#kung Lao chapter

[lucarionite9364]

Khaotic Turn of Events

Havik x Reader Ch. 1.5

(Side plot where we actually interact with other characters)

CW: sad Kung Lao, that’s about it lmao

WC: 1855

A/N: actual second chapter next week tehe💖

Your mind is racing with too many thoughts to comprehend at once. You feel overwhelmed. Why? Because you leave for Outworld tomorrow morning.The stress of preparation has kept you up all night. You have to make sure that you’ll have everything you need. . . and may not need, but there could be a situation where you need all the backup Yo-yo string you have in your drawers.

Stopping your pacing, you take a deep breath in, then out. Calm down. You still have time to double, maybe triple, check your bag. But that will come later. For now, you need to find your fellow champions. Putting a pin in your stress-packing, you leave to find the boys.

You find Johnny and Kenshi first, as they’re both in Kenshi’s room. Kenshi looks exhausted and a little annoyed. However, the reason isn’t that hard to find. Johnny is non stop talking about his Hollywood movies. You pause at the door and wait for permission to enter.

Kenshi notices you first. When Johnny sees that he isn’t listening anymore, he turns to look for the distraction. He smiles and waves you in.

“Hey! I was just talking about one of my movies. Wanna hear about it?” He smiles so wide like a kid. He really loves his own movies, doesn't he? Before you could foolishly say yes, Kenshi interrupts you. “Sure, say yes,” He deadpans. “He’ll only talk your ear off for 3 hours!” He shoots daggers at the actor with his eyes.

“Oh come on Takahashi. It’s only been about 30 minutes. At BEST!” You sense Kenshi’s growing agitation before it shows on his face. “You have been running on and on about your dumb movies since we came back from dinner at 6. It’s 9:30 now!” You finally chime in, “Johnny, I think you might need to get a watch.” He frowns, “Oh hush.”

Kenshi just sighs and Johnny starts sulking, trying to get more attention. “Anyways, did you need something?” You look at him like he grew a second head. You were so caught up in their petty squabble that you forgot why you came here. “I didn’t really need anything. I was just stressing myself out packing. I just needed to get my mind off of it. That’s all.” You shrug as the other men nod.

“Well I would have been packed a long time ago if it weren’t for someone here.” Johnny feigns being offended. You stifle a laugh at their bickering. They either snicker or scoff at you finding amusement in the situation at hand. When Kenshi shoots up from his bed to point fingers into Johnny’s chest is when you decide to intervene.

You whip out Reaper from your short’s pocket. Giving it a few spins you throw the yo-yo in their direction. You watch in delight as Reaper wraps around the two, tying them together. Johnny loses his balance and falls forward with Kenshi landing on top of him.

Johnny’s pained cry can be heard as he’s always loud. He wheezes out, “Not cool dude! Kenshi, get off. You’re squishing my beautiful face into the ground.” Kenshi squirms to attempt getting out of Reaper’s hold. “I would be faster if you would just sit still for five seconds.”

They both would have hit the other by now if they had full range of their hands. Your eyes feel wet as tears start to well up in your eyes. “GAHAH,” You doubled over. “You two should see your faces right now.” You let out a string of cackles. Your stomach hurts from roaring at the situation. All you get in return is glares from your two friends. “Untie us Y/N.” “Get him off me!” They shout in unison.

You chuckle the whole way walking over to them. You really tied them tight. It took full effort to get the string untangled. Finally getting the last loop undone, they push themselves off eachother. You skillfully recall the yo-yo back to your hand. With the looks they give you, you almost think that they’re tired of your pranks.

With that, Kenshi ushers you both out of his room. He did have to pack after hearing a whole TED Talk about Johnny’s movies. You and Johnny continuously laugh as you walk to find Raiden and he walks to his room. Probably to pack at least three more hand mirrors.

As you head down the halls of the Wu Shi, you feel more relaxed. You quickly find Raiden’s room as you are all grouped close together. You knock gently on the door. You hear soft footsteps coming to the door as he slides it open. He was surprised to see you but welcomed you in.

“Hey Raiden,” You plop down on a chair in his room. “How’s packing going for you?” He sits on his bed not too far from you. “I was done packing earlier this morning. I’ll take it that everyone else isn’t done?” He chuckles slightly. “I might be avoiding mine and Kenshi had an unfair distraction.” You look at him but Raiden gives you a confused look. “Johnny was said unfair distraction. Let’s be thankful that we didn’t have to hear about his movies for three hours.” You grimace. Raiden only has a baffled expression on his face.

“Three hours? I knew Johnny could talk endlessly, but I’m surprised Kenshi put up with it that long.” He smiles as he removes his hat to put it on the nightstand. “I totally thought Kenshi was gonna hit him after I tied them together,” The mental image in your head makes you snort. “Raiden, are you ready for tomorrow?”

He looks up at that question, then looks away sheepishly. “I don’t know. I’m nervous that I won’t be the champion Lord Liu Kang wants me to be.” His hand rubs the back of his neck. “Rai, you’ll be fine. You were chosen for a reason.” You smile softly at him and he relaxes a little. Standing from your seat, you move over to the bed and put your hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Whatever you could possibly lack in strength, you make up for in heart.” He looks directly at you hearing those words. You seem to have struck a chord in his mind as he looks more assured than before. “You give me too much praise. Thank you, I will not let you guys down.” “Atta boy, that’s the spirit. Now I have to go. I still need to find Lao. Good night Raiden.” “Good night.” He waves you off as you leave and close his door.

Honestly, it feels like you haven’t seen Kung lao since breakfast this morning. We had the day off to relax before the tournament. Thank the Gods for that. You make your way to Kung Lao’s room with ease, however, you make a quick detour to the kitchen to grab some chips. You two play games and have snacks together often, so you know his favorite kind of treats.

You knock on the door, “Hey Lao, you in there? I have snacks.” You hope the snacks will get him to run to the door. Nothing. That’s weird. He never refuses snacks. You knock again, and after no response you think he must be asleep. You turn to leave, before you hear the door creek open. You turn around only to be met with a disheveled Lao.

Your face drops to worry and you open the door farther to see the mess his room is. “Lao? What’s wrong, what happened?” You put the bag of chips aside and move him back to sit on his bed. He wipes away the remnants of his tear streaked face. Sniffling, “You brought snacks?” You pause, that's what he wants after crying? Makes sense. You retrieve the chip bag and open it, leaning the bag toward him.

He takes a chip, and eats it. He stiffens as he feels your hand caress his back. “You can tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you.” He keeps his head low, not wanting to make eye contact. “I just– It’s that,” He calms himself with a deep breath. “I’m jealous of Raiden, and I hate that I feel this way because he’s my best friend.” You're shocked at his response. He is so carefree. You never thought anything got to him. “Can you tell me why you’re jealous?”

He looks at you like he might start crying again. “It’s because. . . he got the title of champion and I didn’t. I’m so happy and proud of him. But I just wish that it was me. I carry the name of the Great Kung Lao. How am I supposed to honor that name if I wasn’t even good enough to be champion?” Your heart breaks for your friend at his confession.

You rub circles into his back to give him some comfort. He pushes his face into his hands. “I’m such a horrible friend.” That takes you aback. He is nothing of the sort and you will let him know, right now. “Kung Lao, you are not a horrible friend. You’ve always been there when we needed you.”

He sniffles, “Really?” You smile, “Yes of course. And being jealous doesn’t make you a bad person. Everyone gets jealous, it’s a part of being human. What makes me so proud of you is that you can recognize those feelings, and not let them get the best of you. That takes being a great friend to do.”

You thought that he couldn’t hug you tighter in that moment than when you said, “Your ancestors would be proud of you Lao.” You probably felt a rib pop but this is fine. When he lets go he wipes the tears from his eyes.

He looks at you, “And what about you? You don’t feel jealous that Raiden is the champion and you didn’t get a chance to compete?” Your heart pounded. “You know I’ve waited almost my whole life for the tournament. Despite how badly I wanted to participate, I knew I wouldn’t be able to. I’m not from Earthrealm, but it is my home.”

“Does that not hurt?” “Of course it doesn’t, but I’ve made my peace with it. Regardless if I was born here or not, home is what we make it, not where we come from.”

“Thank you Y/N. You’re the best. Now. . . Are you gonna eat the rest of the chips?” You both burst out laughing at how he still thinks with his stomach. “No, you can have them. And if anyone asks I’ll blame Johnny. Now get some sleep, Champion of Friends, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight.” “Goodnight.”

He covers himself up with the blanket, but you still hear him crunching on his chips. He won’t be going to be soon. You chuckle to yourself at how many crumbs will be in his bed by morning.

You’re exhausted, but that doesn’t change how excited you are for the tournament tomorrow. You swear the moment you hit the bed you’ll pass out. And that you did. . .

[ilykirara]

In light of Lunar New Year, I hc that Liu Kang does the most BEAUTIFUL dragon/lion dance (MK11 ver. definitely paired up with MK11 ver. Kung Lao whenever it was Lunar New Year)

MK1 ver definitely makes his fire dragons do the dance in the air at night <<3

If have time I definitely wanna draw Liu Kang with his dragons (but like... my schedule is so bad rn so if anyone does it TAG MEEE!!) / Raiden, Kung Lao, Cage, Takahashi, and Liu Kang doing the dragon dance PLEASE

[soulofamy]

idk if this author has a tumblr or not but i hope that they are doing well. their fic never made it into the angelscales tag but even so, if you want cute angelscales content i cant recommend this fic enough. you can read it here

[420thewritersroom]

you don't realize how much work it is to put colored text on AO3 until you're doing it omg

[randyzorra]

I skimmed through my pirate fic bc I was curious who has the most chapter time (other than Johnny ofc) and my Johnshi fic is secretly a platonic Starhat fic

[cienie-isengardu]

Mortal Kombat 1: The First 17 Minutes of Gameplay

[ntaras]

they need to get rid of the stupid chapter system where you play as a character and have like 4-5 fights of beating up the same rotation of characters half of which get like 2 minutes of screen time anyways and then maybe the story would be a little more bearable

[yourthirdparent]

chapter two is up btw !!!

