Mortal Kombat - Living Armageddon -
Chapter 1: Hardships Endured

Liu Kang sat with his legs crossed in the middle of a dimly lit room. The stone walls of the old temple kept all sunlight and heat outside. The stone interior made even the slightest noise echo for what seemed like miles. The cold stone beneath Liu matched the feeling in his heart. Liu was forced to watch his friend Kenshi and his old master Bo Rai Cho die by the hands of his greatest enemies. He was unsure of what to do next, and he certainly didn't care if anything was done at all.

"Why did you resurrect me?" Kang asked, his gaze still fixed to the stone floor before him. Kang had been murdered by the Deadly Alliance months ago, and his body had been taken over by an unknown power. Kang's soul had been trapped inside the sorcerer Shang Tsung since his death. However, Raiden had convinced the Elder Gods that only the Champion of Mortal Kombat would stand a chance against the new absolute power that Shao Kahn held, and the overseers of everything tore Kang's spirit from Tsung. The undead corpse of Kang was shackled inside an abandoned temple so Raiden could forge Kang's soul with the murderous beast, ressurecting the fallen warrior. The fusion was a success, but Liu was struck with too much grief to care about anything other than his fallen friends.

"You have been brought back because Kahn was not destined to win the battle of Armageddon. His power was stronger than Blaze's design, and he was able to steal victory from the sons of Argus," Raiden's voice boomed out like midnight thunder. His eyes crackled with blue lightning as he stared into Liu's facial expression. He knew what the former monk was going to ask him, and he would not lie to him. "We need you to ..."

"What was the destiny of that battle if Kahn wasn't supposed to win? What would have happened if Taven or Daegon were victorious?" Liu asked the thunder god with a hint of challenge in his voice. Liu's eyes became cold with distrust. Raiden was hiding something from him.

The thunder god knew that Liu would become enraged by the answer to that question, but he did not change his expression or tone. No one's opinion mattered to Raiden anymore. "Either Taven or Daegon was to win the battle. All of the kombatants whose souls answered the call of the flame would meet an instant death when one of the demi-gods defeated Blaze. Argus designed Blaze's appearance as a safeguard against the kombatants for all of the realms," Raiden boomed. Raiden had hoped for years that Argus' design would not have to be put into effect, but now the thunder god regretted that Taven or Daegon had not won and destroyed the fighters who answered the flame's call.

"So the true 'destiny' was for all of us to die?" Kang lost his patient and yelled at the stone floor. He quickly scrambled to his feet and stared at Raiden with cold eyes. "You expected everyone to die, and you were wrong. Now you're not pleased with the battle's outcome and wish for me to overthrow Kahn?" Liu spat through clenched teeth. Liu Kang had accepted guidance from Lord Raiden for several years of his life, and for the first time he wished that Raiden would leave him and never return. Kang knew that Raiden's obsession with Earthrealm's protection had changed the thunder god into a new entity that he didn't care for. Raiden's eyes were now red with anger; his armor had grown dark with distrust. If Liu was a fool, he would strike at Raiden at any given moment and not care.

"Kahn's defeat is utterly necessary, Liu Kang. He has merged the realms, and the magic within Blaze kept all beings alive during the merge. However, Kahn has awaken a powerful being and isn't even aware of it," Raiden stopped for a moment. He seemed to be in discomfort as he spoke about the topic. His eyes turned stone grey - with fear. "The One Being can exist only if the realms are one. The Elder Gods knew this and split the realms into seperate planes. The One Being is slowing waking from its eternal slumber and regaining strength. It will destroy everything - including gods."

"My destruction is all I pray for," Kang retorted.

"Don't be a fool!" the thunder god boomed, lightning surging through his clenched fists. "You will receive your destruction if the One Being consumes reality! There will not be a Heaven for you to reside in, Liu Kang. You and everything else in this very universe will cease to exist!" Raiden had grown tired of Kang's insubordination, but he knew that Kang was needed if the Gods planned to stop Shao Kahn. He dismissed the idea of transforming Liu into a charred heap of smoldering flesh.

