Mortal Kombat - Smoke Ch. 01

A knot forms in my stomach, making me feel nauseous. Let me guess...you're next on the list.

He nods, never responding to my inquiry.

Holy shit.

I sigh inwardly, disgust and horror building under my skin. The old man has finally lost it. Once Shao Khan's under control I can track down the two renegade sorcerers, I'll inform my Elders of what's going on inside that cursed temple. This horror has to stop, and I swear I'll do everything I can to protect these two men from meeting such a disgusting fate.

Alright...change of subject for the moment. Who are you hunting? Three men dressed in armor don't just walk into a supermarket and purchase knives for no reason.

Some of Shao Khan's associates are hunting us. We managed to evade them for the moment, and Stryker wanted to purchase weapons in case they found us.

What are they?

A Black Dragon associate, two Tarkatans and a tracker.

Tarkatans. My inner panic starts up again. Those nasty little things are well-known for their impeccable sense of smell. They'll be able to follow their trail straight in here, and once they do, they'll smell me and attack all of us. They're disgusting creatures that eat anything they can get their hands on and follow orders only when it serves their purposes. That, and they're super freaky looking, like big, bald club bouncers with scalpels for teeth.

I nod. Fine, we'll get him his knives. After that, we have to move.

I pull my mind away, breaking the link between us. I turn and open the fourth case, pulling out a handful of nine inch combat knives and slamming them down on the glass counter.

"Take these," I snap at the officer.

Snapped out of his argument with Sub-Zero, the officer turns to look at me. His gaze flicks down to the knives, then back to me, annoyance and bewilderment in his eyes. "I didn't ask for-"

I scowl at him. "Your friend in the silver has explained everything to me while you two were bickering. If there are Tarkatans hunting you, then you can't stay here. They'll find you eventually and tear you to pieces. Now grab your damn knives and move."

He narrows his eyes at me, furious that I'd talk to him in such a disrespectful way. "Now listen, young lady. The three of us aren't-"

I glare at him, and the information I gathered about him earlier comes roaring to the surface. "Kurtis Stryker. You are a current member of the NYPD SWAT team and a former Marine, are you not?"

He freezes, his eyes going wide in shock. "Yes. How the hell did you..."

I set my jaw and lock eyes with him. "Then do you follow orders or question them?"

He pauses, then grabs the knives off the counter. "Yes, ma'am."

I smile at him. "Good. Let's go."

I turn and open the gate to the knife cases, slamming it behind me as I walk away. As much as I respect Stryker for his attitude and the heroic things he's probably done, I don't have time for his questions. The Tarkatans will probably be here any minute, and I want to get these three out of the store before those monsters start attacking innocent people.

The three men follow silently behind me, not wanting to risk valuable time or energy arguing with me. Though Stryker does glare at the ground while walking behind me, he doesn't say a word about my attitude or our destination. The blue warrior, knowing that his partner has explained their dilemma, trusts me enough to come without issue. Apparently, if Smoke talks to you, you've just been given a gold star. I lead them away from the knife counter and down the numerous halls towards the front of the store, keeping my mind open to scan for any threats.

What the fuck is this? Don't you dare let her walk away!

My stomach drops an inch. That damn enenra is back. I suppress a sigh. The creature is only going to cause trouble, especially around a Necromancer like myself. I need that man to keep his darker half under control until we can regroup and figure out how to get to Raiden. Hopefully he can keep it contained before it decides that dinner - me -- is served. Although, with the way the warrior interacts with it, it's less like smoke monster and more like a darker piece of his conscience. So perhaps there's a chance that he can exercise more influence over it than I previously thought.

Not now. We need to follow her until we're out of danger. Until then, be silent.

No, not this time. This one is different. She's more than just a simple Necromancer. She knows what we are, so neither of us is safe as long as she's loose.

From the corner of my eyes, I watch Smoke sigh and close his eyes again. I scowl to myself. His enenra is a persistent one, so focused on me and my heritage that it's willing to sacrifice everyone around us just to claim me. Damn it.

We don't have time for you uncontrollable urges. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return to Raiden and decide on our next plan. Forget the girl for now.

Not a chance. She's barely five feet away and you're just following her like a dog. You should be leading her!