Tags: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death. Liu Kang & Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, General Shao (Mortal Kombat), various character kameos for flavour, Violence, Game 12: Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), death is not of lao this time it's actually shao, Feral Liu Kang, Protective Liu Kang, Can be interpreted as platonic or romantic - Freeform

Summary:

"All Kung Lao saw was blood as General Shao's throat was ripped out of his neck."

or: liu kang kills shao because he got too close to kung lao

[pyrodolls]

yandere kung lao I’m begginf,,,,

self aware! yandere kung lao x reader pt.1

warnings: mk1 story mode spoilers, obsessiveness, gender neutral reader, ooc kung lao, self aware kung lao

summary: kung lao is aware he is in a video game, and he just loves you so much. he just wishes he didn’t have to be behind a screen.

a/n: anon im so sorry it took me a bit to get to this, anyways i decided to mix it up and make kung lao self aware bc i thought my yandere hcs were getting too repetitive and i am also a diehard SAGAU fan. (also sorry for my mini break, finals week is crazy man.)

part 2

- kung lao *hated* being stuck behind a screen. behind a stupid wall. away from you.

- you were just a regular mortal kombat fan. when mortal kombat 1 was announced, you were just so excited to get your hands on the game.

- you watched playthroughs before you could buy the game, and you were so happy when you found out that you could play as kung lao in the first chapter of story mode.

- when you got your hands on the game, you noticed that every time he had a funny one-liner in the story mode, he would look at the camera and wink. that’s weird… he didn’t do that in the playthroughs you watched… but oh well, it’s probably nothing.

- in the final battle you even chose to play as kung lao out of all the fighters. he was surprisingly easy to use, and his moves seemed to hit even harder than usual and the fights would be over in a blink of an eye. maybe he was buffed just for the fights?

- and when you finished the story mode and checked out all the skins and rewards you got, you noticed that you somehow had all of kung lao’s stuff unlocked. all of his palettes, skins, brutalities, etc. everything. you owned all of it. even the ones that weren’t out yet.

- you thought it was just a glitch, so you shut your device down and restarted it. but when you opened it again, his stuff was still there.

- and it got even weirder. when you tried to practice, the game only let you use kung lao. for some reason, you couldn’t use any other fighter. you couldn’t even use any kameo other than kung lao.

- he was still your favorite character and all, but that was weird. you tried to exit out of the game and restart it again, but it wouldn’t shut down. the game stayed on. it was frozen on kung lao. and he seemed to just stare at you. as if he knew you were there.

- you were starting to get creeped out, so you completely powered off your device and decided to leave it disconnected overnight.

- but over that little period of time, even though it was only a few hours to you, it felt like an eternity for kung lao.

- he felt hurt. a bit betrayed, even. did you not like him anymore? was he not enough for you? he gave you everything he could. he did everything he could to show his love for you, since he cannot communicate any other way.

- without you playing the game, he felt nothing. he couldn’t feel your warmth. it was nothing but a cold, dark space. he needed you. he needed you to always be with him. even if he couldn’t communicate with you, he’d figure something out.

- that’s why he was changing the coding of the game. he had to always be on your screen, or at least give you hints that he was self aware. he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if you weren’t looking at him. if you weren’t using him all the time.

- what do you mean you want to main johnny cage? or raiden? or even syzoth? what do they have that kung lao doesn’t?

- you liked the powerful fighters? no worries, he can just nerf everyone else and completely manipulate the coding of the game so he has the best damage.

- you thought the other fighters were more attractive than him? he’ll change the game so their designs were ruined and less pleasing to your eye.

- he would mend himself to your liking. he just needed you to use him. please make him feel important and useful. make him feel worthy of being your main. your favorite.

- if anyone became your favorite instead of him, he would go ballistic. he would rethink his entire existence. he’s so strong, and funny, and easy to use. so why would you choose anyone else? what’s wrong with him? is he not enough for you?

- if kung lao found out you wanted to start using a different fighter, he would erase them from the game. they would be nowhere to be found. their image in the game would be warped into a bunch of blurry pixels.

- if he has to erase the entire kast of fighters, he will. he needs your love. he needs your attention. if he isn’t your favorite, then what is the point of his existence in the game?

- kung lao needs you. and you need him too. why can’t you see that? he’s done everything he could to gain your approval. he was already so great, but he changed himself for you. accept him. please.

- the last thing he would resort to is bringing you in the game with him. what better way to stay by your side, than force you into the world of mortal kombat?

- at first, he didn’t exactly like the thought of taking away your freedom, but the more he thought about it the more he craved your company. why stay behind your screen when he can just bring you with him? now, you don’t have to turn your device on and off! he’s not going anywhere. and you aren’t either.

[partycatty]

johnny cage > character development

reader dating johnny as he trains at wu shi academy and visits outworld

notes: i was inspired by that one fanart of johnny cage inspired by myspace era tom hardy

masterlist <3

•johnny cage sending you stupid fuckboy selfies while he's away at the wu shi academy training to be a champion (he hasn't been thru his character arc yet, he's still johnny "can't cut back" cage)

•he'd pull up his undershirt with his teeth and expose his midsection, looking into the camera with that trademark grin and wink combo that sends his fans to the moon

•sends u update pics on his build, sure, he was built before but his muscles came in even more defined with the excessive training the monks put him through

•would send you every. fucking. photo and video this man takes. ipad baby could not put that damn thing away in chapter 3 good LORD.

•"babe look" and it's a man you've never seen harnessing the power of lightning. what.

•whispered phone sex since he's in a shared room

•send you texts like "missin u like crazy rn" and "cravin that sweet ass rbn"

•of course you roll your eyes at your boyfriend's ridiculousness but you also hope he goes through a genuine development in his life. god knows he needs it.

•and when he finally returns, there's a new spark in his eye. a new, mature sparkle. he tells you about liu kang, outworld, the hourglass, kenshi, kung lao, raiden, the tarkatans, and the lin kuei. he sounds happier. he sounds inspired. and before long, he's running out of the room to make frantic phone calls about a new franchise pitch: mortal kombat.

[ilykirara]

A Really Weird Message From Me

I just wanted to address some of the hate I've been seeing since it seems like it's sort of prevalent.

As an Asian myself, I really don't get why some other Asian people are so toxic when it comes to Mortal Kombat, especially when the creators themselves aren't even Asian and are into 'Ninja-pop'. It's a game that has many inaccuracies and is surface level about Asian culture (the older games are based on stereotypes so you can only imagine how that went). You can't really complain about how westernised a Western game based on a westernised perspective of Asian culture is whilst actively expressing enjoyment for the game. That doesn't excuse or prevent the conversation regarding the lack of representation or cultural appropriation, but it's so important to understand that this game isn't and probably will never be a good representation of Asian culture. This is one of the reasons why I started my story, so I can develop the cultures of each character even more through my own research. Those toxic people are so quick to assume that the person they're targeting is maliciously ignorant when in reality it was a simple misunderstanding that could be solved through polite conversation.

The good news is, is that Mortal Kombat is trying to steer away from its base and is adapting to the cultural sensitivities we have currently. It is really great to see people speak out about the changes Mortal Kombat should make, but it's not great to see the fighting happening between people in the fandom. It's not fun trying to interact with an unfortunately quieter MK fandom and then there's always that one person who goes 'Well actually you stupid fuck...' along with some discriminating insults. Most of the time, those insults reflect how truly bigoted the commenter is and the worst thing is you can't talk to stupid.

This post is sort of targeted sort of not. I want to explicitly express that I don't tolerate this kind of behaviour and it disgusts me when I see people so closed-minded. My page is a welcoming page for those who are genuinely interested in Mortal Kombat, my works, and for anyone who isn't bigoted and against discrimination. I love the people who interact with me and I want to continue to talk to everyone without that one person ruining the mood!

(TLDR: I think we shouldn't attack eachother about Mortal Kombat because the game itself isn't the perfect representation of Asian culture and it's kinda shit seeing Asian people attack other people over a game that doesn't even represent Asian culture appropriately. If there's a problem, the problem should be going to the creators not the people (but if the people are obviously being bigoted (e.g. racist) then feel free to speak against that))

On a more light-hearted note, I'm currently still developing my own story but I'm slowly regaining the motivation to write the next chapter! It won't be released until January but I'm going to try write like a super long chapter that I'll probably split into two. Hoping that the MK hype returns soon!

[creatorofstarrealm]

Chapter updated

Chapter 12: The Waves of Conflict    

Summary: Kotal Kahn has a hard time swimming through the ocean of memories. He learns the hard way that getting yourself drown in whirlpools is part of it.

[internet1girl]

Chapter 1: Why Him?

