Mortal Kombat Unlikely Alliance

Chapter 1: Late Night

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At 2:30am, it was another late night for Special Agent Sonya Blade at the FBI headquarters base. Sonya had volunteered to work overnight to catch up on some reports that demanded her attention. She had recently been tasked to investigate supernatural attacks occurring in the US. Over the last four months, she noticed an increase in disturbances that produced a lot of collateral damage. Slowly sipping her coffee, Sonya was staring at one of two computer screens on her desk. The first screen detailed incident reports by victims, the second screen was displaying various satellite mapping images of the locations of these attacks.

Sonya had spent months researching these disturbances by reviewing reports from surviving victims, archived news footage of eye witness accounts as well as video uploads through various social media outlets. Despite her extensive research, Sonya often came to a dead end as to the cause of these disturbances. All she knew, however, was that these attacks were increasing with frequency and were only going to get worse if her unit couldn't get a handle on them.

She was reading a report of the most recent disturbance that occurred the night before. A massacre on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA had resulted in the deaths of at least 150 civilians with at least 100 more injured. It was described as a horrific tragedy .There were eye witnesses that had reported seeing gruesome looking humanoid figures during the attacks. Their faces almost appeared deformed; monstrous even, with yellowish snake like eyes and large sharp teeth. As if that was not horrifying enough, these humanoids had blades that were protruding from their arms. Other witnesses described seeing these monstrous beings enter from a fiery ring and would also drag people through them.

Sonya was watching a graphic Facebook Live video posted by a surviving victim of the Golden Gate Bridge massacre. In the video, the victim is yelling into his phone camera describing events unfold while he was running through the chaotic scene. Sonya sat motionless as she watched people flee from their cars. Other cars were derailed into the sides of the bridge from the chaos. There were people that laid dead with slashed throats, and a few were decapitated.

The victim continued to run through the bridge which was littered by dead bodies and severed heads on the ground. Suddenly, the victim dropped his phone and after a short pause, he is seen falling to the ground. Moments later, the young man is approached by the monstrous humanoid. Sonya's mouth dropped. "What in God's name was THAT?" she said. Then Sonya's eyes widened in horror as she saw the humanoid man start to violently stab the victim multiple times in the abdomen.

Sonya then noticed a fiery ring appear behind the monstrous humanoid. A mysterious man that appeared like a ninja stepped out of the ring. He wore yellow and black colors, a golden mask on his face and his black hair was tied back into a small bun. He also sported a black scorpion tattoo on his left arm. The ninja approached the monstrous figure and with a quick circular motion of his hands, he was able to set him on fire.

Sonya sat there completely stunned; she doubted if what she saw was real, and questioned the authenticity of the video. She then tried to search through more social media reels as well as other live news outlets to try to corroborate what she saw from the Facebook Live video. Sure enough, there were several more videos uploaded as well as multiple news channels that depicted the exact same scene. She also came across a video featuring another ninja, wearing black and gray colors, with smoke coming from his body. He appeared to be assisting the yellow clad ninja in fighting the humanoid monsters.

Sonya looked at her watch; it was now 3:00am. Sonya typed a brief email with a summary of her findings to her her partner, Kurtis Stryker. She let him know that she would have a detailed report no later than 10:00am that morning. She decided that she would pack up for the rest of the night and head home for at least a few hours of sleep.

Sonya walked from the base to her truck. There were hardly any cars at that time of the night, so the parking lot was fairly secluded. As Sonya started to open her truck, two black cloaked figures threw a dark plastic bag over her face. She violently struggled to get free but the mysterious men over powered her. Kicking and screaming, Sonya was thrown into the back of a moving black van. With what little visibility she had, Sonya lunged forward in an effort to try to escape the van, but she was quickly knocked out from the side of her head. Everything faded to black.

Chapter 2: Unexpected Ally

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Sonya groggily awoke in a dark cold room. She tried to move her hands but realized that they were bound to her back. Seeing no one around her, she frantically yelled, "LET ME OUT!" After a few minutes, the door finally opened allowing for light to enter the blackened room. Sonya was squinting her eyes from the brightness of the light. A tall figure entered the room and gradually approached Sonya. When he was close enough to her, he pulled the dangling light bulb switch that was hanging above him. Sonya started to violently struggle to get her hands free as the young man got closer to her.

The young man leaned over Sonya and lifted her chin to look up at him. "Sonya Blade." Sonya darted her eyes from him and frantically tried to make sense out of her surroundings. The room was bare with no furniture, besides the chair she sat on. She noticed that there were two large banners hanging from the corners of the room featuring a black serpentine symbol. Recognizing the symbol, Sonya suddenly realized where she was and who she was now dealing with. "Black Dragon," she groggily stated. "Bingo," Jarek confirmed.

Then a woman spoke from the doorway. "It's been a long time, Blade." Sonya immediately knew Kira's voice; a higher ranking Black Dragon member. Sonya struggled a little bit more from her chair. "Kira, why am I here?" "Boss wants to talk to you, that's all," she calmly said. "He asked us to bring you here unharmed." Sonya suddenly felt a throbbing headache and scoffed at her comment. She was even more annoyed at the idea of having to see him. "Alright, let's get this over with. Where is Kano?" Kira slyly smiled. "Come on, Jarek and I will take you to him."

She started to feel uneasy as they started to make their way through the warehouse. The floor they were on was poorly lit; the lights flickered on and off. They entered a hallway with a long staircase. After reaching the top of the stairs they made their way toward Kano's suite; he had the entire floor to himself. Sonya was surprised at the difference in the appearance of this floor as it had a penthouse vibe. Upon reaching the door, Jarek knocked hard a few times. Kano called from inside, "Bring her in."

Sonya entered inside with both Kira and Jarek. Sonya was amazed at the size of the luxurious suite. It was huge. She was able to see a large living room with tan suede love seats, as well as a sectional chair and a coffee table. There was a large flat screen TV and a fireplace below it. She could see a dining room with fine linens on the right side and a large kitchen in the room behind it. This was all she could see, as the layout of the suite was long and there were other rooms beyond her view.

Kano was standing by the fireplace. His cybernetic eye had an eerie glow from the light of the fire. A chill went down Sonya's spine at the sight of his appearance. He slowly turned to her; a small smile spread across his lips. "Hello love. It's been awhile." Sonya narrowed her eyes. "Not nearly long enough. Let's cut the bullsh*t. Why did you bring me here?" Kano looked at Kira and Jarek. "Give us the room, will ya?" Jarek untied Sonya's wrists. As he and Kira started to leave, he looked toward Kano and said, "Holler if you need anything, boss." Then he shut the door behind them.

Kano and Sonya stared at each other a moment; the sound of the crackling fire seemed to be more profound in the silence. Kano started to approach her and sarcastically asked, "C'mon, baby, is it really so awful to see me again?" Sonya scowled. "Yes, it is. I was hoping that the next time we saw one another that you would be locked up inside of a maximum security prison cell, but here we are."

"Sonya, Sonya. For once baby, can't we just play nice?" Sonya's eyes widened. "Play nice? Your men kidnapped me, threw me into the back of a moving van and knocked me the f*ck out. You call that playing nice?! " Kano shrugged. " Well, I didn't think that you would have been so open to meeting me so I had to get a little creative." Sonya became annoyed. "Kano, my patience is wearing thin. Why don't you tell me the real reason you went through so much trouble to bring me here?"

"I have information that you may find interesting."

Sonya regarded him cautiously. "What makes you think that I would be interested in anything that you have to say?" Kano mischievously smiled at her. "A little birdie told me that you have been researching several phenomenon of a rather supernatural nature." Sonya gave him a surprised look. "Wait, how do you know about my research? That information is supposed to be classified." Kano smiled. "Patience baby, you'll know in due time. What if I told you that I could lead you to someone who knows the source of those disturbances?" Sonya looked at him more intently. "Go on."

"Some bloke approached me a few nights ago that made mention of those disturbances. Said that is it beyond any normal forces here but knows where they are coming from. You and I need to make a meet with him as he is enlisting the two of us to stop these things." Sonya looked at him with a startled expression. "Did you just say that you and I are being enlisted together?" Kano grinned. "Yes, love. We need to work together. For now anyway, until we find out what we are in this for."

Sonya laughed out loud. "I am sorry, but you have got to be kidding me. We have literally been fighting each other for years and have tried to kill each other countless times! You do realize the absurdity of this concept?" "Indeed I do, darlin. But, apparently, you and I are being sought after," he said. "By who?!" Sonya asked. Kano raised an eyebrow. "Ready for this? Some Wu Shu wanker that calls himself Liu Kang. He claims to be some sort of f*cking fire god. Can you believe this bloody drongo?"

Sonya thought about it. "That does seem strange for sure, but after some of the things that I uncovered through my research that may be plausible..." After a brief hesitation, she looked at Kano. "As much as I despise the idea, I will agree to this arrangement if this Liu Kang can lead us to the source of these phenomenon. How soon can you set up a meeting?"

"I will work on setting up contact. You should try to get some kind of sleep... you've had quite the night," he said. "About that..."Sonya asked. "Just where am I supposed to sleep?" "Oh, right. You'll stay here for the night." Sonya cringed at the insufferable suggestion. "You want me to stay here with YOU?! There is not a chance in hell that is happening." Kano started to laugh and shook his head. "I know you hate my guts and all, but bloody hell, woman! You do know that I'm trying to be hospitable? The suite is big enough for the both of us. You'll never even know that I am here. Lemme show you where you'll stay."

Sonya's room was at the opposite end of the suite. The bedroom was large with an inviting king size bed and ottoman bench in front. The bed was complete with a white fluffy comforter, silky white pillows and sheets. There was a working fireplace with a mounted TV above it. On the bed, Sonya noticed a lacy, white silk teddy dress that was much sexier than anything she normally wore to sleep. Sonya narrowed her eyes at Kano. " Seriously, Kano, if you try anything funny with me, I will f*cking cut your balls off."

Kano found her hostility amusing. "I assure you, I had nothing to do with that. Kira has... an interesting taste in clothing." Then he looked at her and grinned. "Bet you would look great in that too," he said with a wink. Sonya rolled her eyes, which cracked a smile from him. "Get some sleep, love." As Kano left the room, Sonya wondered what the hell she got herself into. She changed into the silky dress, brushed her teeth and then laid down in bed. She immediately felt the weight of the long day and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 3: Fateful Meeting

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Sonya woke up around 11:00am. She was so exhausted that she hadn't heard her phone vibrate from incoming calls and text messages. She looked at the phone; six missed calls, all from Stryker. Sonya started to listen to his frantic messages. Nothing seemed amiss when he had pulled up to the base and saw that her truck was still there in the lot; he figured that she must have stayed there overnight. What threw him off was the fact that Sonya had promised to give him her report by 10am and she failed to send it. Stryker knew that Sonya lived for the job, and it was not like her to miss a deadline; which meant that something was really wrong.

Sonya sent him a text. "Hi Kurtis. I am going to be MIA for a while. There is an urgent matter that requires my attention. I can't get into details at the moment, but know that I am fine. I will reach out to you when I have more information." She figured that it made no sense to call him until after she and Kano met with Liu Kang to find out what was required of them. She then briefly spoke to one of her superior officers and provided him a similar explanation. Sonya got up and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and freshen up with a shower. After she was done, she decided to look into the closet to go through some of the outfits that Kira had left her.

Sonya cringed from her choice of outfits. Sonya was normally used to wearing tee shirts, black or camo styled pants and jackets if she was out on the field. Instead, she saw multiple tight fitting leather pants in shades of black, brown and red. Her options for "shirts" consisted of halter tops, leather tube tops, or cropped spaghetti strap tank tops, all with the same color theme. Sonya found Kira's choice in undergarments to be equally surprising as everything was in lace. Sonya preferred her undergarments to be more functional and chose comfort over style, however, she did appreciate the change.

Sonya picked out a pair of dark brown leather pants, with a brown cropped tank top. The outfit accentuated her curves as it tightly clung to her body. She wore her blonde hair loose and put on some makeup. She then had to decide between which boots she was going to wear. She would normally opt for ankle length combat boots, but her choices were limited to thigh high boots, or knee length. Both styles had a slight heel to them. She chose a pair of black boots that were of knee length. Lastly, she put on black arm cuffs and black bangle bracelets to finish her look. When she was completely dressed, Sonya looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. "I look like a Black Dragon."

Then she made her way toward the kitchen where she spotted Kano. He was wearing a dark red muscle shirt, dark brown cargo pants with pockets and brown combat boots. He was searching the refrigerator for a beer. When he closed the door, he stopped and stared at Sonya. The widest grin spread across his face. "Damn woman, you look good." He couldn't stop himself from eyeing her up and down. Sonya rolled her eyes at him. "Remind me tothank Kira when I see her," she sarcastically said. "Well, if you're going to work with us, you gotta look like us," Kano said with a smile. "And baby, you look the part."

Sonya started looking around the kitchen. "What do you have here to eat? I am starving." Kano reached behind him to uncover a hot plate that had a veggie omelet with cheese, buttered wheat toast and slabs of bacon. He gave her black coffee and left her with cream and sugar so that she could fix it the way she liked.

"I figured I let you sleep in since last night was a little rough on ya. Eat up. I was able to arrange our meet with Liu Kang. We leave in an hour." Sonya hungrily took a bite out of her toast. "What's your feeling of this guy?" Kano took a sip of his beer, " I don't get a vibe that he is looking to stir any trouble. I believe that the bloke just wants to talk. I'd like to know about what his interest is in us, though."

About an hour and fifteen minutes later, Sonya and Kano arrived to a local sports bar for their meeting destination. Before leaving the truck, Kano tapped on the red orb of his cybernetic eye and it started to glow brightly. Sonya noticed that his eye plate started to disappear and the right side of his face appeared perfectly normal. Sonya looked at him with surprise. "Since when have you been able to do that?" Kano smiled, "Fancy, right? It's a new enhancement. The effects are temporary; an hour to be exact, but at least I can go out in public without scaring the sh*t out of everyone." Sonya was impressed. "Interesting parlor trick, it'll be useful right about now. " "Aye, love. That it is," he said as he put on a pair of black sunglasses. "C'mon, we're a little early, let's get some booze while we wait."

They picked a booth table at the farthest end of the room to allow for more privacy. Kano sat across from Sonya, with his back to the wall so that he had a full view of the bar. After ten minutes they were sipping on a couple of beers, while waiting for Liu Kang. "I wonder what exactly he knows regarding these disturbances," Sonya said while grabbing a handful of bar nuts. "I'm curious to know myself." Kano was watching the entrance for Liu Kang's arrival.

As she was circling her fingers around the rim of her beer, Sonya started to look at Kano's face for a moment. She briefly remembered how he had looked years before the disfiguring accident that had left him without the use of his right eye...She had been assigned to oversee an elite task force charged with hunting down Kano and the Black Dragon to bring them to justice. The Black Dragon were an international group of mercenaries well known for their torturous methods of killing anyone that thwarted their interests.

As their leader, Kano's ruthless reputation had preceded him. He was also known to be exceptionally cunning and could be deceptively charming when he had to be. Upon their first meeting Sonya had briefly thought to herself that it was an absolute waste that he was so damn good looking yet, such a cold hearted bastard. Kano's attraction toward Sonya was instant. He thought to himself however, that it would be a shame to have to bruise or cut her up but he was not above doing so. Whatever initial thoughts each one of them might have had, quickly went out the window the second that they matched fists. They had established an instant rivalry that continued to last throughout the years.

Now there they were, due to an ironic twist of fate, sitting in a bar having drinks together while waiting for an unknown stranger that requested their audience. The situation couldn't have been more bizarre Sonya had thought to herself. The idea of having to be civil with Kano in order to work alongside him was more than she could bear. This alliance would undoubtedly change their dynamic for sure, and she wasn't sure if she was open to that change.

As Sonya was pondering these thoughts, Kano's eyes fixated on the door upon the arrival of three mysterious men. One of the men was Asian; he had long black hair with some of it partially tied back in a small bun. He wore black sunglasses and had on a long black leather jacket, with a white shirt underneath, partially exposing his muscled chest and black leather pants. The other two men were almost dressed identical in matching black leather jackets and pants, but one had a yellow shirt and the other a gray shirt.

"We've got company," Kano motioned to Sonya; she turned to look toward the door. Liu Kang took notice of Kano and started to approach their table. The two men with Liu Kang seemed familiar to Sonya, but she couldn't quite place where she may have seen them before. Sonya got up to sit next to Kano, allowing for the other men to sit across from them. Liu Kang smiled. "I thank you both for agreeing to meet with me. I realize that you must have many questions, but given the current circ*mstances, it is imperative that you both put your differences aside as your collaborative efforts are required." "What exactly are we up against?" Sonya asked.

"Allow for me to bring you up to speed.. I am a Fire God, but I am also known as the Keeper of Time," Liu Kang said. "I had reset time and created this current timeline to eliminate from existence dangerous individuals across various realms that sought to conquer and destroy innocent lives. I had believed my efforts to be successful, however, it was recently revealed that stronger variants from alternate timelines have been able to manipulate this present timeline. "

"There is one particular variant, a Titan known as Havik, that has already invaded Earthrealm. He has taken advantage of the Tarkatans; innocents that have been devastated by a deadly infectious disease that has caused a horrific disfiguring of their bodies. The later stages of the disease also causes for their minds to be deranged. Havik is taking advantage of these poor souls and forcing them to murder innocent people. If Havik is successful, he will conquer and enslave not only the inhabitants here but in other realms as well."

Kano looked at Sonya with disbelief. "Does this have anything to do with what you have been researching?" Sonya nodded at him in response. Suddenly, she remembered the graphic Facebook Live video she had recently seen. "The Tarkatans were responsible for the Golden Gate massacre," she said. Liu Kang replied, "Unfortunately, yes, and this is only the beginning. You haven't seen the limits of what Havik's power can do...of how he can manipulate through mind control multitudes of people to do his will from any distance...he is one of the most corrupted Titans that we have ever encountered as his main goal is to spread chaos and mayhem throughout all of the realms."

The man with the yellow shirt took off his jacket, revealing a scorpion tattoo on his arm. Sonya immediately recognized who they were. "You were both there too. You protected the victims of the massacre." "You are correct Ms. Blade. I am Kuai Liang, but you may call me Scorpion and this is Tomas Vrbada also known as Smoke. We are members of the Shirai Ryu, sworn defenders of Earthrealm. We are honored to meet your acquaintance and we will be assisting you in your efforts as well."

