Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was time. Quan Chi had ensured that his selection of Revenants were perfectly obedient. Liu Kang, Enenra, Kitana, Nightwolf, Stryker, Kabal, they would be sent to their targets.

”Your plans are simple. Go to your targets, and inflict pain. They abandoned you, left you behind while others got to resurrect.”

The power of dark sorcery was certainly powerful to tip the scales in someone’s favour, but Quan Chi respected the power of words as well. Even with the mental manipulation of his spells, implanting the negativity into his puppets was something that never ceased to entertain.

He longed for the day he could capture Raiden in his clutches and make the God of Thunder, so proud, so noble, suffer as any damned soul. 

Once, Raiden had offered his own soul would be Quan Chi’s to use if he fell in the Outworld invasion. While the deal had never been agreed on, it was a tantalising prospect to imagine.

Nevertheless, Quan Chi let his servants go when the time was ready, and he had pinpointed the locations of the mentors, he would open the portals for his servants to hunt.

Revenants were not the living dead. They were not what other realms were call zombies. They were souls, lost souls, perhaps twisted souls, implanted into new bodies. 

New bodies that were faster, stronger, infused with the energy of the damned realm itself alongside the gifts their resurrector had given.

Liu Kang’s flames brought from his chi were darker, nearing hellfire, yet not quite. Once Earthrealm’s champion, now Quan Chi’s greatest weapon, only to be used at discretion.

Enenra’s abilities were now increased in lethality, able to briefly inhabit bodies. The netherrealm had unlocked his potential and his memories of his true origin were child’s play for Quan Chi to manipulate.

Kitana’s assassin skills were now untempered by the compassion that had once turned her from Shao Kahn’s hold. Her mother was convinced that this reunion with Kitana was something to be repaid.

Nightwolf had gained new abilities, broken from the Great Spirit who had granted his original abilities over the souls of his ancestors. He could gain power from the darkness of other souls, and forge weapons from spirit magic.

Stryker was moderately unchanged, lacking any spiritual or supernatural powers beforehand. He had lost his sense of self, only following duty to the one he owed.

Kabal had returned to vindictive ways, his lethal weapons and high speed abilities a deadly combination.

The six revenants selected for this task had been provided with the blood of those they sought. With it, and Nightwolf’s spiritual attachment, they could open portals to where their prey had been.

Liu Kang sneered, hatefully.

”Raiden will pay for abandoning us. Those who follow him will learn the price of loyalty to a fool.”

It was in a moment of meditation that Raiden sensed something. He could not place where, or when. But a God had a certain attunement, able to tell when their name was uttered.

Raiden had long since learned to “tune out” excess noise of his various names being asked by various Earthrealm cultures. Raijin. Thor. Haokah.

But he sensed it. Small, faint, untraceable, but he felt his name uttered. Not prayed for, not exclaimed. But uttered, like a curse.

Raiden did not fear curses or superstition. Yet; he couldn’t help but feel curious.

Something was coming, he could feel it like an oncoming storm.

Chapter Text

School days had started to lose their lustre. Okay, that wasn’t the right term. It wasn’t lustre. Cassie used to view school time as a form of release from their side job as operatives in Earthrealm’s defence.

That feeling was still there, it was good to have a set in stone timetable list of classes. But now, Cassie felt… strange. Like something could be happening while she was busy writing equations and practicing for tests.

”Miss Cage?”

Snapping back to attention, Cassie tried to zone back in. Equations on the board. What was x if the answer was 78?

To be honest, Cassie had spent the last five minutes idly sketching in her notebook corner. Her mind was drawing a blank.

”Yes, uh… sorry, what was the question?”

The teacher repeated her question, saying something at the end that made Cassie’s mind stop and restart.

”I suggest you focus more, your final exams are coming up if you want to graduate.”

Cassie blinked. Was graduation really just a few weeks away? Where had the time gone? 

Okay. Better question. What does that mean for the team? Would they stick together, go straight into full time special forces? Find jobs as side gigs? Or would they split up and only get together when the world was exploding because some jackass opened a portal from chaosrealm?

