Shao Kahn - Blog Posts

(MK1/12) Kitana and Mileena Headcanons

Kitana:

-Kitana likes Raiden but doesn’t want to pursue a relationship because of their different lifespans.

-She was unintentionally compared to her sister because she wasn’t as interested in combat and was weaker than Mileena.

-She had a small crush on Liu Kang for a couple of years (nothing came of it).

-Kitana is interested in traveling to Earthrealm and experiencing the culture, especially after watching some movies Johnny recommended.

-Kitana chose the fan as her weapon because it matched her more defensive fighting style, but added the blades on the ends for offensive purposes.

-She is very apprehensive of Tanya because she comforted and helped Mileena through her breakups. Kitana sees how much her sister loves Tanya and doesn’t want to see her get it hurt.

-After Jerrod’s death, Kitana became the mediator of Sindel and Mileena’s arguments. She often wonders how he did it so well.

-Her and Sindel had a closer relationship because there was no pressure to train Kitana to be the next Empress and their different personalities matched well. They would often have tea or plant flowers in the gardens.

-The idea of Kitana being Empress became more favorable after her frequent visits to the cities and helping citizens when needed. Her compassion became well renowned.

-As children, Mileena would call her “Kitty”.

Mileena:

-Along with Li Mei, Mileena was trained by General Shao since their brutal fighting styles matched. The two were close when Mileena was a child and young teen but it faded when Shao grew resentful towards Sindel and Jerrod’s rule.

-She’s had multiple secret affairs throughout her teens and early adulthood. They usually ended after Mileena learned she was being taken advantage of or a mutual break up because betrothment was not possible.

-Mileena was a troublemaker and would sneak out multiple times without anyone knowing until she contracted Tarkat from one of those outings.

-Her relationship with Tanya began after Jerrod’s death and Tanya comforted her during the grieving process.

-Mileena came out to Kitana first since she trusted her sister would be there for her and not tell their parents before she did. Kitana and Mileena hugged and the former told her that nothing would break their sisterly bond. She was nervous about coming out to her parents because she didn’t want them to view her differently and the idea of producing an heir weighed heavy on her. She was happy when they assured her that they still love her and nothing would change that. Mileena cried during both instances.

-Mileena chose the sai as her weapon since it matched her aggressive fighting style and made her focus on defensive fighting.

-Mileena chose Kitana to replace Shao because of her sister’s compassion and wish to unite Outworld, something Shao lacked.

-Her and Jerrod had a closer relationship because she could vent to her father about her worries and frustrations with being the future empress without judgment. They also spent time walking in the gardens and having picnics.

-After Sindel started training Mileena, their relationship soured since it became the basis of it and led to many disagreements.

-As children, Kitana would call her “Milly”.

General Shao (Childhood) Headcanon 

Warning: mentions of child abuse, bullying, terrible parent

Ever since General Shao’s backstory was revealed on the website I’ve believed he had a terrible (borderline hellish) childhood. 

To recap, Shao had the enthusiasm and brilliance to be a great warrior, but his body was too sickly to handle the physical training. Shao’s father did not like this and decided to design a strenuous program to build Shao’s strength. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong but I believe Shao went through awful circumstances that made him the man he is. 

In Outworld, especially in professions that involve fighting, strength is considered the most important thing for a person. No doubt Shao’s father, a renowned Outworld general, would express these ideals and hate the reality of one of his children being considered weak. He would do anything to ensure his legacy was considered strong, which he did by ignoring Shao’s physicians and crafting a training program that could potentially worsen Shao’s condition. 

Because of his family’s reputation, Shao would be tormented by other children. Being pushed around and called worthless or a “sorry excuse to his family tree.” This would fester Shao’s anger and his drive to become stronger like his father, so he’s willing to go through the program. 

In other people’s eyes the program would be considered abusive, but Shao saw it as his father caring about him. He would excuse the days long training, survival training alone in the woods, his father’s harsh words, and not letting Shao eat or drink until he perfected his moves. 

Shao would also inherit his father’s demented beliefs in what being a warrior is and what Outworld needed. He would hear his father complain about the kingdom’s alliance with Liu Kang, hearing him call the fire god a “scoundrel” and “the bringer of Outworld’s downfall.” He’d be taught that domination is the true way to live rather than peace, compassion is considered weakness, death in battle is the greatest honor, and the only way to fight is on your terms. 

(Some of Shao’s intros inspired this headcanon, such as one of his intros with Liu Kang where he admits that he’s wanted to kill Liu Kang all his life, and an intro with Reiko where he tells him, “fight on your terms or don’t fight at all.” Also, Shao’s disgusted reaction to Raiden offering to help him to his feet after their fight inspired the part about Shao being taught that compassion is weakness.) 

Unfortunately Shao never learned that his father’s behavior was abuse since the bullying he faced stopped after being able to defend himself, instead he continues this cycle with Reiko. When it comes to his relationship with Reiko, I believe Shao cares about Reiko like a son but only learned how to express love through his father. He saw his old self in Reiko and wanted to share his feelings of strength with the young boy. He trained Reiko the same way as his father did to him and the results were the same- Reiko became a great warrior. I don’t think he’s manipulating Reiko to tame Onaga; Shao genuinely believes that his young ward is capable of doing the task, but thinks Reiko dying would be okay since his father taught him that dying in battle is an honor. Hopefully if Reiko dies taming Onaga (it’s highly possible with how powerful and rabid Onaga is), Shao lowers his guard and shows genuine care for Reiko. At least a sweet goodbye or a burial scene where we see him mourning his lost ward/son. 

I don’t think Shao would be redeemed if my headcanon turned out to be true, but I would hope that other characters would learn about his past and use it as a cautionary tale on how striving for strength is not worth losing your humanity. The possible tragedy Shao’s story could take would be interesting, especially when Liu Kang somewhat created the beginning of Shao’s life to give him the chance for redemption, yet it’s someone Liu never considered that turned Shao into the person he is. 

Thank you for adding your thoughts to my post. One of my favorite things to do in fandoms is to discuss with other fans about the story, characters, etc.

I see your point about Liu Kang and his abilities but I think Liu Kang had a hand at Smoke being orphaned. In one of his intros with Liu Kang, Smoke asks him if he intended for his family to die. Here’s a link to the video: https://youtu.be/z-r4UecW7PM?si=sHMb4gmKGddNA9oY&t=485 (The intro is at 8:05). Liu Kang’s reply was a bit cryptic and can be interpreted in different ways but I believe it alludes to Liu having to make a hard decision to make sure the timeline went accordingly, such as Smoke joining the Lin-Kuei and befriending the brothers. Also, Liu made plans for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi to live meaningless lives. I don’t think he would’ve risked letting them live freely without careful planning to make sure the plan kept its course, so I believe Liu Kang is capable of planning people’s lives but in varying degrees. Unfortunately, the game wasn't very clear on Liu Kang’s capabilities and restrictions so most fans have different interpretations of Liu Kang's involvement in how the new timeline turned out the way it is. I do give Liu Kang some slack since he gave up his powers decades (most likely centuries) before Hanzo was born.

Anyways, I should’ve been clear when I said Hanzo’s life seems bleak. I meant before being taken in by Smoke. I don’t think Hanzo not being the leader of the Shirai-Ryu is a bad life. My critique was about how Liu Kang made sure Shao Kahn didn’t have extensive capabilities to become emperor and have Mileena, who was his enemy in the old timeline, be Kitana’s blood sister- a change he must have done before relinquishing his powers- while Hanzo’s life before the Shirai-Ryu was hard. I had that expectation that Liu Kang would give Hanzo what he truly desired- his family- since he did that for Mileena- her MK11 ending hinted at her wanting to be a part of a family. I’m fine with Kuai having the Scorpion mantle because it gives the Scorpion/Sub-Zero a bit more depth and new intrigue. Right now, I’m neutral with MK1 Hanzo. There isn’t anything to go by about his character so I’ll be waiting until future installments to give my full thoughts. I do have some faith that NRS will write MK1 Hanzo well. All I hope is they don’t kill off Kuai Liang only to make Hanzo Scorpion again. It would make the change kind of pointless.

I wanted to be clearer on why I don't like Harumi and Kuai together so far. It's not because I see Harumi as only Hanzo's life. I've grown to like Kuai being Scorpion since it gives the Sub-Zero/Scorpion rivalry more depth, and he still feels like Kuai Liang but with a different title. Going as far as to have Harumi and Kuai get married feels like a tamper to that balance. With that decision, he feels like Hanzo but with a different name right now. I'm still open to changing my mind once new story content is released.

Sort of a side note, but I don't think is a young adult (I searched online and a young adult is usually a range between 18 and 25 years old). Based on his height and appearance, I think he is 14-15 years old (adolescent/early teens range). It is possible for 18-year-olds and above to be short but, in MK1, most male characters are around the same height. If NRS wanted Hanzo to be in the same age range, they would've made him closer to Kuai and Tomas' heights. However, I could be wrong since I'm basing this on the tower ending's art style instead of the game's 3D modeling.

Thank you for reblogging my post and adding your opinion. My favorite part about fandoms is to see fans’ different perspectives on story elements. I enjoyed reading your post. Btw, your art is really good! Your Scorpion Harumi’s design is my favorite.

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

(Spoiler Warning: Smoke’s Tower Ending is discussed)

I saw Smoke’s tower ending and was surprised to see Hanzo in the new timeline, let alone as a child. Although I’m open to how the writers will handle his character, I’m kind of disappointed that they went this route. When I learned that Kuai Liang would be Scorpion in the new timeline, I expected Hanzo to either not even exist or live a nice life with Harumi and their son. Instead, Kuai Liang is married to Harumi and Hanzo is much younger than them, which is so weird. I really hoped Hanzo would have a happy life and only be involved in the games through mentions at least.  Also, this decision paints Liu Kang in a bad light. It’s no secret Liu Kang made sure his allies had a good life while making some of his enemies’ lives (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) insignificant to prevent them from turning into their past counterparts. So, it makes me wonder why Liu Kang didn’t think to give Hanzo a good life or at least watch over him. It’s shown that Hanzo is a starving orphan forced to steal for essentials. I have no doubt Liu Kang knows about Hanzo’s past since he met the older and kinder Scorpion in MK11 and Raiden has disclosed Hanzo’s past in MK 9. Plus when Liu Kang fused with the Hourglass, he most likely became aware of what happened in MK9 and MKX. He gave Shao Kahn the chance to be a better man by being the Kingdom’s general- a risk that didn’t pay off, yet didn’t give Hanzo what he always desired- his wife, son, and the Shirai-Ryu. It feels so out of character for Liu Kang to not make sure Hanzo had a good chance at life. 

