Sonya was surprised at how easy Mavado was able to block her attacks. Every kick and punch that she threw he counteracted with ease. He seemed to be putting minimal effort, and at times he felt weak. However, we she tried to trip him or overpower him, his strength would intensify and she'd fall on her ass. They had been sparring for 15 minutes before Mavado stopped.

"Enough! I have assessed your fighting style and have found you a suitable partner based on your technique. I will go retrieve him, in the meantime try your hand at the weapons."

"Scared? You knew I had you on the ropes so you don't want to look like a fool in front of your friends huh?"

"I'll tell you what. If you wish to try your hand at me then let's see how you do against the guy I am about to go get. If you can best him, then maybe I'll consider entertaining you."

"Fine go get him I'll be waiting." Sonya smiled to herself, as Mavado walked away. Even though she had fallen on her ass twice, she had noticed a pattern in Mavado's fighting. She was on the verge of besting him and he could sense it, she saw the look in his eyes. Now he was getting someone else for her to fight, so that she would be thrown off. She walked over to the door that Mavado pointed to and opened it.

She peered inside and was confused, all she saw in the arsenal was a few knives, that could be found at any Sporting Goods store, a few handguns, and 3 swords. As she looked around she saw something that caught her eye. In the top left corner of the room there was a pair of hook swords hanging on the wall. At first glance, they could have been mistaken for the wall itself, but as Sonya approached them, she was able to make them out clearly. They looked like the same ones that Kabal had used before he died. She started to feel dizzy as she reached out and took them off the wall. As she examined the hook swords she did not notice the trap door open on the other side of the room. Her breathing became faster as she spun the blades in her hands, she started to feel nauseous. Flashes of the battle with Sindel began to invade her mind. She was back at the temple as Sindel viciously pummeled through all of her friends. She spun the hooks once more and she was standing in a carnage of bodies. Sindel and NIghtwolf's shadow burned onto the wall. She heard footsteps behind her and she jolted ready for an attack.

Mavado stared at her from the doorway, a smile spread out across his face. He looked her up and down and something flickered across his eyes. Sonya couldn't make it out but whatever it was, she didn't like it. She stood her ground.

"Your new opponent is here, and he'd like to fight without weapons if possible." He extended his hands out to take the hook swords from her. He continued, "If I could please have my swords back, I think you'll find your new partner to be a good match."

Sonya reluctantly handed the swords back to Mavado, but kept her gaze until she was out of the room. Mavado smiled and closed the door as she left. He walked over to the luger that appeared after Sonya removed the hook swords and picked it up. He waited for the room to click before he spoke the password.

"The Red Dragon rules All!" As he spoke the words the wall began to open up to reveal a large arsenal containing weapons of all sorts. There was everything from Maces to Grenades. There were also various television screens set up around the room, monitoring everything in the headquarters

Reptile scurried back to the throne room. He needed to tell Mileena about Ermac, and the sudden emergence of Jerrod. If his suspicions were correct, then King Jerrod was in control of Ermac's body and he would begin to gather forces to fight. If he were to report on this he could help her search for him and then enact his revenge on the thing that had defeated him. Thousands of souls or not he would burn the man from the inside out. He began to relish at the idea of spitting acid into Ermac's mouth and watching him squirm and strain as he coughed up his organs and blood. He licked his lips at the idea of watching that fool burn through his flesh and bones. He could almost feel the immense satisfaction that would come from standing over his dead body. As he skittered through the trees he heard a grunting off in the distance. He cloaked himself and crept towards the noise, careful not to draw any attention to his presence. The closer he got the louder the noises grew louder. He slithered to the top of the tree and looked out to see what the commotion was about, and what he saw confused him.

There hidden amongst the living trees were tons of Shokan setting up camp. They all looked confused and were looking between Goro and Sheeva who seemed to be arguing. Reptile tried to listen in but their voices were intentionally low, so he slid back to the bottom and inched closer to listen to the dispute.

"We must strike back at that bitch and her pet tarkatan dog! We are shokan sheeva we were disgraced."

"Yes I understand what you are saying Goro, but to ally with Quan Chi? We can do this without the necromancer we can find allies elsewhere. We should also try to avoid war this soon. Be rational Goro!"

"I agree I don't want to side with Quan Chi either but Shao Kahn trusted him, and Kahn trusted us. The betrayal his hellspawn showed should not go unchecked. If Kahn trusted him and he proved himself, then we should also give him a chance. He may be useful."

"Well I feel that the we would be better doing things on our own. We can train and prepare for the battle with the Empire, when the time comes, but currently we must prepare ourselves. We have trusted your judgement but if it comes to it I will challenge your authority. I did not want to tell you this way, but I suspected that we were falling out of favor with Shao Kahn for the centaurs. Seeing as we were the ones to leave, it appears that my suspicions were correct. Now think, our numbers are low, and they have the centaurs and tarkatan. Who does Quan Chi have?"

