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Takeda and Cao walk and talk as they cross the ash-covered plains towards the evac site. They are weary, tired and injured---understandable condition for a pair of dragonslayers. 'Undead fire dragon slayers,' Cao reminds himself as Takeda continues telling him about the time he and Kaito chased (or attempted to chase) the thief down, but from his perspective.

"So Kaito takes off ahead and I see you two running, and it's like street balet before my eyes, I didn't know what to make of it. You were bouncing off animals and climbing rooftops and Kaito's right behind you, using his wind powers to push himself."

"Wasn't easy to get away from him," Cao chuckles.

"He told me you set a trap," Takeda says with a smile. "Sandbags?"

"Just something I thought ahead of time about," Cao replies with a shrug. "Simple stuff, really."

Takeda rubs his nose, leaving a small smudge of ash behind as he laughs. "I don't think I would have thought of that one, but I'll go ahead and steal it for the future."

"Go ahead, that's basically all I do."

"What, make up traps?"

"No, I meant steal stuff."

They both laugh as they reach the top of a hill. They look down and see a glowing yellow portal open in the middle of a dark field with Cassie nearby. She has her binoculars out and spies them almost immediately, running up to them. "Are you two alright?" she asks.

"Better than the dragon," Takeda says with a thumbs-up.

"It's dead, then?"

"Well, it was always dead," Cao points out with a smirk.

Cassie seems like she's about to punch him in the arm but reels herself in. "The others have made it through the portal. Frost is unharmed and we're getting her attention. We should go before more of those priests---or any dragons---show up.

Takeda nods and the three of them jog to the portal. The Shirai Ryu Chujin goes in first, but Cassie holds Cao back once they are alone.

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>>46674170

"Don't do that," she urgently whispers to him. "I know you and Takeda led the dragon away and it allowed us to escape, but damnit, I was worried."

"Thought you might not see me again?" he asks with a smile.

She crosses her arms and cocks a brow. "No, I was worried that my first mission would have casualties." After a moment, however, she relents. "Of course I was worried about you, Cao. Did you see that thing?"

"I did more than see it, I helped kill it."

She reaches out to touch his arm. "Just take my own feelings into consideration next time, alright?"

>A) I did what had to be done.
>B) I'm sorry I made you worry.
>C) Next time, I'll let you kill the dragon.
>D) Kiss her
>E) Other (Write-in)

>>46674194
>C) Next time, I'll let you kill the dragon.
then >D) Kiss her

>>46674194
>>C) Next time, I'll let you kill the dragon.
>>D) Kiss her

Steal that bubble gum

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>>46674227
>>46674348

He smiles and says, "Alright. You have my word that next time, I'll let you kill the dragon."

"That's not what I---"

She is cut off by him leaning forward to capture her lips in a surprise kiss. She tenses up initially but relaxes after a moment, pressing back against him. He can taste the candy of the bubblegum on her lips---that has to be his favorite thing about kissing her. When he pulls away, the gum is in his mouth. He chews it and tries blowing a bubble, but she brings up a finger and pops it.

"Smartass," she whispers. "Come on."

They both run into the glowing yellow vortex, passing through the magical passage into Kotal Kahn's throne room. The Emperor himself is here with the Portal Stone, along with Ruby. Forest Fox and Takeda linger off to one side, discussing something amongst themselves, while Vapor tends to a wounded and groaning Frost, who insists she is just fine.

With them through, Kotal Kahn takes his hand off the Portal Stone and places it back onto the pillow in Ruby's hands. "Your team is returned, Sergeant Cage," Kotal notes. "Were you successful in your mission?"

She takes out the map they stole from the High Priest's office and presents it to him. He takes it and brings it to a stone table, laying it out. "Sarna," Kotal nods. "I believed the Dragon King would eventually return here."

"What is it?" Cassie asks.

"The Ruins of Sarna are located deep within the Golden Desert. The ruins house an ancient pyramid, a grand complex structure that, far underground, is the final burial place of the Dragon King's mummified army. The pyramid itself is connected to Dragon Mountain, an ancient fortress where Onaga once ruled from."

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>>46674559

"We should bring this information to the others," Takeda suggests. "Maybe we can mount an offensive on this Sarna place."