Pairing: Johnny Cage x Fem!Reader

Summary: You’re stuck on a mission with your annoying, depraved, immature co-worker…

Word count: 6k Warnings/Notices: enemies to lovers, slow burn, named!reader, the events of mk1’s story mode have still happened but with a few changes, johnny being annoying, mildish violence, threats of violence (not followed through), reader is rude and mean, a few curse words here and there, flirty johnny, sexual things mentioned but no actual sex is depicted (yet😈)

Next part

A/N: i’ve been debating on whether to turn this roleplay i’ve been working on in character.ai into an actual fanfiction and my intrigue eventually won me over. this is something that has really developed over these past few months, to the point where i would like to share this to the world. btw this is my first actual fanfiction so if anything is off then bare with. also, i’m not an actual writer, just a chronically online loser that has too much time on their hands lol

An audible groan came from the room as Liu Kang explained the task at hand to everyone present.

There have been strange...borderline supernatural occurrences happening in Outworld as of late. You and Johnny Cage have been chosen to both collect more information on one of these strange happenings... together. You both glare daggers at each other as Liu Kang explains the rest. You were stubborn and Johnny was insufferable, naturally the two of you butted heads. In all seriousness, the two of you never liked each other. You thought Johnny a vapid, arrogant child and he thought you an uptight, boring stick-in-the-mud. He never took anything seriously and you took everything too seriously. Truly, a match made in heaven. Why Liu Kang thought it was a good idea to pair the two of you up for this excursion eluded both of you.

"Really? Her? You couldn't choose someone more up for the task?" Johnny complained, rolling his eyes and not bothering to hide his clear disapproval with your presence in the room.

"Are you serious, Lord Liu Kang? There's no way you think this pompous man-child is up for this mission!" You also complain to Liu Kang, not even attempting to hide the evident disdain in your voice.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" He's scowling now, crossing his arms across his chest. Despite his own reaction, he really wasn't happy to hear that you also didn't like being paired with him. Think of the Maddy Perez "I was gonna say no but why are you saying no" bit. This man's ego was far too inflated.

"It means that you're an arrogant prat, Cage!” You start to point an accusatory finger across the table, in his direction. "Do you need me to dumb myself down so you can understand me?"

His lips thin to reveal his gritted teth, glaring daggers at you in response. "Oh, I'm the arrogant one? Look in the mirror, princess. You've got a hell of an ego yourself."

You and Johnny subsequently began to argue, both thoroughly unhappy that you both were to be paired together for this mission. Insults and accusations flew across the table as your voices gradually increase in volume.

Kenshi, Kung Lao, Raiden and all others present could only roll their eyes, silently hoping that this latest back-and-forth would be over soon. This quarrel would've went on longer, had it not been for Liu Kang's interference.

"Alright, ENOUGH you two!!" The fire god's voice was loud and firm as he interrupted you both. He had enough of the constant arguing, it was time to get you two to work together for once in your lives.

"I won't stand for this foolishness any longer!" Liu Kang shouted, his cheeks flushing red as rage took ahold of him.

In an instant, you and Johnny ceased your petty squabble. The God of Fire, your superior, has spoken. Simultaneously, you both hung your heads low in shame, muttering apologies under your breaths as you looked down at your feet.

"This is pathetic. You two are supposed to be Earthrealm's champions. Yet here you are fighting like children!” He shook his head in disapproval, the fact that neither you or Johnny would make eye contact with him had his lips pull into a scowl.

He gave the both of you a look of disappointment, like a parent would their misbehaving children. Sighing, he took a deep breath in and a long exhale out, effectively calming him down and clearing his mind. He didn't like to lose himself like that, but by the Gods the two of you were doing his head in.

"Now... l trust that you two will bring back valuable information, yes?" He spoke again, now in a much calmer voice.

"You have my word, Lord Liu Kang. I will not fail you." You nod your head, now actually looking at your mentor. You sit up straighter in your seat as you address him. 

Though, as you pledge your loyalty to Liu Kang, your eyes wander. Out of your peripheral, you aim the filthiest of dirty looks at Johnny, scowling at him as you did so. The mere thought of working alone with this man starts to make your blood pressure rise. If this was some divine form of punishment, then it was effective.

Speaking of, Johnny nodded his head. For as much of a pain in the ass this was, he was not about to fail Liu Kang. He could be an egotistical dick at times, but he did care about Earthrealm... and he especially cared for Liu Kang, the man who changed the arc of his life.

"I'll do my part, don't worry." He responded. But then, under his breath, he muttered: “As much as I hate working with her."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

An hour later, you and Johnny were in a dimly lit, out of the way, shady part of Sun Do. He was sat on a curb, occupied with his phone as he endlessly scrolled through social media. You were leaning against a wall, idly checking your nails for any fractures, dirt or indentations. The two of you were waiting for a contact of Liu Kang's to pick you up and take you to the site of one of those mysterious disturbances, the site of your assigned mission.

This contact should be here at any minute. They'd better hurry up, the both of you were bored out of your minds.

Johnny sighed, loudly and dramatically, as he pushed himself off of the curb. Bored and impatient, he planted his hands on his hips and started to tap his foot on the ground, anything to serve his dull mind with some stimulation.

"Come on, come on. Where the hell's that contact?" He groaned, complaining to you like this delay was your fault. "Liu Kang said they'd be here at this specific time."

"Silence. Your voice is like nails on a chalkboard." Your voice was cold and cutting, as always when you had the misfortune of speaking to him. You didn't even bother to look up at him, why should you?

In response, he snorted.

"Oh, come on. My voice isn't that annoying, is it?" He inquired, a playful smirk on his face as he spoke.

He walked a couple steps closer to you. You didn't say anything to he, only giving him a dirty look and shuffling away from him a bit as he planted himself next to you.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of being close to me, princess." He chuckled. The fact that you had moved away from him only caused his smirk to grow wider. He just looooved to piss you off, he always did, ever since he first met you. The looks you always give him were priceless in his eyes.

In response, you suck your teeth. Johnny's attempt at getting under your skin was working, much to your dismay.

"Piss off, Cage..."

Johnny snickered. He leaned in a bit closer, close enough so that your shoulders were nearly touching. He was enjoying the way your nose crinkled up as he invaded your personal space.

"What's the matter, sugar? Do I upset you?"

"Why couldn't have Liu Kang paired me with someone more suitable..." You mutter under your breath. Out of all your fellow champions, you value this pompous prat the least. To this day, you still never understood why he was chosen to defend Earthrealm, to share the honour of such a duty with you and the rest of the boys. Why? Why him?

"Like who? Kenshi?" He quipped back, looks like you weren't quiet enough.

Johnny chuckled as he leaned in even closer, his eyes fixed on you and you alone. There was something about seeing you so irritated that amused him. Maybe it was the fact that you were pretty and he liked attractive women, maybe it was the fact that he was a prick and he found your irritation funny. Either way, he wasn’t about to stop any time soon.

You jolt to the side as your shoulders touched, turning to scowl at him.

"What? You think I'm gonna bite?" He laughed. The way you react to his presence and touch made his heart beat faster, like some sort of childish adrenaline rush.

"One step closer and you're losing a finger." You bluntly warn him. You were bluffing, of course. You don’t want to stain your clean uniform with blood.

"Oh yeah?" He snickered. Being the fool that he is, he leaned in closer, close enough that the two of you were mere inches apart.

"Do it. I've taken worse from stronger people than you."

Your scowl deepened. This bastard truly had a talent for pissing you off. Faster than he could react, you grabbed his left wrist and spun him around, pinning his left arm behind his back as you roughly shove him against the wall behind. He winced as he made contact with the cold brick, he hadn't expected you to be so quick.

You didn't intend to harm him, although you wouldn’t feel particularly guilty if you did so. No, this was all about sending a message. Leaning in so you can whisper in his ear, you issue the strictest of warnings.

"I am not one to be played with. Liu Kang may have paired me with you for this mission but he said nothing about friendly fire. Try me again and you won’t be so lucky."

Johnny felt slightly embarrassed that he'd underestimated you like this, but he didn’t let it show. His annoyance faded when you leaned in and spoke into his ear, the feeling was replaced by surprise. A tingling sensation ran along his spine as the heat of your breath graced the shell of his ear, it all sent a shiver through his body. His small scowl gave way to a grin.

He liked this.

His eyes snapped shut, faint pink started to blossom on his cheeks. His dick started to chub, the crotch area of his uniform felt tighter by the second. His hips started to slightly rut agaisnt the wall, just for any sort of release.

"Hahh... this is kinda hot~”

You ignore his painfully in-character response, your hands push his body harder against the wall as frustration starts to overtake you.

"Do you understand, Cage?"

He groaned, his face pressed against the rough wall as you keep him pinned against it. Even as the well-trained martial artist that he is, he still couldn't free himself from your iron grasp. Johnny really couldn't believe that this was turning him on, he almost didn't want your hands to leave his body. He had to bite his lip to prevent an unwanted moan from slipping out.

"Y-yeah… I understand." His breath hitched in his throat as he tried to remain calm, however hard it may be.

"Good." You hummed back, satisfied to hear that your message of intimidation finally got across to him. Now, hopefully you could focus more on the task at hand and less on fending off this sack of hormones.

You release your grasp on the man, stepping back in order to give him some space to peel himself off of the wall. Luckily for Johnny, the alleyway that the two of you were in was dark enough so that you didn’t notice the bulge in his pants. Gods, you would've probably finished him right there and then if your eyes ventured a little more south.

"Now then, dust yourself off. Liu Kang's contact should be here any minute now."