Enough! We'll discuss the girl once we get back to the others.

Not good enough. I want a guarantee that we'll drag her into bed the instant we get back to the temple. Promise me that and I'll be satisfied.

Smoke shakes his head. I can't give you that. If you and I do end up having the chance to claim her, then it will have to be on her terms, not mine.

I shiver inside my own skin. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, the thought of jumping into bed with that man is unbelievably enticing. Hell, I'd give my entire year's pay just to see him naked. But the enenra...I shiver again. Nothing could make me lust after that creature, no mater how closely linked he is to the warrior.

I keep moving, trying to block out the conversation seeping into my head so I can focus on finding the quickest way out. I figure going around the far end of the store, through the sparsely-visited holiday department, will get us out of the store with a few hypothetical casualties as possible. If the Tarkatans do find us here, then only a handful of people will be caught in the crossfire instead of hundreds.

We take a hard right and cut through an aisle primped and readied for Easter. Powder-pink candies, miles of streamers and oversized stuffed rabbits greet us, making me groan at the sheer stupidity of it all. Don't get me wrong, as a child I loved Easter almost as much as Halloween -- what child could resist free candy? -- but by now, at twenty two, the bright colors and grinning animals just make it seem overly childish. Still, this aisle is deserted and leads straight towards the front doors, so it's ideal for an escape.

The men continue to follow me without question, making our escape much easier than expected. I still need to worry about what Mr. Fowler will think once we walk out of the store -- I'll be leaving while still on shift and without going through any normal procedures - but I'll worry about that later. The boss can be dealt with later; Tarkatans can't.

Just as we near the break between the two overly-decorated Easter aisles, I stop. A piercing pain shoots through my chest, as if some unseen warrior has just stabbed me with an invisible blade. I freeze, the air rushing out of my lungs and my head beginning to spin. Something dark and very dead is close to us, making my Necromancer blood go haywire and my body lock up. This is not good, not good at all.

Shit. No, no, no!

Stryker noticed my sudden silence and rushes towards me, dropping the knives and reaching me just in time that I collapse into his arms. My breathing is shallow, my heart is racing and my hands are shaking. I can barely swallow, let alone speak, and I can't hold a single thought. Whatever is here with us is very powerful and very angry, and all of that anger is making me lose control.

"Ma'am?" Stryker calls to me, his eyes panicked. Gently, he lowers me to the floor, letting me rest on my knees as I try to regain control of my own body. "Miss Ishigawa?"

I take a breath, clearing my head enough to formulate a clear thought. "NetherRealmer."

"Shit," he breathes, looking around the store for our intruder.

Slowly, the feeling of panic ebbs away as my body becomes accustomed to the dead man's presence. No matter how often we deal with the dead and dying, the presence of a corpse resurrected by magic other than our own will always knock us down. We get used to the power after a few second, but the darkness that usually raises those poor souls is enough to disarm us and make us vulnerable.

"What is it?" the blue warrior demands, his own eyes concerned. Smoke stands behind him, watching me carefully. The enenra is nowhere to be found.

"Miss Ishigawa?" Stryker asks again, still holding me steady even as I regain my sense of balance.

"I'm fine," I whisper, using the shelves for leverage as I haul myself to my feet. "Let me feel."

Finally strong enough to control my body, I close my eyes and reach out with my mind, trying to locate our intruder. It's surprisingly close, only two aisles over, which explains why I was bowled over so violently. I take another breath and reach out farther, grabbing onto the last vestiges of humanity within the corpse and reading what's left of its soul.

What I see stuns me. A tall warrior, with hollow eyes and an angry heart, stands just feet from us. His armor is a vibrant yellow and decorated with the skull emblems of the NetherRealm. A yellow mask in the shape of a human spine covers his face, allowing only his pale white eyes to be seen. Two wicked blades are strapped to his back, and a long rope kunai is wound around his skull-embellished belt. The man himself is furious, but at what I cannot tell. I can't read his mind or sense his past horrors, but the darkness that surrounds him does tell me a name.

"Hasashi Hanzo," I whisper to myself.

So he's Japanese. But what does he want? And why does the name sound familiar?

"What?" Stryker asks, resting a hand on my shoulder.

