahn sent?” Kung Lao asked himself as he dodged a triple kick combo. He knocked back the closest guard with a spinning uppercut and flipped out of the way of another guards attack. Kung Lao did a vaulting axe kick and it killed the nearest guard.

Sub-Zero did a spinning roundhouse kick and knocked Scorpion back. Scorpion did a bullet kick combo but Sub-Zero blocked that and did a triple kick combo. Scorpion ducked underneath it and punched Sub-Zero in the gut. Sub-Zero stepped back and got into his fighting stance.
Scorpion did a triple spinning lance kick but Sub-Zero ducked beneath the attacks and delivered an uppercut to Scorpion. The attack knocked Scorpion to the floor and Sub-Zero took a couple of quick steps forward. Scorpion flipped to his feet and rolled out of the way of Sub-Zero’s attack. Scorpion got into his fighting stance and shot his serpent out at Sub-Zero.
Sub-Zero flipped out of the way and launched a ball of ice at the undead ninja spectre. Scorpion tried to dodge it but it ended up freezing his arm. Scorpion fell back but a portal opened up and Scorpion fell through it. A couple of Shao Kahn’s guards took his place though and attacked Sub-Zero. Sub-Zero easily dealt with them and turned around to see how the rest of the team was doing.

Reptile did a spinning lance kick that knocked back one of Scorpion’s ninja’s. Reptile then followed that up with several snake jabs. Scorpion’s ninja fell to the floor and Reptile spat a ball of acid at him. The ninja screamed in pain and dissolved from the acid spit.
Kiri did a spinning lance kick that knocked the guard to the ground. The guard then swept her feet out from under her and flipped himself to his feet. Kiri felt a foot press down on her throat and she struggled to push the foot of her neck. Kiri then remembered something that the guard hadn’t counted on. She spat acid at the guard but he flipped out of the way of it moments before it hit him.
Kiri flipped to her feet and got into her fighting stance. “So you’re a Zatarran, I wasn’t counting on that but I’ll still win,” the muscled guard growled. Kiri did a spinning cobra kick and knocked the guard to the floor. “Yeah right…overconfidence will be your downfall,” Kiri muttered.
Reptile flipped through the air and landed next to Kiri as eight guards circled the two fighters. They just hoped no Shadow Priests joined the fray as they doubted they could beat the Shadow Priests. Reptile knocked back a guard with a spinning drop kick which knocked the guard back several feet. Two leaped at Reptile and tackled the leader of the Zatarran forces to the ground.
Kiri pulled one of the guards off and knocked him to the floor with a spinning roundhouse kick. Reptile shoved the other guard of him and did a spinning horse kick that knocked the guard onto his back. Reptile flipped to his feet and kicked the guard that was on the ground in the stomach.

Siro did a spinning blade punch that knocked a guard back and spun around to face a few other opponents. A kick from behind knocked him forward and Siro rolled across the ground and quickly pounced to his feet. Siro did a spinning axel kick and knocked a guard back.
“d**n these guys are everywhere,” Siro muttered did a roundhouse kick. The Shirai-ryu clan member blocked it and did a tornado kick. Siro ducked beneath it and punched the Ninja in the gut and followed that up with a spinning heel kick. The attack knocked the ninja back and felt a powerful blow connect with the back of his head. Siro fell to the ground and flipped himself to his feet.
He saw something that shook him to the core…Shao Kahn in Earthrealm. “Hahahaha pathetic mortal!” Shao Kahn bellowed. Siro stepped back and Kung Lao and Shang Tsung stepped in front of Siro. “What are you doing in Earthrealm?!” Kung Lao demanded. “Since this is mortal kombat and the fighting grounds are of this entire realm I can enter whenever I please,” Shao Kahn answered calmly.
Shang Tsung stepped next to Sub-Zero along with Quan Chi, Reptile and Cho. “You may be a legendary warrior but can you defeat all of us,” Shang Tsung stated with a smirk. “Please you still have one more fighter to join you, I think the elder gods neglected to tell you of this,” Shao Kahn said with a sneer.
“Your guards are defeated! Now we’ll kill the mighty emperor of outworld,” Vorpax said with a grin. Quan Chi threw a green skull of energy at Shao Kahn but Kahn created a green energy field. The attack proved harmless and Shao Kahn let out a maniacal laugh. “Even the greatest sorcerer in all realms can be proved helpless!” Shao Kahn cackled and stepped forward.