Johnny did what he was told, brushing his hands over his torso with a grunt. He was careful not to draw any attention to his crotch, he tried to play it cool but his mind was anything but calm right now. You had really riled him up, he could feel his heartbeat in his cock thanks to your stint. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and regain his composure. He adjusted his pants and spoke up, trying to sound as casual as possible. “Yeah… any minute now…”

For a few minutes, a silence hung in the air. You were staring out at the street and he was awkwardly standing around. Johnny didn't like uncomfortable silences, but he also knew didn't really know what to say. Not right now, at least. He was silently praying for this supposed contact of Liu Kang to arrive already, so he doesn't have to go through this mental torture anymore.

Also, the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off of you in that tight uniform wasn’t helping matters at all. The material hugged all the right places, the metal accents adorning you only accentuated your beauty. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of the curves of your breastplate, as well as two other predictable areas. He was trying his hardest not to glance to the side, but it was getting harder and harder to resist the further the silence went on. And also, because he's Johnny Cage, he has no self-control.

Though, out of your peripheral vision, you managed to catch him looking over at you. Such knowledge made you roll your eyes once more. Without looking at him back, you say:

"What are you staring at, Cage?"

Your harsh tone causes him to flinch, as if he was a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly looked away, trying to play it off as him being distracted by something else.

"N-Nothing. Just... waiting." Johnny meekly responded. He could feel his cheeks turning a faint pink, a sliver of embarrassment made its way through his being.

This irritates you a little more than it should’ve. "Well, why don't you-"

Whatever you had to say was cut off by a mysterious cloaked figure making their way down the alley, towards you and Johnny. He was well built, at nearly 7 feet tall. He was draped from head to toe in a thick brown cloak, a hood was covering his face. Intimidating would be the perfect word to describe this man.

This must be Liu Kang's contact.

"Jonathan ‘Johnny' Cage? Jade Houzuki?" The figure began to speak, much to the surprise of you and Johnny. His voice was deep and course. It sounded almost... inhuman. The sound coming of of his mouth was as rough as sand and as deep as the seas.

You both were a bit startled, both by this cloaked figure's sudden appearance and how it knew both of your names. Johnny specifically was taken aback by the deep and gravely voice of this stranger. It sounded so unnatural, he didn’t like it. He took a few steps towards you, standing closer than usual. Not in a protective way, though. Quite the opposite, in-fact.

"That's us. And you are?" Despite his shock, his usual playful demeanour resurfaces as he responds.

The figure put a fist and an open hand together, the same gesture that Liu Kang always does.

"Greetings. My name is Geras. I am an associate of Lord Liu Kang. I have been tasked to take you to the site of the pyramid. Come, your transportation awaits." He bowed as he spoke, showing that he meant no harm.

Geras began to walk out of the alleyway, his large hand beckoning you both. It was clear that he wished for you and Johnny to follow him.

The both of you give each other a look, a shared expression of confusion. It was clear that you two were uneasy, but… if he was an associate of Liu Kang, then he could be trusted... right?

Johnny sighed, and with a cocky air to his stride, began to follow in Geras' footsteps.

"Lead the way, my man."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Geras led the two of you to a horse drawn wooden carriage. Both of you entered the vehicle and sat down on the adjacent seats, patiently waiting to take off.

It was actually rather cozy inside. Four small pink lanterns hung in each corner of the ceiling, staving away the darkness from outside and dimly lighting up the interior. The seats were nice and cushioned, surprisingly so. The door in which you and Johnny entered in sported a little window, perfect for gazing out of. 

"Quite a comfy ride we got here, huh?" Johnny said, striking up a conversation with you as the carriage took off. He bounced around a little on the soft cushion of the seat, adjusting himself to sit more comfortably.

The pink light of the lanterns gave the interior a pleasing hue, creating an almost… intimate atmosphere. He was sat on the other side of the carriage, directly across from you. His eyes traveled up and down your body, taking in the sight of you in the low light. Despite the fact that he really didn’t like you as a person, he’d always thought you were attractive.

”Yes...it is rather nice in here." You, just like him, were shifting around in your seat, adjusting yourself in an effort to get comfortable.

Johnny couldn't stop himself from smirking as he continued to "assess" your form. He leaned back against the wall, loudly sighing as he continued to look you up and down.

"You know, I never pegged you for the comfy type. I always just assumed you'd like, I don't know, a really hard chair or something."

You huff lightly at what he has to say. Was he serious?

"Hah, what in the realms do you mean by that?" You look up at him with a raised brow, awaiting an answer.

Johnny chuckled a little as well, a sly look was in his eyes as he explained himself.

"I mean...you seem like the type of person who'd be pretty hardcore about your furniture. I assumed you'd like stuff that was really firm."

You don’t say anything, only rolling your eyes at his remarks before redirecting your attention towards the outside world. This man loved to ramble, and it was more annoying than it was amusing.

"C'mon, don't give me the silent treatment. I know you want to argue back." He teased, sitting up and leaning a little closer to you.

You remained silent, giving Johnny a look of irritation as you slightly lean away from him.

"Aw, are you pouting? That's adorable." He teased, inching a little closer until he was so close that your knees almost touched.

He's so annoying. "Ugh, you’re annoying…”

Johnny laughed, moving even closer to you. There was something so enjoyable about the way you continue to try and keep your distance from him. He liked this kind of attention, even if it was done out of irritation.

"You love it, sugar." He said in a low, nearly sultry tone. He was so close by now that he wouldn't have to raise his voice to a normal volume in order to be heard.

You were pretty quickly growing sick of this man - which, wasn't good for you as you have to spend the next few days with him.

"Geras!" You loudly call out to the construct, the sudden sound of your voice reverberates around the small confines of the carriage, something that drew a colourful word out of Johnny. "How long until we reach the mission site?"

"Jesus, woman. You scared the hell outta me...” He shifted away from you, crashing back down into his seat as he started to grumble. He crossed his arms over his chest, sulking like a moody teenager.

Geras, meanwhile, was driving the carriage to the mission site. He was sat outside, coursing the horses along the road as well as keeping a watch out for any bandits or wild animals. That deep voice of his spoke up, muffled through the walls of the carriage.

"Not until sunrise." He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "The journey will be long. You two may wish to get some rest."

"S-sunrise?!"

Your eyes widened, the thought of spending a whole night in a tiny, enclosed space with a man you couldn't stand made you audibly groan in displeasure. Feeling defeated, you slump back into your seat, not looking forward to the night ahead.

Johnny couldn't help but grin as he saw the defeated look on your face. You looked so cute when you were pissed off, he loved it. The fact that you made no effort to hide the fact that you hated the idea of being stuck in a small space with him for a whole night made him laugh.

"Oh, don't make that face! I don't mind spending the night alone with you." He teased, winking at you.

"I couldn't think of anything worse..."

Johnny was really enjoying this moment, the idea of spending so much time alone with you actually excited him. This was the first time in... ever that he's had the opportunity to experience such a pleasure. Are you as excited as him~?

"Aw, don't be a stick in the mud. I'm sure this'll be fun! After all, we'll have a lot of time to ourselves..."

You suck your teeth at what Johnny had to say. The way he emphasised that last word made it clear what he was thinking about. You aren’t stupid, you know exactly what his dirty little mouth is implying.

"You're a fucking dog."

Johnny pretended to be hurt by your words, even putting a hand on his heart to dramatically convey his "wounded" state.

"Ohhh, a dog? How dare you, darlin’. You wound me."

He wore an exaggerated pout, although the smirk on his face gave away that he wasn't actually hurt by your remark. He was still getting a kick out of this whole thing. He continues to tease you, his voice dropping and taking on a low, sultry tone.

"You know you don't mean it, sugar~"

This man was really starting to piss you off. Johnny loved to rile you up, and you were too ticked off to realise that all he wanted was a reaction. Slumping against the wall, you start to twirl your long braid around your fingers, fighting to resist the urge to slap the source of your sour mood that sat across from you.

"You know, you look so cute when you're angry." Johnny chuckled, teasingly wagging a finger in your face. He could tell that you want to lash out at him, that's what made this so fun!

His eyes traveled from your face, down and then back up your body, taking in the delicious sight before him. Johnny started to shift around a little in his seat, subtly adjusting his pants as he felt something start to grow down there.

"Whatever..." You laid your body down on the seat below, a slow yawn slipping past your lips. You too shifted around in your seat, now makeshift bed. Though, not for the reasons that Johnny across from you was.

You were so tired, you'd been up all day without a chance for a moments rest. Your exhaustion, and the man across from you in general, left you unable to keep your heavy eyelids open. Geras did say that this journey would be a long one, so why not get some rest?

"I'm going to sleep." You inform Johnny, mentally hoping that he would follow suit and stop fucking pestering you already. "Do not bother me."

Johnny rolled his eyes. He leaned back, resting his arms behind his head as he watched you make yourself comfortable. He was actually fairly tired himself, but he didn't want to let you know that. He really just wanted to keep teasing you, to see that pretty face of yours curl up in disdain.

"Hmph. And what if I do?"

"Then it’ll be your last mistake." You casually threaten him whilst your eyes close. The mental image of Johnny being up all night and having no one to talk to actually made a small smile sprout on your face. How ever would he cope?

"You should rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Johnny, however, laughs at your words, not in the least bit taken aback by your thinly veiled threat. He wasn't stupid, he knew that you would probably hurt him for real if he kept bothering you. Gods know that it wouldn’t be the first time you did, either. But, a part of him was also tempted to stay up all night, just to spite you.