"Or we could attack Dragon Mountain directly," Cassie says, folding her arms and thinking.

"I do not believe Onaga will stay there for very long," Kotal Kahn says. "He requires something from my kingdom that I have possession of if he is to take control of Outworld."

"What?" Cassie asks.

"The Kamidogu of Outworld."

>A) Kami-what?
>B) Ask him what that can do
>C) Ask him where it is
>D) Let him continue speaking
>E) Other

>>46674582
>A) Kami-what?
>C) Ask him where it is

>>46674582
>>A) Kami-what?
>>B) Ask him what that can do
>>C) Ask him where it is

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>>46674630
>>46674714

Cao blinks a few times before asking, "Kami-what?"

"Kamidogu," Cassie says. "You know, the mystic tools of the Elder Gods forged long ago that hold the essence of the realms."

"You are very well-studied, Miss Cage," Kotal compliments her.

"I read a pamplet about them once," she says with a smile.

"Well, where is it? You keep it here?" Cao asks.

"One of Shao Kahn's vaults," Kotal Kahn replies, and Cao suddenly gets a headache. Nobody else notices and so the osh-tekk continues, "One of the few things to survive the destruction of his original citadel was the treasure room which contained not only the Outworld Kamidogu, but the essence of many realms he had conquered in the past. These were the things he fed on and drew power from; such artifacts are immensely powerful."

"Can we use them against Onaga?" Takeda asks.

"Such power cannot be abused," Kotal warns. "That is what Shao Kahn did, and what Onaga would do. If we would mean to wield them against him, we would only succeed in potentially empowering him. The Dragon King would know much more of using the stuff of realms as weaponry than any one of us here would."

Cassie puts her hands on her hips. "Alright, so no throwing the Kamidogu towards Onaga. But it's safe, right?"

"It is locked away and I possess the only means to open the vault in which it lies."

Cao wanders away from the table a bit. He shakes his head and hears a voice calling to him.

>"Retrieve the staff. Its magic can overpower Onaga and allow for a killing blow."

The soul of Shao Kahn within him shouts again, his deep voice shaking Cao to the core.

>"Return to my sanctum! Reclaim the Staff of Shao Kahn!"

"Cao?" Cassie suddenly asks, appearing at his side. "You alright, soldier?"

>A) Ignore the voice; insist you are fine
>B) Leave the room and head towards the staff
>C) Bring Kotal Kahn to the inner sanctum of Shao Kahn
>D) Make plans to retrieve the staff later, in secret
>E) Other

>>46674920
>A) Ignore the voice; insist you are fine
>D) Make plans to retrieve the staff later, in secret

>>46674920
>>B) Leave the room and head towards the staff
trust the assmad superwarrior who seriously hates onaga beyond all reason
as long as he can't control us, we may as well use his everything for our purposes.

>>46674920
>B) Leave the room and head towards the staff

>>46675020
>>46675029
>Revealing ourselves to have Shao Kahn powers in front of the New Defenders
Someone's going to follow Cao, and you know it.

>>46674920
>>A) Ignore the voice; insist you are fine

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>>46675020
>>46675029

Cao looks at her. "I just need to clear my head a bit... The air in the Ashlands left me a bit foggy."

"Alright," she nods. "We'll be here talking our next move over with the Emperor."

Cao leaves the throne room and walks down the halls of Kotal Kahn's temple-palace, entering the stairwell that leads down into its lower levels. From there he finds the passage that descends even further down, deep into the earth, where the remnants of ancient buildings, tombs and what remains of Shao Kahn's citadel can still be seen.

He walks past ancient statues and follows the same route he took to get to Shao Kahn's inner sanctum. Stepping over the ruins of the destroyed statue guardian and entering the dark chamber by walking through the large skull mouth, he approaches the sealed stone door.

He places his hand upon it and green runes glow as the power of Shao Kahn unlocks the way. The stone doors alide apart and he enters the chamber where he first met Skarlet and realized the truth of what is locked away within him.

There, the dark throne of Shao Kahn sits, and nearby is the pedestal upon which rests his powerful staff. The silver shaft glints in the light of the fiery chamber beneath the metal carving of the dragon of the Elder Gods that makes up most of the floor.

He approaches the staff and looks upon it; its red crystal-ball head continually glows with a magical power.