Shang Tsung unleashed a few fireballs but Shao Kahn instantly drew out his sword and deflected them. Shang Tsung was shocked to say the least and Reptile stepped forward. “Let’s see you stop this!” Reptile snarled. “Ah the traitor, you would have been a lot better off by my side,” Shao Kahn said.
Reptile spat a ball of acid at the emperor but Shao Kahn reached his hand forward and the acid hit his hand. Shao Kahn clenched his hand into a fist and opened his palm and green dust fell to the floor. It was just like his fight with the Shadow Priest, he guessed that the Shadow Priests could do what Shao Kahn could do. Sub-Zero threw an ice ball at the Emperor and it hit his arm and froze it instantly.
“Let’s see you get out of that Shao Kahn, nothing can stand up to my powers,” Sub-Zero said with a smirk.
Cracks appeared in the ice and his arm burst forth from the ice and Shao Kahn sneered. “That may work on everyone else but someone of my status can easily render your elemental powers harmless,” Shao Kahn said.
Cho stepped forward and a small smile appeared on his face.
“Ah I remember you…all those centuries ago, I’m surprised you’re still ticking old man, your life ends with this war,” Shao Kahn sneered.
Cho threw a red energy ball at Shao Kahn but he batted it aside with his sword. Six Shadow Priests appeared by his side and Shao Kahn smirked.
The Shadow Priests moved forward and Kung Lao moved forward with a tornado kick. The nearest Shadow Priest flipped out of the way and the others moved in to fight the Shadow Priests.
Kung Lao spun round and then turned his attention to Shao Kahn. Kahn sneered and put his sword away as Kung Lao stepped forward. He took a quick look behind him and noticed that the Shadow Priests were no longer as powerful as they used to be when Shao Kahn first begun invading.
“So you believe you can beat me, Emperor of Outworld,” Shao Kahn hissed and stepped forward calmly.
Kung Lao got in his fighting stance and attacked with a spin kick. Shao Kahn ducked under the attack and grabbed Kung Lao by the throat. He then threw Kung Lao to the side and quickly climbed to his feet. Kung Lao stepped forward and threw several lightning fast punches but Shao Kahn blocked them. He then countered with a vicious thrust kick which exploded with green energy.
Kung Lao was sent crashing to the ground and Kung Lao stumbled to his feet. A smirk made its way across Kahn’s face as he picked Kung Lao up by the throat. Shao Kahn dropped him and viciously smashed his fist into Kung Lao’s face.
Kung Lao stumbled back and did a double roundhouse kick but Shao Kahn leaped through the air dodging the attack.
Shao Kahn then got Kung Lao in a sleeper headlock and began to slowly tighten his grip around Kung Lao’s neck.
Someone kicked Shao Kahn in the back which then sent him rolling forwards. Kung Lao took a deep breathe of air and turned to see who had saved him. Let’s say it was the last person he had ever expected to see again.
Tomas…a fighter who was just as good as Kung Lao but had been killed by Reptile after their fight. He was still dressed in the same clothes as when he had been killed but his skin looked slightly duller. The only difference other than skin was the fading burn marks that were on his face.
“Hello Kung Lao, it’s good to see you again,” Tomas spoke in his usual tone that had an effect of calming people.
“Tomas, the Elder Gods brought you back as well,” Kung Lao stated with a look of relief on his face.
“Yes, they also explained that it was Shao Kahn who organized my death,” Tomas answered and turned his attention to Kahn.
The two fighters got into their defensive stances and Shao Kahn stepped forward with a smirk across his face. The two fighters stepped forward with spin kicks and Shao Kahn then ducked the attacks. Kahn then moved forward with a spinning lance kick that hit Kung Lao across the face. He then caught a thrust kick from Tomas and punched him viciously across the face.
Tomas instantly rebounded with a quick punch to Kahn’s face. He then followed that up with a spin kick which caught him across the face. Kahn ducked the next kick and punched him in the stomach.
Kung Lao spun through the air in a vaulting axe kick but Shao Kahn rolled out of the way of the attack. Kahn backhanded Kung Lao across the face which knocked him to the ground. Tomas knocked Kahn back with a flying side kick and followed that up with several lightning fast punches.