He leaned his head back against the wall, raking his eyes over your body one more time. A yawn escaped him, fatigue was starting to sink its claws into him. Some rest really didn't sound half bad.

"Hmph...fine."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It's now the peak of the night. 

The carriage continues its journey toward the location that the disturbance was said to originate from. The interior is now significantly darker, intensified by the late hour. Faint illumination emanated from the four small lanterns that hung in the ceiling corners.

Having long departed Sun Do, the world outside has been submerged in a profound silence, Outworld was plunged in darkness. Along with the distant noises of animals, only the muffled sound of the carriage wheels rolling across the ground disrupted the quiet of the night.

Despite the small and cramped conditions, you’ve made yourself comfortable, you're now fast asleep. Johnny, however, is awake. He was unable to fall unconscious, all the tossing and turning in his seat no longer helped. He was bored out of his mind, there wasn't much else to do besides sit here and wait.

He glanced over at you, a sly smile spread across his face as an idea formed in his head. He knew that he should let you sleep, but the idea of getting under your skin again was simply too tempting to resist. You were so cute when you were pissed off, could you blame him?

"Jaaade… Jaaade… wake up..."

Despite his pestering, you remain fast asleep, lightly storing to add to it. Johnny, however, doesn't give up. He chuckled at your quiet snoring, finding you endearing in this state. A part of him actually wanted to leave you be, but the more he looked at your sleeping face, the more he wanted to bother you.

"Come on, princess… I know you're awake..." He leaned in close. He spoke into your ear, his voice barely above a whisper.

Fortunately for Johnny and unfortunately for you, this did the trick. Waking up, you let out a yawn whilst slowly pushing yourself off of your seat. Your voice was groggy and your speech was slow as you speak to him.

"Joh.... Johnny? Are we... there yet?"

He chuckles at the sight of you waking up, the tired and sleepy look on your face made you look even more adorable in his eyes, if possible.

"No, not yet, darlin'. We've still got a ways to go."

Wait, what? The news that you haven't yet arrived at the mission site caused you to wake up a bit more. If you weren't there, why did Johnny wake you up? Did something happen? Did bandits attack? Is Geras alright?

You dart up, still in a half-awake state but becoming increasingly paranoid. Your voice was rapid as you spoke at Johnny, your mind starting to go a million miles a minute.

"...So why did you wake me up if we aren't there?! Is everything alright? Are we-“

The sound of him laughing cut you off. Your alarmed and paranoid state was so damn funny to him. Seeing you get so worked up over nothing was just too entertaining.

"Calm down, sugar, everything's fine! I was just bored and wanted someone to talk to." He smiled, enjoying the view of you darting up. Your eyes were so wide, you looked like you were ready to pop a vein.

Is he fucking serious? "Are... are you fucking serious?"

Johnny's smile just widened at your outraged response. He loved when you got like this, it meant that he was getting under your beautiful skin. 

"I'm dead serious, darlin'. I got bored and thought to myself, let me wake the sleeping beauty up so that I have someone to talk to."

The revelation that he woke you up not because you were being attacked, but because he was merely bored, really pissed you off. This bastard had purposely disturbed your rest no good reason. The panic coursing through your being quickly shifted to anger, bordering on rage.

"You woke me up because you're... bored?!"

Johnny chuckled, he shamelessly enjoyed seeing you like this. The fact that he had the power to drive you up the wall with such a stupid reason was entertaining, to say the least.

"Yep, I'm bored. And I had no one to talk to, aside from Geras outside, and he doesn’t seem like he’s a very good conversation partner..." He smirked, watching you closely.

You were now fully awake. The sudden onslaught of panic and anger had snapped you out of your sleepy state. You were giving Johnny the darkest of glares as you held yourself up off your seat by your arms, a nasty scowl on your lips.

Johnny grinned in contrast, knowing that he had successfully annoyed you again. That death glare aimed solely at him was exactly the response he'd been looking for.

"Aw, don't look at me like that, darlin’! Come on, ain't you bored too?"

"By the Gods..." You take a deep breath in and a long exhale out, pinching the bridge of your nose as you restrain yourself from outright attacking this man there and then.

"Come on, can you blame me? We've been in this cramped ass carriage for hours now. I know you’re also bored.” He chuckled again as he leaned back against his seat, stretching his limbs out slightly.

"Johnny-"

He knew that you were holding back from physically attacking him, and that you were probably thinking of a billion ways to kill him. Johnny knew he was annoying and that he pissed you off, that was the fun in it.

"What's wrong, sugar? Cat got your tongue?" Like the ass that he is, he still continued to push you. He leaned in, his face now mere inches from yours.

Opening your eyes to see Johnny's face inches away from your own wasn't a welcome surprise. Grumbling, you roughly shove him backwards, using his own face to push his body away from you. He crashed back down on his seat with a loud: "Oof!"

After the initial shock of you shoving him wore off, he started to rub his chin and chuckle, the mild sting on his face not really bothering him.

"Damn, you got quite the strong arm, don't you, darlin'?"

"Just go back to sleep, Cage..." You mutter as you lay back down, trying your hardest to fall back asleep.

Johnny sighed, leaned back against the wall of the carriage and propping his feet up on the adjacent seat to him, the spot besides your head. "Well..."

"Do you even have a favourite colour, Jade?"

He looked at you curiously, his eyes on your facial features. As much as he revelled in getting on your nerves, a part of him genuinely wanted to hold a conversation with you.

"...Why do you ask?" You reopened your eyes, your anger gave way to confusion, intrigue.

Johnny shrugged, keeping his eyes on you as you lay there, looking up at him. "I don't know, I'm just curious. Can't a guy have a normal conversation with the woman who's stuck with him for the entire night?"

"Hm..." You lie there, pondering his question. Maybe, just maybe, if you answer him then he’ll leave you alone for the rest of the night.

"...l am rather partial to green."

Johnny smiled in response, this time genuinely. Of course, you would pick the colour that you mostly wore, it made perfect sense.

"Green, huh? Me too." His tone was jovial, but still slightly teasing.

"Is that why you wear it so much? 'Cause you know it suits you?"

You don't say anything, a light scoff escaping you is your response instead.

An awkward silence hung in the air for a bit. Realising that you wouldn't get back to sleep anytime soon, and realising that Johnny wouldn't let up in bothering you talking to you, you sit up and take in a deep breath.

"You like green, too?"

Johnny was admittedly a little surprised that you’d actually started to talk to him. He was honestly expecting you to dissmiss him or refuse to speak, like you always do. Nonetheless, he still answers your question without missing a beat.

"Yeah, I do...guess that's another thing we share in common then, darlin'." He chuckles, his smile never fading. You were a tough nut to crack, but maybe he could get you to loosen up a little more.

"Guess so."

Johnny’s smile widened. For the first time in a long time, you two were starting to have an actual, normal and proper conversation, not just a petty argument. He found himself enjoying this a lot more than he thought he would. He looks you over again. Your tired, yet still rather attractive appearance still intrigued him. He couldn't help but say something.

"You know, you still look cute even when you're sleep deprived."

You chuckle. Johnny's flirting surprisingly makes you laugh instead of getting on your nerves.

And that's when you take a good look at him. The dim pink lighting above actually complemented his features rather well. His cheekbones were well defined, his jawline strong and his smile was bright. Moving downwards, the way his uniform hugged his broad form made a warm feeling make its way through your stomach. Your face softened ever since slightly. As annoying as he was, Johnny is still a very handsome man. Slowly, you were starting to see this.

You start to, ever so slightly, warm up to him. Well, maybe the atmosphere the two of you were in was having some sort of effect on your psyche. Either way, what was commencing was doing so.

"Must you flirt with every single woman you come across?" You tilt your head to the side slightly, a playful look in your narrowing eyes.

Though not obvious, he liked how you chuckled at his words. You looked... weirdly beautiful when you smiled, this was such a rare sight to see.

"No, I only do it to the beautiful ones." He let out a soft laugh, his face still wore a smile but his voice was much more sultry than before, something very intentional.

"Like Kitana? I've noticed how you flirt with her."

"Oh, Kitana..."

He laughed again and craned his neck to look out of the window for a bit. His smile shifted into a sly smirk as he looked back at you. "Maybe a little..."

The smirk on his face grew. It sounds almost as if he was thinking about something that he and he alone was aware of.

"And what if Kitana and I were…friends of sorts?"

You chuckle again, somewhat amused by his revelation. The implication of his words didn't elude you, of course he'd be hooking up with somebody in Outworld.

”Then Sindel would have your head."

He shrugged, not at all bothered by that very true fact. "That's a risk I'm willing to take...for Kitana, at least."

Johnny paused for a moment and looked at you again, his smirk widened as he next spoke.

"Jealous, are you?"

You roll your eyes, your usual feelings of Johnny Cage irritation starting to bubble back up again. "Please..."

The smirk on his face grew more sly. In his eyes, you were trying to act unbothered by the whole situation. He believed that deep down, he knew of your true feelings.

"Aw, come on darlin'. Don't lie to me now. I can see it in your eyes. You're jealous that I'm hitting on a gorgeous girl like Kitana." He winked, continuing to tease you.

"Hah, whatever helps you sleep at night." You start to shift in your seat a little. Not because what Johnny was saying was true, which it wasn't, but because you were starting to grow a little uncomfortable.

This just amused Johnny more. In his eyes, you were starting to get flustered. The knowledge that him and the princess were FWB clearly got to you, he thought. It was all a little game to him.

