Back in Tokyo Sakura, Blanka, and Dan were silent notably greif stricken at Sub-Zero's earlier sacrifice
“Look kiddo we should probably go join the others.” Dan said trying to comfort his student.
“Ye....yeah. You're right Habiki-san.” Sakura hesitatingly agreed
“You met more friends like ice man?” Blanka questioned Dan
“Yeah aside from the familiar faces from the old tournaments their was some thunder dude another one of those shirtless karate guys, some oddjob with a bladed hat, a ninja magician, a ninja who sounds like he's been smoking, a guy with metal arms, a movie star, some princess with fans and...” Dan continued on.
While Dan continued to mention all the new fighters he met a faint but putrid stench seized Blanka's attention. His years in the wild would serve him well in the next few moments when he tuned his ears to a faint crawling sound on the wall. Next Blanka would rely on his reflexes when he suddenly sees what appears to be a lashing tongue aiming straight for Sakura. Blanka quickly springs towards his young friend and tackles her out the way as the tongue rips through an upturned shelf.
“Impressive reflexes beast” an invisible foe said. The being stepped from the shadows as a clear but shimmering silhouette. Immediately the invisible cloak gave away slowly revealing the scaly form of Reptile.
“Who you calling beast monster!?” Blanka roared offended by the Saurian's words.
“I expected that trap portal to consume you all but no matter you are all divided you have lost the cryomancer, your best chance for survival and the others who oppose the Khan's will are likely dead you have no hope of victory humans. Allow me to end your misery.” Reptile declared.
“No hope!?” Dan shouted. “Do you have the slightest idea who you're talking to lizard man!? You're talking to the master of the Saikyo Style! Their will always be hope so long as I.....” Before Dan could conclude his dynamic monologue, Reptile cuts it short by spitting a vile green substance into Dan's eyes. An unbearable stinging burn set in as the blunder bound man dropped and writhed in indescribable agony screaming out the top of his lungs.
“HABIKI-SAN!!” Sakura screamed in horror then turning to face their new adversary. “Why you...” Enraged Sakura got into her fighting stance. But Blanka jumped in the way
“Jimmy what are you..” Sakure tried to say before Blanka cuts her off.
“Help Dan. I deal with frog man.” The wild man declared. Sakura complied and backs off and goes to tend to her mentor.
“You are a fool if you think you are a match for my skills cretin!” Reptile boasted. “Savor you're last breath as my claws will dig deep into your heart.
“My Claws are sharper!” Blanka simply replied as he followed up with several beats to his chest like a gorilla and lunged at the sinister raptor.
In the Tokyo streets Kai was doing battle with the menacing Urien who has just sent him flying into a wall.
“I overestimated you monk.” Urein said. “You are nothing like Liu Kang and Kung Lao.”
“You're right I'm nothing like my brothers” Kai agreed wiping blood off of his mouth with his forearm. “Let me show how different.” Kai throws two fireballs with each hand and “kicks” out a third one with his foot. Urien dodges one fireball, deflects another towards a vacant car that gets destroyed. The final fireball Urien catches with his bare hand and crushes it, causing it to dissipate into nothingness
“Pathetic.” Urien mocked before he got on one knee and fired a dark ball of lightning from his fist like a cannon. Kai flipped out of the way as the blast decimated the wall he was previously leaning on. Kai lands on his feet and charges Urien. The monk delivers a flurry of kicks that are all either avoided or just flat out out tanked by his enemy. Urien strikes the monk to the ground and grabs his leg slamming him several times. Urien attempted one more slam to finish the fight but Kai stops the impact with his hands and begins to use them to spin around. While still holding on Urien is taken off his by the sudden spinning hand stand so fast he looses his grip and is sent flying into the same remains of the car that fell victim to Kai's deflected fireball mangling it even more.
“Perhaps I was wrong about you monk.” Urien noted. “You are worthy of a agonizing death by my hands!”
“Flattering but I decline.” Kai said with fire igniting from his hands.
Back in the USA in Ken's estate there were corpses of security guards some cut down, others reduced to charred or glowing skeletons and on in particular who was seemingly bludgeoned to death with his own severed leg. A ghastly sight for Ken and Lao who had just arrived.