Kahn blocked the punches and viciously kicked Tomas across the face which sent him careening back. The explosion of green energy was enough to send Tomas back but Kahn then spun around and kicked Kung Lao in the gut.
“Kahn I doubt you can take all of us in hand to hand,” Shang Tsung hissed and stepped forward with the others behind him.
“You haven’t won but remember that I will rule this world,” Kahn snapped and disappeared in a flash of energy.
Kung Lao climbed to his feet and in time to see Tomas relocate his arm. It had come dislocated some time during the fight against Shao Kahn. Tomas looked at the group of fighters and hoped that they were enough to defeat Shao Kahn. It had been his dream to fight in Mortal Kombat…looked like he’d finally get his chance. Hopefully with his help he would make a difference in the outcome.
Taja then noticed Tomas who quickly found himself being crushed by Taja’s arms. So it seemed Taja still loved him despite he had been killed a several months ago. At the moment all he could do was return the affection.
He would have to tell them the downside of his being revived after such a prolonged death, unlike the others. He would tell Kung Lao…he could trust Kung Lao to keep that fact to himself. He wasn’t ready to tell the others yet and most of all Taja…he doubt she would take the news very well.
When they arrived back at the Trading Post, Tomas dragged Kung Lao aside to tell him the bad news. Hopefully Kung Lao wouldn’t freak and even more hopefully Rayden would keep his mouth shut.
“Kung Lao, what I’m going to tell you…you mustn’t tell anyone,” Tomas stated in a serious tone.
“Okay I’m listening…whatever it is, you can tell me,” Kung Lao stated and leaned against the nearby wall.
“Well when the Elder Gods brought me back…let’s say I wasn’t fully brought back due to certain circumstances,” Tomas explained vaguely.
“What do you mean?…you’re right here,” Kung Lao asked in a confused tone and glanced at Tomas.
“Well since I was dead for so long, I was only partially revived…I’m kind of…well, undead,” Tomas mumbled.
“Undead…as in Zombie?” Kung Lao asked nervously with a thingyed eyebrow that couldn’t go any higher.
“No…not exactly, I’m dead but I can do all the things I did in my mortal life,” Tomas explained and sat down on the nearby chair.
Let’s say Kung Lao was surprised on the news that Tomas was now a walking corpse that could talk and all that. Well it seemed he didn’t need to breathe though since his chest as he wasn’t taking any breathes. His nose never moved and his chest never rose or fell which meant he wasn’t breathing.
“So the only way to become of the living again is to fight with you and defeat Shao Kahn in this war,” Tomas finished.
“Why don’t they restore your mortality now though?” Kung Lao asked with a confused expression.
“Well it seems they think that I would be more useful the way I am as at the moment it would be very hard to kill me,” Tomas explained.
Kung Lao nodded and Tomas walked into the courtyard where the others were resting after that tiring battle. So now this small, motley bunch of fighters was supposed to go against all of Outworld and win. Somehow that thought wasn’t very comforting and this was the most dangerous moment of their lives.
Now former enemies were supposed to team up against a common enemy and win against virtually unbeatable odds. Well they did have the Kreeyan and Zatarren armies on their side. Unfortunately they were immensely smaller than the armies of Outworld as they were limitless in number. They had some of the best fighters in all the realms fighting with them against Outworld.
But Kung Lao still had his doubts if they could win against Outworld and all it’s allies that fought with it. It was hard to believe that they could win since both he and Tomas had relatively got their asses kick by Kahn.
Taja still seemed infatuated with Tomas but at least she would have something to take her mind of their current problem. Siro seemed to be practicing his style while the others just decided to rest. Despite having the Trading Post full of former enemies, everyone seemed to be getting on just fine.
Kung Lao closely watched Shang Tsung who drank up some water and watched the others actions. Quan Chi just seemed to stay near the corner since he had no allies whatsoever here. Well most of the new fighters didn’t but Quan Chi was probably a little darker than the rest of them. But now though the times were darker than ever and there seemed to be little hope for the future.
The sun was starting to go down and they needed sleep…luckily there were plenty of spare rooms in the trading post.
Kung Lao walked to the centre of the courtyard and the others then turned their attention to him. They had to sort things out since they couldn’t take the chance that they would be attacked at night.