If I had the opportunity to write Hanzo’s character, it would’ve been very different. I would’ve made him a former Lin Kuei member(he would be 5 or more years older than Bi-Han) who held the Scorpion title until he retired to Japan- where met Harumi and had their son. Hanzo would’ve also been the one to train Kuai Liang in his fire powers in the latter’s childhood. In his honor, Kuai would take the Scorpion mantle after Hanzo retires. Hanzo could also help Kuai and Smoke form the Shirai-Ryu but Harumi helps in recruiting and training while he takes care of their young son. 

Though, I still hold some faith that NRS will write the new Hanzo well. I guess I’m just disappointed because I wanted Hanzo to finally live a happy life where his family stays alive. He was one of my favorites in the MK9-MK11 era so I can’t help but feel a connection towards him.

My Thoughts on MK1 Hanzo

(Spoiler Warning: Smoke’s Tower Ending is discussed)

I saw Smoke’s tower ending and was surprised to see Hanzo in the new timeline, let alone as a child. Although I’m open to how the writers will handle his character, I’m kind of disappointed that they went this route. When I learned that Kuai Liang would be Scorpion in the new timeline, I expected Hanzo to either not even exist or live a nice life with Harumi and their son. Instead, Kuai Liang is married to Harumi and Hanzo is much younger than them, which is so weird. I really hoped Hanzo would have a happy life and only be involved in the games through mentions at least.  Also, this decision paints Liu Kang in a bad light. It’s no secret Liu Kang made sure his allies had a good life while making some of his enemies’ lives (Shang Tsung and Quan Chi) insignificant to prevent them from turning into their past counterparts. So, it makes me wonder why Liu Kang didn’t think to give Hanzo a good life or at least watch over him. It’s shown that Hanzo is a starving orphan forced to steal for essentials. I have no doubt Liu Kang knows about Hanzo’s past since he met the older and kinder Scorpion in MK11 and Raiden has disclosed Hanzo’s past in MK 9. Plus when Liu Kang fused with the Hourglass, he most likely became aware of what happened in MK9 and MKX. He gave Shao Kahn the chance to be a better man by being the Kingdom’s general- a risk that didn’t pay off, yet didn’t give Hanzo what he always desired- his wife, son, and the Shirai-Ryu. It feels so out of character for Liu Kang to not make sure Hanzo had a good chance at life. 

If I had the opportunity to write Hanzo’s character, it would’ve been very different. I would’ve made him a former Lin Kuei member(he would be 5 or more years older than Bi-Han) who held the Scorpion title until he retired to Japan- where met Harumi and had their son. Hanzo would’ve also been the one to train Kuai Liang in his fire powers in the latter’s childhood. In his honor, Kuai would take the Scorpion mantle after Hanzo retires. Hanzo could also help Kuai and Smoke form the Shirai-Ryu but Harumi helps in recruiting and training while he takes care of their young son. 

Though, I still hold some faith that NRS will write the new Hanzo well. I guess I’m just disappointed because I wanted Hanzo to finally live a happy life where his family stays alive. He was one of my favorites in the MK9-MK11 era so I can’t help but feel a connection towards him.

MK1 Character Writing Review

I'm curious about other fans' opinions on MK1's character writing. Personally, I think it's improved most characters but there are some issues.

Ashrah: I'm happy she's back because Ashrah was the 3D-era character I wanted to return. I really like that they kept her story from the 3D era but improved it. I'm curious to see if she'll get corrupted by the Kriss in the next game.

Baraka: His story improved immensely. I never cared for Baraka in the previous games since he wasn't developed enough and was just one of Shao Kahn's henchmen. Baraka being a victim of Tarkat makes him more sympathetic and interesting. I hope he gets a happy ending but I think he'll die in the later games.

General Shao: I'm a bit disappointed in how he was written. I was hoping we'd learn about his past and how it affected his personality. Shao was born with a weak body, so I expected his father to be abusive by forcing Shao to go beyond his limits. This would cause Shao to believe being strong is the only thing that matters. Hopefully, the next story portrays Shao as more than a stock villain.

Geras: I really liked this version of Geras compared to MK11's since he's more than Kronika's minion. He's loyal to Liu Kang but they are friends/partners, and Geras wants to protect Liu Kang's timeline because he believes in its potential.

Havik: I was really interested in learning about Havik, his powers, and the Chaos realm. I was disappointed that Havik was a minor character and his powers weren't explained. I heard that there will be a story taking place in Seido/Order Realm so I'm crossing my fingers that we'll have a great story for Havik and other Order/Chaos realm characters.

Johnny Cage: His backstory and personality didn't change that much which I'm glad for because MK9-11 Johnny had one of the best character arcs in that era. I really enjoyed his bromance with Kenshi and his comedic moments were really fun (my favorite was the Alien reference).

Kenshi: Kenshi's story was already good but it was improved upon and explored further. Kenshi wanting Sento to protect his family from the Yakuza and bring back the Taira clan made me sympathize with him, and actually seeing how he loses his sight was horrifying and broke my heart. His bromance was Johnny was one of my favorite parts and I hope they are in future games together.

Kitana: I found Kitana kind of bland. Unfortunately, with her old goal of wanting to be an Empress going to Mileena, she lost what made her interesting. She felt more like Mileena's sidekick rather than her own character. Maybe that'll change in future games since she's a part of Mileena's council.

Kung Lao: Kung Lao was likable and enjoyable. I don't have much to say other than that. I want the next story to explore his ego/arrogance and why he has that attitude. Although I really like Raiden as Earthrealm's champion, I sort of wish Kung Lao was the champion since he's wished for that opportunity for so long.

Li Mei: Li Mei is an okay character. She's kind of boring since she's a "follow the rules" character. Her and Sindel's friendship was the most interesting aspect of her. Li Mei's powers are really cool though, and I'm a big fan of Kelly Hu (her va).

Liu Kang: Having Liu Kang as Earth's protector and Time Keeper made his character more interesting compared to him being the "Chosen One." I am slightly disappointed in the way he was written. I expected/wanted Liu Kang to be a neutral good character where he's willing to do bad things to keep the peace. They kind of did that with Liu Kang creating meaningless lives for Shang Tsung and Quan-Chi, but he was never called out for those decisions. I also wanted the other characters to start questioning Liu Kang about why there are still tragedies occurring and why doesn't he intervene. Though we get it in the battle intros, I wanted it explored in the story. The writing for how Liu Kang's time powers was also pretty unclear. The power's restrictions were never specified so it's not obvious which events in the timeline are Liu Kang's mistakes or not.

Mileena: Adored her in this game! I love seeing Mileena happy for once with a loving family and a good life. I expected her to be overtaken by Tarkat the whole but was happy to see her with a regular mouth for most of the game. Having her as Empress is really interesting and can't wait to see more of that.

Nitara: I really wanted to like Nitara, yet she's so bland. I thought we would learn about Vaternius, and see Nitara being a truly neutral character. Compared to the other 3D characters in the game, she was the most disappointing.

Raiden: This version of Raiden is way more likable than previous iterations. He's nice, humble, handsome, and strong. He's literally the perfect man! I'd like his anger issues from the previous iterations to be developed in the next story. His anger would get out of control after a tragedy and he feels like being more ruthless is more beneficial to protecting everyone.

Rain: I don't have much to say about Rain. He's kind of boring and was sidelined in the game. Maybe he'll have some kind of connection to Delia and Argus, which will introduce them to the new timeline.

Reiko: Reiko's okay. The only thing I'm really interested in is his relationship with General Shao and it's mostly me wondering whether Shao is capable of caring/loving someone.

Reptile: Love this rendition of Reptile! Like Baraka, Syzoth is more complex and isn't only Shao Kahn's minion. He has one of my favorite designs in the game and his backstory shows the issue of internal racism. The only thing I'm iffy about is his family that was murdered was his wife and son since that is very similar to Baraka's backstory to losing his wife and children to Tarkat. Plus, it's kind of weird that he moved on with Ashrah relatively quickly. I would've preferred if his family were his parents or siblings.

Scorpion: At first, I was a bit iffy about Kuai Liang being Scorpion but think it was a good choice since it makes the rivalry between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai-Ryu more personal. I'm excited to see how his and Sub-Zero's story moves forward.

Sindel: Good queen and mom Sindel is best Sindel! She was very likable! I had a feeling she would die in the story though her soul being absorbed into Ermac was unexpected. I'm interested in where this story will go.

Shang Tsung: I really enjoyed how sassy Shang Tsung was, and was glad he was the main villain after so long. The only thing I'm disappointed in is we didn't see more of his backstory. Also, the idea of Shang Tsung being evil all along NRS was going with was pretty lame. I wanted to see whether Shang Tsung was truly born evil or if was he made that way because of his hardships. It being the latter would've been intriguing because it means Liu Kang technically created Shang Tsung.

Smoke: Smoke is a sweetie, but didn't have much going for him. I was really interested in Smoke when he was in MK9 so I expected him to have his own chapter and develop. Maybe the Lin Kuei/Shirai Ryu war will give me that.

Sub-Zero: I hoped Bi-Han would be an interesting antihero instead of a generic villain. His betrayal is fine, but I wish he was more indecisive or slightly regretful of his choice since he lost his brothers. For example, when he slashed Kuai Liang's eye, I wanted to see him be regretful and sorry for hurting his brother. We didn't get that, which is one of the biggest disappointments of the story.

Tanya: I'm neutral with Tanya. Personally, her role and personality are too similar to Jade's. She felt like a totally different character who happened to have the same name as the original Tanya. Changing a character's story is okay, yet there should be some part of the original iteration that stays. I do find her and Mileena super sweet and I hope they live a happy life.

