Baraka lept towards Johnny, blades at the ready. Johnny managed to dive to the side and avoid the attack, causing Baraka to land behind him. Johnny quickly got to his feet and turned to face Baraka, who turned aswell swinging his blades at Johnny's head. Johnny ducked them and stood to punch Baraka with a right hook. Baraka was knocked into a bent over position, allowing Johnny to land a massive uppercut so fast he left traces of a shadow behind him. As Baraka came tumbling back to the ground Johnny kicked him in the side, while Baraka was still in mid-air. Baraka came crashing down hard. Sonya screamed cheers of encouragement from the sidelines, still chained to Kahn's chair. He didn't look like he appreciated her cheers to much but Sonya couldn't care any less. Sonya looked over at Kitana, who was also still chained to Kahn's chair. She sat patiently watching the events in front of her. However, the events were soon to come to a crashing halt.
"Come on, get up and fight." Johnny teased Baraka who was lying on the ground. "You gotta at least put on a show for everyone."
Baraka looked over his shoulder and grinned at Johnny.
"Very well." He hissed.
Baraka kicked his right foot into Johnny's chest knocking him staggering backwards, and giving Baraka the time to get to his feet. Johnny composed himself and launched into one of his patented shadow kicks. Baraka thrust his right arm out towards Johnny, with the blade still unsheathed. Johnny was powerless to stop. Before his foot could reach Baraka, the mutants blade slid through the abdomen of Johnny Cage. Johnny released a gut wrenching bellow as the blade pierced him. It stuck through his body up to the hilt. Johnny looked down at his impaled torso the up at Baraka, who was grinning wickedly.
"Noooo!" Sonya screamed with all her might. She sprang to her feet the moment she saw the attack coming. Shao Kahn pulled at her chains to bring her to her knees again, but to his surprise, she remained standing. Kahn looked at her, quite impressed at her strength. However, she was his prisoner, and was disobeying him. He pulled with all his might, bringing Sonya painfully onto her knees.
"Johnny!" She screamed with tears in her eyes. Baraka head butted Johnny, allowing him to slide off of the blade and crumple in a bloody heap on the ground. Kahn stood to address his warrior.
"Finish him!"
The words echoed in Sonya's ears, and the world slowed down and went silent. Baraka moved toward the wounded Johnny. Johnny looked up painfully at Baraka. All of a sudden the world came back into it's normal pace. Johnny lept into the air, releasing the shadow kick that he had began earlier, meeting Baraka square in the face. Baraka flew through the air and landed dazed on his feet. Johnny landed awkwardly on his feet aswell. Baraka rushed at Johnny, but with a fierce new determination, Johnny moved to the side and crushed Baraka's nose with his left backfist. Johnny grabbed the bleeding Baraka's arm and plunged the protruding blade deep into his chest. Baraka looked up in surprise through the blood gushing from his face. He coughed a gulp of blood from his mouth as he looked down at his fatal wound. Slowly he fell backwards and collapsed in a messy heap on the ground. Johnny, exhaustedly collapsed aswell, clutching his wound, which had now torn and was even worse from the fight. Kahn stood with a grim look on his face.
"Johnny Cage wins." He said clearly disappointed. "Fatality."
Just then Sonya noticed that Jax and Liu had vanished from Rayden's side, who was now in the arena collecting Johnny. She looked around for them and nearly screamed aloud when a large paving tile smashed the chains holding her to Kahn's chair. Jax grabbed her and sprinted away. Sonya looked up, as she was bent over Jax's shoulder, and saw Liu in close pursuit with Kitana over his shoulder. She could see Kahn bellowing for his guards, but Jax and Liu had too much of a head start. To her right she could see Rayden carrying Johnny. He stopped all of a sudden and spoke to the two men Sonya didn't know. One wore a wide brimmed hat that looked as if it had a razor edge, the other was a ninja, dressed in blue. Suddenly Rayden disappeared in a burst of light, taking Johnny with him. The two men continued their sprint, leading Jax and Liu to a gate hidden in the wall of Kahn's fortress. They quickly ducked through it and the ninja slammed it shut and stood in front of it. He presented his hands before the door as if he were pushing some invisible wall. Little particles of ice began to appear, floating around his hands. As quickly as they had appeared the particles of ice formed one large ball of ice and the ninja blasted the door with it, instantly turning it and some of the surrounding wall to solid ice. Sonya couldn't believe her eyes. Then they were running again. Down a large hill into the barren wastelands of Outworld.
***********
They had been walking for at least an hour. Sonya's wrists still hurt a little from the chains, but the pain in her feet took her mind of them. No-one had said anything to each other and Sonya felt a little uncomfortable.
"Jax?" She called her partner over to her. "Why is everyone so quiet.?"
"Beats me. I'd say it was weird, but that word has an all new meaning for me now. I could never even dream of the things I've seen. To tell you the truth, when you came back spurtin' all that nonsense about sorcerer’s and four armed dudes, I figured you'd snapped."
"I knew it! Jax you said you believed me." Sonya said hitting his arm playfully.
"I didn't wanna hurt your feelings." Jax replied as Sonya rolled her eyes. "I believe you now, if that's any consolation."
"No!" She smiled. "Jax? How exactly did you find me?"
"I didn't. Your boy Johnny came a runnin’ when he heard you'd disappeared. He took me to Liu and Rayden, and brought me here to fight in this tournament or whatever. Said this is where I'd find you."
Sonya remembered Johnny's situation. Jax noticed the pensive look on her face.
"He's beat up pretty bad, huh?"
Sonya looked at him and nodded. "Yeah."
Jax looked into her eyes. He'd been her partner for a few years now and he knew her better than anyone.
"You really like this boy don't ya?"
Sonya managed a slight grin. "Yeah, I guess I do."