“Okay, we need to sort out who’ll do nightshift just in case of attacks when we’re asleep,” Kung Lao explained.
“I’ll take nightshift…I don’t really need much sleep,” Sub-Zero muttered and leaned against the nearby wall.
“I’ll do nightshift as well…the rest of you should get some sleep,” Tomas stated and sat down on a bile of hay.
Kung Lao nodded and minutes later the others headed off to find their own room to sleep in. Tomas looked back to Sub-Zero but he was no longer there. Tomas looked up and saw him keeping a watchful eye from the roof. Tomas smirked and got to his feet and stretched slightly.
He quickly scrambled up the wall and stood close to where Sub-Zero was watching over Zhu Zin. The only sound was the bugs chirping in the night air and the sound of the shallow breathing of Sub-Zero.
The city was empty but still Sub-Zero kept all his attention on the city that seemed to silently slumber. Luckily Tomas didn’t need to sleep whatsoever…being one of the undead had it’s benefits. He was harder to kill than any mortal plus he didn’t need things like rest, food, water and sleep. He could feel pain but it would take something short of decapitation to kill him.
Tomas then spotted something move within the city and noticed that Sub-Zero had spotted it as well. Whatever it was they could handle it, the others needed their sleep so they could fight another day.
Tomas looked at Sub-Zero and the other fighter nodded as they prepared to fight against whoever it may be. Tomas and Sub-Zero nimbly leapt from the roof and straight into the center of the courtyard. They silently snuck out and entered the city market area that was for a first time empty.
When they reached the town centre, there stood a creature surrounded by some kind of fog-like substance. Besides that creature were several Lin Kuei Ninja’s standing at the ready for a fight. Sub-Zero’s attention seemed to be focused on the fog like creature that stood in the centre of the town square. Something in Tomas’s gut told him that those two knew each other.
“Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei has ordered you dead,” the fog-like creature spoke in an almost emotionless tone.
“Smoke, the Lin Kuei are wrong…we don’t need to be enslaved,” Sub-Zero answered with the same tone.
So his name was Smoke and from what seemed to be going on, Smoke was an Assassin for the Lin Kuei just like Sub-Zero used to be. Smoke motioned towards the Lin Kuei warriors and they then turned their attentions to Tomas. Tomas got into his defensive stance as the silver clad assassins approached him.
“That should keep your friend busy while I kill you Sub-Zero,” Smoke stated and got into his defensive stance.
Tomas ducked under a roundhouse kick and countered with a brutal punch to the silver clad Ninja’s stomach. Tomas then followed that up with a spin kick that snapped the neck of the Lin Kuei Ninja.
Sub-Zero ducked under Smoke’s spin kick and countered with several lightning fast punches. Smoke stepped back and then blocked the thrust kick that Sub-Zero sent at Smoke. Smoke then smashed his fist into Sub-Zero’s face and followed that up with a spin kick that knocked Sub-Zero back. Sub-Zero then dodged the thrust kick and delivered several punches to his ribs.
Tomas dodged several lightning fast punches and countered with three short yet brutal kicks that knocked the Ninja back. Two more Ninjas moved in and Tomas threw two kicks that knocked the Ninjas back.
Tomas then ducked a double spin kick and countered with an uppercut that knocked the attacking assassin back. He then followed that up with a leaping spin kick that sent the Lin Kuei Ninja careening back. He turned to his next opponent who threw several lightning fast kicks at him.
Sub-Zero flipped back and then ducked the brutal punch sent his way and countered with several punches to Smoke’s gut.
Smoke then kneed Sub-Zero in the gut and knocked him back with a spin kick straight across the face. Sub-Zero blocked several punches and countered with a brutal punch that knocked Smoke back.
Tomas turned his attention to the final Lin Kuei Ninja and ducked the spin kick he sent his way. Tomas then countered with a leaping heel kick that snapped the Ninja’s neck and sent him careening back. He then turned and saw the fight that Sub-Zero and Smoke were currently involved in. both fighters seemed to be equally matched in that fight but he would be there if things started to take a sour turn.
Sub-Zero ducked a spin kick and countered with a double lifts kick but Smoke blocked the attack.
Smoke did a spin kick but Sub-Zero blocked it with his own spin kick. He then countered with a jump kick that connected right where Smoke’s chin was. Sub-Zero then followed that up with several lightning fast punches and finished it with a spin kick that knocked Smoke to the ground.