It was the uncertainty that concerned Cassie the most. 

Stacy raised her hand, answering the question and earning a small praise. Cassie slated a silent sigh. She couldn’t afford to zone out like that. 

Not on a common basis, anyway.

Jacqui felt her heart pound in her chest, smacking the volleyball over the net. It was a quiet sport day. Mainly just exercise rather than preparing for anything. Vanessa bounced it into the air, setting up Betty to spike it down. 

Back and forth they went. Jacqui far preferred soccer to volleyball, a lot more kinetic and tactile. Still, beggars can’t be choosers. 

Swallowing his lunch, Jin noticed the strange sense of uncertainty around the group. And while he certainly wasn’t into playing therapist…

”Why does everyone here look like their goldfish just drowned?”

Takeda answered first.

“Why was that your first assumption?”

”I figured it would get you all back to reality instead of moping.”

Next was Cassie, who stuck some gum into her mouth, blowing a bubble before popping it.

”We’re not moping, Jin. Just… thinking.”

Raising an eyebrow, Kung Jin sighed.

”Finals, I’m assuming?”

Jacqui dug her fork into her macaroni and cheese, pulling out a good potion as she idly studied it with her eyes.

”Something like that. With everything that’s happened, I kind of forgot we had this stuff. Does anyone even know what’s gossip anymore?”

Silence filled the air. 

“I guess that’s a no.”

Back at the Special Forces Base, Frost was pacing, laying down a laptop communication device onto a desk, before sitting down at it. Her master wanted to talk to her, and given their distance, it was smart to do it through video call.

Frost watched the screen fill up with her grandmaster’s visage. 

“Frost. A pleasant surprise. Thank you for agreeing to speak.”

The young apprentice shrugged, crossing her arms.

”You would lecture me if I didn’t. How is the Lin Kuei?”

”We are maintaining our strength. Our new partnership with the Shirai Ryu is keeping itself strong.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. A pounding knock.

”Grandmaster?”

Cold air exhaled from Sub-Zero’s nostrils. He had become focused, as if suspecting a coming foe.

”This discussion will need to continue another time, Frost.”

The video call cut to the end screen, inviting a feeling of… confusion in Frost’s chest. Confusion. And, perhaps…

Some concern. 

Chapter Text

Johnny Cage collapsed to the ground of his gymnasium. His victor planted her boot against his throat. 

“You’re slowing down,” Sonya judged tersely. This was a once in a lifetime experience: Sonya Blade actually out of the office.

Then, there was a sound. The familiar noise of a portal opening, and then closing. Another noise came next, something far more… mundane.

The doorbell ringing. Sonya steeled her expression, reaching for a handgun she brought with her. Johnny, meanwhile, slowly walked up to the door, looking through the peephole.

What he saw was a familiar face from decades past, but now with pale grey skin and glowing orange eyes of unearthly energy. And then, a fist slammed through the door, hitting Johnny’s nose.

In the time it took for the once actor to recover, Sonya had arrived, drawing her firearm and getting Johnny to his feet.

”Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade. We should reacquaint…”

Liu Kang’s voice was darker than either had once heard. The monk had always been polite to them, cordial and always willing to spar for the sake of testing their skills.

Johnny reminded himself that the revenants weren’t really the people they used to be. Warped, controlled, with the familiar voices and personalities turned into something contrasting.

”You’re outnumbered, Liu Kang. Turn around, now.”

A smirk, almost sadistic, painted Liu Kang’s face.

”Outnumbered, perhaps. But certainly not outmatched.”

“Everything alright?”

“Yep.”

Jax put down the phone, sighing as he lit up a cigar. Old habits died hard. Plus, it soothed the nerves. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d solved a spiral by just lighting up and letting the richness of the cigar scent ground him back to reality.

An orange portal opened into the ether of the outside world. The animals looked into it, confused. 

Nightwolf exited the portal, holding a tomahawk threateningly.