The gods decided the herratisation of all humanity but a Valkyrie decides to save humanity by doing nothing more and nothing less than Ragnarok but not only gods will participate but beings from other worlds will be the representatives of humanity

| MK1 | CHURCH AU.

Warning: I do not mean to offend anyone or any religion. This AU is only based on the concepts and images of various religions, but does not relate to them.

Characters and roles:

Reiko is a laborer who grew up in one of the rotten areas of Edenia. As a child, he was promised the life of a mercenary, a murderer, a robber, anyone, but a man without a soul and a bright future. The young man attended church all his life, hoping to find there the promised peace and his place in life. Reiko dreamed of becoming a deacon in order to conduct services with Father Shao, but the church flatly refused to accept him until the priest himself decided to take care of the young man, seeing potential in him.

Shao is the Holy Father, beloved by the entire church. At the moment, he takes the place of Jerrod, a priest expelled for his forbidden relationship with the Abbess Sindel, which led to the birth of two girls. That's...probably all that can be said about him, if I really decide to write a fanfic for this au...

Rain is a monk/nun. IMPORTANT POINT He wears a woman's attire (because I like the way it looks) He is the one with dozens of responsibilities, tormenting his poor body and soul, and the appearance of Reiko did not make his situation any easier.

Havik is one of the representatives of the cult founded by Quan Chi. Satanist or heretic, I haven't figured it out yet. He occupies the second oldest place and always bothers the church with his vandalism, open rioting in the square and the corruption of the Rain minds of the inhabitants, calling them to serve the Devil.

Mileena is a novice, the daughter of Sindel, born in a forbidden union. There are rumors that she... has certain inclinations and forbidden romantic relationships with one of the nuns, and also often turned to cultism, after which the Devil himself moved into her young body and fights every day with the unfortunate girl’s soul, which spoils not only her life, but also the reputation of the Edenian Church.

Kitana is a novice, Mileena's sister, Sindel's daughter. She is more pious and pure than the other girl. Calm, gentle, smart and reasonable. Kitana accepts any people and is ready for any fate, in the hope of finding eternal peace and peace for her family after death. Perhaps she will have to pay for the sins of her parents and help Mileena with her problems...

I really really want to write a big work on this au. These are collages for the main actors. In general, yes...it will contain some sad yaoi...👉👈

(I associate this with Lana Del Rey songs)

HEAR ME OUT GUYS

Shao in priest uniform

Just imagine, it's so hot.

MKX's Kung Lao an essay

Notes: I originally wrote this in youtube comment section and decided to post it here. Watch Cynical Warlock's Rewriting Kung Lao video, its super interesting.

Kung Lao seemed pretty badass in MKX, and I'm talking about the old man version that's not seen in the storymode. I first interpreted MKX version of Lao appeared more humble and secure, no longer needing to prove himself as Liu Kang's equal. He even gave me the impression that he could be a mentor figure, appearance wise, whereas Old Liu Kang didn't give me that same vibe. Also, Kung Lao has a special hat that he uses as a weapon... How does he not outshine Liu Kang?

We do see his hat origin in MK1, so we can assume that it's similar to the past timelines on why he uses it. With that being said, he's great at coming up with random weapons, and very effective ones too. In another timeline he might be a weapons specialist, maybe even a maker. He even has another version of the hat that looks like daggers have been glued onto it, which we see in the game (I think it was a variant), and that might have been his first hat before he made a perfected version.

I think if MKX had better writing, then Kung Lao could've been brought back from the dead (like Sub Zero, Scorpion & Jax) and become another mentor figure to the combat kids instead of just being another yes man revenant who obey's revenant Liu Kang.

Both Liu Kang and Kung Lao were playable in MKX, they could've at least brought one of them back. Since they made Liu Kang king of the Neatherrealm, it would have to be Kung Lao.

Just as Sub Zero has a sort of friendship with Johnny, Kung Lao could be the same, separating him from Liu Kang on who they keep close to them. Personality wise, he's less harsh and strict than Liu Kang, and is more friendly, so I can picture him and Johnny having a friendship.

He can teach the combat kids that weapons can be formed from anything, basically ensuring that no one becomes a copy paste of their parents (Cassie & Jacqui), and has something unique about them, like having knives in their shoes and doing capoeira to cut the opponent or something (idk).

Just like Johnny, he isn't treated or spoken to very nicely by Sonya and some others because they keep mistaking his current self to his past self. He doesn't like it when people do this (I certainly wouldn't), but he is mostly civil with cutting remarks every now and then. Think of it as visiting a toxic family you've been in low contact with, and they occasionally make jokes and jabs about you copying your golden child sibling, and how you'll never be like them or escape their shadow. Even though you stand up for yourself, you're still seen as being bitter and jealous.

Another reason why I think Johnny and Kung Lao have a shot at friendship is because Johnny doesn't mention Liu Kang once, or anything linked to the past, or even his personality. Kung Lao is also said to "smile too much" according to Ferra, meaning he has a tendency to smile when he's about to face off with an opponent. Remind you of someone we know?

Here's how he can be introduced: The combat kids have a mission, however, the combat kids cannot go with weapons, at least weapons that are seen. In this au Johnny is with the Wu Shi instead of the Special Forces (as seen in my Havik post), so he sends the combat kids (mainly Cassie and Jacqui) to meet Kung Lao. The combat kids find out that Kung Lao, while still maintaining his teachings, has left the Shaolin and works as a weapons maker in some random town or city in China, and lives in solitude (a metaphor for no longer seeking the validation of others). Instead of giving the weapons straight up, he tests every single one of them. He ends up letting them have the weapons of course, and watches them go on their day.

MK11 made him so cocky to the point he was a Johnny Cage clone, and Kung Lao never struck me as the cocky type during MK9. It was actually Liu Kang that came off as egotistical to me, and the fact that he rebels against Raiden kind of proves that. Liu Kang went against a literal god. There's even an ending that shows he will be corrupt if he replaced Raiden. Earthrealm's champion, ladies and gentlemen.

I never viewed Kung Lao as cocky, so his MK11 version was a complete 180, and the fact that NRS continued that into MK1 disappointed me. Kung Lao is impulsive, but not always. He is capable of being reserved and calculating. While Kung Lao is also quite ruthless, Liu Kang is the hot headed one that refuses to listen to reason at times.

People make all kinds of jokes about Kung Lao and him getting his neck snapped, when Shao Kahn went about it cowardly. I'll elaborate by saying Shao Kahn snuck up on him, it wasn't face to face. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, "when I catch flight, it's gon' be direct". Shao Kahn is Drake in this situation, sneak dissing. When people make fun of Kung Lao's neck snap they're technically meat riding Shao Kahn.

Mileena: Thoughts and Opinions

These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.

[Warning: This post is very long. Revealing cosplay.]

I always saw Mileena as eccentric rather than crazy. The eating people thing? She's not human and is a fang faced creature, we are not to be surprised.

Appearance: Now before Mkx the female characters were sexualized for marketing purposes, but a lot of the fandom recognises Mileena to be the go to when it comes to sexualization. Even when Mkx took the designs more seriously Mileena still has that flare of... marketing. In mk11 that goes out of the window. Now mind you, I like the costumes and skins for Mileena in this game, I'm a sucker for kimonos, and that kimono still has a titty window and comes off as more revealing than Kitana's. Even when you put Mileena next to Kitana, knowing what she looks like without the mask, she's still seen as the 'hotter one' out of the two.

I think it's just the fact they babied her. And when I say they babied her I don't just mean her childish attitude that is significantly different to mk9, I'm talking about her face model. In another post I headcanoned that Kitana is 17-19 in human years because I genuinely believe she looks like she's around that age. In the previous games Kitana and Mileena both look like they are in their mid to late 20's which is how they were able to get sexualized.

Because of the redesigns I think it retconned the interactions that took place between the characters.

Ships

I find it bizarre that most of the male roster roasts the hell out of her, yet have an undertone of flirting based on interactions I've seen. Now, that's probably me being delusional and pulling at strings just to make a ship happen, but it's there.

Mileena + Kung Lao (If I'm feeling bold), Liu Kang (If I'm feeling bolder), Kuai Liang, Hanzo (childhood ship), Takeda ("You can look but you can't touch"), Stryker (watched Sonic XD's mk9 sucks video), Erron Black (I mean he did date Nitara and Skarlet), Bi Han/Noob Saibot

Out of all these ships I've listed I feel the most strongly about shipping her with Bi Han. It's mainly because of a post I saw, which was based on a meme. 

Kitana: Am I ugly?

Liu Kang: No. 

Mileena: Am I ugly

Bi Han/Noob Saibot: Yes. 

Mileena and Bi Han are dating in this meme, btw. I think it was built on the fact that Bi Han can see her for the tarkatan she is but it doesn't disturb him. I don't think he goes out of his way to mock her, either, he's merely analytical of her. Following one of my headcanons, he takes things literal, meaning he has no intentions of harming her emotionally.

Yes, I ship him and Sereena, but I like to try new things.

"We have met before." - Mileena

"In the Netherrealm, where I consumed your soul." - Bi Han/Noob Saibot

That wasn't supposed to sound sweet, but it did. To me. There's also this video.

YouTube

Noob Saibot vs Mileena in Real Life #noobsaibot #mortalkombat #mileena #viel

Credits:Mileena @elizabethragehttps://www.instagram.com/elizabethrage/Camera @tonysurphman https://www.instagram.com/tonysurphman/Noob Saibo

They both have sibling problems and were killed unfairly. Mileena's crown was snatched from her while Bi Han was made a slave alongside Scorpion. You know, the guy that killed him. They fought Kabal together.

Oh, and they can both teleport :).

It could be argued that Noob has a better chance with Skarlet since she reminds him of Sereena, but I like her interactions with Sub Zero.

I'm starting to think I should write a yandere Liu Kang/Kung Lao x Mileena (one sided), I mean Kung Lao wanted Kitana too so he could see Mileena as some kind of replacement.