Jax put his hand on Sonya's shoulder and stopped her. "Look Sonya, I may not have known Rayden as long as you have, but I know he'll take good care of Johnny."
"I know. Thankyou Jax."
"Hey, what are partners for." He threw his arm around her shoulder and they continued walking.
They arrived at a cave and the two strangers walked in, followed by Liu, Jax and Sonya. The cave seemed to have been made into a series of rooms. Sonya was awestruck.
"Wow! Who did this?" She asked. The man with the hat turned to look at her.
"We did. We set this cave out as a base of operations, for our attack against Kahn."
"Who the hell are you anyway?" Sonya asked finally. Rayden interrupted coming from one of the rooms in the cave. Sonya rushed past everyone to where Rayden stood.
"How's Johnny?" She asked before he could say anything.
"He's resting.” Rayden said patting her shoulder. Sonya shrugged his hand off and repeated her self impatiently.
"How is he?"
Rayden gave up and told her.
"He's pretty bad. He's lost alot of blood." Sonya's eyes widened as Rayden spoke. "None of his major organs were punctured thankfully, but he'll be out for a while. He won't be able to fight, "Rayden addressed everyone now, "Which puts us at a distinct disadvantage."
"Rayden?" Sonya asked. "Can I see him."
Rayden nodded and Sonya walked behind him and into the back room. Sonya entered the room and saw all sorts of medical instruments strewn about the place. In the center of the room a small portable table was set up and Johnny lay upon it, breathing slowly. Sonya approached the sleeping Johnny and inspected his wound, which was now bandaged. A small blood stain was visible on the white cloth. Sonya gently placed her hand over the wound and sat on the edge of the table. Without opening his eyes or giving her any warning at all Johnny grabbed her wrist hard. Sonya gasped and looked at his face. His eyes opened and as soon as he recognised her his grip loosened and he smiled.
"Sonya." He said weakly.
"Hey tiger." She smiled back. She took his hand in hers. "How you holding up?"
"Oh, I feel like I've been stabbed with a giant sword." He managed a weak chuckle.
"Funny."
"You know me."
Johnny slowly reached his hand to her face. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"I wanted to call you, but I lost your phone number. I was sitting around waiting for you to call me."
Sonya closed her eyes and began laughing a little.
"What? What's so funny?" Johnny asked with a slight smile of his own.
"Nothing." They sat in silence for a while. "Thanks for coming to save me."
Johnny smiled and closed his eyes. "Your welcome."
Johnny fell silent.
"Johnny?" Sonya asked. He just lay there. Sonya's heart lept into her throat. She nudged his shoulder trying to get a response. "Johnny!?" She said it a little louder. Johnny snorted a little and rolled his head to the side. Sonya breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's exhausted" Rayden said appearing behind her. Sonya jumped startled and nearly fell of the table. "I'm sorry." He apologized.
"My god, Rayden. I'm gonna have to stick a bell on you." She said with her hand over her heart. Rayden put his hand on her back and led her out of the room.
In the main room, Liu was talking to Kitana, and the two strangers sat in silence. Rayden led Sonya over to them.
"Sonya Blade? I'd like you to meet, Sub-Zero." The blue clad ninja stood and shook her hand.
"Very fitting." Sonya complimented his name. Sub-Zero sat down and Rayden moved her over to the other man.
"And this is Kung Lao." Kung Lao stuck his hand out for Sonya to shake it, but she just stared at him. Kitana's attention had also been caught.
"What!?" Sonya and Kitana spoke in unison. Kitana stood forward. She had removed her mask now and tucked it in her belt. "That cannot be. Kung Lao is dead. I was there when it happened. Rayden, you were to, how can you believe this." Kitana spoke with a little aggression.
Kung Lao stood and removed his hat. He was exactly how Kitana had remembered him.
"Please, lady Kitana let me explain." Kung Lao began. "I am the last descendant of Kung Lao. My great grand father was hidden from Kung Lao when he was born, but his story was passed along for all the generations."
Kitana was amazed. "Who was the mother?"
"An Edenian warrior. Her name is Mileena."
Kitana was speechless. "My sister? How could he?"
"I can explain that." Rayden stepped in. "Mileena was once sent to Kung Lao by the Emperor. To kill him. To accomplish this, he had to give her the appearance of you Kitana, and he then sent you away, to keep you from finding out. Do you remember?"
"Yes. I remember Siro telling me that I was supposed to be looking after Kung Lao, he was wounded from a fight with Rain. Only I had no idea of this. I went back and found her about to strike him with one of her Sai’s. We fought and the emperor summoned us back to his throne room."
"Hold it!" Sonya butted in. "If Mileena is your twin sister, then why would Kahn need to give her the appearance of you. Shouldn't she already look like you?"
"Mileena was horribly scarred when Kahn invaded my realm. She was hideous." Kitana told Sonya. "Kung Lao never told me that they had made love."
"He was terribly embarrassed." Rayden continued. "He thought that she was you. He had great feelings for you Kitana."
Kitana looked pensively at Kung Lao. He was almost identical to the Kung Lao she once knew. "I guess that means we are family." She smiled and shook his hand.
Sonya stood there and took it all in. She shrugged and smiled. "Freaky deaky." Everyone looked at her, confused. She just shook her head slightly and went to sit with Johnny.
"Hold on Sonya." Rayden interrupted her. She turned to look at him and raised her eyebrows in response.
"We have alot of work to do."
"On what?" She replied.
"We have to get back into Kahn's fortress and stop him." Liu answered.
"Liu is right." Kitana said stepping forward. "His reign must end now. I have directly disobeyed him. If we were to let him live, I would surely be killed. And many more."
Sonya nodded in agreement. "Yeah." She went and sat at a nearby table. "So what do we do?"