Smoke then flipped to his feet and ducked a spin kick from Sub-Zero and then swept his feet out, knocking Sub-Zero to the floor. Smoke then sent his heel down to Sub-Zero’s stomach but he rolled out of the way. He then pushed himself off the ground feet first and his feet connected with Smoke’s head. The force of the blow sent Smoke crashing into a nearby carriage.
Out of the rubble of the carriage a large wisp of fog appeared and headed in the direction of the Lin Kuei Temple.

The next morning Kung Lao was the first to wake up and noticed that both Sub-Zero and Tomas were still awake. It seemed like nothing had happened overnight which was a good thing since they all got a good night’s sleep. If only he knew about the battle that had ensued in the middle of the night.
“Morning…looks like nothing had happened after all,” Kung Lao stated cheerfully and walked towards the water bottle.
Luckily he had missed the glance between Sub-Zero and Tomas that had suggested that he had been wrong. If he had seen the glance he perhaps would’ve guessed that something had happened after all.
“Oh yes, nothing happened tonight but I have a feeling that we’re going to have a full day today,” Tomas explained with a smile.
Sub-Zero merely rolled his eyes as he watched the city from the rooftop of the Trading Post. Some people scurried through the streets if Zhu Zin…hiding from whatever Outworld forces lurk. It was strange how he went from working for the Lin Kuei and Outworld to helping Kung Lao. Maybe he wasn’t destined to work for dark forces but for those opposing them.
Now though, things weren’t looking so good for Earth and its defenders. Sure they had the Zatarren and Kreeyan forces fighting by their sides but Outworld’s armies were so much larger. Shao Kahn had many allies such as the Shokan…a deadly race of monsters and of course Mitaro’s people.
One thing that puzzled him was Tomas…the man was a brilliant fighter, even better than Kung Lao. He had heard Taja speak of their fight and how Tomas had overpowered Kung Lao during the fight. Sub-Zero had also noticed that Tomas had this incredible gift to counter right after taking a hit. He had never seen a fighter do something like that before in all his time at the Lin Kuei.
If anything Tomas was just as skilled, if not more than Kung Lao himself. He had heard stories from a fighter up north.
A brilliant warrior that was supposed to take part in the tournament of mortal kombat alongside Kung Lao. Tomas was a unique fighter and could take a real heavy beating from the rumors he had heard.
Right now Kung Lao and Tomas were sparring and Tomas seemed to have the upper hand at the moment.
Tomas had just knocked Kung Lao on his ass once again after a pretty powerful spin kick to the face. Kung Lao flipped to his feet and got back into a defensive stance. The two fighters exchanged several punches before Kung Lao knocked Tomas back. Kung Lao attacked with a front thrust kick.
Tomas dodged to the side and knocked Kung Lao down with a ridge hand blow to the upper torso. Kung Lao swept his feet out and knocked Tomas off his feet. Tomas then spun using his momentum and sent a pretty powerful kick across Kung Lao’s face which knocked him back.
Both fighters flipped to their feet and Kung Lao attacked with a jump kick but Tomas rolled out of the way. Tomas then caught Kung Lao across the face with a spin kick which knocked Kung Lao back.
Tomas followed that up with a couple of quick punches to the stomach and a final blow to the face. Kung Lao stepped back and threw a roundhouse kick at Tomas which caught him across the face. Tomas instantly rebounded from the attack by grabbing Kung Lao’s leg and punching him in the gut.
Kung Lao once again fell flat on his ass and Tomas offered a hand to help him up. Kung Lao accepted the hand and Tomas helped Earthrealm’s champion to his feet. Tomas had been steadily improving ever since he joined them.
“You alright?” Tomas asked with a small smile across his face.
“Fine, thank you, I better step up my training if I want to keep up with you,” Kung Lao answered with a grin.
Tomas nodded and walked inside the building as Kung Lao began to practice with the punching bag. Kung Lao began to deliver lightning fast blows to the punching bag and Sub-Zero watched with mild interest.
Kung Lao had done well in the fight, he had landed a few pretty good blows on Tomas but Tomas seemed to hold some unnatural edge. Sometimes he would just shake off a punch right to the face and instantly counter with some devastating move. If Tomas had entered the tournament he would’ve won for sure. Kung Lao had a wider array of moves but Tomas held other advantages.
