Killer Instinct: Carrie Unleashed

Chapter 36: Astral Assault

Stars twinkled in the Astral Plane, with swirling clouds of gas drew to a quasar and land-based panels floating across the cosmos. Silence lingered in the realm until a portal emerged. Jago fell from the void, landing on the pane. Once he propped himself, he observed his surroundings.

I've been here before in my dreams. At least Carrie's not here. Jago explored the dimension but remained on guard until he sensed an evil presence.

"You came at last."

Jago shifted to his fighting stance as he faced the owner of that voice: a gargoyle-like beast with gleaming yellow eyes and a mocking grin on its face. "Gargos!"

"Surprised? It should be an honor for you to meet your god."

"You were never my god! Back at the tournament, when I faced Orchid, you told me to kill her. Why? Did you know I had a family?"

"I had my suspicions at first until I sensed the auras being the same. By severing you from what remains of your family, you'd release your true potential. I expected Omen to finish the job when he controlled you, but you interfered."

"A damn good thing I did. I would've been trapped in your webs of lies if Orchid didn't pull me away from that darkness."

"Then why has she never told you of that girl's past? Carrie, was it? Omen informed me of the girl when he returned from his scuffle with you."

"You will not touch her nor Earth."

"I don't understand why you want to aid those pitiful humans. Their time is over, and I'll be the one to arrange their extinction." The Shadow Lord stretched his arm towards Jago. An invisible force seized the monk by the neck and lifted him. "It's time for you to join your brothers. Together, we will rule this universe for eternity."

Jago tried to grab whatever clamped his neck, but there was nothing. It must be telekinesis! The tattoo on his left arm gleamed as he unleashed a minor force, forcing Gargos to free him.

"Impressive. You've learned some new tricks, but you will kneel to me!" Gargos swooped towards Jago, only for the monk to jump over the monster. He slipped through a portal and emerged to strike, but Jago evaded and assaulted until the Shadow Lord slashed him across the chest.

The Shadow Lord formed several portals around him and his opponent and threw punches. Jago blocked a few and dodged, but the fists followed him. "What's wrong? Can't escape?"

Jago growled and slammed a fireball on an emerging fist from a portal.

Gargos cried as he pulled his hand back, forcing the portals to vanish. He summoned a pillar of darkness, catching Jago. He punched the monk's stomach a few times before throwing him.

Jago recovered and attempted to throw a fireball until Gargos barreled towards him. He swerved and landed a flying roundhouse kick against the monster's stomach. With Gargos reeling, Jago sliced the beast with his sword a few times and kicked his face. Jago panted as the body of an unconscious Gargos dispersed to specks of dust.

I should relish this victory, but something's not right.

The Shadow Lord's laugh echoed throughout the Astral Plane. Jago kept his guard while tiny hairs rose on both of his arms to herald the approaching danger. He surveyed his surroundings until a portal arose, unveiling the Shadow Lord.

Streams of green aura coursed through his beet skin. His horns curved like those of a ram, and his demonic wings folded behind his back. He stared at Jago with his green eyes with a grin across his face.

"I should thank you. That small brawl helped me shed my old, itchy, tightened body!"

"You're still the same bastard!" Jago summoned his energy and chucked a basketball-sized fiery sphere. Gargos dodged and rammed Jago with a horn-like protrusion on his right arm, cracking the ribs.

Gargos grabbed Jago by the throat, tightening his grip. "I'd kill you, but sending you back to Earth this way should suffice as a message." He created a gateway to Earth and threw the monk, gloating.

At an alley in San Francisco Chinatown, Pemba paced back and forth, with Kim trying to calm her. "What are we going to do? Orchid and the others are gonna kill me."

"We'll figure something out. It won't be as though Jago will drop from the sky," Kim said. A portal arrived, ejecting an unconscious Jago. Pemba and Kim glanced at each other before they raced towards the warrior-monk.

"Jago! Jago, are you okay?" Pemba asked, but he did not respond. "What's wrong with him?"

Kim placed two of her fingers on Jago's neck, and a faint beat throbbed. "He's still alive. What happened?"

"This must be Gargos's work." Yeo emerged from Kim. "I sense his spirit slipping away. He'll die if he's not treated soon."

"Not a chance in hell." Pemba changed into her Qilin form and lay in front of Jago. "Quick, lean him on me."

Kim propped Jago against the Qilin's chest. Pemba threw one arm around him, and a faint glow surrounded her.

"What are you doing?" Kim asked.

"I'm using my spirit to ground his until we find a permanent solution. Something evil is coming."

The portal remained until it expelled another figure and vanished. The being resembled Kim, but a greenish haze surrounded it.

"Give me that dragon. It belongs to Lord Gargos," it spoke in a distorted tone.

"I don't think so." Kim placed herself between the creature and her new allies. "Stay with Jago, Pemba. I'll handle this imposter."

"Be careful, Kim. That thing is a Mimic., meaning it possesses your fighting skills," Yeo said.

"It may have my likeness, but never my spirit. Hey, Mimic, you want them? Come and grab them!"

The Mimic dashed towards its opponent to attack, but Kim leaped and landed an ax kick. Kim struck more and ended with a flying kick, sending the Mimic flying until it fell. Its body dissolved, along with the haze, but in its place were strange orbs surrounded in yellow auras. After she scooped them in her arms, Kim checked on Pemba and Jago.

"How are you, Pem?"

"Apart from the fact I'm slowly losing energy, swell. What are those orbs?"

"Not sure." Kim rubbed her eyes. "What the-something is stinging my eyes. Feels like...sand."

Suddenly, a loud breeze blew over the buildings, carrying sand. Kim stayed near Pemba, who formed wings to shield themselves. A twister sucked up the sandy gust, lasting for a minute until a man emerged with tattered linen bandages covering his starving body.

"Who are you?" Kim queried.

Pemba bared her teeth. "Kan-Ra. What are you doing here?"

"The Alliance will need my help to defeat the Shadow Lord." Kan-Ra formed a circular wall of sand around the small group, transferring them someplace else. After that, he immersed himself in the sand twister, also vanishing.