Liu considered what Raiden had told him. He didn't care what happened to him next, but he shouldn't damn all of his friends because of his feelings. The entire situation was too much for him to handle. He felt an even larger depression nag at his soul. "I will stop this 'One Being' from harming my friends, but I will do it on my own. I do not need orders from you any longer, Raiden. Your guidance is as dead as these realms," Kang told Raiden with a stone cold glare. He then bowed to his master of thunder and headed toward the exit of the dark temple.

A gust of wind picked up beside Raiden. The gust soon manifested into a a small cyclone that lightly pressed a soothing breeze against his face. Fujin emerged in the center of the cyclone, and the winds quickly returned to cool air. Fujin's pure white eyes glowed with concern. "Are you certain that the right thing is being done, Lord Raiden?" the god of wind asked the former Elder God in a tone as soothing as an autumn air.

"We as Gods have failed this world, Fujin," Raiden boomed. He then faced the protector of Earthrealm with a look of concern and confidence. "He will once again be a savior, but this time he will save us all.

"There is a town just five miles west of here that is sending CB distress signals. We've got to try, Jax!" Sonya pleaded as she loaded her high-powered desert eagle. She reached down and checked to make sure both knives were in their boot-sheaths. She adjusted her Outer World Investigation Agency ball cap tightly over her long, blonde hair. Her face was once a face that any man would fight for, but she was now showing signs of stress, anger, and sadness. The only thing that kept her going was the insatiable desire to ensure that no one else experienced loss of friends or family during this crisis.

"Approaching signs of tarkatan life. Estimated count is ten ... twenty ...thirty-five ... fifty," the cyborg Cyrax reported in a rich, metallic tone.

"God damnit! This is gonna be a damn massacre!" Jackson Briggs cursed out loud. He pressed the gas pedal of the OIA's riot van to the floor and quickly pressed the necessary buttons to activate the vehicle's thruster boosts. The van's speed increased to 180 miles per hour, and Jax could finally see the unscathed skyscrapers of the city they were approaching. Dread then filled his heart as Jax watched the horde of tarkata that Cyrax detected give chase to a small group of frightened humans.

The van raced to the scene of the chase and finally closed in on the tarkatan horde. "Cyrax, throw them some firepower!" Jax ordered as he quickly opened his door and tumbled out of the van. The cyborg covered in yellow plating and a white helmet quickly opened the side door of the van and mentally input the command to open his chest plating. His chest opened in the middle and swing open like double-doors at a saloon. A bomb launched from the cyborg's chest and rolled across the ground with a loud clank. The tarkatans turned toward the bomb, and the body parts of five of the tarkatans took to the sky as the power of the explosive ripped the beasts apart.

Jax quickly input the code to activate the strength boost on his cybernetic arms before charging into the battle. He punched a tarkatan in the face, shattinger its skull and sending it to the ground in a heap. Another tarkatan jumped onto Jax's back but was slammed onto the ground when Jax grabbed it by the arm and swung it forward. Five tarkatans rushed toward the African-American military veteran, but Jax quickly punched into the ground, creating a devastating earthquake-like effect that sent the approaching group crashing onto the ground.

Sonya gracefully dove through her open window from the van's passenger seat. She corkscrewed through the air, landing on her shoulder and twisting into a roll that helped her gracefully land with her feet on the ground. Still crouching, she took aim at an approaching tarkatan and fired a bullet directly into the beast's forehead. The mutant's blood and brains exploded through the back of its head and showered the rest of the mutant horde who then became more excited and hostile. She fired two more bullets that quickly found their way into the skulls of two tarkatan warriors.

Cyrax quickly exploded into six different pieces that igniting their hidden mini-jetpacks. The pieces flew all around the confused tarkatan horde who began slashing at the pieces and accidentally slicing into one another. Cyrax's body parts swiftly missed the falling tarkatan heads and guts as they reformed into Cyrax next to Sonya. One of the mutants charged outside of the bewildered group and grabbed Cyrax by the neck, but Sonya was prepared. Graceful as ever, Sonya threw herself to the ground, did a headstand, and wrapped her legs around the tarkatan's neck. The beast howled in confusion and tried to pull the woman's legs away from him, but Sonya's leg muscles were far too strong. "Goodnight, asshole!" Sonya mocked the tarkatan as she twisted her legs and brutally snapped the mutant's neck with a disgusting crunch.