”Jackson Briggs.”

Jax felt his blood freeze. A sharp inhale of smoke lit them. He heard Vera gasp from behind him. 

“Vera. Lock the door. Go to the storage. This won’t take long.”

Jax hadn’t fought in a while, a retired soldier who was more used to wielding his great strength in farm work. For the sake of trying to avoid this, he decided to start out with words than violence. He walked off the footsteps of the house, on equal footing with Nightwolf. 

”Nightwolf, I know you’re not who you used to be. But what you’re looking for, it’s not here.”

The man Jax once thought was a collected if a tad taciturn warrior shook his head.

“Quite the opposite, Jax.”

In a flash, Nightwolf charged into Jax with his shoulder, an ethereal red glow making afterimages as he did. Jax blocked, only skidding back from the force, but it was clear that talking was out of the question.

”You are exactly why I am here.”

Jax rolled his neck. 

“If that’s how you wanna play it. Then come get some.”

Kung Ling was working from home today. She was fine with that. Jin had been… strange recently. Okay, no. That wasn’t even fair.

He wasn’t strange. But it felt like he was just following the motions. Wake up, school, either work with his team or train with Raiden, come home, eat, sleep.

Ling wasn’t a warrior like some other people. She wasn’t a grandmaster or a soldier. She was family to a lineage that she didn’t even entirely understand.

The door burst open. And from outside entered two men with pale skin, almost like stone. One of them was dressed in what looked like an NYPD uniform, albeit suspiciously darker. The other looked like a mad max zombie with a gasp mask and… were those hook swords?

Shit.

”I don’t suppose you got turned around?”

A gun shot was narrowly blocked by a frying pan. Okay. Fighting it is.

Kenshi Takahashi was meditating. He required some air outside of the Special Forces base, and they had thankfully provided him with a brief portal trip to an uninhabited forest.

Here, he could simply sit and meditate among the quiet sounds of the rustling winds. Or, that was the plan.

He swiftly turned around, blocking a swung blade with his forearm guards. He heard a voice, familiar in slight ways from the Tournament decades ago.

”The blind swordsman, I had hoped we would fight.”

Kenshi pushed away, twirling his blade in preparation.

”Kitana. What do I owe the pleasure?”

”Satisfaction. To see if a blind man can keep pace.”

Some people would assume that Kuai Liang was cold hearted. It was a natural assumption. He was once an assassin, one who could quite literally control and create ice from his fingertips.

He was not. Were he cold hearted, he would not have allied with Raiden’s champions. He would not have let Sareena into his reformed Lin Kuei.

Most certainly, his heart would not clench as he blocked a strike from the being who was once his closest friend.

Smoke had changed since his demise. What was once a reserved if slightly cocky warrior was now sinister and almost vindictive.

”All those years..” Smoke vanished into most and reappeared to smash his fist against Kuai Liang’s head. As the cryomancer reeled, the once-man returned to kick and crack the mask.

”Did you even look for me? Did you even think of me?”

Chapter Text

Liu Kang was always the best of them when it came to fighting. Goro, Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, he’d been the victor. 

So, Johnny felt that being a tad nervous about fighting a version of the once great champion of Mortal Kombat with none of his inhibitions and limits of morality. Luckily, he was fighting as a duo.

In the battles and invasions, Johnny and Sonya had learned to fight alongside one another. They could understand each other’s techniques and know when one should lead and another should follow through. 

So, that is precisely what they did against Liu Kang. They had to keep him on the back doors not let him counter or attack. Take one down, then it’s one on one. Liu Kang thrived in one on one matches.

Johnny threw a punch, vaulting over his shoulder to kick with both boots against Liu Kang’s arm-guards. 

The arm guards flowed with dark fire, releasing a small burst of energy that sent the duo back. Liu Kang pressed the advantage, landing a flying kick against Sonya’s stomach, sending her flying back into the gymnasium.

“You two still fight for Raiden? After everything he did?”

Sonya wiped blood from her nose, scowling. 