Family:

I think Shao Kahn does feel some kind of fatherly attachment to her, although I headcanon that he's a narcissistic father. In Mk11 story mode he was ready to kill D'Vorah the second he found out she killed Mileena. Protective dad. I think some of it comes from the father-daughter bond he has with Kitana. While Shao Kahn did say that he kept her around just to appease Sindel, he had no need to do that after her death, so he technically adopted Kitana just because he could. And then teenage rebellion kicked in and he had her replaced by Mileena.

"Where's this boldness been hiding, Kitana? Had you shown it before, I'd have no need for Mileena." I think Shao Kahn did care for Kitana but not in a way that his mind can fully address. But he prefers Mileena, as she's the version of Kitana that won't betray him. Even though Mileena was created as a replacement he still recognised her as an heir, and his daughter.

I also think Shao Kahn can't produce children... I mean I still see Skarlet as his adopted child. Dude's straight up just picking up daughters.

Shao Kahn being a dad:

"Raiden chooses champions poorly." - Shao Kahn

"This from the man who chose Mileena?" - Liu Kang

"Do not mock my daughter!" - Shao Kahn

-----

"Those who betray me suffer, Black." - Shao Kahn

"Our contract died when you did." - Erron Black

"You should've served Mileena." - Shao Kahn

-----

"You'll pay for Mileena, D'Vorah." - Shao Kahn

"This one did Outworld a service." - D'Vorah

"And so shall I." - Shao Kahn

-----

"With Sindel's return our family is complete." - Shao Kahn to Mileena

-----

"Daughter, you have returned." - Shao Kahn

"To reclaim my place at your side from Skarlet." - Mileena

"First prove yourself her better." - Shao Kahn

Yeah, he's a narcissistic parent.

-----

"You didn't teach me blood magic." - Mileena

"Sorcery is Skarlet's gift, not yours." - Shao Kahn

"You'd never know, you never gave me a chance." - Mileena

That sounds like sibling jealousy, Skarlet was certainly adopted.

-----

"Back from the dead, I see." - Rain

"You must answer for scheming against Mileena." - Shao Kahn

"Your daughter got exactly what she deserved." - Rain

-----

Bonus: Kitana

Kitana is just so out of pocket. Now to be fair, she reacted in a way that is understandable. If I found out someone cloned me and I was face to face with that clone I would freak out too. But it's what happens afterwards. Kitana claimed that Mileena attacked her when it was the other way around.

Now if we follow the events of mk9 and not the events that came before it, Kitana never got to even know Mileena, so that comment was uncalled for. Not only that, but Mileena was welcoming towards Kitana upon first meeting her. While she was created to replace Kitana, that was not her priority when she woke up and saw Kitana for the first time. It's very clear that Kitana has absorbed Shao Kahn's narcissistic habits.

Now with some interactions:

"You're more my sister than Mileena." - Kitana

"So why must we fight again?" - Jade

"Where there are siblings there is rivalry." - Kitana

-----

"I don't suppose you have a sister." - Kung Lao

"There is only Mileena." - Kitana

"Thank you. I'll pass." - Kung Lao

I think Kitana actually carries pride over being the pretty one. I also think she took pleasure in making Kung Lao uncomfortable.

-----

"You will be queen of the damned." - Noob Saibot

"That honour is Mileena's" - Kitana

Out of pocket, no one said Mileena's name yet Kitana brought her up just to insult her.

-----

Skarlet and Mileena should've had a bond of some kind that wasn't antagonistic. I already wrote a post about this some years ago on my old Tumblr account, but I deleted it so I have to start over with this post. In Skarlet's original story (before the retcon) she was created in the flesh pits and even appears a few times during the mk9 story mode, so by that alone Mileena and Skarlet have a connection.

In the retcon Shao Kahn is the one to teach Skarlet blood magic, but I always saw sorcery as Shang Tsung's speciality since Shao Kahn has his kingly duties to fulfil so I think it would be much more fitting if Shang Tsung taught her under Shao Kahn's orders, that way her and Shang Tsung have a bond of their own being teacher and student to compliment the fact that he created her back in mk9.

Now, Kitana has Jade so it was an opportunity to have an evil doppelganger situation with Mileena and Skarlet. They both like gore, they both hate Kitana because Kitana was mean to them, and they both don't like Jade. They both also have a thing for Sub Zero, which means they have similar tastes. They should get along. And for them to not get along I think it should've been the normal sibling dynamic where they would easily get into fights and do little things that annoy the other, but deep down are fond of each other. Something that counters Kitana and Jade's you're like a sister to me that you don't see real siblings experience.

If we're gonna follow the fact that they should get along, then Skarlet could've been the cool older sister. She had a boyfriend (Erron), she is good at what she does, and she's just as feral as Mileena but is more laid back. I can picture her helping Mileena with her makeup and her training. The sister that Kitana never was and refuses to be. On Skarlet's part it could be a thing where she remembered how it felt for Kitana to belittle her and for Jade to shun her for not being Edenian, and decides that she refuses to be the same to Mileena.

I have said a bunch of times that Shao Kahn sort of adopted Skarlet or sees her as a child of his. He took her away from the streets because she showed fire, and that's how a lot of adoptions go from what I heard, there's something about the kid that sparks something in that parent. But I think because Skarlet doesn't have royal blood and is a street urchin is what doesn't make her worthy of the title of daughter in Shao Kahn's eyes even if the bond is potentially there.

As much as I would love them to get along, Skarlet is jealous of Mileena. The fact that a clone was able to be given the title 'daughter' in a blink of an eye in comparison to Skarlet who had been serving him for more than centuries. "Shao Kahn needs no more Kitana clones!" is her way of saying that she wants to be recognised, loved and appreciated. "A pity you will never be his daughter." from Shang Tsung wasn't just any statement, he can see that this street urchin orphan who will not be mourned wants a parental figure in her life, and that unfortunately became Shao Kahn. There could've been the potential that it would be Shang Tsung, but we all know what he's like, he would see her as nothing more than a student who wants something more.

Skarlet lusts for power, and I theorise it is because she's trying to fill a hole, which is common in people who lack certain things in their life such as emotional stability and parental support. Having power will give her that sense of control over her life, supposedly.

Following my headcanon that Skarlet desiring Skao Kahn is a sign of her insanity, her need for security, appreciation and love has been perverted by the very thing that gives her power. Poor Skarlet.

So Gods Do Exist… (Mortal Kombat x OC) ((Kinda))

Part 3

Kenshi, Kung Lao, Lemon and Johnny were all summoned to meet Liu Kang in front of the wooden mansion/orphanage they were staying in. 

“So we find him in Outworld and bring him here for questioning?” Kenshi questions, holding up a paper with the drawing of a man’s face on it.

“Yes.” Liu Kang responds. “If what I fear has happened, he is a grave threat to the realms.”

“Anything else?”

“Shang Tsung is a master of deceit. Do not trust a word he utters.”

“Sounds a lot like my first agent.” Johnny comments.

“It’s a tricky mission.” Kenshi continues. “I’d rather Raiden fo than this one.” He pointed to Johnny who looked extremely offended.

“Hey! “This one” is up for the job.”

“This mission must be done quietly.” Liu Kang informs, getting closer to the group to whisper to them. “I am breaking my word with Empress Sindel by sending you into Outworld without her knowledge. Due to the tournament, Raiden is now a familiar face there. Sending him will only increase your risk of being discovered.” He takes a red talisman from out of his back pocket. “This talisman is attuned to Shang Tsing’s chi. Follow it to him.”

Kenshi takes it out of his hand and examines it.

“And be careful. May the Elder Gods protect you.”

“Are we there yet?” Johnny whined.

“Again? How old are you, five?” Kenshi questioned.

“What can I say? These boots aren’t made for walking.”

“Just take the boots off then.” Lemon huffs. “Or stop complaining, I’m the one that has to make sure I don’t accidentally roll off this hill.”

“Then take them off.” Johnny repeats, making Lemon roll her eyes.

“He is right about that part.” Kung Lao agreed. “Why would you wear rollerblades? That’s just asking to make things harder.”

“Well I’m sorry that I only brought two pairs of shoes and one got destroyed. If I knew we were going on the hunt for some “potential” villain, I would’ve brought another pair.” Lemon says sarcastically before suddenly smirking at Kung Lao. “Wanna make a bet on if I’ll fall or not?”

“No! Raiden told me to stop and for once I’m going to listen to him.”

Lemon’s smirk fades away as she rolls her eyes and brings her attention to Johnny. More specifically, the sword on his back. “Johnny, when have you ever used a sword? I thought you just had that thing for decoration.”

“It’s not just for decoration!” Johnny and Kenshi shout at the same time.

“Damn, sorry.”

“That’s my family’s sword. Sento.” Kenshi explained. “And at some point I’m getting it back, Cage.”

“Do you have three mil’ on you? If you do, I could give it to you right now.” Johnny teased.

“You know I don’t have it.”

“I bet your Yakuza pals could come up with it. Oh, that’s right, you blew them off. If there’s one thing Hollywood’s taught me, it’s never burn bridges. You never know who can help.”

Kenshi stops walking and turns to Johnny, flashing his flashlight in the man’s face. “The Yakuza are leeches, bleeding out those too weak to resist. I grew up in that life and I never understood it. Why did my gain require other’s pain? I got out, I need my clan out too. We can’t be a part of the Yakuza’s crimes any longer.”

Lemon huffs and snatches the talisman from Kenshi, gaining his attention. “Keep arguing if you want. I’m going to actually complete our mission before my legs give out on me.” She says, rolling past the trio and following the talisman. Kenshi glares at Johnny once more before he and Kung Lao follow behind Lemon. Johnny rolls his eyes and follows as well.

Lemon reached the end of a cliff, above a bunch of other people and creatures that were fighting each other. She lifted the talisman up to feel its reaction to the crowd.

“What’s your precious say?” Johnny asked, taking his phone out and recording the fight. Mainly the creatures.

“Our potential villain is in there. Somewhere.” Lemon answers.

“Along those creatures?” Kenshi questioned.

“Mhm.”

“Oh, my fans are gonna go nuts cosplaying them at Cage Con.” Johnny commented.