Kano shook his head at Liu Kang. "Sounds like some warped tale that you are spinning. A titan trying to invade realms? Current and past timelines? Not sure if I am buying into all this, mate." Sonya stared at Kano in disbelief. "Kano, you didn't see what I saw. He is telling the truth, and if this is just a preview of things to come, we are all in deep trouble if we don't find a way to put a stop to this." She turned to Liu Kang with an inquisitive expression on her face. "How exactly do Kano and I fit into all of this?"

"The both of you show tremendous skill and are highly effective commanders of your own prospective teams. An alliance between the two of you would assist our efforts greatly in this fight against Havik." " I appreciate the degree of confidence that you are putting in us, but you do realize that Kano and I have an adversarial history. How does it make sense for us to work together?" Sonya asked. Liu Kang smiled, "I understand your hesitation Sonya. However, I have been able to foresee that your combined skillsets will greatly influence the outcome of this battle."

"Well that settles it then. Sonya will stay with me and the Black Dragon until this whole thing is sorted out," Kano said. Sonya's eyes grew large. "I may be agreeing to work with you, but I am NOT staying with you!" He turned to face her in their side of the booth. "I am looking at this from a strategic point of view. A lot can be gained if we are under the same roof working together," Kano said. Sonya glared at Liu Kang. "Tell me that this is not part of the plan. I can be civil and work with him, but to live with him and the Black Dragon? Morning and night? You can't be serious." Liu Kang smiled, "It is not that peculiar of a suggestion and it may be an effective one for our plight..."

Chapter 4: The Alliance

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Sonya was pacing back and forth in Kano's living room as she found her current predicament to be unsettling. "Do you really expect ME to live under the same roof, with YOU? Working with the Black Dragon? Are you INSANE?!" she snapped. "Oh I am not done, love. You haven't heard everything I have to say. I have a proposition for you," he coaxed her. "I will make this arrangement worth your while." Sonya abruptly stopped her pacing to glare at him. "Suppose I pretend to entertain what you are about to suggest. Just how exactly will this work?"

Kano took a step towards her. "You will be my second," he said. "You will call the shots, and my men will follow your lead as if you were me." Sonya found the concept somewhat alluring. "You want me to be second in command of the Black Dragon?" She shook her head. "This will never work, Kano. I have fought most of your men. I have even put some of them in prison. I highly doubt that they will be so eager to take orders from me." Kano crossed his arms. "They will because I ordered it. This arrangement isn't by choice, Sonya, it is a necessity."

A necessity.Using that word to describe this arrangement felt so foreign to her. Especially coming from Kano. She never imagined a possibility of having to work along side him, never mind the idea of sharing a roof with him. Yet, despite their toxic history, Kano seemed more than willing to put their differences aside and she realized that regardless of how she felt, that it was time for her to do the same. She didn't have to like it though.

"I will need to make my partners at the FBI aware of our newfound arrangement," Sonya said. "Fair enough," Kano said. "We may even need to involve them at some point; it will give us more of a tactical advantage for sure." Sonya thought for a moment. "There are two colleagues of mine that I have been working closely with at the OIA. I am going to reach out to them; they might be able to provide some insight into the Tarkatan attacks which may lead us to Havik's whereabouts." Kano nodded, "Do what you need to do; I am going to take an inventory of our weapons and see what we can use. In light of things, I am going to have to halt my shipments for a while."

Sonya reached out to Stryker and their other partner, Kabal. They listened in silence as she described the events of the night before, her meeting with Liu Kang, as well as her new alliance with Kano. "I don't like any of this Sonya," Stryker started to say. "I don't think that you have any clue as to what you are getting yourself into. You were only supposed to do research, but now you are about to endanger yourself on the word of some lunatic that refers to himself as a fire god." "Kurtis, if you read my report, then you have to agree that Liu Kang's explanation only validates my research. I didn't ask to be a part of this, especially to work with Kano, but apparently an alliance between us is needed," she said.

"About that, how are you supposed to live and work alongside Kano when you can't stand the sight of him? The Black Dragon are not going to be so welcoming of you either...I am not liking this at all Sonya. How do you know that Kano won't double cross you at a moment's notice?" Kabal interjected. "You forget that I know that bastard better than anybody. If Kano had intended to kill Sonya, she would already be his captive and would be subjected to torture. The fact that he is not only keeping her alive, but wants her to co-lead alongside him means that he sees the need for this alliance as much as Liu Kang does."

Stryker sighed. " I will contact our superiors to make them aware of what is going on. I am also going to reach out to Jax and Kenshi at the OIA as they likely have been monitoring the recent massacres. They may be able to pin point us to this Havik fellow." Then he paused. "Kabal will assist you; he knows all about the ins and outs of the Black Dragon and will be a valuable help."

Prior to his life with the FBI, Kabal was a famed member of the Black Dragon. Kabal had gained notoriety for his super human speed and his skills with hook swords, which had made him a deadly and effective killer. Becoming tired of that life, Kabal had left the Black Dragon much to Kano's disdain. He had sought redemption for his crimes, and over time he eventually ended up with the FBI.

Sonya was startled at the suggestion. " Absolutely not. I cannot ask this of Kabal, not after he worked so hard to get out of that life. It wouldn't be right to drag him back into it." "Don't be foolish Sonya. You're about to dive into the snake pit. As a former member, I can help you navigate that environment as well as keep my eyes on Kano." "Kabal are you sure that you want to do this?" Sonya asked. "Absolutely; you can tell that asshole Kano that I am on my way over there. Trust me, he will not object."

Once Sonya wrapped up her conference call with Kabal and Stryker, she sought out Kano. Sonya saw him spread out multiple guns and knives over the dining room table and appeared to be studying them. "What are you doing?" she curiously asked. "I just spent the last twenty minutes on the phone with Liu Kang. He was telling me more about Havik as well as these Tarkatans; their strengths and weaknesses . I am trying to figure out the best way that I can enhance these weapons so that we stand a chance against these bloody folk."

Sonya picked up a couple of the guns from the table to get a better look at them. " I talked to my partners at the FBI . Kabal is going to help us. He is on his way over here as we speak." Kano raised an eyebrow. "Kabal? That is a name I did not expect to hear. He left us and never looked back. He can't stand the sight of me, so he must be here for you." Sonya smiled sweetly at him. "Well I can't stand the sight of you either, but I am putting on my best face for this arrangement." Kano gave her a flirty smile. "Ah love, don't worry. I'll grow on ya soon enough."

Sonya rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, there is something else that we need to talk about. Since I am going to be here indefinitely, where am I expected to stay?" "You liked your room last night, right? You can stay here in the suite." Sonya gave him a perplexed look. "Excuse me? I thought that was a one time thing. You want me to stay here with you?" Kano smiled. "Yup, you're my new roommate, love. While we were out, I had Kira get everything that you will need to be comfortable. Welcome home, baby," Kano winked. Sonya grimaced. "Oh, I am going to be sick," she said.

"Ease up love, don't get your panties in a twist, it'll be fun," Kano nonchalantly said. "C'mon, let me show you how we get things done around here." "Where are we going?" she asked as she followed him out of the suite. "Downstairs to the gym. My men and I train everyday, as will you." Sonya was intrigued as she was interested in seeing the Black Dragon's training regimen. "Alright, let's go."

The gym was large enough to accommodate multiple centers for training. One center had men practice their skills wielding an assortment of weapons such as chain whips, katanas and knives. Another center featured typical gym equipment for weight lifting, punching bags, and speed bags, to name some. In the center of the room was a large mat, where multiple members would pair up and spar against one another. Directly in front of the mat was a section of bleachers where other members would watch and cheer on the matches.

Sonya and Kano made their way toward the bleachers and sat down to watch some of the matches. Sonya's face would twist and turn as she watched some of the brutal ways that the members would spar against one another. The Black Dragon were trained to fight dirty; and despite it being a sparring match, they were not above using weapons, regardless of the injuries some of them sustained.

Sonya drew her attention to a match between Kira and Jarek. Her face gasped as she watched Kira slice up Jarek's right arm with her butterfly knife. Despite the obvious pain that he felt, Jarek continued to challenge her head on. "Is this brutality really necessary in their training?" Sonya asked Kano. "There is a reason that the Black Dragon earned a reputation for ruthlessness; it's because we can take a hit. We are trained this way to remain versatile to withstand any fight."

Sonya noticed that Jarek moved his left arm to wield his knife just as proficiently as his right and Kira was having a difficult time trying to overpower him. Jarek eventually disarmed Kira. He forced her to her knees and grabbed her in a chokehold claiming victory over their match. Sonya looked on impressed; as brutal as this training method was, she did agree that it did make the Black Dragon more deadly and formidable in combat.

As Sonya and Kano watched the matches, Kobra and Tremor walked in. Tremor greeted Sonya with a nod, however, Kobra couldn't mask his hateful expression toward her. The two had numerous run ins over the years, even a few that resulted in his arrests. Tremor greeted Kano while Kobra stood back with his arms crossed.

"Welcome Ms. Blade." Then the ninja gestured with his arm toward the mat. "You should spar against one of us; it would be a great way to test your abilities." Sonya looked toward Kano, whom nodded in agreement. "That's not a bad idea." Kobra grabbed Kano's arm earning him an instant death stare. "Boss, let me spar with her." Kano shook his head. "Rack off, Kobra! I saw the look you gave her when you walked in. That's not happening any time soon until you learn to deal with your sh*t."

Shoving Kobra to the side, Kano started to scan the room for an opponent. "You'll spar with Kira." Then he reassuringly winked at Sonya. "Show her what you can do." Sonya approached Kira on the mat for their match. Both women stood across from one another as if sizing each other up. Sonya knew from past experience that Kira was a difficult opponent to face. Kira's fighting technique oddly mirrored both Kano's and Sonya's style. Her weapon of choice was the same as Kano; a butterfly knife.

Kira held out a dagger. "Are you any good with one of these?" Sonya glanced at the weapon. "Honestly, no." Kira lightly tossed the dagger to which Sonya caught it by its hilt. "Today, you will start your training on handling one of these beauties. If you are working among us, you will need to learn how to master fighting with these."

Kira started to show Sonya a few moves on how to handle her dagger as well as blocking exercises. When she knew that Sonya's guard was down, Kira charged her with a butterfly knife. Sonya immediately got into a defensive stance and successfully blocked Kira's attack and did a counter strike of her own. All eyes watched in a mesmerized trance as the two women battled each other.

Sonya tried her best to deflect Kira's attacks, however, she knew that she did not fare well with a blade. In a swift move, Kira slashed one of Sonya's arms. Sonya dropped her dagger to the floor as she was riddled with pain. Kira continued to charge towards Sonya, believing she had the upper hand of their match. Refusing to give up, Sonya countered with a backflip kick and knocked Kira to the ground, effectively disarming her in the process. Sonya stood over Kira, victorious. The other Black Dragons cheered and whistled at Sonya's win, much to her surprise.

Kira looked up at Sonya with a grin. "You are a tough bitch, Blade. You suck with a dagger and will need more work, but you put up one hell of a fight." Sonya looked at her bloodied arm; Kira had made a clean cut; it would heal but undoubtedly would be sore for some time. Sonya extended her uninjured arm to help Kira to her feet. Kano looked at both of them with admiration. "Good show, ladies. Sonya, let's get that arm looked at."

Kano brought Sonya to the infirmary room to get her arm cleaned up. As she sat on the examination table, he brought out a kit. She looked at him curiously while he gently dabbed at her arm to clean the wound. "Is this something that you normally do when your members get hurt during a match?" Kano met her eyes with a small smile. "No, not particularly... just trying to help you get around since this is your first full day here." Once he was confident the bleeding had stopped, he applied an antiseptic to her cut.

"OUCH!" She hissed from the pain. "Ease up, love. Almost done." She watched as Kano gently applied antibiotic cream to her wound. While observing the care that he put into addressing her wound, she found it increasingly hard to view him as a prick. He caught her gaze as he finished bandaging her arm. "Good as new," he said as his gaze fixated on hers. "Thanks." Sonya noticed that he started to gently stroke her arm. She found it surprising that she oddly enjoyed the feeling of his fingers caressing her skin.

Sonya mentally fought with herself to snap out of her confusing feelings. "Should we go back to the gym to finish training?" She quickly pulled her arm out of Kano's reach. Kano resumed a serious demeanor. "No. Didn't you say that Kabal was on his way over here? We should head downstairs to meet him." "Yes, Kabal should be here soon." Sonya was grateful for Kabal's impending arrival as it was a welcome distraction to the awkwardness that was developing between herself and Kano.

Kabal had arrived to the warehouse and stood in front of the main entrance, which was a large garage door. He impatiently waited at the door to get buzzed in. Given the circ*mstances on how he left the Black Dragon, he was refused entry until Kano gave his order to allow him in. "Hey asshole! Buzz me in! I got business here!" Kano smirked as he viewed Kabal through the security cameras. "What a dill." He looked at Tremor, "Quit toying around and buzz him in." Tremor complied and buzzed Kabal in. As the door slowly lifted, Kabal was met by both Kano and Sonya at the entrance.

"How ya doing, kid?" He embraced Sonya in a hug and then left his arm around her as he looked at Kano. "Welcome back, mate." Kabal gave Kano a sharp look. "Let's get one thing straight, asshole. I am NOT coming back to this seedy sh*thole. I am only here to lend a hand to Sonya and to keep tabs on you." Kano gave a smug expression. "No need mate. Sonya and I are getting on fine, aren't we love?" Sonya happily looked at Kabal. "Don't worry, things are okay here."

Sonya's phone started to buzz; it was an incoming call from Kenshi, one of her colleagues at the OIA. She put the phone on speaker so that Kano and Kabal could hear. "Hi Kenshi, did you and Jax get a chance to view the report I sent you?" "That's why I am calling Sonya. We have a lot to discuss. We might have a lead as to the source of those attacks." "I have some information that may be relevant to yours. Are you aware of a Titan named Havik?", Kenshi became silent on the phone. "What do you know of Havik?"

Sonya quickly briefed Kenshi in on her introduction to Liu Kang, as well as her new alliance with Kano. "I fought alongside Liu Kang and other Earthrealm warriors merely months ago. We encountered the Tarkatans during our time in Outworld. These people are innocent but due to the nature of their disease, they have become dangerous. Havik is taking advantage of their affliction as a means to further his goal of creating chaos in our realm." Then he hesitated for a moment. "This situation must be worse than I thought if Liu Kang is looking for new recruits."

"I think that we are going to have to bring the fight to Havik," Kano said. "Kenshi, you seem to be more familiar with this Havik fellow. Do you have an idea where we can find him?" "There is reason to believe that Havik currently resides in the newly conquered Chaosrealm. There is a large pyramid structure in the center of the city, if anything that is where he will be. However, many warriors will seek to protect the pyramid. There must be a way to infiltrate it without drawing too much attention to ourselves. "

"Than that is what we will do." Sonya looked at Kano. "Do you think that the Black Dragon are up to the task?" "That we are. Mate, anyway that you are able to get some sort of surveillance images of the pyramid? Based on those images, I might be able to enhance them to view all possible entry points inside." "Not too long ago we had some drones go through a portal to take images of it. I will send them to Sonya." Kenshi paused. "Sonya, I am going to reach out to Liu Kang as well, we have other comrades that may be able to aid us."

Hours later, Kano was in his den working on enhancing Kenshi's video of Havik's pyramid. His desk had three computer monitors; he was using the middle one to manipulate the video with the new enhancements. Sonya looked on impressed at how Kano enhanced the images of the pyramid. "It's scary what you can do with a computer." Sonya leaned over Kano's shoulder as he was taking screen shots of the zoomed in images. "There's more to me than meets the eye," he said with a wink. "Let me show you what I have really been up to."

Seconds later an image of rifle prototype appeared on the right monitor. "What is this?" "My latest weapon design," Kano replied. Sonya was amazed at the design of the weapon, as she had not seen anything like it. "You do this often?" "I design all of our weapons and then my crew builds them. In addition to using them we also sell our weapons to anyone willing to pay top dollar for them. This has been my new focus for the Black Dragon as there is more bank to be made in weapons dealing."

Sonya contemplated his last statement. In recent years, their criminal activity had seemed to come to a significant halt. Now it made sense to her as to why. "That's impressive. How long have you been working on this particular model?" Kano looked at the design. "A couple of weeks, normally it takes me half the time, however, I have been obsessed with trying to get this one right."

She looked at the time; it was 1:00am. "It's getting late. I think I am going to start heading to bed. Are you going to keep up at this much longer?" "Don't plan on it. I think I have the shots that I need. I just want to do one more thorough look and then I should be done." Then he glanced at her. "How does your arm feel?" Sonya looked at her arm and remembered their brief moment in the infirmary. She felt slightly flushed at the memory.

"It feels a little sore, but otherwise better." "Alright, well get some sleep. In the morning, we can go over these shots and make a plan on how we can infiltrate this pyramid. Hopefully, we can get out there in a few days time." Sonya nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Alright, good night." "Good night, love."

As Sonya left his den, she appreciated that Kano seemed to have forgotten about what happened earlier. His talk about their morning plans was all business; this was needed to make their working relationship more productive. Still, the feelings she developed earlier confused her, as she never saw Kano in any capacity other than an enemy. She chalked it up to being a fluke, maybe even a moment of weakness. She resolved however, that going forward, there would be no other distractions in their partnership.

Chapter 5: Road to Chaosrealm

Chapter Text

A few days later, the Black Dragon lined up in rows as they were awaiting instructions on how to proceed with their mission on infiltrating Havik's Pyramid. They were organized into four teams that were headed by Tremor, Kabal and Kira; Sonya and Kano would be jointly leading the last team. Sonya was going over each team's position on when and where they would infiltrate the pyramid. Kobra sneered and was making backhanded comments as she was giving her orders. Sonya stopped as she became distracted by Kobra's sudden outburst of laughter.

"Kobra! Would you like to tell everyone what the hell you find so funny?" she asked. Kobra narrowed his eyes. "You barking orders to everyone is what I find funny." "Oh is that so?" Sonya walked over to him so that they were standing face to face. "Do you have a problem with my command, Kobra?" He gave her an icy stare. "Yes, I do. You don't belong here. You think that you get the right to call the shots when there have been so many of us working hard for that chance?" Then he looked at her up and down and smiled. "Let's be honest. The only real reason that you are Kano's second is because you are probably bouncing on his lap every night. You must ride him real good."