He had incredible fighting instincts which could be lethal if he happened to lose control during battle. He had heard of what had happened to Siro when Tomas had first arrived in Zhu Zin. His arm had been dislocated but Tomas relocated it…the arm still needed a sling for a few days.
Plus Tomas’s kicks were incredibly powerful from what he had seen in the sparring match between Kung Lao and Tomas. His punches were rapid and well placed and left an opening for a follow up attack. What confused Sub-Zero was why the elder gods brought back Tomas specifically.
Despite all the questions Sub-Zero was glad that Tomas was around to help despite that he wasn’t very good at showing it.
There were others he didn’t trust yet, ones such as Shang Tsung and Quan Chi as they were former agents of the Emperor. Reptile was another he didn’t trust but he trusted Reptile more than the other two.
Sub-Zero knew that Tomas didn’t trust Reptile one bit since it was Reptile that had killed Tomas when he first arrived in Zhu Zin. At the moment they were all a team, they were rough around the edges with their own problems. They all had a long way to go before they had a chance to defeat Shao Kahn.

Shao Kahn leaned back on his throne as he pondered the mysterious reappearance of Tomas. He had had him killed long before he began to defy the rules so why did the Elder Gods bring him back.
Whatever they were up to he would make sure that they didn’t get away with it. With the appearance of Tomas all of his plans had gone astray. Something was going on and whatever it was, he did not like it. As of now Shao Kahn was thoroughly pissed that events were not going as planned. The Elder Gods were up to something behind the scenes of this war and he had to stop it.
Whatever was going on, Tomas had to do something with it whether Tomas knew it or not. Currently some of the greatest fighters of all realms had sided with Earthrealm which would make things more difficult.
He had lost a lot of allies recently and the only ones he had left were the Lin Kuei, Scorpion, Reiko, the Shokans and Mitaro’s people. He had lost Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Reptile and Sub-Zero which was unfortunate. This war would end when their dead bodies dropped to the floor.
He doubted they could win this war as he still had armies ready to attack. It was only their luck that they had survived so far. He had found a very promising warrior within the cobalt mines that could get the job done.
A powerful warrior with great powers beyond that of even Kung Lao or any of his current allies. This warrior would be their downfall and with his armies helping this warrior, Kung Lao and the others would fall. He just had to get them where he wanted them and then he would strike with unstoppable power. His first target would be Tomas, without him they would weaken greatly.
He had a plan now all he had to do was spring the trap and then their ultimate downfall would be in motion.
Reiko walked into the throne room chambers and bowed to Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn motioned Reiko to rise and got up from his throne. He motioned for the two guards to leave the throne room so they could talk in private.
“What do you have to report Reiko and this better be good news,” Shao Kahn stated in a cold tone of voice.
“My lord, the attack on the trading post was hindered by Sub-Zero and the one called Tomas,” Reiko answered.
“And what of their skills, did you manage to pick up on anything?” Shao Kahn asked with a frown across his face.
“Sub-Zero has improved…he beat Smoke whilst Tomas defeated a number of Lin Kuei Assassins,” Reiko answered.
Shao Kahn nodded and walked across the throne room with his hands folded behind his back. He turned round with a thoughtful expression on his face. How could Tomas fight, he remembered dislocating his arm earlier one that day. He should’ve been out of commission for a few days at least.
“I see, send an attack on Zhu Zin, make sure the defenders of that realm are separated, then send our friend in to deal with them,” Shao Kahn stated.
Reiko bowed and left the throne room whilst Shao Kahn walked up to his throne with a slow deliberate pace.
Something strange was going on and it was all circling around the Elder Gods plans for Earthrealm and it’s warriors. Nevertheless he could deal with their plans and counter them with plans of his own. His new assassin would be more than enough to handle Tomas or anyone else in Earthrealm.
Shao Kahn smirked as the new warrior walked into the throne room and bowed to Shao Kahn with respect.
Cho walked down the empty streets towards the market place. Exploring always took his mind of the current situation. There were still people within Zhu Zin, they were just afraid to come out ever since Shao Kahn had invaded. Some came out onto the streets once and a while but not very often.