The sound of the snapping neck gained the horde's attention, and they charged toward Cyrax and Sonya with curses and howls. Cyrax input the commands to open his chest and fired his containment net, but a member of the horde quickly sliced through it. Sonya jumped toward a building behind them and kicked off of it, sending her sailing over the horde and landing out of harm's way. "Cyrax, transport now!" She called to her teammate.

Cyrax was not so lucky. The horde had pinned him to the building's wall before he could disassemble and escape. As the tarkatans savely tore into Cyrax's internal system, another visciously drove one of its arm blades through the cyborg's head. Blood, oil and circuitry splattered against the ground and wall as the horde continued to tear through Cyrax's corpse.

Jax removed the machine gun from his belt and fired at the horde with blind rage sweeping across his face. "First Kenshi, now Cyrax dies! I'm going to send all of you bastards straight to hell!" he growled as he fired every last bullet into the group. The clip ended with a clicking sound, and Jax threw the weapon to the ground. He then let out a scream of unchecked rage and charged at the horde. One tarkatan turned and sliced its blade through Jax's cybernetic arm, severly damaging the components. It then placed a stiff kick to Jax's mid-section, sending the OIC agent crashing to the ground.

"We won't get out alive that way, Jax. We have to think of something," Sonya cried out to Jax as she helped him to his feet.

The horde's feast was interrupted when a grenade flew through the air and smacked into a tarkatan's head, exploding on impact and decapitating the beast. The others turned around and were met with a spray of automatic weapon fire from a rooftop above. The bullets tore through the internal organs of several tarkatans, and they collapsed to the ground from the intense pain as they drew their last breaths.

Kurtis Stryker attached his machine gun back to his utility belt and began climbing down the rooftop's ladder to the street below. He was fully prepared in his rubber battlesuit and yellow-tinted protective goggles. He had received distress signals via CB radio and was rather surprised to find this intense battle raging in the streets. He ran toward the two remaining tarkatans with his nightstick drawn. He was forced to duck a decapitation attempt when one of the mutants swung their blades at his throat, but he sprung up from his crouching position and connected his nightstick with the beast's head. The tarkatan's skull smashed open and the beast collapsed to the ground, dying instantly.

Stryker looked over at the confused group of Jax and Sonya and gave a wink and nod. Jax and Sonya turned to each other, but approached the tarkatan with weapons drawn. Stryker pinned the tarkatan against the bloody wall where his horde that savagely murdered Cyrax and twirled his nightstick carefully in his hand, causing the tarkatan to sweat profusely and panic. The mutant finally drew the blade from his right arm and swung it toward his neck. The blade sliced clean through the mutant's neck, decapitating it and showering the wall with blood. The headless corpse slumped to the ground.

"Well, that was fun," Stryker wisecracked. He looked around to ensure that all of the raid members were dead then turned to Jax. "I know you make the orders in IOC, but I suggest that you come with me. We're building a safehaven a few miles from here, and I'd rather not see you guys get killed. Whatcha say?"

Sub-Zero had been walking for many miles in the blistering cold as snow cascaded from the heavens around him. He breathed in the arctic air around him with pleasure as he walked down a rugged, beaten path. There was nothing around him except more snow, but he didn't mind. He felt happy here - he felt at home.

He still wore his blue Lin Kuei uniform in respect and honor except he also had the Dragon Medallion pinned to it - a symbol of the Lin Kuei Grand Master. He led the clan into a new age of strength and honor. It was an age that any Lin Kuei would be proud to be a part of. Grand Master Sub-Zero did not demand self-sacrifices nor did he punish members through pain or death. He was proud to have restored humanity to the corrupting clan that recently began transforming its members into soulless machines.