The Black Dragon fell completely silent as they all knew that Kobra had crossed the line with that surprising remark. Kano appeared from behind Sonya in the doorway. His one good eye widened at Kobra's scandalous claim. While he did not interrupt, he instead listened in anticipation for Sonya's response. "You are dangerously out of line," Sonya angrily snapped. Kobra sneered and put his face into Sonya's. "There is no way that I am taking orders from you, stupid bitch. Why don't you get down on your knees and do what you do best? You can suck my..."

A cold smile spread across Kano's lips as he watched Sonya slap the sh*t out of Kobra. He stumbled backwards from the force of her hand. Laughter erupted from the others when they noticed Sonya's hand imprint on his face. Kobra got up and spit out blood. Sonya roughly twisted his face causing him to grimace from the pain. "Is there anything else that you'd like to say?" she lowly growled. "No ma'am," Kobra answered. After letting him go, Sonya looked onward toward the rest of the Black Dragon. "DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO CHALLENGE MY AUTHORITY?!" she angrily shouted. In unison, the other Black Dragons responded, "No ma'am."

Kano stood next to Sonya. "Let's get this out of the way right now," he started to say." Under no circ*mstances are any of you f*ckers to challenge Sonya's authority as it is a direct afront to me. To defy her command is to defy my command. There will be serious consequences to anyone who does not abide by this. Do we understand each other?" As he stated the later, his cybernetic eye started to brightly glow. "Yes, boss," everyone responded. " "Alright, everyone get the hell out and load the trucks. Sonya and I will follow in a few minutes."

After everyone left the room, Sonya looked at Kano. "Thank you for that, I am sorry that got so out of hand," she said. "Kobra is a bloody prick, he had that coming with that stupid ass comment. I'm just sorry that I didn't rough him up myself," he said. Sonya chuckled. "Well let's get going, we've got a long drive to the portal site."

"Wait a tick, I've got something for you." Kano pulled out a pair of energy bracelets and handed them to her. "I had these made for you; these are more powerful than what you normally wear. You can control the strength of the energy blasts. They are enhanced so that if it comes down to it, they can devastate anything in its path." Sonya was impressed. "Thanks, I can't wait to give these a try." "Alright, let's get going, love, we're gonna have a long night ahead of us."

Chapter 6: Chaosrealm

Chapter Text

Sonya, Kano and their companions looked around in awe as they stepped through the portal into Chaosrealm. The night sky appeared darker from the storm clouds that loomed above them. Flashes of lightning throughout the sky alerted that inclement weather was eminent. There were large floating rock formations throughout the skies, much like the one they landed on when stepping through the portal. In the distance they saw what appeared to be a city in ruin. Havik's Pyramid triumphantly stood among the devastation.

"What happened to this place?" Sonya asked Kenshi. "This is the realm formerly known as Seido, or Orderrealm. The Havik of our current timeline sought freedom from Seido's stringent laws and aligned himself with a powerful mage known as Rain. Their combined efforts allowed them to overthrow Seido's government effectively ending its rule. While Rain returned to Outworld, Havik sought to rebuild Seido to reflect his anarchist ideals. What stands before you is the birth of Chaosrealm."

"Wait a minute. There are two versions of Havik?" a puzzled Sonya inquired. "Yes, the Havik of this present timeline is subservient to his Titan counterpart. Our Havik is permitted to reign over Chaosrealm as he sees fit, while the Titan Havik has started his quest to conquer other realms to spread his vision of chaos among them," Kenshi explained. "Funny how Liu Kang neglected to mention this other version of Havik," Kano said.

Sonya reassured Kano, "This changes nothing; we still have the same objective as before. Now we just have to factor in this other Havik into our plans." "Well first things, first, we need to get off of this floating rock. Tremor, you think you can help us out with that, mate?", Kano asked. Tremor nodded; his mastery of Earth elemental powers allowed for him to manipulate natural objects such as rocks to move at his will. He raised his arms and within seconds the rock formation they stood on floated toward the ruined city. Tremor slowly guided them down for a safe landing just outside the city's walls.

As they approached the city; they observed the peculiar behavior of the some of the inhabitants. Men and women would walk together backwards, while others walked forward. They muttered in reverse speech; often answering yes for no among other absurd sayings. However, what drew their attention was an altercation between two men in the main city square.

Two men appeared to exchange heated words, resulting in one of them punching the other in the face. Unexpectedly, the two men started to laugh hysterically while continuing to hurl fists at each other. Kano stared in utter amazement. "These are some sick, twisted buggers, eh?" Sonya grimaced at the sight of the bloodied men; with each punch inflicted, their laughter seemed to increase. "They seem to enjoy physical pain," Sonya observed. "If this is any indicator of the foes we are up against, this is not a good sign." "Not at all," Kano agreed.

The group stealthily moved on toward Havik's Pyramid, which was beautifully lit to stand out among the night sky. The pyramid was actually a glorious palace and was stunning in its stature. There were three levels; the first two had wide balconies, the last level hid a secret entrance on top. Grand twin obelisks preceded each side of the pyramid. The palace guards were prominently stationed by the main entrance.

The group took notice of the appearance of the soldiers guarding the pyramid palace. They all had strange tattoo markings on their heads or faces. Their faces also appeared to be either scarred or horribly disfigured. Other warriors stood with the guards that seemed to possess various elemental powers, such the ability to channel fire or ice. "It's going to be difficult to get past the guards without being seen; there are too many of them," Kira stated.

Smoke surveyed their surroundings to assess the threat of their enemies. Speaking to Kira, he said, "I can create a diversion to get us past. Scorpion and I will also accompany your climb to the top of the pyramid. "Kira nodded. "We could use your skills; we don't know what else we are going to encounter once we get inside." Sonya looked onward toward the guards. "Be careful once you get in there. We will meet you inside soon."

Smoke summoned a great smoky cloud that completely cloaked their presence. Kira, Scorpion, and Smoke and their remaining team quietly moved past the confused guards who were still trying to determine where the smoke was coming from. Once they reached the back of the pyramid, Kira pulled out a small set of magnetic devices and strapped them to her hands and feet; these would be used to attach to the walls of the pyramid. Kira started to climb, followed by the remainder of her Black Dragon team. Scorpion and Smoke, both pulled out hooks to aim them in their climb.

While Kira's team was making their way toward the top of the pyramid, Kano decided to take advantage of their smoky diversion to attack the guards at the pyramid entrance. He and Sonya led their team toward the unsuspecting guards. Kano specifically targeted the elemental guards as they posed the greatest threat. He positioned himself behind three elemental guards and in a matter of seconds, quickly slit their throats. Following Kano's lead, Sonya silently moved on to the last of the elemental guards and slit their throats as well. When the smoke finally cleared, the remaining guards looked on in horror of their fallen comrades on the ground. As the guards were distracted, Kano and Sonya mercilessly attacked them along with their team.

Kabal, and Kenshi took to one side of the pyramid, while Kobra and Tremor attacked guards from the other side. Kabal flew past the guards in a whirlwind of circles. Once the guards were in a dizzy state, Kabal violently impaled them with his hook swords. Using his beloved sword Sento, Kenshi both impaled and decapitated the guards. Tremor hurled gold and silver formations at the guards that charged him. Kobra and the remaining Black Dragon ruthlessly defeated the remaining guards that surrounded them. Once the last guard fell, Sonya waved her hands to everyone as a signal to enter the pyramid.

From the second level of the pyramid palace, Havik stood from the balcony and watched below as Kano and Sonya's team finished off the last of his guards to gain entrance. A palace guard nervously approached Havik to brief him of the impending threat. "Lord Havik, there are insurgents that are attacking the pyramid. We have reason to believe that they have already entered the palace." "No doubt, these are Liu Kang's warriors looking to stop our rule." He wickedly smiled. "No matter. I have a feeling that I will be able to make them see things our way..."

Kira and her team finally arrived to the top of the pyramid. After Jarek pried open the door, one by one, they slowly lowered themselves to the floor below. The group hid themselves among large columns to avoid being seen by multiple passing guards. They each waited for the guards to approach their hiding place before slicing their throats. It wasn't long before they had finished off all of the guards on that floor. Led by Kira, they silently made their way down a long hallway.

As they made their way toward the end of the hallway, a soldier walked into their path. "Intruders!" he yelled. Suddenly, twenty more soldiers appeared behind him. Drawing their weapons, they charged at Kira's small group of ten. Smoke created a large smoke cloud to divert the charging soldiers. Taking advantage of their cloaked position, Jarek and Kira along with the rest of their team drew their blades to slaughter the unsuspecting soldiers. Once the smoke cleared, Kira did a mental head count of her team to make sure all were accounted for.

She noticed, however, that Scorpion was missing. "What happened to Scorpion?" she inquired. "I don't know." Smoke answered. "You don't suppose that he tried to find Havik on his own?" Kira asked. "My brother would not act so impulsively." A worrisome thought then entered Smoke's mind. "It is likely that he was taken during the course of our fight. Which could mean that Havik is on to us." "Let's not waste any time then. We need to find him," Kira stated.

As they made their way through the palace, Kira was drawn by the sound of a familiar voice. She called to Smoke, "You guys go on ahead and keep looking for Scorpion. I hear Sonya. She and Kano must be near. I will fill them in on what's going on and we will regroup with you soon." After they separated, Kira continued to follow the sound of Sonya's voice hoping to rejoin With her and Kano.

Unbeknownst to her, Kira was being watched by a distant figure. Kira knew she was heading in the right direction as Sonya and Kano's voices grew louder. As Kira prepared to turn the corner to meet them, a strong hand clasped over her mouth and another hand tightly grabbed her arm. She felt a sharp blade cut her arm. Havik held her tightly as Kira suddenly went limp in his embrace. "You will rejoin your comrades soon enough. But first, I have a job for you to do..."

Smoke and Jarek headed their team towards the second level of the palace. They suddenly noticed a motionless figure standing toward the end of the balcony. Smoke and Jarek cautiously approached the figure only to realize that it was Scorpion. Smoke realized something seemed a bit off as he regarded the vacant expression in his eyes. "Kuai, what has come over you, brother?" Scorpion's eyes widened as he drew his kunai spear. "GET OVER HERE!" he shouted as he aimed it directly towards Smoke. Lunging his body out of the spears path, Smoke evaded the immediate threat. The spear however, connected with a Black Dragon behind him who was hurled over the balcony to his death below.

Smoke pleaded with Scorpion. "Kuai! What have you done?!" Fueled by rage, the other Black Dragons raced towards Scorpion to take their revenge. They attempted to subdue him with both blades and gunfire, however, the men were no match for Scorpion as he easily set their bodies ablaze with fire. He then turned his attention toward Smoke who was frozen with shock at the horrid deaths of his comrades. He and Jarek were all that remained of their team.

"Brother, I do not wish to fight you!", Smoke pleaded with him. Scorpion's empty eyes showed no remorse at the words of the man that he revered as his beloved brother. "Then you shall die." Scorpion threw massive fireballs at Jarek and Smoke. Both men evaded the fireballs by diving out of their paths. "There is no point in reasoning with him, Tomas, we need to run!" Smoke shook his head. "I cannot leave him like this, Jarek! Something is wrong! He would never betray us like this!" "We cannot do more for him! We need to run and get back to the others!" Jarek screamed. Smoke reluctantly agreed and ran with Jarek back inside the palace. Scorpion did not pursue them, but rather, just simply turned to face down from the balcony once more.

Meanwhile, Kabal, Kano, Kobra, Sonya, Tremor and the rest of their team had made their way toward the second level of the palace. They had walked through numerous rooms with no guard in sight, which was a strange deviation from what they had encountered from the floor below. The palace soldiers that they fought were more powerful than the previous ones that guarded the entrance.

Despite that each room they passed through were clear of any visible threats, Sonya felt that something was amiss. "I don't like this, Kano; it's odd that no one is on this floor. I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong here." He nodded in agreement. "You're right, something feels off..." Kano averted his attention to Kira who seemingly appeared from no where.

Kano let out a relieved sigh. "Kira, glad its you. Where are Jarek and the others?" Kira stared at him blankly with no emotion in her eyes. Kano looked at her curiously. "You alright, love? You don't seem yourself." Kira reached from behind her to pull out a butterfly knife. Without any warning, she threw the blade into Kobra's eye, killing him instantly. Then, in a split second, she threw a second knife into the right side of Kano's chest. Clutching himself, he slid to the floor.

In what seemed like a flash, Kabal raced behind Kira and held his hook sword to her throat, all while restraining her with his other arm. "WHAT THE f*ck DID YA DO, KID?!" Kira grunted as she violently struggled in his grip. As Kabal kept his restraint on Kira, Sonya knelt in front of Kano and assessed the damage to his chest. Luckily his injury wasn't fatal, however, the knife was embedded firmly into his chest. "Try not to move," she said. Kano's face twisted from the pain. "I'll be alright, love. Go to Kabal to get Kira under control."

Kira was still resisting Kabal's grip when Sonya approached them. "Kira, I don't understand. How could you do this?"Kira's lack of reaction confused Sonya more. She knew that Kira was fiercely loyal to Kano and devoted her life to the Black Dragon. It made no logical sense for Kira to attack them in the way she did. "Kira, answer me! What the hell made you do this?!" Suddenly, Havik stepped into view. "I made her do it."

"Havik, I presume?" Sonya asked. "You would be correct," he answered. "I am the lord of this glorious realm." The sound of Havik's voice made Kira become still. Sonya observed Kira closely; she stood motionless, waiting for further commands. While grateful that Kira had not betrayed them, Sonya was infuriated that her mind was now under Havik's control. Sonya stood across from Havik; her energy bracelets formed pinkish rings that brightly glowed around her fists. "Release Kira!" Sonya demanded. "Now why would I do that? She and your other friend make excellent additions as my new loyal guards."

At this, Scorpion stepped into the room and stood next to Havik. Kabal looked on in shock. "Oh, sh*t, this can't be good." While he was distracted by Scorpion's presence, Kira forcefully knocked into Kabal's face with the back of her head. Kabal's nose gushed blood from the force of the blow. She seized Kabal by pulling back his long black hair and pressed a knife to his throat. As she was about to kill him , Kano had forced himself into a standing position and aimed his laser beam directly to her hand. Kira howled in pain from the laser burn causing her to drop the knife. Kabal then knocked Kira out with the side of his hooksword, causing her to fall to the floor.

Meanwhile, Tremor faced off against Scorpion. Scorpion proved to be a deadly adversary due to his mastery of fire. Tremor however, was just as formidable an opponent as he wielded elemental earth power. Scorpion's fire attacks were ineffective against Tremor as fire was also an element that he could control. He shielded himself by putting on lava skin to avoid getting burnt by the fireballs. Scorpion then charged at Tremor to fight hand to hand combat. Tremor punched the ground to create an earthquake that knocked Scorpion on his back. Tremor then jumped on top of Scorpion and started to punch him multiple times until he was sure that he was knocked out.

Sonya challenged Havik, but realized very quickly that he was unlike any enemy she had encountered before. Sonya started shooting Havik with her pistol but the bullets had little effect on him. "What the hell is this guy?" Despite his weakened condition, Kano attempted to help Sonya by firing his laser beams but quickly realized that they were also ineffective. Kano tossed his knives at Havik's body but noticed that he would regenerate from any damage inflicted. "This is pointless! Nothing we are doing is working!" Sonya shouted after her energy rings failed to inflict any kind of injury into Havik's chest.

Kano ducked out of view while Sonya continued to fight Havik. Sonya kept increasing the strength of her energy rings but her efforts were for nothing as they created no damage. Then with all of her might, she punched Havik in the face. Havik picked up Sonya with ease and threw her body across the room. Her back landed hard against a column; she rolled on the floor onto her stomach. As she weakly lifted herself up, Havik took his own arm off, threw it at Sonya and proceeded to repeatedly beat her with it, ultimately knocking her out. Kano jumped from behind Havik and pulled his neck back. With a swift motion, he severed Havik's neck so that his head was hanging backwards.

Kano rushed to Sonya's side. Lifting her chin to examine her face, he gently tried to rouse her awake. "Sonya, are you alright?" She woke up at the sound of his voice. "I think so," she answered. As Kano steadied Sonya to her feet, they both looked down at Havik's dismembered limb.

"Havik threw his arm at me, and used it like it was a weapon." Kano gave her a puzzled look. "How the f*ck is that possible?" Sonya shrugged. " I don't know but it could explain why everything we were doing before did not hurt him," she rationalized. Then they turned their attention toward Havik's motionless body. "Shouldn't be a problem anymore, now that he's dead," Kano said. Sonya nodded. "Let's get to the others. His control of Kira and Scorpion should have ceased with his death."

As they entered the room, they were met by a dazed Kira and Scorpion, along with Kabal and Tremor. Jarek, Kenshi and Smoke had just arrived. Smoke looked at Scorpion's startled expression and realized that the murderous version that he encountered earlier was no longer present. "Brother, welcome back to us," Smoke said after embracing his brother. Scorpion looked confused. "I am not sure what happened to me before, Tomas. I was not in control of my own actions. For that I am deeply sorry."

He looked at Kano and Sonya. "I took the lives of some of your men while I was under Havik's influence. I don't know how I will be able to atone for this, but I will continue to fight along side you as long as you would have me." "Ah mate, there is nothing to atone for. That Havik fellow was playing mind games with ya."

Kano suddenly slumped down to the floor. His face appeared pale and his breaths became more ragged. Sonya tried to steady him as Kira approached them. Kira looked at Kano in absolute horror; it had suddenly dawned on her that she was the cause of his injuries. She had so much sorrow in her eyes. Kira crouched down on her knees before him. "Oh my God, Kano, WHAT HAVE I DONE?" Tears covered her face as she was riddled with guilt. "Kobra...I KILLED KOBRA!" she said in shock. Kano lifted her chin to look at him. "Love, it's not your fault. You were under that prick's control. You had no idea what you were doing."

Kenshi walked over to them. "No sign that Titan Havik is around. He must have left hours before we arrived. The only evidence that he was here is a large map of each of the realms showing how they will exist once they are conquered under his new regime." "Well we were able to eliminate Havik, so that is one less threat to worry about," Kano said.

Kenshi nodded. "That's promising. Then our presence here in Chaosrealm is no longer needed." "Then we leave immediately; Kano is in serious need of medical attention. We need to get back to the base," Sonya said. "Agreed. Once we return to Earthrealm, I will go back to the OIA and continue to search for Titan Havik's whereabouts. I will update you on my progress."