Reaching up, his hand hovers over the staff. He already possesses the Wrath Hammer of Shao Kahn, though he has refrained from using it in front of others out of fear of it being recognized. He originally left the staff here for a number of reasons, but perhaps now he should take it and wield it against his foes...

>A) Don't take the staff
>B) Pick it up and try using it
>C) Pick it up and take it with you
>D) Attempt to destroy it
>E) Other

>>46675219
>B) Pick it up and try using it

>>46675192
>B) Pick it up and try using it

>>46675219
>>A) Don't take the staff


You jumped the gun on that vote Damashi

>>46675219
>B) Pick it up and try using it

Oh boy time to fight for our soul.....


Fucking idiots

>>46675192
I know but hear me out. Anyway we went about revealing were Shao Kahn is gonna be a shit time for us and when they find out no one is gonna trust us to do anything let alone go and grab his magic staff. This is our only chance to get a weapon that could kill Onaga

>>46675326
If the staff isn't claimed, Cao is fighting Onaga on a major handicap.

>>46675375
No all we'll be doing is rolling for Shao Khan to take control of us.

We have ALLIES we don't have to figh him one on one, we shouldn't even be in that position to begin with.

>>46675389
Even with the backup Onaga is still much better. Remember even Shao Kahn couldn't beat him

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>>46675259
>>46675283
>>46675311

Cao picks up the staff and can feel the magical power radiating through its shaft. The head hums as he stares into its crimson depths; a swirling pool of strange energy is contained within.

It feels good, in a way. Familiar, though he's never used any magic other than what he's been able to conjure up with Shao Kahn's latent abilities. He holds it aloft and concentrates, focusing on pulling memories from the souls inside of him to learn how to use this tool.

The Wrath Hammer is a tool of war and brutality, but the Staff of Shao Kahn is a weapon of magical might. It has the potential to cast devastating spells, but also entrap and create constructs. It is a taxing tool to use and requires great fortitude on the part of its wielder, but when in full power, can unleash a wide array of offensive and defensive abilities.

He sees visions in his mind of Shao Kahn using the combined might of the Wrath Hammer and his staff to conquer cities, nations, whole realms and more. He used the staff to bend the minds of others and subjugate them, as well as enslave powerful warriors.

Cao feels the soul of Shao Kahn stirring within him as he views these memories from the soul that shares his body, but he concentrates and does not lose control. Shao Kahn will not overtake him so easily next time.

He points the staff at a nearby statue and focuses. A red blast of energy emerges and flies across the chamber, blasting the statue into pieces. Stones fly across the chamber and land at his feet as he holds the staff up and inspects it.

It is a powerful tool indeed, but if he cannot maintain control, it is another thing that Shao Kahn will have at his fingertips. Dare he hold onto it?

>A) Keep the staff
>B) Leave the staff here
>C) Destroy the staff
>D) Other

>>46675409
Oh look at that, we beat shaokhan in a similar way before random possession by evil.

All of the people who will be fighting him have also leveled up, there are also more defenders to fight him.

Quit trying to justify stupidity

>>46675389
Shao Khan doesn't seem to be able to take control unless we're emotionally compromised or let him in. Unless using his powers makes him stronger, then its just whether to focus on the problem we have now, or the one we're making for late.

>>46675219
>A

>>46675445
>>B) Leave the staff here

>>46675445
>A) Keep the staff

>>46675445
>B) Leave the staff here
Its a fallback for when everything is fucked.

>>46675445
>B

>>46675445
>>A) Keep the staff
Battle Stick!

>>46675445
>B) Leave the staff here

>>46675445
>>B) Leave the staff here
It will be a last resort. Also if Kotal comes down here, he will notice the hammer is missing. He might not connect that with us, but if we take the staff after just having a conversation about it, he will suspect us.

>>46675445
>B) Leave the staff here
It's a contingency, to be saved for an emergency.

>>46675531
Kotal Kahn is not aware of the chamber.

>>46675445
>A) Keep the staff
>implying cao won't control it with time
if we leave it here its bound to be taken you fools, especially since someone probably followed us.
last time we listened to your oh so intelligent advice reptile became onaga through you lot being dumb.

