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Mortal Kombat: Betrayal: part 6

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
                                                                                                                                             Philippians 4:6-7

Part Six


            Even Korren had to admit that Ch’un-Ja was a really good fighter.  He was one of John’s assistant instructor and he used to be Len’s sparring partner.  He had been doing pretty well in the tournament so far, as well as anyone, but still.  He was only human, he wasn’t a cryomancer, or a four armed Shokhan, and Sektor was a cyborg. Did he even have a chance?
            “If you step away now you may leave with your life.”
            “I will not surrender to a coward and a traitor.”  Said Ch’un-Ja.  That was when the battle started.  Ch’un-Ja charged in screaming.  He was being smart.  His blows weren’t aimed at doing damage, bare flesh couldn’t damage steel skin, but throwing him off balance or knocking him down.  As he dodged and weaved he was having surprising success at avoiding Sektor’s attacks and was slowly herding him toward the arena’s edge.  He was trying to get a ring out and it looked like he might actually do it.  Korren was sure he could do it.  He cheered him on, and was ready to run up and congratulate when suddenly Sektor struck out again, but his target was not what he was aiming at.  Ch’un-Ja dodged to the side and when he did Sektor’s fist kept going and grabbed his hand.  Then he started to squeeze.  There was a terrible snapping and cracking and screaming as he slowly crushed the bones in his hand.  Then yanked and flung Ch’un-Ja to the floor.  He planted his foot on Ch’un-Ja chest.  Korren looked away.  He didn’t need to see what was happening.  He could hear it just fine.  When the screaming finally stopped they declared Sektor the victor.  Two men walked past him bearing a litter, there was a body on it, with a sheet stained crimson draped over it to cover the horrible remains and a trail of blood following it as it drip, drip, dripped from the body.  That expressionless face plate of Sektor’s revealed nothing.  Probably there was nothing to reveal.  Whatever Sektor had been, the only thing that was left was ambition, ability, and a grudge.  Maybe he was one step closer to getting even, but now Korren and all the Lin Kuie were one body deeper into their own bloody grudge.
            The next fight was not much easier to watch.  Princess Kitana against a shaolin named Kai.  Although he put up a valiant fight it seemed like the princess was actually pitying him, drawing out the battle and letting him land a few glancing blows while she proceeded to beat him into submission.  Finally, as a black and blue mess he finally passed out and fell backwards into Liu Kang’s arms.  It was a good thing he did because he would have just hit the ground head first otherwise.  That battle had been no contest.  It almost looked like there was real remorse on Kitana’s face about his defeat though, it looked like she was not so much whishing she hadn’t won as wishing he hadn’t lost, or at least so badly.  She was actually staring down her nose so much, Korren concluded, that she felt honest regret for beating him up so badly because it wasn’t a fare fight.  It had been too easy for her.  He hoped he would get a match against her during the final round.  It would be nice to be able to remind her that her experience and skill was not unrivaled by Earthrealm, despite her exsperience.  He had a good chance at it too.  The final remaining Kombatents were himself, Len, Takada Takahashi, Li Mei, and Leu Kang for Earthrealm.  Jade, Kitana, Sektor, Nitara and Kentaro for Outworld.  Five fighter for each side.  Which meant there would only be five left soon, which meant he was only a few fights away from being the new champion of Mortal Kombat.  He shook off his thoughts of glory though when his suspicions came creeping back into his mind.  There would be a few hours break before the final round of the tournament began.  It would be good time to do some observation work.  It wasn’t unusual for people to make light conversation, even if one was from Earthrealm and the Other Outrworld, though the Kombatents usually did not.  The funny thing was that Shean seemed to have disappeared.  So had Jade he noticed.  Coincidence perhaps… no, no it wasn’t.  So the question was where had each of them gone off too, and had they gone off together?  He went out and searched along the perimeter first, they wouldn’t have gone far.  He didn’t find either of them though.  Jade might have left though he was sure Shean would still be nearby.  They wouldn’t be so careless as to meet in one of the restaurants.  So if they weren’t here.  He looked up.  There was a second floor to the Arena.  He scaled the wall and started to move along the outside a quietly as he could.  Luckily the ornate exterior gave him a lot to hold on to.  Korren kept moving until he heard a familiar voice and stopped.
            “What is it?”  He heard Shean say.
            “Nothing, just a noise.”  The voice was one he knew.  Was it Kitana?  No.  It was definitely Jade.  Kitana was still downstairs when he left.
            “They are dropping like flies down there.”
            “That’s fine.  It suits our plans well enough.”
            “I think that depends on how many die tonight.”
            “At this stage many deaths would be a blow, only the best make it this far after all, but it would not prevent the attack.”  Korren jumped down back to the ground.  This couldn’t be right.  He had to be missing a piece.  There was no way Korren would betray Earthrealm, as well as his family and the Lin Kuie.  Unless it was something he had done… No nothing Korren had done could have possibly driven him to this he needed more information.  There had to be more to it.