”What’s the alternative? Quan Chi? We’re not falling for it.”

Johnny realised what Sonya was doing. Stalling for time. Letting the bad guy monologue so that he’d be open for a surprise attack.

”I always knew she understood the tropes…” Johny muttered softly, noticing a bat on the wall. He picked it up quietly from the rack, took a breath.

The once actor rammed his shoulder against Liu Kang’s back, getting his attention for a full strength swing against the undead warrior’s cheek.

The bat broke. Lou Kang’s head snapped to the left… and then slowly turned back to glare at Johnny with a smirk.

”An appropriately ridiculous attempt.”

In an instant, Liu Kang grabbed Johnny by the neck with one hand, squeezing tight.

”What else should I expect?”

Sonys suddenly got to her feet and rested the barrel of her handgun against the back of Liu’s head.

”Drop him.”

”If I do not?”

”I drop you.”

The once hero didn’t move.

”How do you know the shot will kill me? For all you know, I won’t feel it.”

”Maybe. But if you were as far gone as you’ve been saying, Johnny would already be dead by now.”

Silence reigned in the air.

Jax had plowed the fields this morning. Early, before anyone else was awake. He suspected the machinery he used was loud enough to wake the dead.

In any case. He suddenly wondered if that old saying actually had a little bit of truth to it, as he crashed hard against the floor via his opponent’s strength.

Nightwolf summoned a pair of crimson energy daggers into his hands. Must be handy to have magic to make up whatever tools you needed instead of routing through a toolbox to pick the right wrench out.

Blocking the swipes with his metal arms, Jax was on the defensive, assessing his next move. He couldn’t keep this up forever. He needed an opening. But Nightwolf was always fast, guided by unseen hands.

Must be that Great Spirit he talked about back in the day. Would that almighty even be helping him? Or was this magic just Quan Chi’s replacement?

Jax ducked the high swipe, weaving behind to slam his fist against Nightwolf’s ribs. A sickening crack echoed in Jax’s ears and he almost felt guilty for hitting a once-ally so hard.

Punch after punch rained upon Nightwolf. No letting up, Briggs. One two, one two, one two.

His punch was caught, and with a hand of spectral magic, the hand was crushed. The pain was immense, releasing a yell from Jax.

“You bastard… any idea how much it’ll cost to get a repair?”

It was talking to buy time. Think. Think. Nightwolf pulled out his tomahawk, twirling it readily. 

But before he could bring it down, a bullet tore into his shoulder. No, not just a bullet of lead and burning steel. Plasma. The good stuff.

It came from Vera. God, Jax could kiss her right now. No time to waste. He pressed the advantage, tackling Nightwolf and sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, slamming his opponent against the tractor.

He just needed to keep it up. 

To be entirely honest with herself, Kung Ling was glad she’d been making it this far. She’d tricked the faster one, Kabal, apparently, into a locked cellar, which left her with the more manageable if still dangerous Stryker.

Blocking a baton with her forearm, Ling wished she had one of those fancy arm guards. Still. No time to go searching through the box of family mementos.

It was the memory of Martial arts training against the ruthlessness of a man sworn to service with none of his morality or limits intact. All it would take is a swing to the head, a gunshot to the stomach…

Twisting her body, Ling slammed her elbow against Stryker’s stomach, before pressing it deeper with her right palm. A family technique, expelling a small amount of chi energy to bolster a strike.

Racing To her bedroom, Long routed through the bottom right cabinet, pulling out the item she sought more than water at this moment.

Ling got out all her words frantically. When she had taken in King Jin, she was given her own version of that special talisman that effectively summoned as a “Call a Thunder God” button.

”Raiden. Revenants are at my house. Get here, I can’t keep them back forever.”

She never thought she’d have to use it in this serious a scenario. Running and stalling against undead fighters. 

Escaping outside after throwing down the smoke bomb, Ling looked up to the sky and shouted with all her lungs energy. She’d sound insane if anyone heard, but she could live with being a crazy woman for a little.

”Raiden! Come down here! I need you!”