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>>46675468
>>46675485
>>46675498
>>46675529
>>46675531
>>46675544

Cao feels the power and the rush that comes with it. The ability to crush cities at his fingertips. It is an exhilarating thing... but it is not what he wants.

He calms down and returns to the statue that held the staff, placing it back within its stone hands. He closes his eyes as he attempts to remove his hand from the shaft. He pulls, but it does not come off. He opens his eyes wide and yanks, only managing to let go after he falls backwards. The staff glows a bit but otherwise does nothing.

The thief pants a few times before his heart stops beating quickly and he gets back up, flexing his hand a few times. He shakes his hand and turns around, heading for the chamber exit. He knows not why he even truly came here in the first place…

The chamber darkens. A chill runs up his spine as the shadows in the room grow and spread up the walls. The fire beneath the floor seems to die down as a creeping wind rushes past him.

Cao turns around and sees dark shapes coming off of the walls, crawling towards the center of the room. Before the dark throne, they combine, swirling up into a tall, imposing, broad-shouldered figure with an inhuman face and glowing red eyes.

The man looks down upon him with contempt.

“Do you know what I am?” he asks.

“You… are Shao Kahn,” Cao replies.

“No. I am you.” He holds out his arms. “I am what you will become, little thief. I am your destiny.”

>A) No, I’ll never let you take control!
>B) Why are you doing this?
>C) I want you out of my body.
>D) I can stop you.
>E) Other

>>46675647
>B) Why are you doing this?
>E) Why don't we work together we have common enemies

>>46675544
>"One of Shao Kahn's vaults," Kotal Kahn replies, and Cao suddenly gets a headache. Nobody else notices and so the osh-tekk continues, "One of the few things to survive the destruction of his original citadel was the treasure room which contained not only the Outworld Kamidogu, but the essence of many realms he had conquered in the past. These were the things he fed on and drew power from; such artifacts are immensely powerful."
>"It is locked away and I possess the only means to open the vault in which it lies."

He does know

>>46675706

That's a different vault. We are in Shao Kahn's inner sanctum, not one of his treasure vaults.

>>46675647
>B) Why are you doing this?
I never asked to be your contingency plan for resurrection.

Besides, you got your ass kicked, what, twice now? I'm not going to let my ass be the third.

>>46675647
>D) I can stop you.
>E) Other
Destiny is Bullshit. Help if you want our body to live, or stay silent.

>>46675647
>E) Other

I am not Shao Khan, and will never be

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>>46675686
>>46675788
>>46675820
>>46675825

"Why are you doing this?" Cao asks in a loud whisper. "I never asked to be your contingency plan."

"You had no choice. You were but a babe, but a babe born to Outworld. My soul was weak, robbed of my power. I took refuge within you and slept, because I am Shao Kahn, and I refuse death. I awoke when you felt the rush of battle, the thirst of blood, the glory of war. Since then you have used my power as your own, but it is not your power. It is mine, just as you are. Your body belongs to me."

The thief points at the ghostly spectre and shouts, "No! I am not Shao Kahn. I never will be. I can beat you."

The spirit laughs, a great rumbling sound that echoes throughout the chamber. "You belonged to me the moment you were born, just as every soul and stone in Outworld belongs to me. You mean nothing. Your resistance, in the end, will be nothing but the dying gasps of another soul that I will conquer. Whole worlds have fallen to me, boy. What are you? A thief who grasps at scraps. I am Emperor of Outworld. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

The massive figure advances, his red eyes boring holes in Cao. "I am strength, you are weakness. You are nothing more than a shell housing me. What you think you are, what you think you can be, is nothing to me. You mean nothing to me and you will become nothing when I take my rightful place and return to tear down the temple of this false Emperor and destroy Onaga once again. And then the realms will fall before me once more."

>A) I can destroy you.
>B) You're in this with me, whether you like it or not, so shut up and help.
>C) Or maybe, I will conquer you instead.
>D) I'm going to find a way to tear you out of my body, and then we'll see who is stronger.
>E) Other

>>46675951
>C) Or maybe, I will conquer you instead.

>>46675951
>>C) Or maybe, I will conquer you instead.