            They Vampiress, Nitara, looked out across the arena and fixed her eyes on the young Cryomancer, Korren.  He was staring at something.  She followed the invisible line form his eyes to their target.  It was the Enenra, Shean, she believed it was.  This was not the first she had noticed Korren casting such odd glances toward Shean.  He had been doing so for some times.  Obviously there was something going on between them.  Rivalry, jealousy, enmity, sorrow, suspicion?  She really didn’t know, although she would have liked to.  Of course, as long as she could make this work to her advantage she would gladly stand the mystery.  Slowly, she strolled across the room toward Korren.  Even though the fights had resumed, and in fact his fight was next, he didn’t seem to really notice and appeared to be solely occupied with his glaring.  For a moment she stood their readying the look in his eyes and the lines and bends of his face.  She could almost read his mind this way, and his every emotion was laid out before her like so many cards from a deck.  He was suspicious, conflicted, and unsure of what to do.  His friend was up to something, maybe later she would find out what, but right now she had pray in her sight.  She crept up closer, then stopped to look for something she could use to grab his attention and on cue Princess Kitana leaned against the wall next to Shean, and made a casual comment, likely not directed at anyone, that the child enenra answered.
            “It’s very polite, the way that Edenians can talk with even bitter enemies as if they were friend.”  His head tuned to her and she turned, their eye’s met, and for a moment she had a window into his mind through which she gently pushed his suspicion closer to the center of his thoughts.  That was when she saw the tiniest change in the light of his eye.  He had realized something, made some kind of connection in his head.  So there was a connection between Kitana and Shean, it must have been something significant if that’s what his nudged suspicion latched on to.  She looked back to the Enenra and the princess, who had finished their briefest of conversations and were back to all but ignoring each-others presence.  She would have to look deeper and find out what this connection is.  She couldn’t talk to Jade of course, let alone the princess directly, no someone else, some more pliable.  Whose political loyalty amongst Shao Khan’s commanders was rather fluid, and currently they fell to Princess Kitana, at least for the moment.            

            Korren locked eye with the woman for a moment, then suddenly he realized something obvious, and something important that he had missed.  He turned his eyes back to Shean and the Princess Kitana.  She was Edenian, and so was Shean’s mother, Edenian nobility too she claimed.   Princess Kitana was the princess of Edenia before she was the princess of Outworld if the rumors were true.  Knowing Shean, they noble sap that he was that was something that could be used to manipulate him, if they had two or three more things someone as skilled a manipulator as Kitana or Jade could move him like a puppet.  He must have been working with them.  No, they must have been using him for something, manipulate him, perhaps magic was even involved.  Whatever it was he doubted it was good for Earthrealm.  He would have to talk to his mother about this at the first opportunity.  They could help Shean out of this before he got into real trouble, if he hadn’t already.  Assuming they could, there was no telling what they had done to him.

            To Korren’s never ending annoyance and disappointment he had lost his round.  He had made it almost to the final round of Mortal Kombat, he was just to away from a battle with the champion and a shot at the title himself.  But he had lost, still at least it was to Jade, there was no shame in losing to someone like her.  At that thought his mind flashed back to earlier, to Shean and Kitana, and to what he had heard him say to Jade.  He needed to go find his mother or father and talk with them.
            “Korren.”  He heard Shean say. “Just wait up.”  He stopped and let his friend catch up with him.
            “Hello Shean.”  He sounded a little stiff.
            “I deserve that.  I know I have been dodging you a lot lately, and I am sorry.  You must think I am mad about something, but I am not.  I had a good reason.”
            “What is that exactly?”  He didn’t answer, he seemed to be staring at something behind Korren.
            “I know this looks bad but I have to take care of something.  Meet up with me later and I promise I will explain all of it, everything.”  Then he jogged off, in the same direction as three Outworld women, Nitara, D’vorah, and Jade.  Again, Korren was reminded that Shean was only half Enenra, and now, he might only be half Eathrealmer, half Lin Kuie, or less.