Cho remembered the time before mortal kombat when Shao Kahn invaded his village centuries ago. He had been a different man back then and he had lived happily in a small village in Earthrealm.
Only one day Shao Kahn invaded, destroying his village and his family. That was when the Elder Gods decided to intervene and set up the tournament of Mortal Kombat. Cho had then dedicated his life to training students for the tournament of Mortal Kombat, to defend Earthrealm. He taught them martial arts and sorcery only things hadn’t worked out the way he planned.
His best student Shang Tsung was influenced by Shao Kahn and became a warrior of Outworld.
Cho shook his head and went back to the present. The past was over, now they had to defend Earthrealm from Shao Kahn and his armies. It wasn’t the traditional style of mortal kombat but the Elder Gods came through. They made sure he couldn’t simply take Earthrealm but had to fight for it.
As Cho turned round the corner something struck him hard in the face knocking him down to the floor in a daze. A shadowed figure stepped out from around the corner and stepped towards him. Cho was then knocked out with an incredibly powerful kick to the face.

An explosion rang out through the entire town of Zhu Zin and the defenders of Earthrealm sprung up. They ran to the centre of town and found Outworld warriors running in different directions.
“Split up everyone, we’ll meet up back here when we’ve taken our lot out,” Kung Lao called out. Everyone nodded and went off in a separate direction to take out a group of Outworld fighters.
Kung Lao ran after the group that went towards the woods hoping to catch them before he lost them in the woods. Kung Lao saw them run out of the main entrance to Zhu Zin and quickly went after them without a second thought. He entered the forest and looked around but there was mist everywhere. It would be tough finding them but he knew they were around here somewhere.
Kung Lao felt something move behind him and attacked with a spin kick. The warrior blocked it and three more came up behind Kung Lao. The four Outworld soldiers circled Kung Lao as he got into a defensive stance. The four warriors moved in quickly and attacked with ruthless efficiency.
Kung Lao blocked and dodged between the attacks and attacked whenever he spotted an opening. Eventually the combined might of four different warriors overpowered him and the lead warrior went in for the leveling blow.

Reptile had lost his group they had just disappeared but he had found someone else. A deadly fighter that Sub-Zero once mentioned. Scorpion stood before him and by his side were the two ninja’s that he had followed.
The two ninja’s moved in to attack and Reptile blocked their attacks. Using inhuman grace he fought them blow for blow.
Reptile ducked the spin kick and countered with a ridge hand blow to the Ninja’s stomach. The second Ninja came up from behind with a double roundhouse kick but Reptile flipped out of the way. The two Ninja’s went after him and Reptile dodged their attacks and countered with a leaping spin kick. The closest Ninja was knocked back and Reptile dodged several punches.
Reptile then countered with several well placed blows that knocked the Shirai-ryu Ninja back. The Ninja charged and Reptile spun through the air with inhuman grace. Reptile then delivered a powerful kick to the back of the Ninja’s head. The Ninja fell to the ground out cold and Reptile turned round.
Only to have Scorpion’s spear pierce his torso and send him crashing into a nearby wall of a building.

Quan Chi wandered the empty streets searching for those Outworld Warriors but they had disappeared shortly after he had gone after them. He walked through the winding streets of Zhu Zin but there was no sign of them.
He just hoped he didn’t run into any Shadow Priests since those things were unbelievably powerful. They had beaten him and his best assassin without much effort and that was very hard to accomplish. At least that was over now, he doubted he’d have to face Shadow Priests like that again. Right now he just wanted to tear Shao Kahn’s head off but he would have to wait before such a moment.
It was then that he noticed something moving upon the rooftops above him. Whoever it was moved quickly.
Quan Chi teleported himself up too the rooftop but found nobody that he could see. That was until something power hit him from behind. Quan Chi rolled in mid-fall and spun round to see a warrior he didn’t recognize. The smirk on the face was just as twisted as he was and a blast of orange energy sent him crashing down into the filthy back alley streets of Zhu Zin.
He groaned in pain and tried climbing to his feet but found that he was too badly hurt. The warrior then flipped down from the rooftop. The warrior landed in front of Quan Chi and a powerful kick sent him crashing into a nearby building.
Before Quan Chi blacked out he remembered the face of the attacker and remembered now. He remembered where he had seen that warrior before but it just couldn’t be possible.