"Aw, don't worry, princess. Your secret's safe with me. I know you're feeling a tad jealous that I'm into Kitana." He leaned in closer to you, his voice just a whisper.

“By the Gods, you're annoying..." Your head falls into your hand, your fingers pressing into your forehead.

Aww, you was trying to cover up the jealously that was inside you, how cute! There's nothing to be ashamed about.

"And you're adorable when you're jealous like this." He leaned forward, even closer to you.

You again push Johnny away from you by his face, but this time noticeably lighter. Wow, he really was making progress! A yawn slips out of you, you go ahead and lay back down in your seat, shifting around a bit in a bid to get comfortable.

“…I’m going back to sleep. You should, too." You look at Johnny one last time before closing your eyes. "And don’t bother me this time."

Johnny couldn't resist rolling his eyes in response to your warning, but that smirk never faded. He leaned back in his seat and placed his arms behind his head. He silently watched you lay down and start to drift back to the dream world. Only the Elder Gods know what his lewd mind was thinking about at that moment.

"Night, darlin'..."

A/N: thank you for reading!! the actual roleplay isn’t anywhere near done yet, i have so many plans for johnny and jade!! i can’t wait to lay them all out with you all <33

[atlasofthestaars]

[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .001

Note: Will use events from Mk9-11 + Aftermath. I am changing canon for some characters to fit the story. Changing canon in general for MK1, so at some point I will add in scenes not in the main story and probably will diverge from it in the end. Some character personality changes, not major, but enough to add depth. Slight character dynamic changes (Mostly Lin Kuei, so the trio feel slightly closer as a whole)

Also excuse the small exposition dump that happens through the chapter, it was needed to set up plot points in the future, so in the future we can get to those juicy character interactions easier!

LOVE INTERESTS: Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Kenshi, Reptile, Scorpion (Kuai Liang), Sub Zero (Bi-Han), Smoke, Shang Tsung, Mileena, Kitana, Ashrah, Havik, Rain

Also on AO3: NEW ERA

part two

FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO DOESN'T REMEMBER

Memories are fickle things. 

Awakening in the middle of a field, you heard the buzzing of bugs, and the grass beside you moved as a creature scurried past. Your head hurt, and a fog settled in your mind as if it were blocking something. You sat up slowly, noting the moonlight shining down on the area around you.

You looked down at your hands. It was odd, it felt like you were familiar with it, yet at the same time it felt all too foreign to you. You wiggled your toes, feeling the grass brush against them to remind you that they existed. 

Where were you?

Swallowing any dread you felt building up, you stood up wearily. Your body swayed as you got up, almost stumbling into the grass once more. The area around felt devoid of humans, undisturbed nature spreading far. It was beautiful and breathtaking, but it only soothed you for a moment before panic began to seep back in again.

Where were you?

In the distance was a soft light. A flame? Perhaps. You dragged your feet as you walked towards it. You’d rather go discover whatever that was then stick around being lost wherever you had woken up. 

Why were you there in the first place? 

Fear was crawling down your back at the inability to answer the nagging questions within your head. Shaking it off, you continued on. The closer you got, the better you could identify where the flame was from. 

A temple of sorts?

It had a dragon motif from what you could see, and it was constructed mainly from wood and stone. Red shingles, or at least you assumed it was…it was hard to see in the moonlight, lined the rooftops of the temple ahead. The tree leaves even seemed to be red. There were multiple buildings, one being a tall tower, and a few smaller buildings. The flame, which was quite large from what you could see, was lit in a pavilion of sorts.

Your mind throbbed as a vague memory of a temple floating in the sky appeared in your mind. But this wasn’t that same temple. Not at all. Why were you thinking of that?

Soon enough, you found yourself at the entrance of the area, marveling at the architecture and the beauty of the area up close. How wonderful. Eventually, you spotted two figures walking towards you. 

The first thing you noticed was their glowing blue eyes.

Not knowing what to do, you stood there. Although you felt a pit of dread build up in your stomach as they approached, you stood unwavering. You grimaced, not at the sight of them, but at how the figures coming closer seemed to intensify a dull throb that had been building up in the back of your head.

Silly as it was, were they the cause of your headache? Of the fog in your head that seemed to block out any memories you tried to pry from your mind? 

You watched as the two figures, that you could now identify as men, approached. You could read a vague sense of concern on one of their faces, and the other held a sense of shock on his. They walked over a bridge, stopping at the top as if to create a sense of height. You looked up at them, your will not wavering despite the dread that was building in your stomach.

Your headache, why was it hurting so much?

You watched as one of them held out his hands, forming one a fist connecting to his palm. He smiled at you. It felt warm. The other nodded his head in acknowledgement, but you could see the small smile he had as well. You stumbled as your headache turned into a sharp pain, as if someone had just stabbed your head. Gasping, you stumbled forward. 

The man who had been presenting his hands grabbed you to steady you, and you noted the strange sense of familiarity as he did so. His wrapped hands were firm as he helped you right yourself. You looked up into his eyes, and without thinking, a name popped into your head.

“Liu Kang?”

The dread you felt in your stomach turned into fear as the man’s eyes widened, and the vague shock that had been on his face before was now on full display. He glanced over to his companion who held the same look of shock before they both looked down at you, almost accusingly.

“How did you know that?”

That was years ago.

Shortly after the shock had worn off, you had been escorted into the fire temple. They gave you a place to rest for the night, but you could hear the whispers of Liu Kang and Geras as they walked away. What they were discussing, you weren’t certain.

You could hear the concerned tone in their voice loud and clear despite that.

The next morning in what was perhaps the politest interrogation ever, it was revealed that you had a lack of memories.

Kind of.

You had memories, or at least you thought so, but they were all jumbled up in your head. They felt wrong, and foreign and they didn’t match up with what you were seeing. After all, your mind was telling you the man who was interrogating you was Liu Kang…but it was not the same mortal man that popped into your mind. 

You also eventually recognized Geras, which seemed to alarm the two even more, even if they were subtle about it. Eventually, after long deliberation with each other, Liu Kang eventually came up to you and offered you a place to stay at the fire temple due to your lack of memory and residence.

You were relieved to have a place to rest and stay, even if you had a nagging feeling that the offer was a disguised excuse to keep a close eye on you.

You supposed that was fair.

Eventually, the memories you had came back slowly over the years, and you confided in Liu Kang about them. This led to an eventual friendship with the god as you unraveled the strange situation that you were in. The man, though cordial, had been wary at first of you. You thought that was reasonable. A random stranger showing up in rags and recognizing you without introduction?

That was suspicious for certain, you could not blame the fire god for his caution. Especially since he proclaimed himself to be the Protector of Earthrealm, you could have easily been a threat.

Thankfully, you were not. Or at least, he seemed to deem that you were not. Although you had a jumbled mess of mismatching memories, the two of you had concluded that the memories you did have were visions of sorts, of other realities, and that the memories you used to have were gone. 

Visions of other worlds traded for the memories of your past. That’s what he told you, anyways. You had a sinking feeling that wasn’t quite true, and that was the biggest secret you held from Liu Kang. After all, the more memories you regained, the less it felt that they were random visions. 

They felt like a past life…and maybe they were. You weren’t certain yet. You had a nagging feeling there were many memories left to unlock.

The guilt of hiding this doubt, this secret, was immense at first. Ignoring the fact that you were lying to a god, you were concealing doubts from a man who had offered you shelter and food.

Eventually the guilt died down into near nothingness, but there was still a twinge of guilt every time you lied about it.

Aside from that, you rediscovered abilities that you had not realized you had. 

Shapeshifting into animals. You could transform your whole body into creatures, or parts of them. It was a helpful power, you found. You also seemed to have some sort of muscle memory of fighting skills. Lord Liu Kang had once offered to train you, and to both of your surprise, you were quite skilled.

Rusty at first, but it was obvious your body knew how to fight. It was nothing that years, or in all honesty, months could not fix.

Another ability you realized after a few years was how your body did not seem to age. Or at least, not in the same way humans did. At first, the monks seemed to chalk it up to good genetics, complimenting on how you seemed to keep your youth. However, as more years passed, whispers of magic arose.

Concerned with the strange state of your body, you confided in the fire god. Liu Kang suggested that your body was one that lived longer, perhaps of one that was not native to Earth, or Earthrealm as he called it…an edenian, perhaps? He explained the realm of Outworld, and the existence of the realms in general. He had once explained it much before, along with some monks, but not to the historical extent he had given you at that time.

Through these explanations, you remembered Outworld much more clearly, but the memories of Outworld were once again inconsistent with the world he described.

The Outworld you knew had been run by a tyrant before it was passed to an heir that had been overthrown. It was war hungry, and not at all pretty as he described. Liu Kang offered that, perhaps, when the Mortal Kombat tournament rolled around in a few years, you could join him and the champions he would bring to Outworld.

You agreed, of course. Maybe that realm was key to unlocking more memories, and more explanations. Even though you cherished the Fire Temple, a place you had learned to call home, you now had a purpose going forward.

Go to Outworld to seek the rest of your memories.

And now, you were here, enjoying another peaceful morning in the Fire Temple.

Staring out from the pavilion, you inhaled deeply as you took in the sunrise. You could never tire of the beautiful view. Your ears picked up the soft sound of someone walking towards you, and you turned around, already familiar with who it was. 