            Taryn, Ye-Jun, Leu Kang, and all of the other Senior fights stood around a fire.  Shean had just arrived and now they were waiting only for Raiden so they could begin.  This would be their last council of war before tomorrow and the planned attack.  Cyan and her people refusing to help had certain made things harder, especially when the casualties of Mortal Kombat were subtracted from their number. Still they had many good fighters and Kitana would have her own people, whom she doubted would be push overs. The battle might be harder fought than originally planned, but still, if things went roughly as planned than she would still bet on their victory any day.  Raiden approached and became visible in the firelight, now they could begin.
            “If everyone is here we can begin.”  Raiden said.
            “I still have my doubts,” Leu Kang reminded them all.
            “We know,” Taryn chastened him, “Shean, what do our new friends have to tell us?”
            “They have arranged for us to enter the fortress secretly.  They will make sure the biggest threats among the Outworld Kombatents, apart from Cyrax and Sektor, are out of the way before we arrive.  All we will have to do is secure the fortress and fight of the garrison for the most part, and of course Shao Khan.”
            “How will we enter the fortress?”  Leu Kang asked.
            “They said they would tell me tomorrow.”  Leu cast an apprehensive glance toward Taryn.
           “Good, less information to go astray the better.”  Taryn told him.  “So are we still going to do this?  If we are going to back out, we have to do it now.”  There was a bit of chatter but after only a moment everyone gave their approval, even Leu Kang gave a reluctant nod with the kind of look on his face that made it clear that if this went wrong he would hold the rest of them accountable.  He may have trusted all of them, especially Raiden, but that didn’t seem to help his suspicion of Kitana any.  “Then we just have one more thing to decide.  Who will go to fight Shao Khan.”
            “I think Leu Kang and yourself should go,” Said Raiden, “and John-”
            “No- uh thank you.”  He said hastily, cutting the thunder god off.  “I think it would be better if I went to deal Sektor and Cyrax.  They don’t know nearly a much about me as they know about their fellow Lin Kuie, or even the rest of you.  Plus, I’ve done a lot of capture missions before.  I have more practice at it.”  That was odd, she thought John would jump at this chance, then there was how quickly he refused.  He must have had his reasons, besides he was probably right about Sektor and Cyrax.
           
“Yu-Jun then.”  Raiden suggested and they all agreed.
            “There is one more thing.”  Said Shean, “Don’t you think we should tell the others?”  That was a good question.  Taryn was of the opinion that they shouldn’t.  It would do them no more good to know how than a few hours before hand since not all of them would be fighting tomorrow and not all of them were good at keeping secrets.  It was best to just wait until they absolutely needed to know.  After some discussion the others agreed with her. 
           
“No, not yet.  Tomorrow, before we begin we will tell them.”  There was a little more chatter, going over the arranged plan again and making sure they were clear on the details.  Then they dispersed for the night.  Taryn had an unusual feeling as she laid in bed that night, but it was familiar.  He tried to pin it down and realized it was the same feeling she had before she, along with her allies in the Lin Kuie, and John and his special forces, raided the Lin Kuie’s mountain village to remove her father the Grand Master, and his insane Cyber Ninja.  That time they had won, So would they this time.

            The next morning was warm, and subdued.  The same assortment of fruits and meats and bread was offered up for breakfast today as every other day before.  Shean sat on a log chewing on a piece of fruit.  He was thinking over the problem that this plan to kill Shao Khan was creating in his friendship with Korren.  His friend was obviously upset with him though Shean wasn’t sure why, surly it wasn’t because Korren thought he was holding a grudge over the comment he made.  Perhaps it was just because he thought Shean had been very rude over the past few days, he wouldn’t exactly be wrong either, even if Shean wasn’t trying to be.  Well it didn’t really matter, Korren would probably start to figure it out once he was told the plan for the attack, and after they had successfully overthrown one of the most infamous tyrants of all the realm, then he would explain everything and he was sure Korren would completely understand.
            Soon all the Kombatents still in Outworld to watch were gathered in the arena to watch the final battle to decide the results of this tournament.  The current champion of the Earthrealm tournament, Leu Kang, and his competitor, the lethal Princess of Outworld, Kitana, in what would probably be only a five-minute battle, which was rather anticlimactic to the bloody days of preliminary’s that proceeded it, but it would be a very interesting five minutes.  He had asked Raiden and a few others and been told that, the results of a Mortal Kombat Tournaments rarely came down to a final battle like this. Usually all competitor from one side would have been eliminated at this point, and if the tournament continued at all it was only because someone wanted the title of champion, and the prolonged life that came with it.  The Kombatets came to the center of the ring, then squared up for battle. Indeed, it was something to watch.  Two of probably the most skilled fighters in all the realms going toe to toe.  Still, probably to no one’s surprise, Kitana lost, though Shean wondered if, under different circumstances, she would have left Leu Kang’s head and body in two different pieces.
            Shean noticed that Korren was standing not too far away and tried to make his way over to him.
            “Hey Korren, what’s up?”
            “Nothing.”  He said.  Shean expected more but that was it.
            “Look, things have been a bit weird lately, I know it’s not just because I’ve been brushing you off, and I’m sorry about that.  Is all this about Terra?”  Korren shot him a sharp glance and Shean could tell he had hit a nerve somehow.
            “Why would it be about her?”
            “I, don’t know…”  He had seldom seen his friend so intense.  Maybe there was more wrong than just what was between them.  He would have to go talk to Korren’s mother or father about this.