I loom over my shoulder and stare at the three men, making eye contact with each. "Hanzo Hasashi. Does that name mean anything to any of you?"

All three men shake their heads. I sigh and stare at the floor, disappointed that they don't know him. He's obviously one of the hunters following them, but the identity of their pursuer is apparently a mystery to them. I shake my head and try again, hoping another detail will jog a memory from one of them.

"Tall warrior. Yellow armor with two swords on his back. Skulls on his belt and a rope dart in his hand..."

All three men straighten and freeze, the blue warrior seeming the most shocked of all. He scans the aisle hastily, his hands clenching at his sides and his breathing quickening. My heartbeat picks up a bit. All three recognize the description of our new guest, just not his name.

Stryker clears his throat. "Big guy? Really scary? Looks like he's pissed at the world for no reason?"

I nod, relieved that he knows exactly who I'm talking about. "That's him."

The blue warrior curses under his breath. "Scorpion."

Uh oh. I know that name.

I nearly faint. Scorpion was the codename of the last Shirai Ryu general in southern Japan. His real name was Hanzo Hasashi -- Hasashi Hanzo in Japanese wording -- and supposedly he got into a brawl with a false image of a Lin Kuei warrior that cost him his family and his life. The doppelganger was actually Quan Chi in disguise, and the sorcerer resurrected Hanzo to do his dirty work in exchange for the chance to avenge his family. That shitfest happened about fifteen years ago, and the poor general has never realized that his family's real murderer is the creature who brought him back.

I smile slightly. "So you do know him."

Stryker nods, a look of pain cutting across his face. "Yeah, we know him. He and Sub-Zero have a, uh, pretty nasty history."

My gaze shifts to the still-edgy blue warrior. "Do you know why he's pissed at you?"

He nods. "He thinks my brother killed his family. The idea is impossible since Bi-Han was in Taiwan on another mission at the time of the massacre, but Scorpion has never let the thought go."

I chew my lip nervously. "I'll bet his best friend Quan Chi keeps fanning that flame."

Sub-Zero nods again. "To honor my brother after his death, I took his name and place at the Lin Kuei. Since he was killed by Scorpion at the last Mortal Kombat tournament, the issue should have been resolved. But Quan Chi has convinced Scorpion that I, too, was involved with the killings. He has since turned on me, believing that I murdered his family as well."

I nod, eyeing him curiously. "I know your brother is innocent of the murders, but where were you?"

"I was still being trained at the Lin Kuei. I was not yet ready for my own missions."

My curiosity surges. "You said your brother was killed at the tournament. What happed to him after that?"

His shoulder slump and he drops his head. "Quan Chi found a way to corrupt Bi-Han as well. His is not my brother anymore. He is...changed."

Pity wells up inside me. This poor man. To have lost his brother once in death, and the again to Quan Chi's sorcery... it's more than any sane person could stand. And yet, here he is, still fighting on in hope of redeeming his brother and saving his soul. I am slightly moved by him, but then again, blood is thicker than water. Especially Cryomancer blood. That's stuff is like molasses.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. No words -- not even those from a Necromancer -- could heal a wound that deep.

Sighing, I drop any thought of trying to help him move on from his pain and refocus my thoughts on getting us out of here unseen. I do another bloodreading, trying to see if our gust has moved from his hiding spot. Thankfully, Scorpion's blood trail is weaker now, meaning that he's moved a few aisles away from us. That gives us a chance to slip past undetected.

I turn and start down the holiday aisle again, looking over my shoulder at the three men. "He's moved away. Follow me. We need to get out of her before he comes back and starts looking over here," I whisper.

The three men nod and follow closely behind me, but Stryker's curiosity and nervousness have risen to the surface, making him shaky and unfocused. For an ex-Marine, it's quite surprising.

"Why are you whispering?" he asks.

"Just because he can't see us doesn't mean he won't hear us," I reply. "Especially with Sub-Zero. knowing Scorpion, he's probably got his voice on constant reply in his head so he won't forget who he's hunting."

Stryker nods and clamps his mouth shut. The four of us make our way down the hall, avoiding the curious stares of shoppers and other store clerks. I can only imagine what they must be thinking of me, inching down the holiday aisle with three men who look like they got lost on their way to an anime convention. At this point, though, I don't care. I need to get these men out of here before those damn Tarkatans find their way in here and sniff us out.