Nobody could survive the curse which the power gave onto one. Shao Kahn was making his move and sending in one of the most dangerous powers in all realms. They were losing and they would continue to lose with this warrior fighting for Shao Kahn and all of Outworld.

Shang Tsung entered the market area which was completely empty. He hadn’t seen any of the others since they split up to take out the Outworld warriors. What worried him was the feeling that he was being watched. It felt familiar as if whoever was now following he had met sometime in the past. He spun round but nobody was there despite what his instincts screamed at him.
Unfortunately whoever was following him was staying hidden within the shadows of somewhere nearby. There was no way to tell where this mysterious fighter would attack from but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. Besides he was one of the most dangerous fighters around, there wasn’t much fighters around that could beat him. If anything it was just a fool with a grudge.
Shang Tsung turned round then spotted someone who he immediately remembered. A fighter who shouldn’t be here. Only he was proven wrong as the fighter stood only a few feet from him.
“How is it possible, how did you get out of the cobalt mines?” Shang Tsung snarled in rage.
“I made a deal with the Emperor but I thought you’d be a little more pleased to see me at least,” the fighter spoke.
Jola stood before Shang Tsung and from what he could tell she had complete control over her powers. It just couldn’t be possible, last time he had seen Jola…she had been nowhere near able to control the powers of the Black Dragon. Only now they seemed to be completely under control.
Shang Tsung attacked but Jola blocked and countered with a devastating blow to the forehead. Shang Tsung fell to the ground and Jola pressed her foot down on Shang Tsung’s torso.
“Goodnight Shang Tsung…the Emperor will be pleased,” Jola spoke in a cold tone of voice.

Tomas wandered the outskirts of Zhu Zin, he had managed to take down the three fighters that he had gone after. Right now he was just heading back to the town centre to meet up with the others. Right now though he just wanted a few moments of peace and quiet. Yet he kept getting this feeling to go in a certain direction and whatever the feeling was, it didn’t seem dangerous.
When he reached where he felt he was supposed to go he reached a beautiful countryside area right next to a small lake. It was peaceful and serene and yet there seemed to be something tragic about it.
Images flashed through his mind and saw them as clear as day. A body covered in a beautiful white cloth and Taja with a somber look on her face. Grieving over the body and Tomas realized what it was. It was him, this area was the place where his funeral had been held.
Tomas shook his head and rushed back to the outer area of Zhu Zin. It was a small area of farmhouses and fields and an especially quiet area of Zhu Zin. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the main area of the city.
He began to approach the side entrance to the city until ho noticed a feminine figure leaning against a nearby post. Tomas noticed she had dark blond hair that fell down to her back and a slender yet athletic figure. A beauty but he could tell she was a fighter and by the look on her face, she was looking for trouble. There was something about her though that put Tomas on edge.
“Hello there…Tomas, Shao Kahn sends his greetings,” the woman spoke and turned to face him.
“Who are you and why are you working for Shao Kahn!” Tomas demanded and the woman before him smirked.
“I am Jola, and I’ve been paid to take you out, Shao Kahn orchestrated your death once he can do it again,” Jola stated.
Tomas scowled as he finally realized what had been happening the moment if not before he had arrived in Zhu Zin. They had been framing him for murder whilst Kung Lao and Siro both fell for his scheme.
Tomas got into his defensive stance and Jola smirked as spirals of fire surrounded her entire body. She grinned and moved forward with a roundhouse kick but Tomas ducked underneath the attack. He then jabbed her in the stomach but Jola knocked Tomas off his feet with a thrust kick.
Her strength was inhuman…it felt like she nearly broke a rib there. He would have to be careful if he didn’t want to be pummeled into the next century.
Tomas flipped to his feet and dodged a jump kick from Jola and countered with a spin kick that caught her across the face. Tomas dodged a spin kick and flipped back to avoid being hit by a second one. Jola smirked and shot fire from her hands but Tomas rolled out of the way of the attack. Tomas then did a flying jump kick which caught Jola directly across the face.
Jola punched Tomas across the face and sent him crashing to the ground. Tomas got to his feet as Jola shot fire from her palm which then sent Tomas crashing into a nearby farmhouse.
Jola smirked as the job has been done, Tomas was dead…nothing could survive being burnt alive.

To Be Continued.