Back at the Black Dragon base, Sonya went to the infirmary to check on Kano. It had been a couple of hours since Kano had the knife removed from his chest, but was told by the warehouse medic to rest and stay in the infirmary for observation. He was accompanied by Kira who was doing her best to lighten the mood by telling jokes. Kano laughed a little too hard and grimaced from the pain in his chest. Kira gave him a nervous look, but Kano reached for her chin and softly caressed it. He told her not to worry to appease her of any guilt that she may have felt.

Sonya knew that it should not have bothered her to watch them together but she couldn't shake off the twinge of jealousy she felt. Kabal stood next to her and regarded her curiously. "Was there ever anything between them?" Sonya asked. "No. Kano sees Kira more like a kid if anything else. Besides, he made it a point a long time ago not to get involved with the women he works with. He's done it once or twice before, which ended badly, so now he just avoids those type of relationships."

Kabal noticed the look of disappointment in Sonya's eyes as he said the latter. "He's got the right idea". Kabal regarded her expression. "Do you honestly believe that?" Sonya was startled at his question. "What is that supposed to mean?" Kabal narrowed his eyes at her. "I think you know what I mean by that. You care for him."

Sonya scoffed. "What you are implying is absurd. To even suggest that I have feelings for Kano. He and I..." she sighed and shook her head. "Given our history, Kano and I would never make sense." "Oh I know it doesn't make any sense, but I know what I see. You forget that I know you so well that I can read you like a book. You are falling for him."

She rolled her eyes at Kabal. "Well since I can't convince you otherwise, do me a favor and keep that ridiculous thought to yourself. The last thing that I need is for Kano to get the wrong idea. That would make our arrangement even more complicated than it needs to be." Not believing a word she said, Kabal smirked at Sonya as he began to take his leave. "Alright, have it your way, kid."

Kano moved his eyes from Kira to look toward Sonya standing in the doorway. "Bout time you showed up," he said with a smile. Kira got the sense that he wanted to be alone with Sonya. "Boss, I am going to turn in for the night." Kira smiled as she walked past Sonya. "Your turn to play nurse," she said with a wink. Sonya patted Kira's shoulder. "Glad to see you're doing better. See you tomorrow."

"How are you feeling?" she asked Kano. His eyes watched her as she gently checked the bandaging on his chest wound. "Better now. Just need to take it easy for a while... What about you? You gotta be sore after how Havik tossed you like a rag doll." Sonya gave a small smile. "I've had better days," she said while she grabbed some more gauze. Kano sat still as she removed a bloodied gauze and started to clean the wound on his chest.

"We worked well together today." Sonya looked up at him. "Yes, I suppose we did." She resumed cleaning his wound. "It's going to take me time to trust you," she said after a brief silence. Kano nodded. "Aye, love, but I need ya to try. That's the only way that we can make this work and see each other as partners." Sonya finished bandaging his wound. "Okay. I will try." "Off to a good start," he said with a wink. "Let's head upstairs for the night and have us some beers. I don't know about you, but I plan on getting sh*tfaced to forget about this God awful day." Sonya laughed. "Count me in," she said as they left the infirmary together to go back to their suite to end the night.

Chapter 7: Burning Desire

Chapter Text

Sonya eagerly watched Kabal in anticipation of his next move. He twirled his hooksword while slowly circling around her like a predator stalking its prey. Without warning, Kabal lunged his hooksword toward Sonya. She backflipped to evade his strike. "Gotta do better than that if you want to catch me," she said as she slowly pulled two large daggers from behind her back. "I'm just getting warmed up," Kabal answered. He emerged with a second hooksword to meet her challenge. He lunged for her a second time making contact with her daggers.

The two of them moved in perfect harmony as they both tried to deflect each other's attacks. Picking up his pace, Kabal charged at Sonya with his hookswords, but she effectively blocked him by crossing her arms in front of her, with her steel energy bracelets taking the brunt of his strikes. She could feel herself tiring as she continued to shield herself from Kabal's strong and deadly blows. Adrenaline coursed through her body forcing herself to push through her exhaustion. With her heart pounding in her chest, she was determined not to give in and held her ground.

She mustered the strength to kick Kabal backward causing him to lose his footing. As he charged her again, Sonya countered him with a swift high kick. She was able to knock one of Kabal's hookswords out of his hand, sending it across the room. Kabal smiled. "Not bad, Blade," he said while twirling his other hooksword. He then forcefully swiped at her hand causing her to drop one of her daggers.

Kabal made another attempt to disarm Sonya by racing toward her. She caught him off guard by seizing his wrist and twisted it. As Kabal howled in pain, Sonya kicked him forward in the stomach and then uppercutted him. Kabal fell backwards and hit the mat from the force of her punch. Loud cheering erupted from The Black Dragon members observing the match from the lower end of the bleachers. Rising to their feet, they shouted, "Hail the queen!"

Sonya looked back at them and laughed from their enthusiasm. She knelt down over Kabal to gloat. "Had enough?" she asked. Kabal sat up and massaged his jaw. "You got lucky. I was owning your ass." Sonya laughed. "Can't admit defeat, huh? We can do a rematch if you like." The Black Dragon started to chant in agreement, "Rematch, rematch!"

Four months had passed since the Chaosrealm mission. Sonya had remained among the Black Dragon and continued, alongside Kano, to search for Titan Havik. There was evidence of his influence due to increased instances of rioting, theft, and vandalism in various cities throughout the country. Now backed by the both the FBI and OIA, Sonya and Kano had multiple resources at their disposal to aid in their pursuit of the tyranical villain. They worked tirelessly and searched in vain for the titan's whereabouts but would continue to come up short as he always seemed a few steps ahead of them.

During this time, Sonya trained religiously every day with the intention to perfect her knife skills. Kira had personally overseen her training and strenuously challenged Sonya to her breaking point. Before long, Sonya's knife skills improved and she was considered to be quite formidable in her own right. She still had some ways to go, however, her new skillset and overall fighting technique became deadlier with each passing day. Her persistence did not go unnoticed and she ultimately gained the respect and admiration of the Black Dragon.

Kano and Kira had watched Sonya and Kabal's sparring match from the middle row of the bleachers. Kano observed as Sonya playfully punched Kabal's shoulder and giggled as he faked an ouch in response. Sonya then reached for Kabal's face and tenderly massaged his jaw. Kira couldn't help but notice the scowl that formed on Kano's face as he watched Sonya and Kabal together. Kano stood and called down to them. "That's enough sparring for today."

Sonya got up and helped Kabal to his feet. "That was a good match. Thanks for the practice." Kabal smiled, "You are getting better with the daggers, everyone was impressed." "I don't think everyone was impressed," Sonya said. She curiously looked at Kano for a moment and then turned her gaze to Kabal. "What's up with Kano? It's not like him to cut time on a sparring match." Kabal shrugged. "I don't know, I think he is stressed out. Maybe this whole Havik thing is starting to get to him." Then he gave her a peck on the cheek. "Catch you later, kid."

Kano took a sip of his beer in silence as he watched Kabal kiss Sonya good bye from the bleachers. "You alright, boss?" Kira asked. "Never better. Why do you ask?" Kira shrugged. "I don't know, you looked kinda pissed off after Sonya and Kabal's sparring match. Not like you to act like that." Kano looked at her annoyed. "Yeah I'm pissed. I take sparring seriously. Kabal is a bloody wanker! He is not challenging Sonya hard enough. She needs more practice to master her knife skills. She is so close to getting the hang of it."

Kira laughed. "I think it's more than that...you know as well as I do that Sonya is catching on faster than we all expected.." Then she looked at him more closely. "I saw the look you just gave them...You do know that they are friends and there is nothing going on there?" Kano took another sip of his beer. " Yeah, so what? Why should I care?" Kira gave him a small smile. "You were jealous watching them together. You like her, don't you?" Kano scoffed. "That's absolutely ridiculous." Kira smiled. "I see how you look at her...and how she looks at you when you don't notice. There is something there, Kano."

"Kira, stop talking out of your arse," he snapped. Kira knew that she struck a nerve but she continued to prod him. "I am not going to stop. I have been by your side the longest out of all of these fools. Which means I know you the best. You are into her, but you won't admit it. I mean, it makes sense, really. You get along better now since you started working together." Kano gave her an irritated look. "For f*ck's sake! Just drop this will ya?" Kira narrowed her eyes at him. "Sonya has been with us now for the past four months. Can you honestly say that during all of this time it has NEVER crossed your mind to make a move on her?"

Kano let out a deep sigh and then turned to face her. "Kira, I am not blind... Sonya is beautiful and I won't deny that the thought has crossed my mind a time or two but it would be stupid to even entertain it. I can't and I won't. There is too much at stake with us chasing the trail of this bloody psycho." Kano shook his head. "Now is not the time for any type of distractions, Kira...no matter how tempting."

Kira stood up to walk down the bleachers. She shook her head at him. "Boss, it is not like you to make excuses. Own up to what you feel and give it a shot. For all you know, she could feel the same about you." At that, she walked away. Kano hadn't noticed that during his chat with Kira that all of the Black Dragon had left but Sonya was still in the room. "Hey, you alright? Something seemed to bother you earlier," Sonya said as he started walking down to her. "I'm fine, love. Why are you still hanging around here?" he asked.

Sonya started to twirl one of her daggers. " I want a shot at you." He raised an eyebrow. "You're getting better, but you're not quite there yet to go toe to toe with me." "Why not, afraid I might give you a run for your money?" she baited him. "You and I both know that I've kicked your ass on more than one occasion." Kano smirked. "Right love, but that was when we were at odds with one another, now we are partners."

Sonya narrowed her eyes at him. "That won't make me take it any easier on you. What's your hesitation? We've sparred before, so what makes this any different?" " We've never sparred with knives," he said. " Your hand to hand combat skills are impressive, but you've never relied on knives before and this is my area of expertise. You're no match for me with a blade."

"Come on, Kano. I need the practice and what better way to rate my technique than fighting you head on? Besides, you cut my time short with Kabal. You owe me a match." "Alright then," he said as he started to pull two of his butterfly knives out of their sheaths. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He quickly twirled his knives. "Let's dance, shall we?" Sonya pulled out another dagger from behind her back to meet his challenge.

Sonya had faced Kano numerous times across the years and she was more than familiar with his fighting technique, as he was with hers. She knew, however, that the stakes were higher; this was more than just any challenge as this time around they were both adding knives to the mix. They slowly circled around each other similar to how she and Kabal began their match earlier. Sonya did not take her eyes off of Kano as they mirrored each others steps. Finally, she decided to make the first move by thrusting at him. With one swift motion of his arm, Kano knocked a dagger right out of Sonya's hand and sent it clanging toward the floor.

He mockingly grinned at her. "Are you still trying to give me a run for my money, baby?" Sonya smirked. "That and I am going to wipe that stupid grin off of your face!" She challenged him again by racing toward him and took a swipe at him. He stepped backwards to evade her attack. As he stepped forward to strike at her, she high kicked a knife out of his hand and it went flying across the room. Going toe to toe, they clashed their knives in unison. She found it increasingly difficult to outwit Kano as he continuously matched her moves.

Sonya finally made some kind of headway in their match as she blocked one of Kano's advances and forced him to stumble backward. She moved towards him and did a round house kick sending his second knife across the room, completely disarming him in the process. Kano smiled in approval. "Not bad, love, but you're not through with me just yet."

Sonya could feel the pounding of her heart in her ear. Her breathing was ragged, and her speed slowed, but she forced herself to continue her momentum driven by the desire to overcome him. Sonya charged Kano once more and attempted to strike him with her knife. Kano however, anticipated this and he slapped the knife out of her hand. As she tried to punch him, he caught her fist with his hand, and jerked her body towards him. Before she knew it, he had pulled her arms from behind her.

Sonya struggled to get free, but couldn't loosen herself from Kano's grip. He stepped in from behind her and pulled her closer to his body. Then he brought his face closer to her ear. "Are you willing to admit defeat, baby?" Sonya grinned, "Nope!" She stepped on his foot really hard. The pain forced him to let her go and she stumbled forward, yet quickly regained her footing.

With a final effort to end their fight, Sonya raced toward Kano and started to fling her fists at him. After evading a few of her attempts, he swiftly kicked her feet from under her and she landed on her back. Kano leaned over her and completely pinned her down so that she could not get up. He slyly smiled. "I win, love." Sonya playfully rolled her eyes at him. "That's because I was taking it easy on you." Kano smiled. "You shouldn't do that, it's beneath you," he said as he slowly caressed one of her wrists. "You're getting much better; you almost had me there for a minute. Almost."

Sonya squirmed a little bit from under him. "You plan on letting me up anytime soon?" Kano mischievously grinned. "Not yet, I kind of like you like this." Looking in Sonya's eyes, he found himself contradicting his earlier words to Kira as his present thoughts betrayed him. His feelings for Sonya were deeper than what he led Kira to believe. As he gently caressed the side of her cheek, her face nuzzled into his touch.

While neither one uttered a word, they were both fully aware of each other's affection. They couldn't quite call it love; the restraint of their feelings prevented it from going there but it was pretty damn close. Their need for one another was insatiable; growing like an unquenchable thirst. They had been tiptoeing around their attraction for months, but failed to act on it at the risk of damaging their partnership.

"Ummm, boss, sorry to interrupt, but we got a situation," Jarek said. Kano and Sonya jerked their attention toward Jarek's voice. Kano lifted himself off of Sonya and helped her to her feet. "What is it, Jarek?" he asked. "We received a video call from an OIA agent; he says that there is something you need to see." They followed Jarek to the security room where multiple monitors displayed camera angles of all the rooms and perimeter of the warehouse. Jarek clicked on one of the video feeds to resume the video call.

Sonya's face beamed at the sight of her dearest friend, Special Agent Jackson "Jax" Briggs. She and Jax had worked together in the same unit of the FBI for years until he co-founded the OIA with Kenshi. "Hi Jax!" He gave her a wide grin. "How ya doing, Sonya? I hear you and Kano have been getting a lot of action as of late." "Yes, there have been a lot of civil disturbances that no doubt this Titan Havik has orchestrated. Tell us that you have some news related to his whereabouts."

"The Titan is aggressively moving ahead with his plans of invading other realms. He has enslaved the realm of Zaterra and has forced its people, the Zaterrans, a reptiloid species to swear allegiance to him. At the moment, he has taken residence in the Kuatan province of Outworld. He is developing a massive army unlike anything we have seen before. The army consists of the Tarkatans, the Zaterrans and the Shokan, fierce warriors of half human, half dragon heritage. Furthermore, the army is being led by the Havik of our timeline as he seeks to glorify his Titan counterpart."

Kano was shocked at Jax's revelation. "That's impossible. I took the f*cker's head off! How in the name of f*ck could he have survived that?!" Jax shrugged. "Don't believe me, see for yourself." He sent them surveillance images of the massive army that he had previously described. Preceding the army stood both the Titan Havik and Havik, with the later version commanding them.

Kano became visibly agitated upon seeing him alive. "f*cking A. It's pointless to even consider taking on this army if we can't figure out how to kill these f*ckers." Sonya nodded in agreement. "Kano's got a point. Havik is impenetrable, which means his counterpart will likely be the same. We need to figure out their weaknesses if we are going to stand some kind of chance against them."

Later on that night, Sonya and Kano were sitting together on the sectional sofa with their legs spread on the coffee table. Drinking beers, they were bouncing ideas off one another on what could possibly kill both Havik versions. "What about fire?", Sonya asked as she took a sip of her beer. "Maybe that could work," Kano answered thoughtfully. Suddenly, his face lit up with excitement. "How about putting grenades in their mouths?" Sonya chuckled from his excited expression. "That's rather gory." "But should do the trick," Kano confidently said as he took a sip of his beer. "Unless their heads regenerate," Sonya pointed out. "Oh right," Kano said disappointed.

"What about stabbing them in the heart?" Sonya smirked. Kano stared at her with amusem*nt. "Fire and stabbing in the heart... They're not bloody vampires, love." Sonya sighed. "Maybe we are going about this all wrong. What if their invincibility can be affected by some sort of relic or talisman?" Kano took another sip of his beer. "You might be on to something. But from where though?" Feeling discouraged, Sonya shook her head. "I have no idea. I need to do some research, but I will be honest, I'd be lying if I said I knew where to start." Kano turned to face her. "Don't worry, love. We will sort this out."

Sonya looked at the fireplace before them. She silently watched the dancing flames as she contemplated changing the subject. "How much longer are we going to keep ignoring what's happening between us?" At a loss for words, Kano turned from her and stared at the fireplace. "I felt it earlier today, when you touched me...you always try to hide it, but I know you want me, Kano."

Feeling impulsive, she moved on top of him to straddle his lap. She tilted his face so that he was looking up at her. Without saying another word, she kissed him deeply. He gently moved her back. "Baby, I think that you've had a little too much to drink. You wouldn't do this otherwise." She gave him a sexy smirk that made him feel weak in his knees. "Oh trust me, I am thinking clearly. I am just tired of waiting for you to make a move."

Grabbing his face, she kissed him again. She moved her hips on top of him earning a frustrated hiss from his lips as he struggled to keep his urges under control. "Stop making me wait when you can have me right now." She started to undo his belt and he quickly grabbed her hand causing her to stop. "Sonya..." He debated with himself if he should sleep with her. He felt like he would be taking advantage of her despite her saying that she felt sober enough.

The hunger in her eyes matched his own, and he couldn't suppress his desires much longer. He roughly kissed her back and pushed her body on the sofa so that he was laying on top of her. She moaned as he sensually kissed her neck and chest. Wrestling with his thoughts, Kano decided that he could not bring himself to be intimate with Sonya in her current state. After a few moments, Kano pressed his thumb into a pressure point on Sonya's throat and her body went limp underneath him.

He carried Sonya to her bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. He caressed the side of her face as he watched her sleep. "Love, I want you more than you know. Just not like this." He knelt down to kiss her lips as she slept. Taking one last look at Sonya, he reluctantly left her side and closed the door behind him.

Chapter 8: Preparations

Chapter Text

Kabal rolled his eyes in complete disbelief as Kano admitted to turning down Sonya's advances just an hour earlier. He wasted no time in letting Kano know what a stupid decision it was. "I am sorry, but you have got to be the dumbest mother f*cker I have ever met," Kabal blatantly said as he drank a shot of Tequila. Kano cast an annoyed glance at Kabal while trying to get the attention of the bartender for another round of shots. "You don't have to be so blunt about it, mate."