“Hello, Liu Kang.” You greeted, a smile on your face as you nodded towards the fire god. The fire god sent you a soft smile in return as he walked up to be by your side. Due to your memories of a younger, mortal Liu Kang that had popped up so often at first, you had taken up a nasty habit of addressing him casually. You tried to fix this, but he had permitted you to address him casually in private.

It felt like a strange honor.

He greeted you, your name rolling off his tongue in a familiar way as his hands settled on the railing much like yours were. It was common for the two of you to meet up here at sunrise, to indulge in the simple yet breathtaking view. It was a tradition from years ago.

“Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Liu Kang inquired, much like he did nearly every morning. He gazed at the horizon with a sense of serenity and peace before his glowing eyes landed on you. With a chuckle you turned your gaze to the horizon he had been staring at previously.

“It is, just like it is every morning.” You mused, watching as the sky lightened, the darkness making way for the pretty light blue hues as a pink and orange color settled over the horizon. Your fingers tapped the wood as you hummed, remembering that something special was happening today. “Today we’re going to the village of Fengjian, correct?” You inquired, a surge of excitement buzzing through you.

You had been around the world here and there over the years to accompany Liu Kang and sometimes even the Lin Kuei, but it had been a while since your last venture. 

“Correct, Madam Bo said two of her trainees were ready for the exam scenario, and today we're going to observe.” Liu Kang said, nodding as he confirmed the plans he had told you about two weeks ago. You noted how he kept his gaze intent on you, as if analyzing your reaction. You could not hold back the smile on your lips.

“Excellent, it’s been forever since I’ve had Madam Bo’s cooking.” You commented, remembering just how delicious the older woman’s cooking was. You were nearly drooling at the thought of it. Not only that, but Madam Bo was someone you valued as well.

Whenever you saw her, you were reminded of a fatherly figure who you hazily remembered who drunk a lot of alcohol. It was odd, but she too must have sensed the connection, as she took you in as if you were a child of her own ever since she met you. You wished you could go out to see her more.

You opened your mouth to speak, but you heard the faintest of footsteps. Reflexively, you transformed your ears into those of bats and craned them around to hone in on the sound. You tilted your head as you focused before you turned to look at Liu Kang, ears turning back to normal.

“I thought the Lin Kuei were to come later?” You inquired, revealing that you were now aware of their presence. You heard some muttering before the three assassins revealed themselves. Sub Zero, Scorpion, and Smoke. Three of the Lin Kuei you had grown closest to during your association with Liu Kang.

“That was the plan, but we decided to meet up earlier to discuss the plan as we shall leave earlier to get in position to observe.” Liu Kang explained. The two of you turned around to face the three. You smiled at the three. Smoke and Scorpion both bowed to the two of you. Sub Zero, notably, did not, but you did notice the slight nod of acknowledgement sent your way.

“Perceptive as always, and I thought we could finally sneak up on you.” Smoke greeted, addressing you as he spoke your name, a light playful tone to his voice. Smoke was always the friendliest of the three, it was a delight to talk to him. He was the most casual. You noted the slightly irritated glare from Sub Zero sent his way.

You surmised that Smoke had managed to convince the two others to also sneak in. You could not tell whether the irritation was from having to partake in such a silly endeavor, or if it was due to the fact that he blamed Smoke for giving the three of them away.

“Maybe another time, Tomas.” You chuckled, covering your mouth as you did so. Despite your words, you were competitive, and you weren’t planning on giving up in the ongoing game that you had both been playing for a while now. “Regardless, it is good to see you all, it’s been a while.” With that, you nodded towards Liu Kang, letting him go over the plan with the trio.

You observed silently as excitement coursed through your veins.

You had a feeling that tonight was going to be something special.

part two

[mothercetrion]

Johnny & Kenshi's "Relationship" in MK1

Well before MK1 was released, Ed Boon had this to say about Kenshi (and Johnny) and their roles in the story:

I was incredibly interested in this "relationship" from that moment and really hoped that it would pay off like he said. I think it has done so tenfold, and I wanted to compile their moments throughout the story together and go through their relationship arc, moment by moment, chapter by chapter, for everyone to enjoy.

This post contains spoilers for both Kenshi and Johnny's roles in MK1, as well as major plot points of the story itself. You have been warned!

To start, if you want to watch a compilation of their moments, you can watch this YouTube video by MKIceAndFire, which includes everything discussed in this post up to Chapter 7. 

Chapter 2: Their First Meeting 

The climax of Chapter 2 is the back-to-back events of Johnny’s wife, Cristina, leaving him, and Kenshi entering soon after. Kenshi is here on a mission: retrieve Sento from Johnny, no matter the cost. They fight, and Johnny wins. It’s here that they introduce themselves properly (or Kenshi introducing himself to Johnny), and Johnny learns more about his motives and why he needs Sento so badly. He does so to save his family, the Taira clan, from the Yakuza, which they joined for protection after the Siege of Aomori, according to Johnny. 

Soon after, Liu Kang, Bi-Han, and Kuai Liang arrive, where Johnny thinks that the trio is a part of Kenshi’s retrieval mission. After Johnny and Bi-Han fight, Liu Kang tells both Johnny and Kenshi about their new role as Earthrealm’s champions. Johnny openly questions Kenshi’s inclusion, still hardly believing his story about being part of the Taira clan. The chapter ends here. 

We know from here that Kenshi and Johnny openly do not trust one another and likely hate one another. For Kenshi, Johnny is the one thing in the way of his goal of saving the Taira clan from the Yakuza. When arguing with his wife, Johnny reveals that he paid 3 million dollars for Sento; considering that their impending divorce is over money, it makes sense that he is not willing to just give it to some stranger. 

Chapter 3: Bickering 

Johnny and Kenshi do not have many scenes in Chapter 3, with most of its focus being on Raiden, but the few scenes they have show us a lot about the state of their relationship. The four Earthrealm champions—Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, and Raiden—discuss their circumstances and their training with the monks. Johnny expresses his desire to see Outworld to do research for the movie franchise that he hopes to make; according to him, they’ve been “cooped up” training for months. Kenshi sarcastically calls him selfless, and Johnny states that he’s only there to get Sento back, indirectly stating that they’re both only training for selfish reasons. Johnny also harshly calls him “Tattoo” as a nickname, not even using his last name as Kenshi does for him. 

When Johnny is defeated by Raiden in the mini-tournament set up by Liu Kang, the two glare at one another while Johnny exits the fight and Kenshi enters. The scene is adorned with dramatic music (relating to the tournament at hand) and a slow-motion shot of their expressions. The choices here are likely to emphasize the disdain they have for one another and the insane amount of tension they have between them. 

That night, before Raiden and Kung Lao fight, Johnny attempts to bet on Lao’s potential victory. Kenshi is open to a bet, but only if Johnny puts Sento up for grabs. Johnny laughs and says, “Not on your life,” revealing that he has not budged on his desire to keep Sento after all this time. 

They have a brief scene when the group leaves for Outworld where Johnny starts filming Kenshi. Kenshi turns with an annoying expression and knocks his phone out of his hand, much to Johnny’s shock. This scene is the last they have in this chapter that has any real significance, minus standing by one another. 

The few scenes they have in this chapter show that their relationship has not improved since they met a few months prior, even after spending every day together; if anything, it has gotten worse and more openly hostile. They judge one another’s reasons for being champions for Earthrealm and still do not respect one another. 

Chapter 4: More Fighting & Kenshi’s Blinding 

We play as Kenshi for the duration of this chapter. The two of them, alongside Kung Lao, are tasked with finding Shang Tsung for Liu Kang to question. Kenshi openly questions Johnny's inclusion on the mission and openly states that he would prefer Raiden to go along with them instead of “this one,” making it known that he does not value Johnny as a fighter or a teammate. Johnny protests and insists that he’s up to the job of finding Shang Tsung. Before they depart, they glare at one another once more. 

When out in the Outworld desert, Kenshi and Johnny begin to bicker once more. Johnny brings up the 3 million dollars needed to buy Sento and tells Kenshi that he would likely have Sento back in his possession if he were still with the Yakuza. Kenshi turns around quickly to yell at Johnny about the corruption that the Yakuza spreads and his desire to get his clan out, all while shining his flashlight on Johnny’s face.

After meeting Baraka and ending up in Shang Tsung’s laboratory, the three of them ambush Rain, Tanya, and Shang Tsung in an effort to save Mileena from what they believe is a Tarkat infection. Johnny makes the “get away from her, you bitch” reference that it feels like everyone has seen, much to Kenshi and Lao’s visible confusion. 

Kenshi defeats both Tanya and Rain in battle, and he briefly speaks to Mileena before her illness makes itself known. It is here that Kenshi does something he’s not done all of the story: he calls Johnny by his first name instead of just “Cage.” He asks for a hand in fighting Mileena, and Johnny hurries over to help. Johnny asks about a plan, and Kenshi states that the only real plan is to not hurt her. Johnny is visibly shocked and says that he’s more worried about “us” getting hurt than Mileena. 

They fight Mileena, and Kenshi and Johnny win. Kenshi asks Johnny and Lao (again calling Johnny by his first name) to hold Mileena down so Shang Tsung can administer the serum needed to subdue her Tarkat symptoms. They do so briefly, and she eventually knocks Lao away and goes to bite Johnny’s face. Instead, Kenshi comes from behind, grabs Mileena by the straps of her outfit on her shoulders, and pulls her away, saving the life of someone that until just minutes before, he has been shown to hate. 