>>46675951
>B) You're in this with me, whether you like it or not, so shut up and help.
>C) Or maybe, I will conquer you instead.
>E) Other
You're talking a LOT of shit for someone who has yet to actually take over. Either way, Onaga has it in for both of us, so if you're done being a little bitch, you can help me put him back in the ground before we settle this body business.

Or do you want me to go talk to Raiden? I hear a lot of folks in Earthrealm have his ear, and he'd be more than happy to help me get rid of you.

>>46675951
>B) You're in this with me, whether you like it or not, so shut up and help.
>C) Or maybe, I will conquer you instead.

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>>46675987
>>46676028
>>46676065

Cao narrows his eyes. "Or maybe I will conquer you instead."

Shao Kahn's laughter rumbles throughout the chamber. He steps closer.

"You are nothing, thief. Everything you have ever done, everything you have ever accomplished is because of me. I have given you strength and power you would never have known in your pathetic life. I am the reason you live---even your parents served me, because they knew the futility of going against the power of Shao Kahn."

"Then why did you die? Because there was someone better than you," Cao tells him. "Your own adopted daughter betrayed you. Both of them, even! And one of them was made to serve you!"

The thief waves away the claims of the former Emperor with his hand. "You keep telling me that I am nothing? YOU are nothing! Nothing more than the ghost of a dead man, spouting on and on about his failure to conquer the realms. You're not an Emperor: you're a page in someone else's history book."

Shao Kahn explodes in furious rage, the spectre growing in stature and his eyes burning with flames. "I am Shao Kahn! Conqueror of worlds! YOU ARE A RAT, I AM AS A GOD!"

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>>46676248

Cao steps back as the dark shadow leaps towards him in an inhuman wave, threatening to swallow him and take control. He holds up his hands and closes his eyes but then hears a scream. He looks on as another ghostly figure, white and feminine, stands in front of him, holding up her arms to form a shield of light.

Shao Kahn washes away from the shield, bleeding into the darkness of the room. His voice echoes, "GAH! Foolish witch! You cannot protect him forever... I will not be denied!"

The spirit of Ashrah banishes the remants of Shao Kahn from the chamber as Cao looks on. She turns, gazing at him with glowing white eyes. Her presence is calming, soothing and settles him greatly, but she seems to be losing physical form.

"Cao... I am weak..." Her voice is faint and fading along with her body. "The Light I left within you is burning brightly, but it cannot burn forever..."

>A) Ashrah, speak to me, tell me what I must do
>B) Have you been keeping Shao Kahn from taking me over?
>C) Where are you?
>D) How much time do I have?
>E) Other

>>46676270
>A) Ashrah, speak to me, tell me what I must do
>C) Where are you?

>>46676270
>>A) Ashrah, speak to me, tell me what I must do
>D) How much time do I have?

>>46676270
>D) How much time do I have?
>C) Where are you?
>A) Ashrah, speak to me, tell me what I must do

>>46676270
>A) Ashrah, speak to me, tell me what I must do
>C) Where are you?

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>>46676289
>>46676295
>>46676306
>>46676398

He rushes to the side of the spirit, desperate to speak to her once more. "Ashrah, speak to me. Tell me what I must do!"

"I am lost," she sighs. "My body is alive, but without memory, without my Light... A demon in service to foul powers. A dark and twisted creature of lust and cruelty, as I was before I started my journey..."

"Where? Where are you?"

She points to the fiery chamber beneath the dragon symbol of the floor. "There," she whispers.

"In there?"

"That leads to the Netherrealm," she tells him. "That is where I am. In a great citadel of brimstone and obsidian, I serve three dark masters: Nak, Torn and Zarr, the Brothers Chi."

Her body begins to fade. "How much time do I have?"

"I know not..." she whispers. "My Light within you has kept dark forces at bay, but withers..." She turns to him on her knees and places a warm hand upon his face. "You must find me, Cao... Return my Light to me, and I will be reborn in my true body. Or else... it will be lost... forever..."

Before he can speak to her more, the body before him fades and vanishes into nothingness, once more hiding within him. Cao falls onto a knee as her spirit flees from his sight, breathing heavily. He closes his eyes and grasps at the warm metal floor.

He opens them and looks at the dragon symbol. He could use the Wrath Hammer to break it. The fires within lead to the Netherrealm... and to her.