Kabal smirked. "Since when are you so sensitive? Let me remind you that you brought me to this dump of a bar not because you like my company but because you knew that only I will tell it to you straight. If you didn't want your feelings to get hurt, you should have talked to Kira." Kano just blankly stared at Kabal. "f*ck you asshole," he said as he drank his shot.

Kabal grinned. "Alright, back up a sec. You mean to tell me that Sonya came onto you and you just... shot her down?" Kano shrugged. "We started fooling around a bit and then....I don't know...I just couldn't go through with it."

Kabal shook his head out of disbelief. "You really are a stupid mother f*cker! You should have slept with her! Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you?!" "She was drunk! She would never have thrown herself at me if she was sober!" Kano defended himself.

"Listen mate, in my past I've done some pretty f*cked up sh*t, but even I wouldn't take advantage of her like that." Kabal glared at him. "Really? Since when? I seem to recall you engaging in some wild drunken sex with many broads back in your day." Kano smirked. "Yeah, well if you recall, I was drunk all the time in those days."

Kano slightly twisted his face as he downed another shot of Tequila. "So, I should have slept with her?" Kabal tilted his head back to take his shot. "It's Sonya! She is f*cking hot! You said it yourself, she wasn't that drunk. If I had been you, I would have slept with her!" Kano sighed. " I f*ckin blew it," he said as he drank another shot.

Kabal pointed his empty shot glass toward him. "You know what your problem is? You've gone soft." Kano slammed his fist into the table, startling some patrons around them. "I am NOT f*cking soft!" Kabal calmly continued, not phased by Kano's sudden angry outburst.

"Relax, asshole and hear me out. As a leader, you are highly respected and you can instill fear in the even the toughest "blokes", if you will. You've never doubted any decisions you've made, which have always been calculated and methodical. Yet, when it comes to Sonya, you keep second guessing yourself."

"What are you getting at?" Kano impatiently asked. Kabal leaned forward. "I think you are in love with her. It's either that, or you are a moron." Kano sipped his beer in silence at the realization of Kabal's words. Kabal observed his reflective manner. "For what it's worth, I am sure that she's in love with you too. She has been for months, but like you, keeps on denying it."

Kano looked a Kabal seriously. "Then what do I do? Our arrangement finally works the way it needs to. With Sonya at my side, the Black Dragon has been stronger than ever. We can be unstoppable. The last thing I need is to f*ck it up by complicating things with her." Kabal grinned again. "You want my honest opinion? Have your way with her. You'd be crazy not to."

An hour later, Kano decided to take up Sonya's suggestion and began research to look for anything that could aid them in destroying both versions of Havik. Kano opened his laptop and logged onto the OIA's intranet portal; Kenshi had granted him and Sonya access to aid them in research. Kano pulled up the online library to access its archive directory. He spent the next couple of hours researching hundreds of relics and talismans that could potentially inflict damage on both Havik versions. He eventually nodded off as he was getting no where with his search.

The next morning, Sonya groggily awoke to a throbbing headache. "My fault for drinking so damn much," she mumbled to herself. Sudden dread came over her as she remembered the events from the night before. She also took notice that she was still in the same clothes from the previous night and came to the realization of what didn't happen between herself and Kano. "Ugh, what is wrong with me?" she said in frustration.

After her shower, she started walking through the living room as it was on the way to the kitchen. She redirected her steps toward the sound of loud snoring. As she walked closer to the seating area, she noticed Kano's arm was hanging off the arm rest of the sofa. She giggled at the sight of him laying on his back with his mouth wide open as he was completely passed out.

"Hey wake up," she said as she gently touched his shoulder to rouse him. Kano woke up startled by the sound of her voice. He was in such a deep sleep that he had forgotten that he passed out in the living room. "What time is it?", he groggily asked.

She looked at her watch. "9:30. What were you doing that you slept out here?", she asked. Kano sat up and rubbed his eye. "I used the OIA library to do some research to help us find something that we could use to kill these twisted f*ckers. Must have fallen asleep while I was reading."

"What did you find?" Sonya asked. Kano narrowed his eye. "Honestly? Not a damn thing. Hours of research only to feel just as lost as I started." "Wow," she said as she sat down beside him. "Tell me about it," he said as he leaned his back into the sofa.

Sonya stared blankly ahead of her while deep in thought. After a few minutes, she widened her eyes as she had an epiphany. "Their thing is that they can regenerate even after losing a limb? What if we are able to inflict damage in such a way that they have no chance to regenerate?"

Kano looked at her intrigued. "What are you thinking, love?" She turned towards him. "We need to come up with an attack strategy to completely incinerate them. We need to think about what weapons we might have at our disposal that could deliver that kind of damage." Kano raised an eyebrow. "I like where you are going with that. Let's talk some more over breakfast."

An hour later, Sonya and Kano were at a local diner eating breakfast. Kano slapped at Sonya's fingers as she reached for another one of his French toasts. She had already eaten two out of four of his toasts. "Hey!" she cried. "You should have gotten your own!", he said.

She laughed at him. "I am sorry, I couldn't decide if I wanted pancakes or French toast." Then she gave him half of her stack of pancakes while grabbing another one of his French toasts. "Here, stop being such a baby." "You're such a bloody pain in my ass," he said as he shoved a mouthful of fluffy pancakes into his mouth.

He motioned for their waitress to come to their table and placed another order for more French Toast. "So getting back to your point earlier, we need to plan a strategy on how we can finish these two f*ckers once and for all. What are your thoughts?"

Sonya chewed while she contemplated his question. "What about your laser eye beam attack? At its maximum potential, the energy blast ideally should be powerful enough to destroy them." Kano reached for a sausage link off of Sonya's plate. "I suppose that could work, but we might have better luck combining it with another energy source." "Such as what?", Sonya asked as she sipped her coffee.

"The energy bracelets I gave you can omit energy rings at varying levels of power. At the highest level, it would be like transmitting a bomb." Sonya looked at him stunned. "My energy bracelets are capable of that type of power?" Kano nodded. "Aye love. I developed them for that type of purpose. I am thinking between these two attacks, we should be able to deliver a fatal blow that won't allow for those f*ckers to regenerate."

"I think we may also need to utilize both Scorpion and Tremor as a back up. Their combined firepower can serve the same purpose to incinerate both Havik versions. Their power can also be used simultaneously with our attacks if for some reason ours are not enough," Sonya suggested. "Alright, it sounds like we got ourselves at least one plan. But before we can get to those f*ckers, we gotta get through their freakshow of an army," Kano said.

Sonya silently stirred her coffee as she recalled the image of the menacing army. "From Jax's video, I am estimating that there were at least 1000 soldiers and I am sure that number is only going to grow...Once we finish here, I want to schedule a video call. We need to coordinate among our allies and utilize all of our resources if we want to have a chance of fending ourselves against an army of that size."

As they were eating their meal, Sonya thoughtfully looked at Kano. "About last night," she started to say. "I know I came onto you a little strong." Kano gave her a small smile. "Yeah, you caught me by surprise, but it's alright, you have an excuse, you had a lot of drinks in ya. No need to make it a big deal." The look in her eyes said otherwise. "I want to talk about it," she said. Kano gave her a serious look. "Go ahead, love."

Before Sonya could utter a word, something caught Kano's attention. He looked toward the entrance of the diner just to see Kabal walk through the door. "f*ck. You've got to be kidding me", he said. When Kabal spotted them, he started heading for their table.

"Who invited the bloody wanker?" Kano asked. "Oh Kabal texted me earlier to find out what we were up to. I told him that we would be here," Sonya answered him while grabbing a sausage link. "Bloody hell...," he said in an annoyed tone.

"Mind if I join ya?", Kabal asked as he sat down next to Sonya on her side of the booth. "Don't mind if you do," Kano tonelessly answered. Kabal took a sip of Sonya's coffee. "Kenshi called, he wants to discuss the upcoming Outworld mission." "You could have put that in a text message," Kano said as he took a sip of his coffee. "Glad to see you too, asshole," Kabal said with a smirk.

"Oh French toast!" Kabal said as he grabbed some off of Kano's plate. Kano threw his fork on his plate out of frustration; he had just received his second French toast order just moments before. "Why the f*ck is everybody eating my food?" Sonya handed Kano some more of her pancakes. "Oh lighten up. Let's just order some more." She motioned to their waitress who promptly came over to their table.

"Hi. Can we get some more coffee, another order of pancakes and French toast? Oh, and a side of bacon. Kabal, do want anything?," Sonya asked. "Nah, I am good, I'll just pick off of you two," Kabal said as he ate some of Sonya's pancakes.

Kano shot Kabal an irritated look. "The f*ck you will, piss off! Go make yourself useful and reach out to Kenshi and Stryker to set up a video call; matter of fact, arrange to get Scorpion and Smoke on there too."

Kabal finished Sonya's coffee. "Will do." He flashed Kano a grin which irritated him even more. "Thanks for breakfast," he said as he took off. "f*cking freeloader," Kano mumbled. After he cooled down, he reached for Sonya's hand to softly caress it. "Now baby, where were we?", he said with a grin.
Before she could answer, he noticed that Kira and Jarek had entered the diner, passing Kabal on his way out. "Oh for f*ck's sake." Kira dragged Jarek behind her to meet Sonya and Kano at their table.

"Mornin boss," Kira cheerfully said as she sat down next to Sonya in her booth. Jarek squeezed into Kano's booth much to his dismay. "What are you two doing here?", he asked. "Kabal texted us. We thought we would join you for breakfast," Jarek answered as he grabbed a piece of Kano's French toast. Kano shot Jarek an annoyed glance. Sonya muffled her laughter. "Here guys, you should try the pancakes; they are really good."

Hours later, Sonya and Kano, along with Jarek, Kabal and Kira, sat in the warehouse conference room for their video call with Jax, Kenshi, Scorpion, Smoke and Stryker. They were organizing a defensive team for their upcoming mission into Outworld.

"How many Black Dragon would you say are within our base, around 50?" Sonya asked Kano. "That's about right," he said. "Alright, what about your other affiliate branches abroad?" "I have about 450 members among my remaining branches," Kano confirmed. "You're going to need to call them to report back to base. That will give us some man power but not nearly enough," Sonya said.

"Alright, what about your unit? Anyway we can use them? You run the most highly specialized branch of the FBI. We can benefit from the use of your agents skillsets," Kano suggested.

Sonya was responsible for running the FBI's most elite unit which was tasked to protect and shield the public from paranormal and supernatural activity. Prior to her career with the FBI, Sonya was ranked as a first lieutenant officer in the US army before she was approached to head her unit. Most of her agents came from various branches of the United States military: army, marine and navy seals. Her agents were trained in martial arts styles such as krav maga, tae kwon do, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The OIA's agents also shared similar backgrounds as many of its agents, like Jax were previously employed with the FBI.

"I have about 400 agents in my unit," Sonya said. "What do you say, Stryker? You think our guys are ready for some real action?" Stryker smirked. "For this? Absolutely. Count us in," he answered.

"Can we count on the OIA?," Kano asked Jax and Kenshi. "We can give you another 250 agents," Jax offered. "Agreed," Kenshi said. "Even with our combined forces, however, I am afraid it is not enough. The number of soldiers in their army has increased almost double its size since the last video communication we provided you." Sonya widened her eyes. "Kenshi, that last communication was a day ago."

"We received word from a comrade of mine, Syzoth. He fought alongside me and Lord Liu Kang's other Earthrealm champions, when we first countered Outworld's forces several months ago. He has been acting as a spy for us and has provided us intel regarding the current conditions of unrest since Titan Havik began his invasion in Outworld."

"According to Syzoth, Titan Havik chose to invade Outworld to gather its strongest warriors with the intention of completing his goal of conquering all of the realms. He has already taken over Zaterra and has forced the Zaterrans to fight among his army. He has also set his sights on Edenia and is seeking to overthrow Queen Mileena and enslave her people."

"And as for Earthrealm, his attacks grow bolder with each passing day. We just became aware of another massacre, this time against our friends at the Shaolin Temple." Scorpion was stunned by Kenshi's startling revelation. "The monks of the Shaolin Temple? They are a peaceful people. Why would anyone want to target them?"

"Due to the timing of these attacks, we believe that they serve as a diversion from Titan Havik to prevent Lord Liu Kang from interfering with the invasion in Outworld. Liu Kang has been aiding his Earthrealm champions, our comrades Kung Lao and Raiden, to manage the aftermath of the massacre," Kenshi said. "So that counts him out from being able to help us", Kano said. "It is unlikely," Kenshi said.

"It is only a matter of time before Titan Havik's plans will come to fruition unless we act quickly. How soon can we get our teams into place?," Sonya asked. "Once I call them in, the remaining Black Dragon can be here by tomorrow night," Kano said. "We can also have our teams in place by tomorrow night, "Stryker said.

"You will need more warriors to counter Outworld's forces," Smoke pointed out. "The Shirai Ryu will aid you," Scorpion offered. "The addition of our clan members will greatly increase your defensive forces to withstand against Outworld's army." Sonya sighed out of relief. "Scorpion, Smoke, thank you. You have no idea what this means to us."

"That settles it then, we will ready our team for tomorrow night," Kenshi said. "Everyone, get some rest. We will convene tomorrow around noon to finalize our preparations before we head into Outworld."

Chapter 9: Restless Night

Chapter Text

Sonya tossed and turned in her bed. Normally, she could sleep with ease from the light pitter patter of rain against her window sill, but tonight the noise seemed to bother her. She heard the sound of rumbling thunder in the distance; bolts of lightning cracked and illuminated the night sky for brief moments. The hum of the light droplets started to become more pronounced as a heavy rainfall formed.

Sonya stared at a large tree outside of her window; the long branches whipped erratically from the stormy weather. Its dark leaves blew wildly from the strong winds. She listened to the rainfall with the hope that it would have the desired soothing effect to lull her back into sleep. After twenty minutes, Sonya finally had enough, and rose into an upright sitting position.

Throwing her legs over the bed, she stood up and walked toward the window. She noticed that the night sky had a slightly reddish hue from the distant city lights. Looking outside, she could see that the road was flooding from the torrential rain fall.

Sonya attempted to sleep again but it was of no use. She looked at the clock sitting on top of her nightstand. It read 3:45am. The claps of thunder only seemed to get louder. Sonya laid in bed feeling restless. The storm wasn’t the only reason that she couldn’t sleep.

Contrary to what Kano believed from the night before, Sonya's judgement was not in the least bit impaired. She was fully in tune with her intentions when she tried to seduce him. She felt impulsive, loose and sexy; she was more than willing to act on her desires. Driven by passion, she was ready to give herself to him completely.

Sonya couldn't get the previous night with Kano out of her mind. Her body shuddered at the memory of pleasing herself against his arousal; even with his clothes on, it still felt deliciously good. Her body indulged in pleasure from the feeling of him touching her in the most delicate of places. She remembered being completely consumed by his kiss, which was deep and passionate. She wanted him so badly; she longed to finish what they had started.

Sonya laid in bed trying to figure out when and how her feelings for Kano changed. Logically, it didn't make sense for her to want him this way; he had been her sworn enemy for years. Hate was the only emotion that she had associated with him for the longest time.

Yet as a result of working together over the last four months, their adversarial relationship morphed into something entirely different. Putting their differences aside, they no longer saw each other as rivals, but rather as partners, and learned to rely on one another as such. Their partnership was not without its share of challenges, however. They would equally push each other to the brink, often irritating one another in the process.

Kano often referred to Sonya as a thorn in his side; she was just as stubborn as him and she had no problem provoking him if she disagreed with his decisions. Yet over time Sonya came to respect and trust Kano and valued her position as his co-leader. With Sonya by his side, the Black Dragon forged into a powerful force beyond what Kano envisioned for his clan.

Then something unexpected happened that neither one of them could have possibly anticipated. Their relationship as partners transcended into a friendship and ultimately an attraction between them grew. Their intense chemistry went far beyond anything physical, developing into a strong emotional connection.

Yet, Sonya wanted more. She tried to rationalize if what she was feeling was due to loneliness. It had certainly been some time since she was in anything that resembled a relationship, let alone been intimate with a man. Sonya knew that she craved more than just a meaningless tryst; she yearned for something deeper.

She just never expected that Kano would have been the man that she would have fallen for, given their history. She was tired of justifying whether or not it made sense for them to be together. All she knew was that she was tired of denying what she felt. She was ready to take a risk and let the chips fall where they may.

Sonya got up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her white tank top and small black shorts clung to her skin. She pulled her long hair out of a ponytail and let it fall loose. Without even trying, she was effortlessly beautiful. Sonya let out a deep sigh. After working up her nerve, she quietly made her way through the long suite. She had the feeling that Kano was in his den as for the last few nights he stayed up later than normal to catch up on some work.

Her feeling turned out to be correct. Kano was staring at his computer screen; he was so deep in thought that he did not notice when Sonya appeared in the doorway. She bit her lip and her face began to flush at the sight of him wearing only black boxer briefs. Sonya couldn't help but enjoy the view of his masculine physique. After getting a sense that he was being watched, he looked in Sonya's direction.

“Everything alright, love?“ Kano asked. Sonya hesitated at his question. After hearing a loud thunder clap he asked, “The storm is keeping you up, eh?” Sonya smiled. “I couldn’t sleep, but it is not because of the storm.” Kano took notice of how she looked at him and he grinned. “Then… what brings ya in here?”

"I think you already know," Sonya said with a suggestive look. She slowly moved towards him and then gradually began to straddle his lap. She put her arms around his neck pulling him closer to her and began to run her fingers through his hair. "I am done denying what is happening between us."

Kano let out a sigh; he put his hands around her waist. After a long pause, he said, “Sonya, I want this. I am not going to deny it….but…” Sonya smirked. “You make it a point not to get involved with the women you work with. I get it…but, you do know that technically, I am not a Black Dragon remember?” Kano started to laugh. “Looking for a loophole, I like that.” He gently rubbed her thigh and she started to shudder at his touch. He stared deeply into her eyes. “If we do this, it will change everything between us.”

Sonya started to frown. Then she leaned in closer and tilted his face up slightly so that his lips were barely touching hers. “Are you saying that you don’t want me?” Kano brushed aside some of Sonya's long locks of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Baby that's not what I am saying...It's just that with everything at stake, getting involved could complicate things.”

Despite himself, he kept looking at her lips. “This could be a mistake,” he said as he softly planted kisses on the side of her neck. “Huge,” she said as she smiled in delight. She seductively gazed into his eyes. Kano cupped Sonya’s face with his hands and crashed his lips into hers with a passionate kiss.