Two armored men drag one of the creatures out of their house, against their will. Another man, who the group was able to recognize as Shang Tsung, walked behind them. “Hold him still.” He commands, taking an empty syringe out of his pocket. “If he squirms I cannot extract marrow.”

“Let’s just jump him after he’s done.” Johnny suggests. “Oh! In “Fist of Iron” we did this thing where like—”

“We’re not basing strategy on your films, Cage.” Kenshi interrupted.

One of the armored men kicked the creature in the back of its knee, forcing it to kneel down. “Let me go!” It shouted. “You can’t do this!”

“The wound will heal quickly, it is a small price to pay for progress.” Shang Tsung declared, pushing the syringe into the back of the creature’s neck. It screamed out in pain and broke the ropes tying it behind its back. It then stabs both the armored men through the chin and head.

Shang Tsung backed away from the creature, getting to a fighting stance. The creature quickly overpowered him, knocking him to the ground with only a few hits.

“On second thought, this scene’s playing fine without us.” Johnny yawned. “Yep, I say we let them finish it.”

“We have to save Shang Tsung.” Kenshi argues. “Liu Kang needs him alive.”

“I was going to say that you’re way too calm, then remembered your past.” Lemon says, slowly backing away from Kenshi who was glaring at her. “Okay, I’ll just…go…around…somewhere. Bye!” Lemon quickly skates away from the group, lightly hitting herself on the head with her fist. “Why the fuck would you bring up his past!?” She shouted at herself.

The other three jumped down the cliff and towards the fight. Kenshi grabbed the creature and pulled it away right before it could stab their potential villain.

Shang Tsung quickly moved away from the fight, smirking at the interference and shapeshifting into one of the creatures. He then roared at them and walked away.

“How did he do that!?” Kung Lao exclaimed before him and Johnny quickly got into a fighting stance to hold off the rest of the creatures. Behind them, Kenshi got flung off the main creature’s back and onto the ground.

“I would’ve killed him, but for you!” It shouted at him.

“I get why you’d want to, but you can’t!” Kenshi argued, standing up and taking his sword out.

“You’re one of his minions! You’ll die in his place!”

Going back to Lemon who still hasn’t found a way to come down, the girl just shouted, “Fuck it!” and jumped down to where the fight was, landing on top of one of the creatures. “Oh shit, sorry!”

“Don’t apologize! They’re trying to kill us!” Johnny shouted from the left.

“Oh, so do you want me to kill it?”

“NO!” Kung Lao shouted from the right. “We have no reason to kill them!”

“Then what the hell do I do? Knock it out?!”

“You would rather kill it!?”

“YES!?”

“NO!”

“UGH!” Lemon kicked the creature on the side of its head, promptly knocking it out.

Kenshi, who was still behind them, won his fight against the main creature and put his sword back. “Now please, let me explain.” he pleaded. Kung Lao, Johnny and Lemon all back up to him, suddenly being surrounded by the creatures.

“You got us into this. How about getting us out?” Johnny asks Kenshi who continues to talk to the main creature.

“I know what this looks like, but we don’t work for Shang Tsung.”

“If not, why save him?” The creature asked.

“Because Liu Kang, Earthrealm’s Protector, wants to question him. He thinks Shang Tsung may be a threat to both our realms.” Kenshi holds his hand out. “I’m Kenshi Takahashi.”

“Our kind do not shake hands.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“Don’t you know what we are?”

“No, we don’t.”

The creature lifts its arms up. “We are victims of Tarkat.” It explains. “The disease is not easily gotten, but you can’t risk more close exposure.”

Johnny quickly wipes his hands on his clothes after hearing that.

“Oh shit, so they’re not creatures…” Lemon mutters. “I can’t call them “its” anymore…”

So the MAN continues to explain how Tarkat works. “It disfigures, then debilitates. In time, it will turn us all into blood-thirsty monsters. Death is our only release.”

“So you weren’t always like this?” Kung Lao guessed. 

“I was once a rich merchant. But when I became ill, I was banished. Now I run this colony. I am Baraka.”

“What does Shang Tsung want with your bone marrow, Baraka?” Kenshi asks.

“I don’t know. But he comes here each month to harvest it.”

“Release us and we’ll capture Shang Tsung. And we’ll find out why he's been coming here, I promise.”

Baraka looks back at his colony before ordering them to let the group go.

“Thank you. We won’t let you down.” Kenshi thanks before turning to Lemon who was holding up the talisman.

“I think we just did.” Lemon whispers. The talisman wasn’t glowing anymore and had cracks on it. “It’s not working…”

“His laboratory is near.” Baraka reassured. “I can guide you there.”

“Thank the gods.” Lemon sighed. “I rather not be scolded by either of those two.” She points to Kenshi and Kung Lao. 

Baraka led them to a large factory type building with water wheels on the side and surrounded by water.

“Any idea what to expect?” Johnny asked him.

“No. I’ve never been inside.”

“Stay here.” Kenshi orders. “We’ll check it out.”

They snuck inside the building and crept up the stairs where they heard Shang Tsung talking to somebody.

“The addition of crushed Kytinn Larvae proved an inspired choice.” He noted. “In testing, outcomes improves significantly. I have modified the formula since the last time it was administered. It uses several new ingredients. This new serum is exactly what we need. Its effects will be immediate and long-lasting.”

The four Earthrealmers peeked over the top of the stairs to see Princess Mileena laying on a chair with Tanya, Rain and Shang Tsung standing over her.

“How can you be sure?” Tanya asks.

“Because it is brewed from freshly extracted Tarkatan marrow.” Shang Tsung answered, looking down at the syringe in his hand. “It couldn’t be more potent.”

“He is infecting Mileena with Tarkat.” Kung Lao noticed.

“Shit, guess he is a potential villain.” Lemon sighs.

“We need to stop him.” Kenshi says.

“Save a distressed damsel?” Johnny laughs. “Sure thing.”

The four of them run out of their hiding spot and stand in front of the group of villains.

“Get away from her!” Kenshi demands.

“You bitch!” Johnny shouts at Tanya.

“What!?” Lemon exclaims.

“Excuse me!?” Kung Lao questions, grabbing Johnny’s arm and looking at him in confusion. “What was that!?”

“You know, the movie!” Johnny attempts to explain. “Tiny girl, ginormous alien, “Ripley!”” The group just looks at him in confusion. “No!? Seriously!?”

“Earthrealmers!?” Rain exclaimed. “How did they find us–”

“They’ve already seen too much.” Tanya states, running towards Kung Lao and Johnny while Kenshi and Lemon went around her and to Shang Tsung.

Lemon kicks the syringe out the sorcerer’s hand, breaking it on impact. She then kicks the sorcerer back onto the wall behind him. Rain then walks in front of them, blocking them from Shang Tsung.

“I need time. Buy it for me.” He tells Rain before running off. Lemon was going to follow him but is pushed onto the ground by a wave of water.

“You will get nowhere near him.” Rain says, glaring at Lemon and Kenshi.

“Shit, I thought Shang Tsung was the sorcerer.” Lemon curses, spitting water out her mouth and standing up.

“Liu Kang sent you, didn’t he? Sent you to learn our secrets!”

“He sent us here for Shang Tsung.” Kenshi corrected, taking his sword out. “But it looks like he’s just part of the problem.”

With some help from Lemon, he knocked Rain out with a punch to the face. “The High Mage is brought low.” He says, putting his sword back. He then notices Tanya starting to win her fight against Johnny and Kung Lao. “Lemon, go stop Shang Tsung. I’ll go help the other two.”

“Right!” Lemon agrees, skating over to Shang Tsung and kicking him in the shoulder. “Can you stop trying!? We’re not going to let you harm the Princess.”

“Who’s said I’m harming the princess?” Shang Tsung questioned, getting into a fighting stance.

Lemon blocked one of his punches and used that to get behind him and kick him to the ground. She then jumped on the man’s back and activated her rollerblades to push him further into the ground.

Shang Tsung cried in pain, glaring at Lemon who held his hands behind his back. “Fighting back was the dumbest idea ever. I’m faster than you, dumbass”

“I can tell.” Shang Tsung says, smirking. He then shapeshifts into Lemon’s body and rips his hands away from Lemon before turning around and kicking the woman in the stomach. “I could use that speed.”

“Oh, what the fuck? What the fuck!?” Lemon shouted, quickly stabilizing herself and turning to Kenshi who was currently fighting Tanya. “Why did nobody tell me the potential villain could shapeshift!?”

“We didn’t know he could transform into ANYTHING!” Johnny argued for Kenshi.

“Well shit!”

Lemon was stuck blocking multiple punches and kicks from Shang Tsung. He was too fast for her to react, and that kinda pissed her off, especially because his speed came from her own body.

Shang Tsung then grabs Lemon’s arm and throws her to the ground. He then slams his rollerblade into Lemon’s stomach, causing the woman to scream.

“You cheater!” Lemon roars, grabbing the leg that was on her stomach and turning her rollerblades on. The wheels quickly spin backwards and because her shoes were on the ground, they moved both Lemon and Shang Tsung towards the wall behind them. Lemon quickly spins around to face the wall and throws Shang Tsung into it, creating a few cracks behind the man.

Lemon then stands up and, once again, grabs Shang Tsing’s hands as hard as possible, forcing him to stand up as well. “Fight back again and I swear to the gods I will literally kill you-“

Kenshi, who finally finished his fight and knocked Tanya out, ran over to Lemon with Kung Lao and Johnny.

“This is twice you Earthrealms have been a thorn in my side.” Shang Tsung groans. “I’ve already told you, I’m not trying to harm the Princess.”

“We’ve heard about how you lie. Excuse us if we’re skeptical.” Kenshi replies, turning to the others. “Don’t let him free.” He then runs to where the Princess is and lightly shakes her awake. “Princess, are you all right?”

MIleena wakes up with a low groan, looking up at Kenshi. “Is it over?” She asked.

“Yes. You are safe. We’ve stopped Shang Tsung.”

“Stopped him!?” MIleena replied in surprise. “Why!?” She suddenly gasps in pain and starts to shake uncontrollably. Her eyes turn red and she becomes more hoarse as she continues to gasp in pain.