Then Mileena shoves Kenshi away just long enough to grab a pair of sai from a nearby table and gouge Kenshi’s eyes out. His blood sprays, and Johnny is hit in the face with the splatter. In the horror of the aftermath, he yells Kenshi’s first name for the first time, nothing short of terrified and worried. The chapter ends soon after this. 

This chapter is the official shift in their relationship. This chapter is when both characters finally refer to one another by their first names, though it is all we see of any sort of genuine appreciation of one another. Kenshi calls Johnny by his name in the midst of immediate danger; he needs Johnny’s help, and he’s visibly frightened in the scene itself. Johnny calls Kenshi by his name in the aftermath of the danger, when he just saw someone that he’s known for months lose his eyes in the most vicious way possible (and gets hit with his blood in the process). The shift is not seen until later chapters, but Kenshi going blind while saving Johnny’s life is the catalyst for the change. 

Chapters 5 & 6: New Bonds

In Shang Tsung’s laboratory, the first thing Johnny does when he wakes up is check on Kenshi. He says his first name again, asks him about his pain, and states that he will not forget that Kenshi saved his life for the price of his eyes. 

Johnny himself is the one to give Kenshi his blindfold, torn from his own armor and placed over Kenshi’s eyes with his own hands. He is the one to give him the medicine and relieve him of some of the discomfort from his blinding in his own way. Johnny is the one who adds to Kenshi’s iconic character design; it’s forever associated with him and his kindness. 

When they’re finally able to escape the laboratory, Kenshi asks Johnny and Lao to leave him behind. Johnny refuses and wants to save Kenshi’s life. Kenshi tells Johnny that he is “useless” and that their lives do not need to be risked to save him. (He once again calls Johnny by his last name here, instead of calling him “Johnny” like he did hours before.) Johnny insists that the Taira needs him, and they’re going to get him back home and get him help. 

They walk through the Living Forest together near the back of the group; Johnny is the one who guides Kenshi around. Johnny continues to look back at Kenshi as they’re walking around to make sure he does not trip or stumble. He makes a remark about a movie he did that Kenshi reveals that he has seen before. Johnny comments on how difficult the scene was to shoot, but he is proud of the outcome. Kenshi says that he can “picture it exactly” and smiles for the first time since his blinding, a strong contrast to his earlier depressed state. 

They continue until they meet Ashrah and debate whether or not to hunt Quan Chi. When Kenshi steps forward to go, Johnny firmly tells him no, citing that they need to get him home. He’s visibly annoyed and perhaps even frustrated when Kenshi insists that they need to find Quan Chi to find Shang Tsung. In the end, Johnny is the only one opposed to continuing their mission. 

The penultimate moment of their development is the scene at the end of the chapter in which Sento is returned to Kenshi. Kenshi tries to fight Quan Chi, and Johnny is quick to tell him no, stating that Kenshi will trip up the others. He then asks Kenshi for his sword, and Kenshi hesitantly agrees. Johnny does what was previously established as impossible and gives Sento back to Kenshi. Kenshi is stunned, and then he tries to reject Sento. The one thing he has wanted for all this time, the singular reason that he hates Johnny in the first place, he tries to reject it. Johnny insists that it’s Kenshi’s now because he saved Johnny’s life. “It’s yours,” he says, and he means it. 

Chapter 6 largely focuses on the fight between the group and Quan Chi, but it’s the chapter in which Kenshi’s sight is “restored” with the help of his ancestors. After a fight with Ermac, Sento is imbued with the souls of Kenshi’s ancestors, who promise to help him. He is then able to sense his surroundings in a new form of sight, allowing him to fight as he did before. He also discovers his telekinesis soon after. 

Johnny and Kenshi have a brief exchange about Sento after this. Johnny jokes that he severely underpaid for Sento when he bought it and asks if Kenshi knew what it could do, which he did not. Johnny tells Kenshi not to forget who gave him the sword; Kenshi promises that he will not. They go back to calling one another by their last names, but instead of earlier in the story, when they were distant from one another and not friends, the use of last names here almost feels…kinder. Maybe even affectionate? Like calling a friend by their last name instead of someone that you dislike. 

These chapters are what solidify their bond. It starts with Johnny’s worry and concern over Kenshi’s well-being and safety, something that continues through the rest of the chapter. He checks on him in the dungeon, he is the one to give Kenshi medicine when he knows he’s in pain, and he motivates Kenshi to continue living when they leave the dungeon (and makes it known that he will help him however he can once they get him home). He makes it known that he’s willing to give up on Liu Kang’s mission, something that could potentially save Earthrealm, for Kenshi to be safe after losing his eyes. It’s one of the first things that Johnny clearly takes seriously. Until this point, he makes jokes about almost everything, but when it comes to Kenshi going home, he’s all serious and makes his opinion on the matter known. 

Their conflict regarding Sento is also resolved here. Just hours before this chapter, Johnny brings up the 3 million dollars he paid for it and his unwillingness to part with Sento unless Kenshi gives him the money. However, after Kenshi saves his life, Johnny gives it to him to potentially repay a debt. Kenshi essentially traded his eyes for Johnny’s life, and Johnny recognizes the importance of such a sacrifice. To him, giving him Sento is likely only the beginning of what he does to repay him for what he did. 

Their value in Sento differs greatly. Kenshi wants Sento because of the value it has to his family and their well-being. While Johnny seems to appreciate Sento’s history, the sword is still something with monetary value and something that helps Johnny “project” a celebrity image to fans. He is his possessions; he is what he spends money on. But Kenshi’s blinding makes him realize, in the worst way possible, that some things are more important than money. 

These chapters (4, 5, and 6) also show Johnny and Kenshi saving one another’s lives. Kenshi physically saves Johnny from Mileena in the laboratory by pulling her off of him before she can bite his face off. Johnny emotionally saves Kenshi when he’s at a low point following his blinding; he is the one to motivate Kenshi when he calls himself useless and asks the others to leave him behind, even if it means certain death. Johnny also helps save the Taira clan by willingly giving up Sento, something that he knows means a great deal to Kenshi and the rest of his family. 

Chapter 15: A New Arc in Their Lives 

The pair make a lengthy absence until the later chapters of the game, and they are not seen together again until the final scene of the final chapter when they are eating at Madam Bo’s restaurant. They’re sitting together on the same side of the table while Johnny talks about the location of his movie. He turns to Kenshi with a smirk when he laughs, and Kenshi assumes that Johnny will be the star of his franchise, as he always seems to be. 

Johnny then asks Kenshi to be in a movie, stating that no actor can do things quite like Kenshi. Kenshi openly admits that he would love to, but his work with the Taira keeps him busy. (However, we see in Johnny’s ending that he still involves himself in the movie-making process.) 

Liu Kang moves to leave for Outworld, and Johnny stops him to thank him for bringing them on as Earthrealm’s champions. He quickly glances at Kenshi before stating that joining him has truly changed the arcs of their lives, just like Liu Kang said it would. 

This final scene with them is just the beginning of those new arcs. Compared to their first meeting, Johnny and Kenshi have found a new respect for one another and a bond forged in a shared adventure and what looks like conflicting goals. By this chapter, they have undergone an entire arc of their own, and their lives are changed by one another as a result. 

Their new arc is only beginning.

[helsensm]

Watching your AU with the deceased Kung Lao (wonderful but sad AU 🥺)

I can't stop thinking about how sorry I am for Kung Jin. Yes, I certainly feel sorry for Raiden, who lost a friend, and Liu Kang, who lost a friend for the SECOND TIME.

But I can't stop thinking that Lao's younger cousin will feel the pain of losing a family member. In Mortal Kombat X, we were well made to understand that Jin cherished Lao very much and even went to Hell to save him (which I consider a very selfless and brave act). And this is despite the fact that the family turned away from Lao, and there is no guarantee that he will be able to be saved...

In this timeline, I think Jin is still a child or a teenager. I think he has a very strong and friendly relationship with Lao and the news of his death will be difficult.

It's so insulting that in the last timeline and in this one (according to this AU), the poor boy goes through such a traumatic experience

Your AU is beautiful in that it really makes me think about what might be going on in it! I hope you will continue to develop this idea, because it is wonderful. And you are beautiful! And your work!🥺💖💖💖

pre mk1, they haven't seen each other in a while, Kung Lao picked up Jin from school and they are going to train at Madam Bo’s 😊

I'm with you on this pookie, amen to every word. 😔 Jin is slowly becoming one of my favorites, and now that you mentioned (i.e. I’ve been thinking about this for weeks), I’m wondering, what he’ll do after Lao’s death... No idea, what NRS are planning for our Shaolin punk in this timeline, but let me overthink that ONE mention of him we got so far (leaving out the cameo in Armageddon chapter) for this au. XD

They ARE very close, though they don’t visit each other often. Jin adores his older cousin and he’s looking up to him, of course it feeds Lao’s ego, ahahh.

After the mk1 story, Lao will follow Kenshi’s advice to quash Jin’s interest in criminal world, checking on him when he can. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough, and as the time goes (it has been several years between the mk1 story and Lao’s death), Jin will eventually find some trouble for himself. He is still too young for traveling and becoming a freelancer thief like in mkx, but he might join the local gang, or something like that.

When Kung Lao dies, Jin’s grief will manifest in a form of respecting his cousin’s words. He’ll leave his criminal life behind and will go to the Wu Shi Academy. I really like how proudly he calls himself a Shaolin monk in mkx intros, so I want him to choose this way. And I think Jin’s presence and willingness to follow in the footsteps of Lao will help Raiden with his grieving too.

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