There was a chuckle. The man with hookswords dragged the steel of his sharp blades against each other, releasing a shrill sound that could only be described as prelude to death.

”Raiden’s not coming, lady. That’s the thing about Gods. Always disappointing you…”

Kabal dashed forward at lightning speed, only for him to be blocked by the miraculous answer to Ling’s call. Raiden in his seven foot tall glory and electricity dancing through his body had grabbed the hookswords before they could land into Kung Ling’s shoulders. Raiden's voice was powerful beyond measure, echoing like the thunder itself.

"It saddens me to see you utter such things, Kabal."

Kenshi had not been one of Raiden’s initial chosen, although he had entered the tournament on his mission to slay Shang Tsung.

As such, he lacked the same level of connection with the revenants that Johnny or Sonya did. They were fallen warriors on the same cause, not fallen friends.

Yet, as he blocked Kitana’s blades with his own katana, he wondered what his life could have become if he had been amongst those chosen by a Thunder God.

”A swordsman’s honour demands to die in battle.”

Kenshi could sense the darkness of his opponent’s soul. Kitana’s Edenian and undead nature made it impossible to read her mind in the heat of kombat, but he could at least predict in promising consistency about her attacks.

They danced without words beyond exerts of effort and energy. Kitana had an assassin’s experience despite her turn to the side of Earthrealm’s defence before her demise. Every stab and swipe was intended for lethality at most and deep wounds at least. Kenshi couldn't block forever. 

Tomas Vrbada was one of the first people Kuai Liang could truly admit to calling a friend. Cyrax blurred lines between professional and personal respect, Sektor wasn’t approached with friendship in mind, Bi-Han was… complicated.

But through training, through anecdotes and sheared missions, Tundra and Smoke became bound by not just shared loyalty, but by appreciation of one another’s company.

As he fought his once closest friend, Kuai Liang wondered if anything was left of their past bond.

“You rebuild the clan. Invite street urchins and demons,” Smoke seethed, throwing a punch before vanishing into mist for a drop kick to Kuai’s back, “But you don’t spare so much as a drop of spit for me.”

Sareena, Cyrax and the Lin Kuei were holding off the rest of the attack. Smoke’s abilities had changed, gaining the ability to corrupt and possess those who ingest it. Every wound became a potential new threat.

Was he always capable of such malevolence? Or was it brought by the Netherrealm’s magic.

”Tomas. Whatever Quan Chi has done-

“That name means nothing. I am not your friend, Tomas Vrbada. I am not the Lin Kuei’s weapon, Smoke. I am Enenra.”

Against anyone else, Sub Zero would have used his mastery of techniques and abilities to command ice to his advantage. But an old friend brought restraint.

Restraint he was paying for.

”I am your doom.” 

Suddenly, two projectiles flew into the air, causing Enenra to disappear into mist, reappearing a few feet away. Turning, Kuai saw two allies. Cyrax and…

”Frost!” Emotion slipped into the grandmaster’s voice. Why was she here? How had she? This was too dangerous.

The apprentice struck a strange, summoning a pair of frost daggers.

”Did you really think I would just wait for you to call back?”

There was no time to argue as Enenra reappeared. This discussion would need to continue later.

The school day was over faster than it started. Jacqui felt… weird. Like something was up. Cassie had no messages about training, none of them did. Johnny wasn’t even waiting for them.

“Jacqui, did you pack the portal gadget?”

The look on Jacqui’s face was incredulous.

”Did you ask me if I bought a military grade device to school?”

Takeda raised an eyebrow.

”I mean… did you?”

A pause. Then, the four of them reconvened in a space behind the school as Jacqui unzipped her bag to pull out the miniature device.

”It’ll only get us to the base. From there, we need our own way. The emergency division has energy signatures we can use to bounce forward.”

That was the plan. And hopefully, this would all turn out to be a case of bad online connection. But in Cassie’s opinion?

That scenario seemed to get more unlikely by the minute.