"He has the Lin Kuei eating out of his hands! We can ally ourselves with him, think of it Sheeva. I know I have failed recently but I am beginning to see that we need to lead our people. I suggest we lead together, which is why I consulted you. My anger does not cloud me as much as you believe, but my honor has been shamed. For that the Tarkatan must pay!" At this point many of the Shokan in the audience cheered for Goro. A roar erupted from the side as Kintaro stepped up to Goro and Sheeva.

"I do not speak often, but I agree to shed the blood of all enemies that betray us. I will have every Tarkatan and Centaur head on a pike! We will do what we must. I throw my favor with Goro." This was followed by a resounding roar of approval from the Tigrar Shokan in the crowd.

Before Sheeva could protest a voice in the Tigrar crowd spoke up. "If I may speak? I wish to make a suggestion!" Sheeva, Goro, and Kintaro snapped their head in the direction of the voice.

"Come forward whoever spoke just know. Tell us what it is you want to say. From the crowd stepped forward a Tigrar female, who was a few inches shorter than Sheeva. Her eyes were slanted much like that of a cat, and her skin was snow white with black stripes. Her eyes were blue and she wore chain links on each of her four wrists. Her black hair fell to her shoulders and had no particular style. Her ears were pierced and there were gauges opening large holes in each ear. Her armor was black and chrome with purple lining on the edges of the cloth that enveloped her. As opposed to the leotard worn by sheeva, she wore something similar to an armored bra, with a cloth similar to the one Kintaro wore around his waist. She also wore a spike shoulder pad strapped to her left shoulder.

"What is your name Tigress Shokan?"

"My name is Durgara and I agree with the decision to have King Goro and Queen Sheeva lead us, but if I may suggest why do we not go straight to the Lin Kuei? We can seek refuge in Earthrealm and see if we can ally ourselves there. We can keep a camp here in Outworld to spy on the Empress and we can ensure that our people are safe and thriving. When the time comes, as Queen Sheeva said we will decimated Outworld and claim it for the Shokan. For now we must strengthen our numbers and seek allies in other realms. We are not only fierce warriors but we are also smart warriors and we must adapt to the situation. You both have doubts about Quan Chi, then let us seek alliance in new territory. Earthrealm has untapped resources we may be able to find people help us with our conquest, but we must also ensure the survival of our species." She finished talking and began to walk away until both Goro and Sheeva stopped her.

"You make great points young one." Goro began

"Dugarar is it?" Sheeva asked.

"Durgara your highness."

"I like your plan Durgara. I think I can speak safely when I say Sheeva and I are in agreement with you. You and I will go see the Lin Kuei and we will bring a few with us. While I seek alliance with them, you will find a place in Earthrealm that will suit the needs of our people."

"Kintaro and I will stay and keep an eye on the Empress. We will send reports when we can, but since this was your plan you are to lead it Durgara. May Drathon guide our efforts!" A howl filled the air as Reptile scurried off into the dark eager to tell Mileena what he had heard.

Kai sat in the middle of the dojo legs crossed, meditating as Johnny Cage circled him. Bo' Rai' Cho watched on as his two students had begun sparring. For the time being this was Cage's last day of training before his special ops mission. He felt uneasy about letting him go, because something did not feel right. He trusted Raiden and Fujin, but the lack of boasting from Outworld made him believe that Sonya was not apprehended by them. He knew that they were hoping she would come back, but he could not help but feel it was a failed effort. Something was not adding up and he feared that there was a bigger plan in play. He began to ponder this as his newest pupils battled.

Cage circled Kai wondering when to attack. Kai was not showing any interest in fighting, but he had seen a glimpse of his training with Bo Rai Cho and he was tough stuff. As part of his new training he had to anticipate his opponent's moves before they happened, he needs to be three steps ahead of him. He decided to feign a dive, then come around with a leg sweep and summon the strength to backflip kick then snap a spinning elbow to the face as he landed. He attempted his plan. Kai jumped and dodged just as Cage had expected and he jumped to avoid the leg sweep. He decided to switch up by spinning into a standing punch and tripping him as he tried to dodge the attack. He went through and Kai side jumped the punch also avoiding the leg sweep. He then used Cage's weight to drop him and then he flipped in the air and monkey kicked him before he landed, sending Johnny flying in the other direction. The battle continued in this style, Cage trying to predict Kai's moves and Kai countering everything that was thrown at him.

The harder Johnny pushed the less attacks he seemed to land on Kai. It was starting to wear down on him and he was getting frustrated. He then noticed that Kai seemed to be calm and confident at all times. He was constantly meditating moving along with every move that was sent at him. Johnny tried to concentrate and do the same, but Kai went on the offensive.