“Princess! Princess, what’s wrong!?” Kenshi shouts, trying to hold her down.

“What did you do!?” Lemon demands, pulling Shang Tsung's arms.

“It’s what you’ve done, fool! Let me help her, before it’s too late!” Shang Tsung pleads.

Lemon rolls her eyes and gets off of Shang Tsung’s back. “Watch him.” She tells the other two before skating over to where Kenshi and MIleena are.

“Back up!” Kenshi shouts to her, holding his arm out. “Something’s happening to her!”

“I can see that!” Lemon shouts, looking scared. “This is Tarkat!?”

Milleena sat up and roared at the two. She then broke the chain on her wrist and stood up, slowly starting to walk towards Kenshi and Lemon who were backing up.

“Now do you believe me, Earthrealmers?” Shang Tsung questioned.

“What do we do?” Kenshi asks.

“Keep her occupied. I need time to finish more serum.”

“And I can’t hurt her?” Lemon questions.

“No!” Kenshi states.

“No promises.”

Kenshi ignored her and turned back to Mileena. “Princess! We can help you.”

“Your blood…” Mileena says, sniffing the air. “How sweet it would be to lick off my fingers…”

She then lunges at Kenshi who blocks all her incoming attacks with his sword. Lemon skates behind Mileena and wraps her arms around the Princess’s neck, putting her in a chokehold.

“I said don’t hurt her!” Kenshi reminds.

“And I said no promises!” Lemon replies. “Now are you going to do something or what!? I’m not stronger than this woman just so you know!”

Right after she says that, Mileena breaks free from Lemon’s grip and is about to turn around to attack her but Kenshi swiftly hits the woman in the stomach with the butt of his sword, knocking her to the ground.

“Johnny. Kung Lao.” Kenshi calls, putting his sword back. “Help hold her down!”

The two both grab Mileena by the arms holding her in place as she struggles to break free.

“It’s now or never, Shang Tsung!”

Lemon rolls away from Kenshi and to where Shang Tsung was to get him to Mileena quicker…which proved to be the wrong idea.

Mileena breaks free from Kung Lao and Johnny. She elbows Kung Lao in the chin and goes to bite Johnny but Kenshi pulls her back at the last minute. Mileena wacks the man’s hands away and runs to a table close by to grab her two sai. She then runs back to Kenshi, jumps up and stabs the man in the eyes.

“Kenshi!!!” Johnny shouts as Kenshi screams in pain.

Lemon rushes over to the two and punches Mileena in the face, finally knocking the woman. Shang Tsung takes that chance to finally inject the serum into Mileena’s body, turning her back to normal.

A door to the right opens, showing Kitana, General Shao, and someone new.

“By the Gods! Mileena!” Kitana exclaims, running to her sister. “What’s happened here, sorcerer!?”

“There people were sent to disrupt your sister’s treatment and scandalize Outworld by revealing her illness.” Shang Tsung lied. “This woman here even punched the Princess.”

“Because she stabbed my friend in the fucking eyes!” Lemon, who was kneeling next to Kenshi argued. She stood up to fully defend herself but was knocked out by the newcomer’s punch to the face.

PREVIOUS | NEXT

MASTERLIST

Picrew link: TOON ME!

So Gods Do Exist… (Mortal Kombat x OC) ((Kinda))

Part 2

It’s been months since they started training and everybody has progressed significantly. Raiden was currently sparring with multiple other monks, all of them challenging him at once. He was able to easily take them down and give them feedback on things they needed to get better at.

Lemon, a couple of feet away, was fixing her roller blades.

"What are you doing?" Raiden asked, walking towards the teenager.

"Did I ever tell you that one of the monks here is an inventor?" Lemon asked, putting her rollerblades on and standing up. "He redesigned my rollerblades so I could use them in kombat, look!"

She dashed away from Raiden and towards one of the training dummies they had. She then jumps up and goes to kick the dummies waist. The wheels underneath the rollerblades start moving at lighting speed and cut the top of the dummies body off.

Lemon then lands on her feet and turns to smile at Raiden who looked dumbfounded. "Isn't it so cool!?" She gushed, rolling back over to her friend. "Now I can kill people!"

"That's not exactly something to be excited about…" Raiden muttered, chuckling a bit. "But I'm happy you found something for you."

"I am too!" Lemon replied before noticed Johnny in the distance and running towards him. "Oooh, Johnny, Johnny! Record me!"

Raiden sighs and raises a brow in confusion when Kung Lao walks up to him with his hat in his hands. Raiden noticed the blades on the hat and became even more confused. “I don’t see how that’s a smart idea.”

“It’s genius, Raiden! And it actually works.” Kung Lao said, running his hand on the rim of the hat and accidentally cutting his hand. “Ow!”

“Still don’t think it’s smart.”

Kung Lao smirks at his friend and throws his hat to a nearby training dummy. The hat neatly cuts the head off and returns back to its owner who was still smirking at Raiden.

“Okay, I was wrong.” Raiden says with a small smile. Kung Lao smiles back and goes to put the hat back on his head but Lemon skates up to him and snatches the hat out of his hands and twirls it in her own.

“Lemon, stop doing that!” Kung Lao shouted, glaring at the teenager who was inspecting the hat.

“Pretty cool hat, did you make it yourself?” Lemon asked, ignoring the man’s glare.

“Yeah? So what?”

“Nothing, just wanted to recommend to you a guy that I know that can possibly make your hat even better. Just to…you know…give it an upgrade!” Lemon suggested, rolling over to the two and handing Kung Lao his hat back. “And maybe make it even more useful for the tournament we’re going to have!”

“Speaking of that.” Johnny interrupted, walking up to the trio. “When is it going to start!? I can’t base a cinematic universe on Outworld’s monsters and magic if I don’t ever see them.”

Kenshi, who was actually just going to walk past them, paused after hearing that and turned to Johnny in confusion. “That’s why you’re here?”

“Liu Kang said that this gig would change the arc of my life. That’s how it gets done. My ex’ll rue the day she gave up on me!”

Kenshi scoffs. “So selfless.”

“Don’t act like you’re any different, Tattoo. You’re only here for your sword.”

“We all have our reasons for being here.” Raiden chimed in. “Some better than others. But we are not here to fight amongst ourselves. We are here to fight for earthrealm.”

A gong goes off in the distance signaling the return of Lord Liu Kang.

“Finally.” Johnny comments as the five of them walk over to the God of Fire.

“And today, one of you will be chosen to fight for it at the tournament.” Liu Kang states.

“Only one of us?” Raiden repeats. “But isn’t outworld fielding multiple champions?”

“The tournament’s rules give the host realm that advantage. And it is Outworld’s turn as host.”

“You know, I don’t know why I never asked this, but what’s our record at this tournament?” Johnny asked.

“Earthrealm and Outworld have long been evenly matched. But Outworld is gaining strength. Should it win, its more militant factions will be emboldened.”

“But I thought you admired Outworld?” Raiden questioned.

“It is a place of great knowledge, wealth, and beauty.” Liu Kang explained, walking past the champions, motioning them to follow. “We coexist peacefully because Outworld respects our strength. Should we show weakness…our rival will become our enemy.”

“I will not lose, Lord Liu Kang.” King Lao stated, looking proud.

“First you must win the right to represent us. Whichever one of you outlasts the others will be chosen.”

“Okay, then I have a question.” Lemon spoke up. “The champion gets to fight in the tournament, which is cool, but what do the rest of us do? Do we just go home?”

“No, Lemon, you do not. Being Earthrealm’s champion doesn’t just mean you're only here for the tournament, you’re also here to protect earthrealm as a whole. So you will come with us to Outworld as both guests and guards.”

“Hm.”

Liu Kang sits on his chair while the rest of the monks around him hit on their knees.

“Lemon, step forward.” He demands. Lemon does as said and politely bows to the man.

Johnny laughs. “Good call! Send the weak one first.”

“Excuse me?” Lemon questioned, turning to glare at Johnny but then turns back to Liu Kang with a huge smile. “Let me beat his ass, please let me beat his ass.”

“He was going to be your opponent anyway.” Liu Kang responded. “Step forward, Johnny Cage.”

“Let’s gooo!!!” Lemon cheered as she and Johnny went to separate parts of the battlefield.

“Alright, fine.” Johnny smirked, getting into a fighting stance. “But don’t be upset when you're on the floor in pain.”

“Are we forgetting which one of us actually fought in matches before? Have you ever actually punched a guy on set?” Lemon questioned.

The fight took at least 2 minutes. Johnny was more on the offense but Lemon was easily dodging and at some point apprehended Johnny by forcing his arms behind his back and forcing him to the ground.

“Alright, alright! I give up!” Johnny called, wincing at the feeling of Lemon pulling his arms. “Don’t break my arms, you maniac!”

“Oh, crap, sorry.” Lemon apologized, getting off Johnny and putting her hands behind her back. “Force of habit.”

Johnny stood and rubbed his arm while looking at the teenager in shock. “Breaking people’s arms is a habit of yours!?”

“...Yeah, I worded that wrong…”

“Lemon has won this fight!” Liu Kang announced, motioning for the two to step off the battlefield. “Kung Lao, Kenshi Takahasi, you two are next.”

Lemon, at this point, has stopped paying attention to the actual fight (except that one time Kung Lao almost sliced Kenshi’s neck off and started spewing apologies, which was something she thought he couldn’t do.) Anyways, Kung Lao won the fight so now they’re taking a small break before the last two fights.

“You want me to try and fight the man who’s ALWAYS won against me?” Lemon questioned, looking at Liu Kang in shock.

“It sounds like you’re already prepared to lose.” Liu Kang noticed.

“Yes…yes I am. Doesn’t mean I’m not still trying, but I’m like 80% sure I'm going to get my ass kicked.”

“I’m going to take all of that as a compliment.” Raiden chuckled. “But Lemon, you have been getting better and better. Don’t just assume you are going to lose”

“Eh, we’ll see how good I got with this fight.”

Lemon got her ass kicked. 

It was genuinely a pretty close fight, but Raiden has continued to prove that he was the better fighter.

“See?” Lemon sighs, letting Raiden help her up. “You’re just the better fighter, man.”