Chapter Text

Cassie burst through the door as soon as the portal dropped her off nearby. Sweat painted her  forehead, having ran all the way here.

”Mom, dad?! You okay?”

She saw the state of the living room. Scorch marks on the wall, broken photo frames. Blood stains. There was a fight here.

Cassie raced over, hugging her father until hearing him wince in pain. Pulling away, she turned to find Sonya with some first aid gear.

“What happened?”

Johnny winced as Sonya rubbed in the healing lotion. The general answered Cassie’s question.

”One of the revenants broke in. We had to fight him off. It has to be part of something.”

”Which one?”

”Cassie-

“Fire marks. No weapon scratches. It was Liu Kang, wasn’t it? Someone sent Liu Kang after you two?”

The silence spoke as much as Cassie needed to hear.

”Tell me everything.”

Jacqui paused as she registered what her parents had told her. Nightwolf, one of the revenants, came here and fought Jax for seemingly no reason.

Not to get anything. Just… to hurt him. Jacqui noticed that her dad’s left hand was busted. It shook a bit, as if the circuitry within was trying to connect and fix itself. 

“Your mom was pretty brave. Gave me enough time for a second wind.”

Jacqui slumped on the couch.

”But, he didn’t want anything? Didn’t try to grab anything?”

Vera shook her head.

”Nothing. He didn’t even try to get inside. It… worries me. The Special forces need to know about this.”

Jacqui walked over and hugged both of her parents. She couldn’t help it.

”I’m just glad you’re both still here.”

Jin returned the embrace from Kung Ling. As soon as he'd returned, he'd been embraced desperately without even time to notice Raiden was here until he saw the Thunder God standing in the room with tea. 

That should be stranger, if only he were somebody else. Raiden had explained the situation while Ling had been busy embracing and savouring the touch of another human being who wasn't undead. That Kabal and Stryker, once allies of Raiden, had came here. They attacked Kung Ling. Not Raiden, not any of the Kung family back in China. But the one relative that Jin was staying with.

Almost like they knew. But... how, how could they know?

Takeda sat in his quarters of the Special Forces base, meditating. Kenshi had apparently returned, albeit wordless and wounded, not fatally. Takeda wanted to talk, but something about his father's situation made him feel that verbal conversation wasn't the comfortable option. They talked through their bond of telepathy.

Seeing the battle, Takeda could only ask one simple question.

"Are you okay?"

There was silence. For a moment. Then, Kenshi replied.

"I will be. Thank you."

Despite himself and the worry in his head about what he learned, Takeda let some lightness into his thiughts.

"Anytime, dad."

Frost threw her hands in the air as she watched her grandmaster begin to walk away. She followed after, throwing off her face mask so that he could see the entirety of her pale skinned face.

”That’s it? The clan gets attacked and you want to wipe your hands? Business as usual?”

”I never said that, Frost. I need a moment, then we will bury the dead and pay respects. You have your own injuries too, I suggest you get them checked.”

As if summoned by the demand, Frost’s ribs ached. Enenra had landed an extremely solid blow to an exposed spot on her uniform. It’s a miracle it didn’t break through with how hard it felt.

A sigh escaped Frost’s lips, anger had dimmed ever so slightly.

“I’m going to find a way to make them pay for this. I’ll be there for whatever funeral you want to give the dead, but I’m not going to move on. Do you understand that?”

Silence. Sub Zero turned around to face his student. She’d grown in ways. Once on the outside, now willing to swear vengeance against an attacker to her clan.

Vengeance was a doomed path, however.

”If you do. You will act in defence of innocents or those you care for. Not out of spite or urge for violence.”

Turning around, Frost didn’t reply until she was about to exit.

”Whatever you say, grandmaster.”

Quan Chi couldn’t resist letting the smile spread across his face. It had worked perfectly, attacking the old guard and likely igniting the fire of vengeance among the younger.

They would charge, eager to settle the score. They would call right into his hands. As countless mortals had before.

As he looked over his servants, Quan Chi sighed in pleasure.

It was wonderful seeing a plan come together.