He began to throw awkward kicks that switched to punches and ended with Cage being flipped in the air and juggled by Kai's feet. HIs fighting style was similar to Liu Kang's in some respect, but it was also mixed with various others and it was getting hard to pin down. Anger began to boil in Cage as he began to feel hopeless at the hands of his opponent. He felt himself budding and holding in a projectile for as long as he could. He went on the defensive and waited for an opportunity to present itself, quantifying all his strength in his core and holding onto it for as long as he could. The longer he held on the more he began to shake and he felt his body trembling with every second. He was holding on to an immense amount of pressure and he began to concentrate on dispersing it throughout his body. He focused it all on his fists and legs and he released. He blocked all of Kai's moves with unimaginable speed and then snapped a quick uppercut that sent Kai sailing 10 feet into the air. He then jumped up and spun him through the air sending him flying through the air horizontally. He then teleported in front of Kai and hammer fisted him to the ground. Once again he teleported below him and landed a kick to the face. He stood up and instantly felt weak. He tried to walk but he felt his legs tremble under his weight. He managed to walk over to Kai and tried to help him up. Kai stood up and looked disoriented. He then headbutted Cage and both passed out on the floor.

Bo' Rai' Cho ran over to them and hoisted them on his soldiers. He had been so stunned by Cage's explosion of that he could not move at first. He was about to attack Cage for fear that he had killed Kai, but Kai got up and responded with a headbutt. As he checked on the two warriors they appeared to be fine, surprisingly. Nothing was broken and they were still alive, just passed out. He tended to their bruised and set them up in beds for them to rest. He felt a bit more confident in his pupils after seeing their battle, but he was still concerned that he was missing something. It was at times like this where he would stop and wonder to himself where Shujinko had gone. The boy had shown so much potential but he seemed distracted by something else. He seemed to be trying to prove himself to someone. When he first trained he was slow, but had drive and determination. The next time he came to Bo' Rai' Cho he had been changed. It was as if he was endowed with some power. At times in their training it seemed that he was gifted, but then at times he seemed cursed. It was very puzzling, Shujinko had become a mystery, and once again in the wake of Cage's power Bo' Rai' Cho couldn't help but think about his former pupil and he had a strange feeling that he would be seeing him soon again.

Jerrod began to listen to the world around him. It had been a long time since he had actually seen the world with his own two eyes, or whatever the slits Ermac used as eyes were called. It was an odd feeling sharing a body with thousands of other souls. During his time there he learned that he could use their shared power to expand his consciousness and could even contact other spirits. He could only extend it so far and doing so weakened him greatly. He had reached out to lost souls in the area to gain information. He learned that his wife and daughter were killed and their souls may be residing in the Netherrealm. He also learned that the Emperor Shao Kahn had fallen to the Earthrealm protector Raiden. There was also hushed whispers of a new evil on the rise. Whenever he tried to inquire further the spirits would leave as if afraid to say anything else. This made him uneasy. Anything that had the power to scare an everlasting soul, was a threat that should not be taken lightly. He had also heard talk that the Edenian resistance was scattered waiting to be united by a leader. All this information weighed heavy on his mind and he needed to decide on a course of action soon, one that included a soul stone so he could regain his strength.

Gathering the Edenian resistance would be a strategic decision and would help him for the unnamed threat that was apparently coming. He also had the option of strengthening himself with the abundant soul stones present in Netherrealm and saving his wife and daughter. He decided that his best option would be to strengthen himself and save his family, so he began to inquire about the nearest portal in the area. When the souls found out where he wanted to travel they tried to stop him and many refused to give him the location. The closer he got to an answer the more afraid the souls seemed to be, it was as if someone had told them to keep quiet on where the portal was. Finally a strange soul told him all he wanted to know, he was given the coordinates and instructions on how to use the portal, but something did not add up. As he neared his destination he was ambushed by a pack of Tarkatans and centaurs. He was outnumbered seven to one and he did not know how much power he had. His enemies began to surround him and, for the first time in a long time he felt panic.

His mind began to real with possibilities as he tried to fight off the creatures. As he was sliced and tossed around an idea came to him. He tried to push himself out and into one of the other creatures. He focused all his strength and imagined himself sliding inside of them. He looked at his opponents and decided to pick the most feral tarkatan. He pushed out his conscience and tried to reach out to him. Then he felt something weird. The souls he shared a body with expelled him forcing him into the body of the tarkatan. The moment he made contact he felt a burning pain in his essence. He lashed out stabbing at everything in sight and he managed to slice up a few teammates. He cut the legs of a centaur clean off then stabbed it in the eye ending it's life. He sliced at another tarkatan and was able to slice him across the belly, but not before he was ambushed. They jumped on him and began to tear his body to shreds. In the carnage he was able to hop from the Tarkatan to a Centaur and he stomped out 2 tarkatans, leaving only the current one he was in, another Centaur and the Tarkatan he had sliced. He looked over to Ermac and nodded. They understood. They lifted the other centaur in the air and tore its legs off with their telekinetic powers. Jerrod vibrated his frequency and blew the centaur up from the inside out. He then jumped back into Ermac and took control. He flicked his wrist and sent the Tarkatan sailing off the edge of a cliff. He smiled at his victory, but the effects had taken a toll on his body. He was beginning to lose control so he rushed towards the portal and jumped through.