We reach the end of the aisle and peer around the corner. The rows of registers are full of calm, happy shoppers, which means that no scalpel-toothed monstrosities have charged through the store yet. I straighten and stare at the door, hoping the men can keep their composure long enough to make us seem slightly more normal as we escape.

"So how do we get out of here?" Stryker asks. "If we just walk out, someone in the crowd is bound to sound the alarm."

I nod. He's right, unfortunately. Three men dressed as cops and ninjas won't simply be ignored if they walk through a department store. Some hyper-attentive vigilante soccer mom will start screaming and alert Scorpion to our presence. Or worse, let the Tarkatans know we're here.

I purse my lips as I think a moment. There has to be a way out of here that won't look too suspicious or unnatural...

"That's it!" I keep my excitement in check, exclaiming my pride in a low whisper.

The three men stare at me, startled at my raised voice. Sub-Zero and his friend look at each other, then back to me, waiting for my explanation. Stryker eyes my curiously, his curiosity piqued.

"What? What are you thinking?" he asks.

Taking a deep breath and praying to my gods that this will work, I step around behind Stryker and put my hands on his shoulders. I gently nudge him towards the door, peering out around the aisle racks one last time to make sure we're safe.

"Play along," I whisper before shoving him out into the open space of the store's entrance.

Please, please let this work.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't have that behavior in our store." I harden my voice and make my face a mask of annoyed frustration, hoping the other shoppers will believe the ruse. "I need to ask you to leave."

Stryker fights me as I shove him forward. "Sara, what are you doing?"

Oh no. Come on, Stryker. Play along.

I groan to myself. If he doesn't catch on, he'll wreck the whole plan and ruin our chances getting out of here unnoticed. I'm honestly surprised at Stryker. For a cop who fought in the last Mortal Kombat tournament and used to be a Marine, he's a little thick in the head. Sad, and possibly deadly if he can't get his brain screwed in tight.

Thankfully, Sub-Zero races forward and braces his hands against Stryker from the other side, halting my efforts to push him out the doors. Smoke comes up to stand next to Stryker, keeping to the side and feigning helping his friend regain his balance.

Sub-Zero narrows his eyes at me, glaring at me angrily. "You can't kick us out! We're paying customers!"

Thank the gods. Someone gets it.

I glare back at him, faking my anger. "The three of you thrashed the whole snack department! It's going to take hours to clean up because you three were goofing off."

Sub-Zero steps back, eyeing me like a vulture circling it's prey. "Calm down. We'll pay for it. There's no reason we can't stay in the store just because you're angry at us for a small mess."

The shoppers at the registers are staring at us, watching with a mix of curiosity and confusion. They're confused as to why three grown men would be walking around a store in costumes, but the idea of them being kicked out for trashing the store makes it a bit easier to handle. Knowing our store, most of these shoppers should be used to us throwing people out for bad behavior. We get a lost of nuts in our part of town.

I shove Stryker away and place my hands out my hips, still staring at Sub-Zero. "Just because you'll pay for the stuff doesn't excuse you for wrecking our store. You ruined an entire aisle of chips and popcorn in ten minutes. There's even salsa on the walls!"

Sub-Zero pulls back and crosses his arms over his chest, looking every bit like they type of arrogant asshole that would actually fight with me about this. "I will call your supervisor about this, little girl. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you're asked to hand in your nametag."

Not a bad play. Well done.

I smirk back. "And I can't wait until I get to hand you the bill for the damage you've caused."

He narrows his eyes again, looking furious. "Call your manager down here. We'll talk it out with him before I decided whether or not to level harassment charges against you."

"Already here." The deep, slightly wheezy voice of Mr. Fowler rumbles through the room, making me jump.

My heartbeat picks up a bit. Stryker, Sub-Zero and Smoke all know our argument is a ruse to get us out of here without calling too much attention to ourselves, but Mr. Fowler doesn't. As far as he knows, I'm actually trying to shove three unruly costumed men out the door for ruining his store. If this doesn't go over well, or if we make this act believable enough, I could actually lose my job trying to save these men. As it's a strong possibility that might happen -- Hollywood is missing a fantastic actor in Sub-Zero.