Sonya's legs wrapped around Kano's waist as he picked her up to bring her to his bedroom. Once they entered the room, Kano tossed Sonya onto his bed and he climbed over her. After a few minutes of kissing and fondling, Kano yanked Sonya's shorts off; she sat up to remove her tank top. He gazed at her beautiful body and kissed her and he proceeded to make love to her into the early hours of the morning.

Chapter 10: Outworld

Chapter Text

Sonya briskly walked ahead of Jax, Kenshi and Stryker to tune out what she considered to be mindless chatter. She recognized it was merely a coping mechanism to deal with the aftermath of the bloody battle that they just barely survived. Sonya was utterly frustrated as their team had suffered extreme causalities earlier that day at the hands of the Shokan, the strongest of Titan Havik's warriors. She felt disgusted with anger and was sick with remorse. Broken in her spirit, Sonya walked in silence longing to return to their campsite for the evening to put this dreadful day behind her.

It had been a week and half since they had entered Outworld with the sole purpose of eradicating Titan Havik and his forces once and for all. Sonya and Kano, along with their allies at the FBI, OIA and Shirai Ryu, had assembled the greatest group of warriors to defend Earthrealm against the tyrannical villain. Their combined forces boasted military combat training, expert knowledge in various martial arts styles and thanks to Kano's vast knowledge of weaponry; their team was outfitted with the most advanced arms that were superior to Outworld's technology.

Sonya and Kano's team put on an excellent show of strength, despite being outnumbered by the Titan's army. Yet, even with the valiant efforts of their powerful defensive team, they continued to suffer loss after loss, lowering their numbers significantly. Such was the harsh reality of warfare; one that Sonya deep down was not ready for.

Sonya had led various operations over the years and had suffered minimal losses when her missions had not gone as planned. Nothing, however, could prepare her for the carnage and devastation of the countless lives lost in this war. Yet the consequences of not defeating the Titan would be catastrophic as all of the realms would be subject to his tyrannical rule and chaos would rule supreme. Failure was not an option.

As Sonya walked through the campsite, her heart sank at the sight of dozens of wounded fighters; many of whom saluted her as she passed by them. She admired their courage and strength and was proud to stand among them. Her prideful moment however was short-lived; she felt sick to her stomach hearing the piercing, gut wrenching screams of the most seriously injured soldiers being attended to in nearby tents.

Sonya and her comrades continued to walk on until they saw a large square black tent, baring the Black Dragon banners with lighted torches in front. Jarek and a few of the Black Dragon members had just exited the tent. They greeted Sonya and the others as they approached. "Kano just sent us to look for you. He is planning a strategy for our next attack," Jarek informed them. "For when?" Sonya asked. "Tomorrow, just before dawn."

Sonya looked at Jarek with shock. "Why so soon?" Jarek shrugged. "I don't know, but that's what he said, boss." Sonya was fuming; she considered it careless on Kano's part to order an attack so soon when their army was reduced dramatically. "We'll see about that," she said as she stepped through the tent.

Kano, Scorpion, Syzoth and Tremor were in the midst of discussing their strategy when Sonya entered the tent, followed by Jax, Kenshi and Stryker. "Did I just hear correctly from Jarek that you plan on attacking the Titan's army before dawn?” Sonya asked. Kano nodded. "Gather around, love, there is much to discuss." Sonya stood with her arms crossed. "Kano, I need to talk to you, in private, please."

Kano glanced at Sonya; while she appeared calm, he got the feeling that she was about to raise a sh*t storm that was intended just for him. He knew her well enough to know when he had done something to piss her off. Given the events of the day, he was in no mood to deal with her fiery temper.

"Go on and take a break while I fill Sonya in on our plans," he said to the others while keeping his gaze on her. "We'll meet here again in an hour to discuss final preparations." Their present company curiously observed the two of them; they had a sense something was off but were quick to oblige with Kano's request.

After the last of their comrades left, Kano glared at Sonya. "Alright, what the f*ck is your problem?" he snapped. A scowl formed on Sonya's face. "Why would you recklessly endanger us by planning an attack so damn soon? Are you TRYING to get us killed?!" she furiously asked. Kano blankly stared at her. "Sonya, you're emotional and need to calm down. If you would listen to me for a minute, you'll see that I have a solid plan," he reasoned with her.

"Don't you DARE tell me that I am emotional!" Sonya shouted. "It's the fact that you are planning this attack so soon, Kano! We are nowhere near ready! Most of our team was slaughtered today! We are dangerously outnumbered and don't have a shot in hell to face them right now! We need more time to plan a proper attack."

"Sonya, there's no more time. These f*cks are getting bolder by the day and it will only be a matter of time before they make slaves of all of us. We have to strike now," he said. Sonya shook her head. "No, I don't agree. Postpone this attack, Kano. We need more time to prepare."

"We are postponing nothin," Kano said. Sonya glared at him. "Postpone this attack," she demanded. "I will not, "Kano firmly said. Sonya became irritated. "Kano, stop being such a stubborn ass! It makes no logical sense for us to strike now!" She threw her arms in the air. "You know what; I am getting nowhere with you. I need some air."

As Sonya started to walk past Kano, he moved his arm to block her. "Love, you don't get to walk out on me. Not until we get this thing sorted out." "Kano, I have nothing more to say to you, let me pass." Sonya shoved his arm away from her, but then he blocked her again. Sonya angrily glared at him. She was tired, aggravated and no longer wanted any part of this argument. "What the f*ck do you want from me, Kano?"

Kano narrowed his eyes at her. "You forget yourself, Sonya. The fact that we're now sleeping together doesn't change that you still answer to me. It would be best that you learn your place." Sonya became irate by his latter statement. "Learn my place?" She shoved him hard in his chest. "Let me remind you that you chose me to be your second. And as your second, it is my place to put your ass in line whenever I think you are wrong! And right now, you are dead wrong to order an attack when we are not ready!"

Then she pushed him harder, knocking him back a few steps. "And for you to belittle me and say that I am simply supposed to answer to you, like I don't have a right to an opinion of my own? That's way below the belt." Kano's serious look unexpectedly shifted to a mischievous expression. "Baby, I thought you loved it when I went below the belt," he said as he wagged his tongue at her. Sonya's eyes widened at his suggestive taunt. "Asshole!" she said as Kano barked from laughter. "I can't help it, love. Nothing is sexier than watching you get all riled up. Especially when it's for me," he said in a co*cky tone.

Sonya found herself in unfamiliar territory as she was still trying to navigate her place as Kano's co-leader and now, as his lover. It was unsettling to her on how fast he could push her buttons when he wanted to get under her skin. Still, to answer for his off color remark, she felt the intense urge to bash his face in.

In the same breath, she wanted to mount him for a quick romp as she was strangely turned on by his arrogant demeanor. Kano could "handle" her in a way that no other man could, and what annoyed her most was that he knew it. However, due to a lack of time and privacy, she settled for punching his shoulder really hard.

"I f*cking hate you", she scowled as he pulled her closer to him. She allowed herself to relax in his hold as he hugged her from behind. A smile crossed her lips as he buried his face into the side of her neck for a kiss; then he slowly moved the thin strap of her tank top to kiss her bare shoulder. She wanted so badly to lose herself in the strength of his arms, even if for just a moment. His embrace was her safe space; allowing her to escape the devastation that surrounded them.

He spoke to her calmly. "Your anger is misplaced, love. I share your frustration and I want these f*ckers to pay for what they did as much as you do. We have a shot at evening the score, but I need you at your best, Sonya. Now is the time to get back at em," he said. She turned to face him. "I am sorry, I was out of line, but allow me to speak plainly, Kano. I think it is a mistake to try to plan an attack so soon. I do not think that we are ready."

"Hear me out first," he reasoned with her. "I know that you are concerned with the condition of our team. I have already assessed the injuries sustained among them. Believe it or not, most of their injuries were minor; they look worse than what they are. More importantly, these blokes are ready to get back out there and fight as their resolve is stronger than the sh*t they have been through."

Sonya seemed a little relieved. "Alright, so what is your plan?" "We are going to attack them at their fortress just before daybreak. They will be asleep and therefore, off guard. There's no better time to strike," Kano said. Sonya raised her eyebrows. "Attacking their forces at their own fortress... That's a ballsy move...and risky if not done right."

"There's something else you should know," Kano started to say. "Syzoth learned that the Zaterrans are being held captive inside the fortress. We are going to use the attack as a diversion to help them escape. Syzoth is confident that the Zaterrans will join our side to seek vengeance for their poor treatment, which gives us the advantage."

"You are certain that this plan of yours will work?" Sonya asked as Kano turned her around to face him. He softly planted a kiss on her lips. "Aye, love. Trust me on this; it's our best shot of leveling the playing ground toward our favor. Those f*ckers will never expect us to hit em back so soon after what they did to us today. That's why it has to be now," Kano said. After a brief hesitation, Sonya finally agreed." Bring me up to speed with all of the details..."

It was several hours later, with forty minutes left to day break. The nights in Outworld were eerie; the skies were strange with not one star or constellation in sight. The light that shined from a large blood orange moon and several small yellowish crescent shaped moons accented the darkened skies with reddish orange hues. There was no sound of singing birds to signal the approach of dawn, but rather the terrifying shrill of unknown beasts in the distance.

A tiny drone flew in the skies, completely undetectable to the eye. Developed by Kano, the drone cloaking technology was superior to most military types, making its presence literally invisible. Sonya directed the drone to its ultimate destination; to the inside of their enemy's fortress. As she slowly guided the drone, Sonya located where the Zaterrans were being kept.

While required to serve in the Titan's army, the Zaterrans had no true allegiance to the would-be emperor. Due to a recent attempted revolt, they were forced into several overcrowded cages where they practically toppled over one another. They shivered in their natural form as the cages were out in the open with no hint of shelter exposing them to freezing temperatures. Despite their harsh treatment, the Zaterrans were a proud race and refused to break their spirit in the face of their enemy.

"There," Sonya confirmed from the drone’s video feed. "This is where they are being held captive." Syzoth became enraged at the poor condition of his people. "We need to release them from the bonds of this tyrant." "First things, first mate, we need that diversion to get us close enough to free them," Kano said. "Agreed." Sonya turned toward Scorpion. "Kuai, you're up." Scorpion nodded. "I am ready."

In what seemed like an instant, Scorpion teleported inside of the fortress. The fortress was reinforced by tall brick walls; however, the inside exposed multiple wooden barracks that housed their enemy's soldiers. He quickly moved behind a barrack to avoid being discovered by the Tarkatan guard that approached. Once the guard passed his hiding place, Scorpion grabbed his kusarigama and plunged it deep into the chest of the guard.

Once the guard died, Scorpion dragged him inside an alley way to avoid revealing his presence. He moved throughout the fortress until he came to a grand hall that held the largest numbers of the Shokan and Tarkatans. Once he knew that he was in the clear, Scorpion extended his arm in front of him scorching the walls in flames. He then continued to aim massive fireballs at the surrounding barracks that housed the unsuspecting Shokan and Tarkatans deep in their slumber.

The early morning silence was disturbed by the horrific screams of burning soldiers. Scorpion calmly stood while the surrounding buildings became engulfed in flames. He stood fearless and ready to fight as screaming Shokan and Tarkatan warriors, whose bodies were scorched in flames, ran toward him in a state of panic and confusion. One by one, Scorpion plunged his kunai spear into the necks of his enemies, watching them violently gurgle through choked breaths. After dragging his enemies to him, Scorpion used his kusarigama to savagely slice open their chests or throats to finish them off.

Tremor stood at the edge of a cliff that overlooked the fortress below. He could see from the distance the barracks that went ablaze from fire and watched dozens of the titan's men flee out of shock. He lifted his arms and summoned large lava boulders that appeared in the sky. He began to hurl them at the fortress below causing them to explode on impact. As Tremor’s lava boulders rained from the sky, dozens of Shokan and Tarkatans were thrown in the air from the force of the blasts. Tremor maneuvered some of the lava boulders toward the entrance of the fortress. The lava boulders penetrated the fortress door, causing a massive explosion. Once the door was destroyed, Sonya rallied her forces to gain entrance inside.

Sonya, Kano, and the rest of their team hurried inside the fortress to aid Scorpion who was using his fire power to force back the Shokan and Tarkatans that charged him. Sonya found herself facing off against a flaming Tarkatan that raced towards her; she quickly ducked from a protruding blade that swiped at her head. She rapidly rose and impaled the Tarkatan in the stomach with her dagger, yanked it out, and brutally slashed his throat. She quickly twisted herself to back kick a Tarkatan that attempted to stab her from behind, and then threw her dagger in between his eyes, killing him instantly.

Kano was in the midst of a battle with a Shokan. He dodged the Shokan’s aggressive swings and would swipe his butterfly knives cutting into his flesh. The Shokan angrily grabbed a hold of Kano and lifted him off the ground by his neck. The Shokan smiled with delight as he began to strangle Kano, watching his face turn into a shade of blue. On the verge of passing out, Kano managed to emit a laser beam directly into both of the Shokan’s eyes, blinding him in the process. The Shokan howled in pain and dropped Kano to the ground, gasping for air. Kano got up and slashed off each of the Shokan’s arms, and then finally stabbed him into the heart.

In the blink of an eye, Kabal zipped past a group of Tarkatans with his hook sword extended at waist level. One by one, each Tarkatan’s torso fell to the floor with the other half of their bodies still standing in place. He raced towards a Shokan that had picked up Stryker and hurled him into Jax and Kenshi, knocking them all to the floor. As the Shokan prepared to jump onto the three men, Kabal increased his speed, went airborne and stabbed the Shokan from behind his back. The Shokan angrily grabbed Kabal from behind and tossed him into the group of men. Kabal zipped toward the Shokan again, jumped upward and slashed the Shokan’s throat with his hook sword.

While his comrades were engaged in battle, Syzoth made his way toward the cages that held the Zaterrans captive. He forced the locks open and was able to release his people from the cages. They looked on in relief as they were finally freed from their captivity. "Thank you brother,” said one of the freed Zaterrans. "No need to thank me, my friend. Come now and fight alongside us so that we may destroy this corrupt titan and his army!" Syzoth said.

Syzoth and the Zaterrans joined their comrades in the fight against the Shokan and Tarkatans. The Zaterrans wasted no time in releasing their rage as they maliciously tore their captors to shreds. Syzoth shape shifted into his natural form to give him a stronger advantage. He jumped onto a Shokan and bit into his throat, ripping away large chunks of tissue and muscle. As the Shokan cried in agony, Syzoth released his acid spit onto his enemy, melting his face away.

As the sun finally rose, slain bodies were everywhere throughout the fortress. Kano's plan for a surprise attack was executed perfectly as they were able to wipe out a little more than half of Titan Havik's army. The remainder of his forces had retreated through a portal to avoid the same fate as their fallen comrades. Kano had a wide grin as he looked at the pile of burnt and bloodied bodies on the floor. “Now that is a beautiful f*cking sight.” Sonya smirked. “I gotta hand it to you, this plan was a gamble but it paid off.” “That it did, love.”

As they were inspecting the damage left behind, Sonya heard an unknown voice calling to her... from in her mind. “Come to me, Sonya,” it softly called her. The voice lured her to the furthest building at the end of the fortress. Venturing inside the building, Sonya heard the voice grow louder in her mind, however this time it sounded like a man’s voice intertwined with her own. “Come to me,” it commanded her. The pull of this voice was stronger than her logic telling her to get the hell out of this building but she couldn’t help but obey its calling.

As Kano was with his team celebrating their victory, he became aware that Sonya was missing. He then noticed that she was walking toward the furthest end of the fortress. “Sonya, wait up!” He called to her; however, she continued to go in as if she never heard him. He followed her into the building, curious as to what she might have been looking for. “Slow down, love,” he said as he put his hand onto her shoulder.

Suddenly, Sonya reached for Kano’s arm, and flipped him over onto the ground. “Sonya, what the f*ck was that for?” Kano asked lifting himself from the ground. Then he stared at her face in horror. The look in her eyes was demon like as her brown eyes had a reddish tint to them. It sent a chill down his spine. Kano immediately knew who was at work.

“Sonya, snap out of it! Havik is doing this to ya! Baby, you and I...” Sonya gritted her teeth. “You and I are nothing!” Kano braced himself as she began to charge at him with full force. Sonya pulled out her daggers from behind her back and began to furiously swipe them at Kano, cutting pieces of his shirt. She continued to swipe, each time making cuts on his arms and chest. Kano kicked Sonya backwards forcing her to lose her footing.

Sonya recovered quickly; she aimed her energy blasts at Kano’s head and kept increasing them in both size and frequency. She managed to hit him with one on the side of his head, knocking him to the ground. Sonya proceeded to jump on top of him and tried to thrust her dagger into his heart. Kano quickly grabbed her arm to stop her, but found it difficult to keep the blade from piercing his chest as Sonya’s strength seemed to have doubled under Havik’s influence.

Kano managed to knock his head into Sonya, jerking her head backwards. Sonya closed her eyes as she clutched her face in pain. Kano stood up and bent over her, regarding her curiously. “Are you still bloody mad?” She angrily looked up at him. “f*ck!” he yelled as she punched him in the face. As she attempted another punch, Kano grabbed Sonya’s fist, and threw her to the floor, knocking her out as her head made contact with the ground.

The sight of Sonya unconscious enraged Kano to the point of almost insanity. Kano screamed at the top of his lungs. “HAVIK! NO MORE MIND GAMES! SHOW YOURSELF, YOU f*ckER!” Havik appeared from the shadows. He devilishly smiled at Kano as he enjoyed the display of his rage. “We meet again, Black Dragon.”

Chapter 11: Twist of Fate

Chapter Text

Kano was livid at the sight of Havik. “YOU’RE A f*ckING COWARD, HAVIK! YOU LET OTHERS DO YOUR DIRTY WORK! FIGHT ME LIKE A f*ckING MAN!” Driven by rage, Kano rushed towards Havik, erratically swiping at him with his butterfly knives. Kano’s furious attacks were instantly halted, forcing him to stop dead in his tracks. He struggled to move but his body failed to respond, even speaking was impossible. Dread came over Kano at the realization that his mobility was now at the mercy of Havik’s will. A chilling smile formed on Havik’s mutilated face.