            Korren just had to getaway.  Why would Shean ask about Terra specifically, unless he was trying to probe for something.  This whole situation was just a mess and Korren wasn’t sure what to do with it.  He should just go and tell Raiden, or his father, or someone else about this and let someone older and wiser than him sort this out.  He just needed to clear his head for a moment, then he would do just that.
            After a while he got the sense that he was no longer walking alone and indeed he wasn’t when the woman from yesterday appeared next to him.
            “It’s funny that I should be meeting you again so soon.”
            “Well fate is a funny thing.”  She had a strangely self-satisfied look on her face.  She was obviously up to something.
            “yea.”  So the question was what.
            “Something is bothering you.  I can see it on your face.”
            “I am fine.”
            “If you say.  Whomever it is they must have you very concerned.  A friend perhaps, or maybe an enemy.  Those two always concern people.  They will do anything to make those they love happy, and to make those they hate suffer.”  She was looking at him, waiting for a reaction to her game he knew.  He looked down at her.
            “Did you say something?”  She frowned.
            “I see.”  She gave a smile that nothing friendly and turned around.  Though her words did make him think of something.
            “Tell me one thing,” He shouted after her.  “Who does princess Kitana hate most?”  She stopped turning her head and locking eyes with him. With deep dark eyes that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, like she was some witch casting a spell.  “I think he is called Sub Zero.”  She smiled again and kept walking.  “Family is so important isn’t it.”  Sub Zero, his father.  He had an idea in his head now that teemed to strong and to terribly true to fight no matter how much he wanted to shove it down.  If Shean was working for Kitana, then it seemed almost certain that she would be using him to kill his father.  Even if Shean was just a pawn, if he was under some spell or just completely fooled he couldn’t let that happen, he would have to stop Shean, at all costs.  Shean was his friend, but friends were not as important as family.

             Taryn brushed a tree branch out of her way, she was coming into a clearing and only just in time saw what was happening and luckily made it back into concealment before she was noticed.  Sektor, Cyrax, and a few of Khan’s assassins.  It appeared they were arresting princess Kitana.  There was nothing else they could be doing.  She had surrendered, at least it seemed so, and they knocked her out before shackling her hands and feet with iron and carrying her off.  So that as it.  Just like that all their panning went up in smoke.  It was too late to do anything about that now.  All she could do was get back to her people and figure out what to do next.
            “This is disturbing news,” Raiden said.
            “I think we should just be glad that our part in this has gone undiscovered,” said Leu Kang.
            “Don’t be fooled,” Taryn said.  “Shao Khan knows.  He just wants to see us run with our tails between our legs.”
            “We can’t leave Kitana and her allies here,” Ye-Jun said, “If we do it will be a death sentence.”
            “I agree,” Said Riaden, “Ye-Jun, Taryn, John.  You are Lin Kuie and this is your field.  Take whomever you will need for this rescue and Leu Kang and myself will take the rest of the party back to Earthrealm.”  They all nodded.

Five Years after the disaster of the Open Tournament, it is time, yet again, for Earthrealms warriors to fight in Mortal Kombat.  The time the Tournament for Earthrealm does not go as it has before. 
It goes beyond the intrigue and scheming of all other tournament, to end in bitter betrayal.

MK and its associated properties are owned by Neatherrealm Studios. I make no claims to the series or its properties their of, beyond my own intellectual contributions found in this and my other works.

www.netherrealm.com/

Special thanks to cryogensis.deviantart.com/

Mortal Kombat: Betrayal: Part 5

                        or

Mortal Kombat: Betrayal: Part 7
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