Mortal Kombat 9: Ember Edition

Chapter 21: Robo Bro to the Rescue

The sky was an unusual shade of red, an omen of bad things to come if Raiden and the others didn't stop Shao Kahn; a faint green snaking it's way from the cemetery grounds to above.

Ember moved quickly yet cautiously past the scattered tombstones that were nearly upheaved due to recent activities. She maneuvered around them, her boots making light crunching sounds on the dead grass. As smoke and debris from the city drifted down on her, she made her way through the cemetery until she reached a small clearing.

A bright green light flashed before her and she ducked behind a tombstone, shielding her from the unnatural light. Daring to take a peek, Ember slowly lifted her head and watched the scene before her.

Her eyes lit up, like a cat that spotted it's prey and was preparing to pounce.

Quan Chi was there, along with the man in all black and a group of tied up soldiers. Quan Chi was performing some kind of spell on the soldiers, green energy enveloped them and rose like a small tornado into the sky.

She wasn't sure what he was doing, but from the sounds and looks of it he appeared to be killing them. Carefully she rose onto the ball of her feet, eyes never leaving the pasty sorcerer, one hand holding onto the edge of the tombstone and the other checking for her dagger. Ember needed to act fast but she also needed to wait for the perfect moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Cyber Sub-Zero had finished his job of getting intel from Outworld and saving soldiers at Vogel University, and was currently heading for St. Dominic's. Once he arrived he kneeled behind a tombstone, keeping a very safe distance from Quan Chi's activities in the clearing. He analysed the situation, his cybernetic eyes on the sorcerer, the man in black, and the soldiers.

"This is Sub-Zero." He reported, lifting his wrist to his mouth to speak into the communicator. "I have encountered Quan Chi. He seems to be casting a spell."

Back at base, Raiden's hand involuntarily tightened on the chair that Sonya was sitting on, she having switched with Jax at the computer. His face got a few shades lighter and his eyes gave a brief blank stare at the wall. "Raiden," Nightwolf called out, looking at the thunder god with concern. "What do you see?"

As quickly as the strange behaviour came, it passed and Raiden took a deep breath, a frown etched onto his face.

"One of Shao Kahn's soulnados--" He meant to go on, but Sub-Zero began talking.

While Raiden had been having his vision, Sub-Zero had continued to watch Quan Chi's spell go on. In his peripheral vision he had caught sight of someone familiar.

"Lord Raiden--Ember's here!"

"WHAT?!" Raiden roared. "When did she leave base!?" He demanded the others, all who were just as flabbergasted as himself.

Everyone's eyes snapped to the glass door as Johnny returned from the bathroom, a glass with speckles of blood in his hands. "She must've heard you guys talking and left this here."

"What is she doing there?" Asked Liu Kang.

Raiden's hand balled up into a fist so tight that his knuckles turned white. "Quan Chi...she's going to try and fight him. By the elder gods! She is the epitome of impulsiveness!"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Raiden faced the communicator. "Sub-Zero, you need to get her out of there...and if she happens to survive Quan Chi, smack some sense into her for me, will you?" After, he turned away and looked down at his shiny reflection on the table. "This is one of the reasons I never want children..." He grumbled, deeply exasperated.

Johnny placed the glass down on the table. "Isn't that a little harsh, Ray-Man?" He didn't say another word after the glare Raiden sent him.

Nightwolf, giving glances at his allies, stepped towards the microphone and said "Hold on, Sub-Zero, I will be at the cemetery momentarily." With that, the Native American warrior took his tomahawk and left.