“My power has grown considerably since I became lord of Chaosrealm,” Havik stated. “My mastery of blood magik allows me to possess your mind from the mere blood that runs through your veins.” He smirked at Kano. “Though I will admit, you are slightly more difficult to control, due to the cybernetic enhancements fused to your brain. I can, however, still make a puppet out of you if I so wished,” he said. Rather than demonstrating the full strength of his power, he simply released his hold over Kano.

Havik glanced over at Sonya and admired her still form, as she lay on the floor unconscious. “Such a beauty isn’t she? Her ferocious spirit makes her the perfect vessel to further my ambitions.” Rousing her from her slumber, Havik gently raised her into a standing position. Sonya put up no struggle; she simply stood in Havik's arms. The color in her eyes had returned to their normal shade of brown, but lacked their usual fire. Standing before Kano was not the Sonya Blade known for her fierceness, but rather, a shell of a person.

From the sight of her soulless expression; Kano became infuriated. He narrowed his eye at Havik. “I WILL f*ckING DESTROY YOU.” Kano growled. "Your threats are empty, Kano. We both know you have no way of defeating me, as proven from our last encounter." Kano maliciously grinned. "You’re wrong about that, f*cker. I have a way of ending you, and you’re about to find out how."

Kano aimed his laser beam straight for Havik’s heart, burning a hole right through it. Havik maniacally laughed as the hole slowly regenerated making his chest intact once more. “You disappoint me Kano; I am quite familiar with the infamous stories of your brutality. I expected much more from you,” Havik provoked him. “No worries, mate. I’m just getting started with ya,” Kano said drawing his butterfly knives.

As Kano started to approach him, Havik pressed a blade to Sonya's throat. Kano's bravado faded at the sight of blood trickling down her neck. "I am doubtful that you would recklessly risk your lover's life just to attack me", Havik confidently said. Kano’s eye widened in surprise; he and Sonya had kept their new relationship private for the time being. Judging from his startled expression; Havik knew he had Kano right where he wanted him.

"Was that supposed to be a secret?” Havik mocked him. "If so, it is one that you fail to keep, for your affection for her gives you away. I have observed you for quite some time, Black Dragon. You guard this woman as if she was your most prized possession. Your desire for her is a weakness, one that my master will soon exploit to destroy you both."

Havik looked at Kano with a serious demeanor. “You should know that I have no intention of fighting you or your beloved. My show of force was merely to gain your attention; I wish to request an audience.” “Are ya outta yer f*cking mind?” Kano angrily asked. “Sonya just tried to murder me, but to you that was a show, just for sh*ts and giggles, eh?” Havik mischievously grinned at him. Kano let out an annoyed sigh. “Right, I forgot. You’re the master of f*cking chaos. You get off on all of this bullsh*t.”

Kano looked at Havik suspiciously. "What is it that you want, Havik?” "I wish to be rid of my master," Havik answered. Kano was genuinely perplexed by Havik's unexpected remark. "Why? Don't you both want the same thing; to conquer the realms, spread chaos and all that sh*t?" "My dream is to exist in a world where one can embrace their chaos without restraint. I was able to achieve this vision when I took over Seido and liberated our people from its oppressed regime. Our citizens thrive as they can live as they wish without fear of consequences."

"At first I believed that my Titan counterpart shared the same vision as mine and wanted to spread anarchist ideals among all the realms. I was elated to support him that is; until I realized that my master cares nothing for my vision as his is tainted with blood. I have seen how he oppresses the people of the realms he has conquered. They have no freedom in their choices; in essence, it is another Seido regime, only this time riddled with death and destruction. This is not something that I can stand by or tolerate."

Kano was slightly swayed by Havik’s words. "You're not all that twisted, mate," Kano said as he put his knives back into their sheaths. "Indeed, I am not the enemy that you believe me to be. I merely care for the freedom of my people. What happens outside of Chaosrealm concerns me not, however, if my master is not stopped, all will be oppressed under his rule. That is why I am willing to aid your forces to prevent his bloodthirsty reign," Havik said.

Once Havik removed the blade from Sonya's throat; his influence over her ceased. She looked on in confusion as she gradually came to her senses. "Welcome back, love," Kano said as he slowly approached her. Glancing at Kano’s bloodied chest and arms, Sonya recalled glimpses of their confrontation just moments before."My God, what did I do to you?” she asked Kano, acknowledging the injuries that she inflicted on him.

Then, Sonya turned her attention toward Havik. “You did this,” she growled. She immediately tried to stab him with her dagger, but Kano caught her wrist before she could do so. Sonya stared at him in shock as he refused to lessen his grip. “KANO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” she asked in disbelief. "Ease up, Sonya; Havik is going to work with us," he answered her.

Sonya was alarmed by Kano’s words as she couldn’t fathom the concept of Havik as an ally. “This is insane! After all that he has done, now he wants to… just switch sides…AND YOU BELIEVE HIM?” Sonya cautiously looked at Havik. "How can he be trusted?”

After Kano gave her a brief rundown of his conversation with Havik, Sonya was simply astounded. “There is no way the others are going to buy this. Hell, I hardly believe it.” Havik grinned. “I can persuade them if you like.” Sonya narrowed her eyes. “Thanks, but your mind games will not be necessary…Come on. Let’s get back to the others; they are in for quite the surprise…”

A half hour later, Sonya and Kano had regrouped with their commanders Jarek, Jax, Kabal, Kenshi, Kira, Scorpion, Smoke, Stryker and Tremor. They had gathered in the Black Dragon tent to discuss next steps in defeating the Titan. Everyone in the room suspiciously stared at Havik, wary of his true motives. Kira and Scorpion angrily glared at him as they were the most adversely affected by his influence. Havik relished in the tension that his presence provoked.

“Boss, having Havik work among us is a mistake! His timing alone is suspicious. He just conveniently showed up after we beat the sh*t out of his army. How do you know that he won’t betray us the first opportunity that he gets?” Kira outright asked. “Trust me, I am well aware of that possibility,” Kano nonchalantly answered her. “Then why would you even consider this?!” she blatantly asked him. “Allow me to answer your question,” Havik offered.

As he stepped forward to address Kira, she pulled out her butterfly knife and pressed the tip of it to his throat. “I wouldn’t step any closer if I was you,” she threatened. Scorpion quickly stepped beside Kira and pulled out his kusarigama, preparing to strike at Havik. A crooked smile formed on Havik’s face; he was amused by their mutual contempt for him.

“You need not be threatened by me,” Havik said while casually removing Kira’s blade from his neck. “As I told Kano, it is no longer my interest to quarrel with any of you. My only concern is for the well being of the citizens of Chaosrealm. Once my master has been destroyed, I merely wish to return to my realm and govern with no outside interference.”

“Do you honestly expect us to believe this?” Scorpion asked. Havik nodded. “I speak the truth. My only interest in all of this is to protect the freedoms of my people. That can only be accomplished with my counterpart’s demise.” Kira shook her head. “I almost want to believe you, but it feels a little too good to be true.” “Kira, I share your doubts. But Havik joining us will help us defeat this bloody bastard for good,” Kano said. “I don’t like it, but I trust you boss,” Kira said while sneering at Havik. He flashed a mischievous grin back in the direction of the feisty redhead. “Ugh,” she groaned.

“Let’s focus everyone. Now is the time to discuss how we are going to finally end this war. This morning’s attack sent a message to the Titan that he was wrong to underestimate us. We slaughtered a good portion of his army; the remaining forces that retreated were greatly weakened, which gave us the upper hand. We need to finish strong,” Sonya said.

“This is far from over…My counterpart is gathering more forces as we speak,” Havik stated. “You know this for certain?” Sonya asked. “Yes, my counterpart had made preparations for additional reinforcements a few days ago. The army will be gathering in the Golden Desert. The Titan seeks finality to this war and declares that he will annihilate you. The warriors that he is gathering will serve his purpose to defeat your forces once and for all…the soldiers you faced today do not compare to what has just been assembled,” Havik stated.

“Then we should meet the Titan to finish this,” Kenshi said. “Are you ready to go head to head with your old master?” Sonya asked Havik. A sinister smile spread on his lips. “I will do so with great pleasure.”

Chapter 12: Final Battle

Chapter Text

Kenshi had arranged for a portal to teleport their forces into the Golden Desert of Outworld to challenge the Titan and his forces for one last battle. The desert was vast with an open landscape and rocky mountains in the distance. The desert grounds were devoid of sand; but rather the floor was cracked due to excessive dry weather conditions. Upon arriving, they were able to make out the massive army in the distance.

The Titan’s newest reinforcements had arrived; promising to be a greater threat than the previous warriors that Earthrealm's forces had encountered. In addition to the Shokan and Tarkatans were a group of fearsome warriors known as Centaurians. These frightening creatures had the face and upper body of a human, with ram’s horns for ears; the lower half of the body was that of a stallion, with a long rat like metallic tail. The Centaurians were at odds with both the Shokan and the Tarkatans, however, they reluctantly worked together to ensure that the Titan would be victorious in conquering Earthrealm’s forces. Rounding out the remainder of the army were distorted variants of the Earthrealm warriors; many that commanded the elements of earth, fire, ice and water.

Since starting this war, this was the first time that the Earthrealm warriors came face to face with Titan Havik. The self declared emperor stood tall; his long black hair flowed in a pony tail from behind a helmet that barely covered his monstrous face. His facial features shared the same skeletal looking appearance as Havik, except his eyes were slightly yellow with clear pupils making his expression appear more heinous. His muscled upper body was bare except for the armor that fitted his shoulders and partially covered the left side of his chest. His torso and arms revealed gruesome scars to match his mutilated face. Spikes protruded from both his helmet and his armor bearing a frightening demeanor.

The Titan’s face twisted with intense anger upon the sight of Havik standing among Earthrealm’s heroes. His eyes practically bulged out of their sockets as he stared at Havik with extreme hatred. “DEFECTOR!” He yelled. In a psychotic fit, he tore open his own chest so violently that he pulled apart his ribs, exposing his lungs and beating heart, screaming loudly as he did so.

Sonya, Kano and their team grimaced at the grotesque sight of the Titan’s open cavity. Havik was amused by his new allies’ discomfort of his counterpart’s horrid display, as he was not the least bit fazed by it. The Titan angrily clenched his teeth as his body quickly regenerated from his self inflicted trauma. “For your disloyalty, Havik, you will suffer the same fate that is about to befall the Earthrealmers!” He motioned to his army. “DESTROY THEM ALL!!!” At his command, the Titan’s army began to race toward the Earthrealmers.

Sonya stared straight ahead at the overwhelming army that was advancing toward hers. She looked down at her energy bracelets and suddenly an idea formed in her head. She turned to Kano. "Get everyone as far away from here as they can." Kano looked down at Sonya's bracelets; the energy formed into pinkish fractal spirals that glowed around her fists. As if reading her mind, he said, "Sonya, it’s too risky. This kind of power might be too much for you to handle."

"You once told me that my energy bracelets are capable of devastating anything in its path. Right about now, I have a chance to balance the odds in our favor." Havik approached Sonya. “I can control your energy rings to protect you from its destructive power. Although the energy is artificial, I can manipulate the effects of its chaos.” Sonya nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

Kano reached for Sonya's hand and entwined her fingers with his own. “Be careful, love." She gave him a small smile. "I will be okay. Just get our team to safety." "Alright," he answered as he reluctantly pulled away from her. He turned around and shouted to the others. “EVERYONE GET BACK!"

Once Sonya knew that her team was far enough from her, she increased the strength of her energy bracelets to its maximum setting. Sonya could feel a burning sensation in her hands as the power began to channel from her fingertips upward to her arms. The power began to intensify as it coursed through her; the pinkish energy rings grew larger, taking the shape of an enormous shockwave. Havik stood behind Sonya; he placed both of his hands onto her shoulders to steady her and keep her grounded. Havik channeled golden and pinkish spirals of energy from her bracelets that gently wrapped around her body, acting as sort of a protective shield.

When the Titan’s army was in her direct range, Sonya released the shockwave, which had the effect of a mini nuclear bomb. The blast was so powerful that more than a quarter of the soldiers were incinerated from its effects. Several strong aftershocks from the blast caused the ground to shatter. Tremor aided Sonya by using his geokinesis power to raise broken pieces of earth into the air. Tremor then released the pieces of earth, piercing the soldiers’ bodies like bullets. Tremor then raised large fiery boulders and hurled them toward their weakened foes. Kano gave the signal for their team to charge Outworld’s forces, colliding into them furiously.

Scorpion and Smoke and their Shirai Ryu warriors were facing off against a group of Centaurians. Scorpion launched his flame thrower, burning the bodies of his enemies. To add to their agony, Scorpion used his kunai spear to draw them close and then slash their necks. Smoke dissolved into vapor to evade the attack of a Centaurian that charged at him. He suddenly reappeared behind the Centaurian and threw smoke bombs to temporarily blind his enemy; only to finish him with his karambit knife. Several of the Shirai Ryu warriors wielded similar elemental powers as Smoke and Scorpion and were able to fend off many Centaurians that they faced.

Kenshi, Kano and several Black Dragons were battling Tarkatans and other variant warriors. Kenshi clashed swords with several Tarkatans that surrounded him. Despite the threat that they posed, they were no match for the expert blind swordsman. Kenshi twirled his sword, and one by one, decapitated each Tarkatan that had advanced him.

Kenshi barely had a moment when he suddenly heard a loud shriek. As he turned his head toward the direction of the scream, he abruptly ducked from a flying female vampire variant that swooped over him. The vampire aimed an icy blast at Kenshi’s legs causing him to freeze where he stood. The ice started to move its way upward toward Kenshi’s torso, limiting his free movement.

The vampire swooped down toward Kenshi, bearing her sharp teeth with the intention of tearing out his throat. Before she could get close enough, however, Kano blasted the vampire with his eye beam. He quickly aimed his laser toward Kenshi’s body, breaking the ice to set him free. As the vampire flew towards the men again, Kenshi swung his sword, cutting her head off.

“Nice job mate." Kenshi looked at Kano with alarm as he sensed he was in danger. “Kano, look out!” He shoved him out of the path of a laser beam. Both men looked in the direction of the beam, only to see a variant that resembled Sonya Blade. Sonya’s variant, however, had glowing cybernetic red eyes and she was armed with the same butterfly knives as Kano. “Interesting…,” Kano said, with an admiring glance. “Too bad I have to kill ya, love.” He threw both of his butterfly knives directly into the Sonya variant’s eyes killing her instantly.

Titan Havik gritted his teeth as he watched Earthrealms’ forces clash among his soldiers. Despite the diverse mix of warriors that he assembled, they were quickly succumbing to Earthrealms’ powerful fighters. The Titan admitted to himself that he had foolishly underestimated Earthrealm’s forces greatly. Suddenly, a devilish sneer appeared on his face; he had developed a plan that he was sure was going to change the outcome of this battle. …

Stryker and Jax’s unit had just defeated a group of Shokan warriors. Jax and Stryker barely caught their breath, when they suddenly heard gunshots. They turned around to see several of their own agents open fire, attacking their comrades. “What the hell?” Jax deflected a barrage of bullets with his mechanical arms. “Stand down!” Stryker ordered the shooting agents. They turned to him and aimed their guns in his direction. Stryker jumped out of the path of the bullets and rolled onto the ground. He quickly rose and aimed his pistols towards the shooting agents.

“What the f*ck is going on?” he asked with his back to Jax. “That bastard is controlling our agents to use them against us!” he answered, deflecting another round of bullets. Stryker reluctantly shot the agents in their knee caps to disable them. He radioed to Sonya. “Blade, we got a situation here!”

Sonya was in the midst of battling a variant that resembled Kenshi; instead of wielding a sword, he used a staff with a glowing orb that allowed him to manipulate the element of water. The Kenshi variant raised his staff toward the air, forming a dark rain cloud over Sonya causing lightning bolts to strike down toward her. She dove out of the path of the lightning bolt, only to be faced with a series of water blasts aimed in her direction.

After evading the water blasts, Sonya quickly regained her footing and blasted her energy rings into the chest of the variant, burning a hole through him. “I’m a little busy, Stryker!” Sonya yelled as a Scorpion variant threw a razor hat towards her. “Sonya, our own agents just opened fire on us!” “WHAT?” She back flipped out of the path of the sharp hat that flew at her in reverse, similar to a boomerang. “It’s true,” Jax chimed in. “They are under the Titan’s control.”

“He is using our forces against us to recoup the loss of his soldiers,” Sonya said as the Scorpion variant dashed toward her. When he was in close enough proximity, she flipped forward, her foot connected to his face, stunning him with her kick. She then swept her leg from under him to bring him down beneath her. As he landed hard on his back, Sonya stood over him, aimed her energy bracelet to burst his head wide open.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble beneath her. The violent vibrations from the earth quake caused Sonya, Kano and a number of their comrades to lose their balance and topple onto each other before falling to the ground. Sonya looked forward and noticed Tremor; his eyes were solid black, and his face was wild with anger. “Oh no…” Sonya soon realized that Tremor was acting under the Titan’s influence.

Tremor in his own right was an extremely powerful earth elemental warrior. Under Titan Havik’s influence, however, Tremor’s abilities were magnified to almost a god like power. Tremor armored himself by transforming into his rock skin. He began to summon flaming magma rocks in the sky. “OH sh*t…" Kano looked on in shock. “Take cover if you can!” Sonya yelled.

Sonya, Kano and their comrades tried to dodge the magma rocks that flew from the sky, however they were quickly overpowered. From the force of impact of the magma rocks hitting the earth, Sonya and Kano somehow dodged the boulders; however, members of their crew went airborne. As they landed on the ground, Tremor forced the earth below them to split causing several of their men to fall through.

In a split second, Kabal appeared behind Tremor in an attempt to thwart his attacks. Tremor however sensed Kabal presence; he stomped the ground causing the earth to quake, knocking Kabal down. Kabal used his super speed to dash in the air; however Tremor lifted his fist, creating another earth quake mid air to stop Kabal. Tremor then aimed gold and silver boulders toward Kabal knocking him out cold.

Kano tried to aim a laser beam toward Tremor’s body; however, Tremor was still shielded by his rock skin. Kano continued to shoot the laser beams, making some kind of headway as bits and pieces of the rock armor broke off. Tremor then changed into a lava skin, making Kano’s laser attack useless. As Kano charged him, Tremor aimed rock formations onto Kano, knocking him to the floor.