“By the Elder Gods please don't let us be too late.” Kung Lao said, disturbed by the littered dead around Ken's home.
“Who is responsible for this?” Ken silently said.
Inside the Mansion, Blond haired moderately dressed woman was backing into a wall terrified holding on to her bulging belly. It was Ken's wife, Eliza. The being she was terrified of was Quan Chi who was holding the body of a recently deceased maiden whom he has slain personally. Behind him was Scorpion who was wielding his two bloody swords he used to butcher most of the guards.
“Come now Ms. Masters.” Quan Chi said in a sinister yet calm tone. “death is nothing to fear.”
“h....how d...do you kn...know m...me?” Eliza terrifyingly asked.
“SIN kept tabs on you and your husband after your last escape.” Quan Chi answered.
“Y...you work for “them” Eliza questioned. “Th..then Ken and the others will stop you!”
“It is far too late for Ken and the other “heroes.” the sorcerer said.“They are splintered, ignorant of the traps that lie in wait for them. Death is assured and I will soon have their souls for my growing army.”
Despite his service to the Netherrealm, this did not sit well with scorpion at all. For him it was a chilling repeat of history when his own wife and son were mercilessly slaughtered by the elder sub-zero, Bi Han when he was alive. Every time Scorpion glanced at at the pregnant woman, he would see his deceased wife, Hanami in Eliza's place. Deep down the human in him wanted to step in, Hanzo wanted to object, fully aware of what the demon had planned. Alas, reluctance was dictating what his mind truly wanted, Scorpion mentally prayed for some form of divine intervention, which would be answered....
“HALT DEMON!!” Kung Lao shouted rushing in and throwing his hat at Quan Chi. Scorpion acted quickly and blocked the bladed hat, but was slightly elated that someone intervened in time. Perhaps their may be hope for the woman who reminds him so much of his wife.
“You picked the wrong family to mess with.” A furious Ken said to Scorpion and Quan Chi.
“Ken!!” Eliza cried out in relief
“Sorry for the wait honey.” Ken answered back slightly more calm
“Ken Masters. I had hoped you would have brought more than just an overshadowed monk.”
“Watch you're tongue sorcerer.” Kung Lao threatened.
“No matter I have what I want right in front of me and the two of you will serve me well in the Netherrealm.” Quan Chi declared as he and Scorpion prepare to engage Ken and Kung Lao.
Chapter 16 Shifting Tides.
Rose was making use of her breif time tending to the injured heroes, placing them all against the wall of a building away from the street while Motaro was currently incapacitated. Of the surviving five, only Ibuki and Zangeif were conscious.
“Poor Jade.....” Zangeif weakly said slowly loosing consciousness due to continuous blood loss.
“I am deeply sorry for you're new found ally.” Rose said expressing remorse for the fallen edenian she did not know, let alone seen alive.
“What about Smoke?” Ibuki asked directing her savior at the incapacitated assassin next to her.
“He is alive thankfully.” Rose positively confirmed. “But there is something different. Something is stirring within him something not....human.”
“Wait what do you mean?” Ibuki asked.
Before Rose could go into further detail Motaro let out an infuriated roar and charged the mysterious interloper.
“How dare you witch!!” the centaur bellowed as he fired a destructive ball of energy from his tail. Rose's answer to the volley was her yellow scarf that was more then just an accessory. It could be used as a conduit to her powers she refers to as soul power for a variety of purposes including deflecting projectiles. Rose's scarf glows the same iridescent glow of her soul spark as she quickly grabs it and performs a circular motion as the scarf trails behind creating a faint barrier as the ballistic energy ball fired from Motaro's tail makes contact. Instantaneously the emerald green fireball recoils back at Motaro twice as fast for him to react. The resulting explosion and following smoke would engulf Motaro's form, leaving both Ibuki and Rose wondering if the redirected blast did anything of note to their Centaur enemy. The smoke eventually dissipated revealing that Motaro was still standing, but scarred in the midsection and even more livid.
“You're demise will not be a passive.” Motaro angrily declared.