As Grand Master, Sub-Zero helped his members not only become warriors but also tap into the hidden strengths within them. Sub-Zero had recently discovered that he was a cyromancer - a race of people who could control the cold. Other members had found that they could perform amazing feats as well such as Sektor controlling fire and Tremor controlling seismic activity. Age had begun its assault on Sub-Zero's body, but he was very proud of all that he had done in his lifetime.

The cyromancer quickly approached a large set of steel doors to a large, snow-covered building. He placed his palm over a dragon symbol and focused his powerful energy into the symbol. With a deafening creak, the doors swung open and gave the Grand Master entrance to the Lin Kuei's base. After entering, the Grand Master put his open palm over another dragon symbol and performed the same task, closing the large doors behind him so neighboring assassins could not sneak inside.

Sub-Zero was concerned due to the lack of noise within the base. He could have sworn that this was the time of day that training sessions were supposed to be conducted. Perhaps they began meditation early. He gasped and had to fight the nausea that quickly grasped his stomach as he walked into the main hall of the base. Bloody, mutilated corpses of his clan were thrown everywhere. Every statue and all four walls were painted with blood and chunks of gore. As he walked through the maze of corpses, he could feel himself stepping on severed hands, arms, heads, and feet. He wasn't sure if he wanted to wail in agony or scream out in utter rage.

"Kahn's extermination has begun," he said to himself. He abandoned his search for any survivors. Tarkatans would surely sniff out any Lin Kuei who decided that hiding would be efficient defense and slaughter the poor fool. He was completely alone, and he knew it. He loved the Lin Kuei members like children, and he felt as if his entire family had been brutally murdered. He fell to his knees and tore the stealth mask from his face. Quietly and slowly, he wept for them as he had wept for Frost when she chose the path of betrayal and inadvertently killed herself when she had stolen the Dragon Medallion from him.

Sub-Zero closed his eyes and cleared his mind. "Dear ancients of the cyromancy, hear me. I need your guidance," he whispered. He could slowly hear the soft whispers of souls from many generations ago. "Revenge for your sorrows will taint the soul, but avenging your clan and consciously saving the realms will free you," an angelic voice whispered to him.

"You have the heart to do the right thing, child" another vibrant voice whispered to him. Sub-Zero smiled in happiness and comfort as his ancients spoke with him - comforted him.

"You will fail as they all have," a dark, demonic voice growled over the angelic voices.

Sub-Zero quickly snapped into a serious face, his breathing increased and his thoughts raced in panic. "Who are you? Why do you wish me failure?" Sub-Zero asked the voice.

"You represent a clan founded by backstabbing fools who never suffered in life as they should have. Why do you feel that you are able to somehow cleanse the wicked that the Lin Kuei are soaked in?" the demonic voice mocked.

Sub-Zero clenched his fists as the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He was shocked that fear was consuming him, but the fear eventually overrode all emotions. "You did not answer my question, demon. Who are you?"

"I was once like you, dear fool. We shared the same name in that pathetic clan, brother. That name is tainted by the hellish acts that I was brainwashed into doing for the Lin Kuei. I get to suffer eternal damnation for my crimes, and they do not? They have merely received what they deserve." The demonic voice of his brother, Noob Saibot growled into his mind.

"I will not listen to your nonsense, brother! You committed horrible acts against humanity that you could have refused to do such as I did. You are nothing but a monster!" Sub-Zero retorted to his brother.

"Yes, you will listen to me. You will do as I say. I will have my revenge for my unlawful damnation, and this power that Shoa Kahn has recently gained is the key. You and I will destroy Kahn and claim the prize for me," Noob whispered to him in his demonic tone. Before Sub-Zero could retalliate, he suddenly felt an unknown force shove him to the ground. The force them sent him gliding across the floor and pressed him against a wall. Sub-Zero thrust his head from side to side, screaming and resisting the dark force that had gripped him. He finally gave in and drooped his head to the floor, whimpering like a child. The whimpering became more like the sound of giggling, and the giggling soon shifted to harsh laughter. Sub-Zero lifted his head and screamed to the heavens above. His solid black eyes glowed purple with rage.

Author : Patrick Breeden

Creation date: 2011-3-27-14-41

Modification date: 2011-3-27-15-1