Titan Havik wickedly laughed as the sight of the struggling Earthrealm army. “Pathetic! You are no match for me. The realms will be mine for the taking!” Havik looked at his former master with a sly glance. “Not so fast, you will not gain victory so easily. “

Without any warning, several of the Titan’s army ceased fighting Earthrealm’s warriors and instead, turned on each other. Centaurians whipped their long steel rat like tails multiple tmes into the faces of Shokan, bashing their brains in. Tartakans violently impaled one another; Shokan picked up variant warriors and with their four arms, easily ripped their bodies from limb to limb.

The battle scene was beyond chaotic; with bloodshed from both sides. There was mass confusion among those that were unaffected by either Havik’s influence as they were unsure if their allies had become their foes. The Titan was furious with Havik’s act of betrayal, yet, he secretly enjoyed the pandemonium that ensued from it.

Titan Havik glared at his counterpart. “I had high hopes for you. I thought that you would aid me in spreading discord and mayhem throughout all of the realms. Instead, you have betrayed me by aligning yourself with the Firegod’s Earthrealmers. Your act of treachery will not go unpunished.”

“I meant to serve you and did so with all of my heart. Yet you seek to conquer by blood and force. I will not allow Chaosrealm to fall under another dictatorship regime such as Seido. I will stop you if I must,” Havik said. “Then you shall die, as will your new comrades,” the Titan said. Sonya and Kano, along with Scorpion and Kenshi stood by Havik. The Titan glared at them. “You think you Earthrealmers have what it takes to defeat me? I will bathe in your blood! HAHAHA…”

His gloating was interrupted however when a sombrero looking hat with razor sharp edges cut the Titan’s head off. Tremor’s and the other agents’ attacks ceased. Kano and the others looked on in shock. “What the f*ck was that?” he asked as he watched the hat return to its owner, the Shaolin monk, Kung Lao. Next to his side, stood his friend, Raiden and behind him, several Shaolin monks that stood in defensive stances.

Kenshi smiled with relief as he sensed his friends’ arrival. “Glad you could finally join us.” He turned toward Sonya, Kano, Havik, Scorpion and Tremor. “Everyone, meet Kung Lao and Raiden.” Sonya extended her hand to both men. “I am Sonya; I heard great things about you both. We are grateful to have you on our side…and we were sorry to hear about your friends at the Shaolin Temple.” Raiden smiled. “Thank you. Liu Kang speaks highly of you all as well. We are honored to defend Earthrealm by your side. We brought the remaining Shaolin monks to help us.”

“Speaking of which, what of Liu Kang?” Kano asked. “Lord Liu Kang wanted to be here, but his presence was needed by Geras, guardian of the Hourglass. He sent us as he thought you could use additional aid.” “And not a moment too soon,” Kano said as he looked at the headless Titan. He then turned his attention toward Kung Lao. “Your hat trick was brilliant mate, but it only stunned him.”

The Titan began to place his head back onto his body. His face was menacing as he eyes were intense with fury. “No more games, PREPARE TO FEEL MY WRATH!” The titan commanded more warriors that charged in their direction.

“We are wasting time; none of these attacks to his body are doing any kind of damage. We need to overcome him so that he has no chance to regenerate,” Sonya said. “Aye,” Kano said. “Scorpion, Tremor, we need you. With our combined attacks, we should be able to incinerate this bastard.” Raiden stepped forward. “Allow me to aid you, my power allows me to command thunder and lightning. I could be useful.”

Sonya and Kano raised their eyebrows. “Yeah, you’re coming with us,” Kano said. Kenshi and Kung Lao looked onward to the warriors that charged them. “We will join the others to hold off these forces. Good luck,” Kung Lao said as he threw his hat in a saw like motion, splitting their enemies’ bodies in two. As Sonya and her comrades turned around, Titan Havik raced toward them to strike them down.

Kano, Raiden and Sonya stood together; Tremor stood to Kano’s right side, while Scorpion was to Sonya’s left. Kano’s cybernetic eye began to charge its energy beam; Sonya’s energy bracelets glowed brightly while Tremor and Scorpion’s fists burned in flames. Raiden raised his arm to instantly command lightning bolts that cracked in the air and wrapped its electrical currents from his arms to his fists.

Despite the intended threat the five warriors posed before him, the Titan’s mood was almost euphoric as he sensed the combined strength of their power. “The chaotic energy that flows among the five of you is spell bounding; what beautiful devastation it can create! Such a shame that I should destroy you rather than recruit the use of such power.”

Abruptly, a large blade cut through the center of Titan Havik’s chest. The Titan’s eyes widened, he moved his lips as if to speak but no sound came out. Sonya, Kano, Raiden, Scorpion and Tremor looked at Havik in shock as he emerged from behind the Titan’s large frame. The Titan stood motionless; he was now submissive to Havik’s will. The five of them nervously looked at one another and then diverted their eyes back to Havik who coldly smiled at them.

Havik yanked the blade out of his master’s chest; he shoved him down to his knees before him. The five of them flinched but none of them took their eyes off of Havik. Each of them raised their weapons, prepared to attack him if necessary. They stood together in defensive positions and wondered if Havik had just revealed himself to be their true enemy all along. They simultaneously came to the realization that Havik now had the ability to completely control his Titan counterpart and therefore, could devastate the realms with his chaotic power should he wish.

Havik smiled mischievously as he caught the worrisome expressions of the five warriors before him. He broke the tense silence among them. “My master has been immobilized under my influence; now is your chance to destroy him.” Kano released his laser beam directly into the Titan’s heart. Sonya channeled her energy rings into a shockwave to join Kano’s laser beam. Havik continued his hold over his master to allow for Sonya and Kano’s combined energy to take effect.

Scorpion and Tremor released their fire power toward Titan Havik’s body. A golden light brightly glowed from Titan’s body as the force of their power penetrated him. Little cracks started to spread throughout his body; as the cracks grew larger, rays of light flashed in all directions. “It’s working! Everyone, keep your hold!” Sonya said.

Raiden lifted his arm into the air; the sky darkened as the storm clouds gathered above him. Sounds of thunder boomed with the lightning flashes that illuminated the sky. Raiden summoned a frightening lightning bolt that surged through his hands. As he charged the bolt, he released it, splitting it forward into multiple bolts of lightning that crashed into the Titan’s body. The others bared witness and were in awe of the benevolent warrior’s incredible, yet terrifying display of power.

Raiden’s lightning strikes penetrated Titan Havik, causing his body to illuminate. The five warriors covered their faces from the blinding rays of light that flashed from the Titan’s deteriorating body. The Titan’s mouth gaped in pain; his body began to violently shake causing the ground to rumble. The Titan let out a horrific scream as his body burst into tiny golden particles and faded in the air.

Sonya, Kano and their allies stood speechless as they took a moment to let their victory over the Titan sink in. The battling armies ceased their attacks once they realized that Titan Havik was destroyed. The Titan’s forces summoned a portal and began to retreat as there was no sense in fighting as their commander had fallen in battle.

“It’s over,” Sonya said. Kano looked at her with a big grin on his face. “Yes, it is,”he said. The five of them looked at one another and smiled. “Job well done all of you,” Sonya said with a smile. They all turned to Havik who was standing in front of them. “Even you, Havik,” Sonya acknowledged. Havik lowered his head to bow. “I am honored to have fought beside you all.”

“You had us going there for a minute,” Kano said. Havik grinned. “Forgive me, I only meant to have a little fun.” Sonya rolled her eyes. “Well, it is time for me to take my leave,” he said as a portal suddenly appeared before him. “Until we meet again Earthrealmers. “Havik slyly said as he stepped through the portal. “I wonder if that will be the last that we see of Havik,” Sonya said. “Doubtful,” Kano said. “Hopefully he sticks to ruling Chaosrealm and leaves us be.”

Moments later, the Earthrealm warriors had regrouped as they prepared to bid farewell and return to their prospective homes. “There are not enough words of gratitude, this victory would not have been possible if not for all of your collaborate efforts. We sincerely thank you,” Sonya said to Kung Lao, Raiden, Smoke and Scorpion. “We are proud to have stood by your side,” Raiden said. Kung Lao nodded in agreement. “What will you do now?” Sonya asked.

“We shall return to the Shaolin Temple to rebuild,” Kung Lao said. “On behalf of the Shirai Ryu, allow for us to accompany you to assist,” Smoke offered. Raiden smiled. “We are most appreciative and will accept your gracious offer.” “Then let us be on our way,” Scorpion said as he began to summon a portal. He smiled at the others. “Good bye my friends. Do not hesitate to summon us if needed,” Scorpion said as he, Smoke, Raiden, Kung Lao and members of the Shirai Ryu exited through the portal.

“I suppose it is time we get on our way as well,” Jax said as he hugged Sonya tightly. “Agreed,” Kenshi said as he activated a portal. “Farewell everyone.” As they went through the portal, Stryker turned to Kabal. “We should be on our way too.” Kabal looked at Kira, Jarek, and Tremor. “Do you really have to go? It felt like old times having you around,” Kira said. Kabal embraced Kira. “I will miss you kid, and the rest of ya.” He looked at Kano and grinned. “You, not so much. See ya around, asshole.” Kano smirked. “Take care, ya bloody wanker.”

Stryker patted Kabal on the shoulder as they prepared to pass through their portal. “Coming Blade?” Sonya froze; she realized that this moment would come but she didn’t expect that she would be so hesitant about leaving the Black Dragon when the time came. Kira, Jarek and Tremor were also taken back by Stryker’s question. Deep down, they had accepted Sonya as their boss and viewed her as one of them. They looked toward Kano, anticipating a reaction from him of some sort; however, he was silent as he seemed to ponder what Sonya would choose.

Sonya looked at Kano and then back at Stryker. “Can we have a minute, mate?” Kano said. Stryker watched the both of them curiously. “Yeah go ahead,” he said. Kano walked over to her. “We both knew this partnership was temporary from the start love,” he started to say. “You know when you first suggested this alliance; I counted the days when I could get the hell away from you,” Sonya said with a chuckle. Then she lowered her face as she couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye. “But now I can’t imagine not being by your side…I knew this day would come, I just wasn’t prepared for it to come so soon.”

Kano lifted her face toward him. “It’s ok. Go with them. Just remember love, you have a place by my side if you want it.” She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead. “Go on,” he said as he pulled away from her. Sonya looked onward to Kira, Jarek and Tremor. Kira smiled and gave her a small nod as she and the others walked away. Sonya drew her breath, and met with Stryker and Kabal at the portal. She took one last look at Kano and his team and then turned around to walk through the portal..

Chapter 13: A New Path

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Sonya Blade took a deep breath as she stood outside of the conference room of the FBI headquarters. It was her first day back on the job, after returning from her alliance with the Black Dragon only a few days prior. As she had walked through the halls and greeted colleagues who excitedly welcomed her back; Sonya felt strangely out of place. For the longest time, this had been her dream job, one that she had excelled in and had provided her with a sense of purpose. Yet, as she waited outside of the conference room, she wondered why she felt so anxious to step back into a role that once brought her so many fulfillments.

Deep down, she knew the cause of her apprehension. She knew from the start that her alliance with the Black Dragon was limited and that this day would come. Yet she couldn’t deny that she felt a certain freedom among the Black Dragon that she had never experienced while working with the FBI. While she was the highest ranking officer of her department, she had limited ability of how she could run her division as there was a hierarchy of officers that she ultimately answered to. With the Black Dragon, however, Kano gave her full reign to run his team her way. There was a freedom in not having to confine to a set of stringent rules; she wasn’t sure if she was ready to let that go.

She was also hesitant because she and Kano had not really discussed the nature of their new relationship, if they could even call it that. Not even 24 hours after their first and only night together, they had led their teams into Outworld and literally hit the ground running to face off against the Titan. Whatever little time that they had together was spent on strategizing. Once everything was said and done, Sonya had been expected to return to her role with the FBI almost immediately.

Whatever was between them was left unsaid and Sonya was not ready to leave that behind her either. She wondered when they would see each other again, and if they would pick up where they left off. She also questioned the future of the Black Dragon and wondered if the FBI would still regard them as an enemy now that this alliance was over.

Sonya took another deep breath and paused before entering the room. Despite being nervous, Sonya appeared incredibly poised. She was dressed in a tailored form fitting black blazer, a grey-blue ribbed and sleeveless turtleneck blouse with a fitted pencil skirt that was just the right length to show off her sculpted legs in nude stiletto high heels. Her long blonde hair was tied back into a pony tail. It was a drastic change from the sexier tight fitting “uniforms” that she had recently become accustomed to wearing when she worked among the Black Dragon.

As she entered the room, she spotted Kabal and Stryker; they were sitting together at a long conference table directly across from their superior officer, Agent Shaw. Both Stryker and Kabal wore almost identical black suits and were impeccably groomed. Like Sonya, Kabal had also tied back his long black hair into a pony tail. Both men smiled at the sight of Sonya. “Special Agent Blade, welcome back. Please, have a seat, "Shaw said as he extended his arm to her seat. “Thank you, Commander Shaw, I am happy to be back,” Sonya said as she sat down next to Stryker.

“Now that all of you are together again, let me start off by saying what a phenomenal job the three of you did handling this Titan threat. Special Agent Blade, I want to congratulate you specifically. I will be honest. When I initially learned of your partnership with Kano, I was concerned with your well being given your adversarial history. While a gutsy move, it turned out to be a beneficial alliance as you both successfully led our teams to victory preventing the Titan’s catastrophic reign.”

“What will become of the Black Dragon?” Sonya asked. “Funny you should bring that up. I had just met with Kano a little over an hour ago. The Black Dragon will be on our payroll; they will develop, produce and distribute arms to our agents.” Sonya widened her eyes in surprise. “Kano agreed to this?” “That he did.” Sonya was taken aback by the news. “Well that is an interesting development.” Shaw grinned. “That it is. Moving along, we need to prepare ourselves for our next mission. Stryker, I am going to leave it to you to fill both Kabal and Blade in on the details. Please excuse my abrupt leave; however, I have another matter to attend to.”

As their commander left the room, Sonya sat back in her chair. Stryker regarded her expression. “Are you ready to get back into action?” he said as he handed her a classified file containing the details of their latest mission. Sonya hesitated with a blank expression on her face. After a moment of silence, Sonya smiled. “Kurtis, I can no longer do this,” she said. Kurtis sighed as he immediately knew where this was heading. “You want to go back to the Black Dragon, don’t you?”

Sonya nodded. “I feel at home there, more than I ever could here. I know that sounds odd, but, this is no longer the right thing for me.” Stryker smiled. “There is more to that…you fell for him.” Sonya blushed. “I know you don’t get it, I know I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but yes, it’s true. I am not ready to walk away from him and everything we built together.”

“Eh, he is not that bad of a guy,” Stryker said. “I initially thought he was a prick, but after working alongside him and seeing him in action, I get it.” Both Stryker and Sonya looked toward Kabal. “Well I still think Kano’s a prick…but I approve,” he said with a big grin. Sonya laughed out of relief. “Well, you better catch up with Shaw and let him know that you’re resigning,” Stryker suggested. “Right, let me go. I will catch up with you guys soon,” Sonya said as she gave both men a hug and then hurriedly left the room…

Twenty minutes later, Sonya walked outside with a smile on her face. She took off her jacket to allow herself to feel more comfortable as it was close to 90 degrees outside. As she approached her truck, she saw Kano leaning against the driver’s side door. He flashed a smile. “Damn you look good baby,” he said biting his lip as he looked at her. “Sonya laughed. “What are you doing here?” “I had a meeting with your commander about an hour ago, he offered me a job.” “So, I heard, the Black Dragon was hired to produce our arms. That’s a big deal,” Sonya said.

“Aye, a very lucrative one. Shaw was impressed with the arms I gave his boys during the Outworld mission. Gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse, so I accepted. After our meeting, I decided to stick around as something told me to wait for ya... So how did it go up there?” he asked.

“You’re looking at the FBI’s liaison for the Black Dragon,” she said with a wink. “Really? How’d that come about?” Kano asked. “I sat there in that conference room and realized that I no longer belong here. Right after our meeting, I marched into Shaw’s office to give him my notice. He said that the FBI couldn’t afford to lose someone of my talents so that was when he offered to keep me on in a different capacity. Officially, I can keep my current priveleges but will continue to work with you,” Sonya said.

Kano smiled. “Well that is the best news that I have heard all day,” he said as he put his hands on her waist drawing her closer to him. Sonya wrapped her arms around his neck. “So where do we go from here?” she asked him. Kano leaned into her face and slowly kissed her lips, while sliding his hands down her back side. “Back home, love.” “That sounds good to me,” she said with a smile. “Let’s get out of here, then,” he said after a quick slap to her butt, making her yelp. She happily laughed as she embraced him for one last kiss before the both of them got into her truck to head back to the Black Dragon base…

With a smile on his face, Liu Kang watched the image of Sonya and Kano driving away from the Hourglass. Geras approached him. “What amuses you Lord Liu Kang?” he asked. “I find it ironic that of all of the timelines that Sonya and Kano’s variants have existed in, this is the first and only timeline that they have a healthy romantic relationship.” “Did you not foresee their pairing when you suggested their alliance?” Geras asked. “No. I was able to foresee that their alliance would have benefited our efforts to stop Titan Havik, but even then I could not have foreseen this outcome. This was a genuine surprise.” “Indeed it is,” Geras said.

“I suspect that you did not pay me a visit to discuss pleasantries. What troubles you Geras?” Liu Kang asked. “I am sorry my Lord, but I bring news of another impending threat,” Geras said. Liu Kang’s smile faded. “What news do you have my friend?” “Quan Chi seeks to take control of the Hourglass. He is preparing an army of revenants from the Netherrealm, unlike anything we have seen before. His revenants are not only from this current timeline, but from other timelines as well,” Geras said.

Liu Kang’s eyes widened. “You are certain of this?” Geras reluctantly nodded. “I am afraid so, my Lord.” Liu Kang sighed. “How soon before they try to invade Earthrealm?” “It is likely within the next day or two,” Geras said. Liu Kang placed his hand on Geras’ shoulder. “Then it is with a heavy heart that I must gather my champions to defend Earthrealm from this next great evil…”

Mortal Kombat Unlikely Alliance - jnquin (2024)

Chapter 1: Late Night

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Chapter 2: Unexpected Ally

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Chapter 3: Fateful Meeting

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Chapter 4: The Alliance

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Chapter 5: Road to Chaosrealm

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Chapter 6: Chaosrealm

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Chapter 7: Burning Desire

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Chapter 8: Preparations

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Chapter 9: Restless Night

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Chapter 10: Outworld

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Chapter 11: Twist of Fate

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Chapter 12: Final Battle

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Chapter 13: A New Path

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