“Even so, it was an honor fighting you again.” Raiden replied.

“It was fun.”

“Our final battle will be Kung Lao and Raiden!” Liu Kang announces as Lemon walks off the battlefield to where Kenshi and Johnny are.

“Man…I was so close to winning…” Lemon complained, leaning on Kenshi’s arm. “I didn’t even want to fight in the tournament, I just wanted to kick Kung Lao’s ass…”

“Just ask him to spar later, it’s not that complicated.” Kenshi said, simply, making Lemon glare at him.

“It wouldn’t feel the same, I needed to crush his hopes and dreams like I did with him.” Lemon points to Johnny who looked flabbergasted.

“My dream wasn’t to fight in the tournament! It was to make a badass movie about it!” Johnny argued.

“Yeah, but you thought you were going to win against me and I immediately proved you wrong!”

“Shhh!” Kenshi interrupted. “They’re about to fight.” He then lightly bumped Lemon off of him. “And stop leaning on me.”

“Wha!? Loser…” Lemon muttered, crossing her arms and turning to face Kung Lao and Raiden’s fight.

“Fifty bucks says Kung Lao wins.” Johnny bets.

“Make it interesting.” Kenshi suggests. “Bet me Sento.”

“Ha! Not on your life.”

Liu Kang gets up from his seat and walks over to Kung Lao and Raiden saying, “The winner of this match will represent Earthrealm against Outworld. It is a grave duty, not to be taken lightly. You may step back now and suffer no dishonor.”

“I choose to fight, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden states.

“As do I.” Kung Lao adds.

“Then may the best person win.” Liu Kang says, bowing to the two and sitting back down.

Raiden and Kung Lao face each other, backing away to their own part of the battlefield.

“Concede, Raiden. You have never beaten me, that won’t change today.” Kung Lao gloated.

“No. If the monks have taught us one thing, it’s that the only constant in the universe is change.” Raiden disagreed as they both got into a fighting stance.

Raiden, in the end, proved right as he ended up as the one standing in victory. “There is a first time for everything, Kung Lao.” He said, helping his best friend to his feet.

Liu Kang stands up from his seat and walks back over to the two with something in his hand. “Although you have all trained well, Raiden has excelled. This outcome does not surprise me.” He announces.

“How could I…” Kung Lao mumbled before politely bowing to Raiden. “Congratulations.”

“For the tournament…” Liu Kang started, presenting a small box and opening it. Inside was a blue amulet. “You will need this. Forged by the Elder Gods, it gives the wearer power over lightning and thunder. Go ahead. Try it.”

Raiden took the amulet out and examined how electricity came out of it and into his hand. He then turned to the statue behind him, tightened his grip on the amulet and aimed it at the statue. A powerful blast of electricity came out of the amulet and hit the statue, shocking everybody.

“Holy Arc of the Covenant!” Johnny gasped, recording the entire thing.

“That’s so loud…” Lemon muttered, covering her ears.

“It is incredible.” Raiden breathes, pulling his hand back. “But is it necessary?”

“In addition to possessing great might, the Outworlders you will face also wield great might.” Liu Kang explains. “The amulet levels the playing field.”

“You must be careful, Raiden.” Kung Lao worries, putting his hand on Raiden’s shoulder. “You could get hurt. Even killed!”

“Nobody has ever been grievously injured or killed in the tournament, there’s no need to worry.” Liu Kang reassures. “I would never send my champions unwittingly into mortal kombat.”

Raiden nods in response as Liu Kang announces to the others, “We leave in seven days for Outworld’s capital, Sun Do. The tournament will be held at the palace of Empress Sindel.”

7 days later the group (and a few other people) were standing in front of some sort of gate or teleportation system (whatever it was, nobody really knew). Liu Kang started opening the portal and while doing that explained to the others to stay focused and not feel overwhelmed by all the new changes that he described as intoxicating.

Johnny was, of course, recording everything and even tried to record Kenshi’s reaction. Kenshi slapped his phone away from his face as they all walked through the portal.

Outworld was exactly as the God of Fire described. Intoxicating, a bit overwhelming and colorful. It honestly looked like a true palace and that made Lemon so excited. In front of them were guards and two women. One dressed in pink and one dressed in blue.

“Oh my…” Johnny breathed as the women started to walk down the stairs. “Are those…”

“Empress Sindel’s daughters, yes.” Liu Kang answered.

“They do not disappoint.”

“We are Earthrealm’s ambassadors, Johnny. We’ll show them respect. Not unwanted attention.” Raiden scolded.

“Sure…”

Kung Lao noticed Lemon rapidly looking around at their environment and put a hand on her head to calm her down. “Stay focused.” He reminded her.

“Right. Sorry.” Lemon apologized.

“Lord Liu Kang, welcome.” The pink woman greeted as the Earthrealmers bowed.

“Thank you, Princess Mileena.” Liu Kang replied.

“You remember my sister?”

“Of course, Princess Kitana.” Liu Kang then motions to the people behind him. “May I introduce Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Cheri Carr, who prefers to go by Lemon, Kenshi Takahasi and Earthrealm’s champion…Raiden.”

“I hope you’re prepared, Raiden.” Kitana warned. “Our champions are determined to win.”

“None more so than me.” Mileena added. “It’s been too long since we’ve known victory.”

“Princess Mileena…” One of the guards called, walking over to the princess. “We should be on our way. Empress Sindel awaits.”

“Thank you, Tanya.” Mileena then turns to their guests. “Follow me, please.”

They led them to two carts and asked them to climb on. Both were able to hold four people at a time so Kung Lao, Kenshi, Johnny and Kitana sat in one cart while Raiden, Liu Kang, Lemon and Mileena went in the other cart. They rolled through the village where a festival was taking  place. There was music and people dancing, it was so vibrant and colorful that it had drawn both Lemon AND Raiden’s attention.

“Those are Centaurians…” Raiden noticed, looking at the people in the crowd. “And Shokan!”

“The six-armed beings are Naknadans.” Mileena informed.

“The monks described them, but seeing them in person…” 

“It’s so cool!” Lemon gushed, slightly leaning over Raiden to see outside the cart as well. “I wonder what it’d be like to have six arms, that must be fun!”

“But wouldn’t it be a bit crowded?” Raider questions.

“Yeah, probably.”

“I see that Her Majesty one again spares no expense on the festival.” Liu Kang noticed.

“Should she not?” Mileena inquired. “It commemorates my late father.”

“I admire, Princess. I do not judge. As did all of Outworld, I valued greatly Jerrod’s fellowship.”

“And I thought the academy would be the best thing I’ve ever seen…” Lemon muttered, quietly grabbing Kung Lao’s hand and putting it on her head so she could force herself to focus.

“No offense, Liu Kang, but why bring a child here?” Kenshi asked Liu Kang, eyeing Lemon.

“She’s a warrior, just like the rest of you. She just became one in a shorter amount of time.” Liu Kang answered. “You saw that when she fought Johnny and Raiden.”

“I suppose you're right.” Kenshi agreed.

"Don't let her childish nature fool you."

Raiden was standing next to the two, slightly fidgeting with his fingers and deep in thought. He was worried and not exactly sure if he’d truly win this tournament.

Liu Kang noticed. “Worry expends energy for no purpose, Raiden.” He said.

“But the tournament, if i lose–”

“Focus on your actions, not the outcome. It is all you can control.”

A buff creature with horns walks through the town people, bumping into them without a care in the world.

“Red alert.” Johnny commented. “Incoming stock villain.”

"General Shao." Liu Kang informed. "Do not let him goad you."

The general notices the group and stomps towards them, standing in front of Raiden. "Is it me or is Earthrealm's champion scrawnier than usual?" He asked.

"Would you care to test his strength?" Kung Lao challenged. "Raiden will-"

"Will prove himself eventually." Liu Kang interrupted, pushing Kung Lao behind him.

"Have you still not told most Earthrealmers that Outworld exists?" General Shao asks. 

"It is safer that way, General."

"I suppose so. Your people's frail minds couldn't handle the truth."

"You presume them frail, General? Should you? Given how frequently they win this tournament?"

"We will destroy your champion, Liu Kang. He will taste no victory."

The General then storms off as the Empress walks into the palace along with her daughters, Mileena and Kitana. They showed how powerful they were just by walking to their seats.

"Welcome, members of the royal house. Welcome, our esteemed Earthrealm guests." The empress greeted. "We gather once again to honor my late husband's legacy. To continue the tournament that he founded with Lord Liu Kang in hopes that it would foster peace among the realms. May Jerrod's soul watch over us with pride from its resting place in the Living Forest. Lord Liu Kang.”

“Empress Sindel.” Liu Kang responds. “It pleases me to once again be your guest.”

“Here, you are always welcome. Now. Let us meet your champion.”

“Earthrealm’s champion is Raiden, Your Majesty.” Liu Kang steps to the side to show off his champion. “He has earned his place by embodying the very best qualities of Earthrealm’s people.”

“You seem nervous, young man.” Sindel notices.

“I’m a stranger in an unfamiliar land, here to compete against its greatest fighter. Yes, I am nervous.” Raiden says.

“As you should be. You have a difficult path ahead.” Sindel then stands up and announces, “It has begun!” A woman walks into the palace as Sindel continues to speak. “As tradition requires, Outworld’s initial competitor will be Sun Do’s First Constable…Li Mei. May she defend out realm’s glory as well as she preserves our capital’s order.”

Li Mei walks up to the empress and bows. “Your Majesty, I will honor both the royal house, and all of Outworld with my kombat.”

Sindel puts a hand on her shoulder. “If so, you will vastly exceed my expectations.” She says before whispering, “Remember, were it not for Jerrod’s tradition, you would not be here.”

“All you need do is your best.” Liu Kang says to Raiden. “The rest will take care of itself.”

“Yes, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden replies. Liu Kang then walks away as Raiden and Li Mei face each other.

“Shall we see what you can do?” Li Mei asks.

“Hopefully, this will be the first of many victories.”

“I will prevail, Earthrealmer. This fight is more important to me than you can ever know.”

The fight ended with Raiden’s first win. Li Mei ended up on the floor in embarrassment.