“Not as long as Bison lives creature.” Rose stated walking up to face the imposing centaur. “The fact that you willingly serve two monsters that have poisoned both worlds is sickening.”
“How does she know about that?” Ibuki thought to herself.
“And what course of action will take human?” Motaro demanded.
“The only logical one.” Rose answered firing another soul spark. Motaro backhands the soul spark away and charges the mysterious woman with a sledgehammer blow. Rose dodges it with incredible speed appearing behind and making use of her scarf to ensnare one of Motaro's hind legs. Rose jerks her scarf back to the side, tripping the centaur to his side. The woman then fired another soul spark at Motaro's exposed belly with a direct hit making the monster slide back on his side from the blast. In contrast to his massive bulk, Motaro quickly got up and lunged at Rose with his tail.
Rose deflected it with her empowered scarf and lept back firing several more soul sparks while Motaro retaliated with a volley of his own fireballs. Ibuki watched on as the two traded blasts and blows silently cheering Rose on for obvious reasons. Unbeknownst to her however right next to her the motionless form of Smoke's breathing was becoming more rapid and bizarre and his left hand was slightly twitching.
“Die human!” Motaro bellowed as he fired two more fireballs. Rose dodged both and used her scarf like a whip to continuously lash at Motaro, mixing in a series of kicks to maximize the damage. Amidst the barrage of attacks, Motaro exploits a split second opening in Rose's offense and uses his tail like a lance to try and pierce the woman. Rose dodges it at the last second, but suffers a gash to her side. Jumping back, cupping her wound Rose removes her hand and notices a sizable stain of blood on her palm, only for Motaro to take advantage and snatch her up by the throat.
“I will savor chocking the life out of life out of you.” Motaro grinned as he tightened his grip on the woman's throat.
“No!!” Ibuki cried out hopelessly.
“N... No. Not yet..” Rose said strained of precious air. She magically wraps her scarf around the very arm strangling her causing it to violently irradiate with soul energy. What followed for the centaur general was an excruciating burning sensation going up his arm that felt as if it was burning his very soul. The pain was too much for him to even bellow in agony and he subsequently dropped Rose, who fell to her knees, hurriedly gasping for air. To her misfortune Motaro lunged at her again despite the unspeakable pain she put him through. Motaro would shift all of his remaining might into the one mighty punch that would finish the battle for good, but his fist is stopped dead cold by yet another interloper that appears out of nowhere. It took time for the general to realize it was in fact Smoke who was now fully awake and rejuvenated with new found strength. Holding back Motaro's fist with one arm.
“WHAT!?” Motaro shouted in shock. “You continue to draw breath!?”
“Smoke!” Ibuki excitedly shouted surprised at how quick Thomas intervened.
“E........nough!” Smoke uttered in a terrifying distorted tone with jet black eyes void of life. The demonic glare rattled Motaro's very being when he traded glares with the ninja, but would swiftly cast the feelings aside and gore Thomas though the stomach with his tail. Ibuki and Rose were shocked, but not for the similarly fatal injury that claimed Jade, it was the steam shooting out of his body in the place of blood. Something was indeed different Ibuki could since it along with Rose and they both don't know the proper way to respond. Smoke did not budge until his body began to dissolve and expand into a massive hot cloud. Rose was wise to back off as the billowing cloud continued to grow, however Motaro stood defiantly not caring for what awaits him. The growing smoke reached its apex, the size of a two story house and began condensing to a new form. Ibuki grew nervous as she noticed the condensing vapors began forming a monstrous new body. This new visage was a hulking featureless abomination of smoke and vapor the only distinguishable parts where the torso, muscular claw tipped arms, and ghastly maw void of eyes.
“Just as “they” told me...” Rose thought to herself. “Smoke was never human to begin with...”
“Wh. What is he!?” Ibuki yelled.
“Enenra.” Rose answered. “Smoke is an enenra...”
“How do you know this.” Ibuki questioned
Smoke, despite having no eyes looked down at the very centaur that caused him and his remaining comrades in their current life threatening ordeal and let out a hollow yet loud ear splitting roar that echoed for miles across the lifeless London winds.
hmmmmmm how does Rose know about what Smoke truly is and who are "they"? we'll find out soon enough