“Guess Raiden’s really got this.” Kenshi mutters, watching Li Mei walk out of the palace.

“Of course he does. He’s bested all of us in kombat, why wouldn’t he best Outworld as well?” Kung Lao questions.

“My compliments, Raiden, on a well fought match.” Sindel congratulates. “We’ll see how you fare in the next. General Shao, Whom have you chosen as our next competitor?”

“Your Majesty, I have chosen Reiko, my second-in-command.” The General answers. Reiko then walks into the palace. “As a bot, Reiko was orphaned during the Kafallah War. Though Captured, his spirit remained unbroken. He scratched, clawed and survived.”

“He reminds me of Grumpy Cat.” Lemon chuckled.

“After the war, I took him in, molded him into the perfect soldier. Few others are as well versed in the ways of war.”

Reiko stood in front of Raiden and started punching and kicking the air either to show off, or intimidate Raiden (Which doesn’t even work.) He then asks, “In whose army have you served? In what war have you fought?”

“I have done neither.” Raiden admits.

“Then you are woefully unprepared, Earthrealmer. This will be your last battlefield.”

They always have some dramatic speech before Raiden beats them up. At this point it was a bit amusing to see Reiko get beat. Lemon had to cover her mouth to stop any laughs from coming out.

“Felled by a simple farmer.” Raiden brags, leaving Reiko to lay on the ground as he turns to Sindel. “I am ready for my next opponent, Your Majesty. Whom shall I face?”

“Patience, young man.” Sindel says, standing from her throne. “We are adjourned until first light. I hope to see you all at this evening’s banquet.”

“May I ask a question, Your Majesty?” Lemon asked, standing in front of the Empress. Liu Kang was watching from afar to make sure the woman didn’t say anything stupid or offensive.

“Yes, you may.” Sindel replies.

“Why do we say “Your Majesty” instead of “My Majesty”? I’ve always had questions about that.”

Sindel’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. Out of all the questions, she wasn’t expecting that. “You truly are young, aren’t you?” she chuckles. “Majesty means honor. So it’d be a bit abnormal for people to say “My Majesty” because that would mean they have honor, which they do not.”

“Ooohhh. Okay.” Lemon nods, bowing to the empress. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Of course.”

“I could’ve answered that question for you.” Liu Kang says as Lemon walks back to her seat, next to Raiden.

“Really? I just thought it’d make sense to ask the Empress herself.” Lemon shrugs. “Wait, did she just call me young? I’m 17…”

“I’m pretty sure everybody here is older than 20.” Kung Lao comments. “You just have to admit you are the youngest one here.” He shrugs, smirking at Lemon who glared at him.

“Don’t talk to me with your mouth full.” Lemon scoffs, leaning back on her chair and crossing her arms.

“So, what sort of name is Lemon?” Kitana asks from across the table. “Is it referencing the fruit or something else?”

“The fruit.” Lemon answers, her smile coming back to her face. “It’s just a nickname that stuck with me.”

“I still don’t understand how it’s supposed to match with your name.” Johnny chimed in, leaning his head on his hand.

“You’ll figure it out at some point, it’s extremely basic, I promise you.”

Kitana perked up. “Oh! Che–”

“Don’t give him the answer! Keep it to yourself!” Lemon interrupts, holding her hand up.

“What!?” Johnny exclaimed.

“I just wanna see how long it takes you to figure it out.”

Mileena, a few feet away, started to quietly groan in pain as she held her stomach. Tanya walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Are you unwell, Princess?” She whispers.

“I am fine, Tanya.” Mileena answers.

“I know I’m to fight Mileena…” Raiden started. “But will I also face Tanya?”

“By tradition, you will not.” Liu Kang responds. “But if you did, you would be challenged.”

“How so?”

“Umgadi, like Tanya, are warrior priestesses. Selected from the first born daughters of Outworld. From infancy, they are trained to defend the royal family.”

“Outworld must see much conflict if the Empress needs such protection.”

“Its past has been difficult. Though the last thousand years of Empress Sindel’s reign have been a true golden age, the memories of the strife still linger.”

Sindel stands up from her seat with a drink in hand. “My husband Jerrod believed that the future of our realms lay together. Let us move forward in open dialogue, letting no secrets tear our bonds asunder.”

Everybody stands up with their drinks as Raiden continues the speech. “Your Majesty, It’s an honor to be here and to meet your people. I can already see there’s more that joins us than divides us.”

Shao lets out a sarcastic laugh and stands up from his seat. “Our people could not be more different, champion.” He disagrees.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Earthrealmers are devoid of all–”

“That’s enough, General.” Sindel interrupts, glaring at him.

“My apologies, Your Majesty. Perhaps I’ve enjoyed too much of this excellent wine. With your permission…”

“You may go.”

The General walks off, knocking his glass off the table. Reiko follows after. The silence was loud after that, with no one daring to say a word.

“I am sorry about that.” The empress apologizes. “I’ll deal with him later. Liu Kang, you can show your warriors to the room you’ll all be staying in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Liu Kang responds.

The “room” in question was more like a mansion than anything. It was made mostly out of wood but it was able to hold the six of them and the rest of the monks from Earthrealm.

“This just feels like a better orphanage.” Lemon comments, going up the stairs to one of the rooms and looking inside it. There were two pairs of bunk beds inside. “Yep.”

“Oh god, bunk beds!?” Johnny exclaims, looking inside the room as well. “Why would I wanna sleep with these people!?”

The rest of the group ignored them and just decided who would sleep in what room. Raiden, Kung Lao, Kenshi and Johnny were all going to sleep in one room while Lemon slept with, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang and Tomas (She still kept calling him “gray guy”)

Was Lemon happy she had to sleep with a bunch of grown men that she barely talked to? No. But it’s better than sleeping alone in her own room. That terrifies her.

“So, how does it feel to be famous?” Lemon asked Johnny. The two were in the living room with a bunch of other monks who were talking amongst themselves. Kung Lao and Kenshi were also there while Raiden went to sleep early to be prepared for the continuation of the tournament.

“Why are you asking me? Aren’t you famous as well?” Johnny inquired, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

“Well yeah, but I’m assuming that being a famous actor is different from being a famous kickboxer.”

“Sure, I might be famous because of how handsome I am while you’re famous for kicking a person, but I’m sure there’s some things that are similar. Like…can you just freely walk around your neighborhood without someone running up to you for an autograph?”

“No.”

“Do you feel like you need to be perfect?”

“Yes.”

“Do you need to always question who your actual friends are because one of those people could be a jealous asshole?”

“Yeah–Oh.”

“See? We have some similarities.” Johnny says, taking a sip of his wine. “When did you start to become famous?”

“When I was eleven.” Lemon answered, moving to cross her legs on the couch they both were sitting on. “I was already good at fighting but Justice showed me how much people would pay to see “professional” fighting. So…yeah.”

“Do you have any sort of goal?”

“Get out of the orphanage I live in. Take my girlfriend with me. My other two friends already left while we were training with the monks. Then after that…who knows! I just can’t wait until February! Being famous kinda sucks but you get money out of it.”

“True that!” Johnny laughed.

“So, do you have a goal Johnny?” Lemon inquired.

“I’m losing my fame a bit so I’m just trying to get that back. Main reason why I joined you all. I’m gonna make it big once again by making a movie out of this!”

“A movie? About Raiden fighting in the tournament?” Lemon questioned. “Sure, the people here look cool as hell but just making a movie about a tournament is kinda…eh.”

“Well, of course it’s not going to be just the tournament. Something interesting is going to happen at some point. we just have to patiently wait for the drama to start.”

“Patiently? Dude, ever since I’ve met you, you’ve been complaining about how long something was taking.”

“I’m a changed man now!” Johnny insisted.

“Ha! Sure.” Lemon laughs, looking at the table in front of them.

The continuation of the tournament was held outside the palace on the side of it. The seats where the Empress and her daughters were was in front of the area where the audience was supposed to be, so the fights would be right in front of them.

Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kenshi, and Johnny were with the rest of the audience also feeling proud for their champion. Lemon was on top of Kung Lao’s shoulders due to a bet they made (she won), trying her hardest not to accidentally fall backwards and hurt them both. Raiden, as of right now, was standing proudly where he was, having already beaten three other people.

“Only two fighters remain. Are you ready, Earthrealmer?” Sindel asked Raiden.

“I am, Your Majesty.” Raiden assures.

“Then next you face my daughter. Kitana”

The two final fights went like this: Raiden beats Kitana (Mileena was absent for some reason) and Raiden beats General Shao (does this man have an actual name?).

“It’s over…” Raider realizes as a smile slowly creeps up on his face. “I have done it!”

Sindel stands up along with her daughter. “Congratulations, Raiden. Earthrealm wins.” The two walk away as Raiden walks towards General Shao who was on the ground in pain.

“May I assist you?” He asks, lending the general his hand.

“Stay away, Earthrealmer!” The general scoffs, whacking the man’s hand away. Raider backs away, getting his message.

“Well done.” Liu Kang congrats. “You have exceeded my greatest expectations.”

“Thank you, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden replies.

“Because of you, the Outworlders who would disturb the peace will once again be held at bay.” Liu Kang then puts a hand on Raiden’s shoulder and guides him to the others. “Come. Let us bid our hosts farewell and return to Earthrealm.”

“You did great, Raiden!” Johnny complimented as they all walked off the field.

“Well done!” Kenshi added.

“Thank you, but uh…” Raiden turns to Kung Lao and Lemon in slight confusion. “Kung Lao, why is Lemon on top of you?”

“Lost a bet…” Kung Lao sighs.

“They’ve been making bets since last night.” Kenshi informs.

“You should’ve been awake to see it!” Johnny laughs. “Kung Lao lost every. Single. Bet.”

“He keeps trying though. To prove he can beat me, but he never will.” Lemon smirks, leaning her arms on Kung Lao’s head. “Isn’t that right, Kung Lao?”

“I will win a bet eventually, just wait and see!” Kung Lao announces.

“No. Kung Lao, just stop before she takes all your money along with your pride.” Raiden warned.

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Picrew link: TOON ME!