>A) Smash the floor and jump in
>B) Head back up to the top to recruit others
>C) Use the Staff of Shao Kahn to break the floor and then jump inside, bringing it with you
>D) There must be another way to go to the Netherrealm
>E) Other

>>46676512
>B) Head back up to the top to recruit others
I have a feeling breaking the borders between realms so callously is just asking for trouble.

>>46676512
>C) Use the Staff of Shao Kahn to break the floor and then jump inside, bringing it with you

>>46676512
>>B) Head back up to the top to recruit others

>>46676512
>B) Head back up to the top to recruit others

Well, there is a certain monk duo looking to go to the Netherrealm. This is as good an excuse as any. We can say we're going on an expedition to follow a lead on something we can use against Onaga.

>>46676818
I want to bring Cassi and Jaqui but thats probably the better excuse

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>>46676587
>>46676595
>>46676717

Cao gathers his wits and immediately leaves the sanctum. He knows he cannot just run into the Netherrealm by himself, but what can he do? He seals the entrance of the chamber behind him as he leaves so as to protect the staff and other relics before heading back up the path to Kotal Kahn's temple. He climbs the stairs and wonders what he is going to do next.

He could recruit his teammates, but would they come along? He is the only one who knows Ashrah. Perhaps he could convince them by virtue of a mission against Onaga, but that technically wouldn't be true if they aren't allied with the Dragon King.

He walks back to the throne room where he finds the others getting ready to leave. Frost is up on her feet and casts a glance in his direction as he walks in. Cassie does the same and speaks. "Cao, there you are. We're headed to the city of Xun-Koto to link up with Kaito and his team. Once we're all together then we're going to decide our next move as a group."

Kotal Kahn stands near his throne and Ruby is dutifully at his side.

>A) Go to Xun-Koto to link up with the rest of the New Defenders
>B) Tell them you want to go to the Netherrealm
>C) Speak to Cassie in private
>D) Ask Frost if she is alright
>E) Other

>>46676888
>A) Go to Xun-Koto to link up with the rest of the New Defenders

>>46676888
>>A) Go to Xun-Koto to link up with the rest of the New Defenders
>D) Ask Frost if she is alright

>>46676888
>B) Tell them you want to go to the Netherrealm - "I owe a life debt, maybe more. I have to help someone there"
>A) Go to Xun-Koto to link up with the rest of the New Defenders - a few of them would definitely go to the Netherrealm with is.

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>>46676960
>>46677049
>>46677064

Cao walks with Cassie as Takeda, Fox, Vapor and Frost gather back in front of Kotal. He runs his hands along the map. "Take the information you have received back to Kaito and Johnny Cage. Plan your next attack from the city of Xun-Koto; I am certain they have already spoken with Lady Yanake and have secured her support."

"We're ready to go, Emperor," Cassie says. "Just make us a portal with your cool glowing rock thing."

Kotal reacts with a stone face before he takes the Portal Stone, holds it up and conjures forth the vortex. The team heads towards it, and he passes by the Emperor, Cao makes brief eye contact with Kotal. The osh-tekk nods at him as he passes through.

They find themselves stepping out the other side in the middle of a wide street in a large Outworld city. Cao has only ever heard of the ancient city of Xun-Koto, and it certainly seems to live up to is reputation. Tall buildings line the street and the entire city is surrounded by a great stone wall.

"Nice place," Cassie says.

"Something's off," Takeda immediately says, having been here before. "There are no people. This city's always got people in it."

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>>46677302

They look around for any sign of civilians when a noise reaches their ears; that of a falling object. Cassie turns around and her blue eyes go wide. "INCOMING!" she screams and runs for cover.

Everyone immediately dives off of the street and Vapor vanishes into smoke as a fireball hits a nearby building, lighting it on fire and causing the roof to cave in. Cao looks up as the tower-like building wobbles slightly before falling over, stone and wood shattering.

Somewhere nearby, elsewhere in the city, another massive projectile is hurled over the wall and into another building.

"This place is under attack!" Cassie shouts. "The city is under siege!"

Takeda gets up to his feet and helps Frost up. "We need to get to the palace---that's where the others should be!"

>A) Head to the palace
>B) Run to the city wall
>C) Attempt to find people who are hurt and trapped
>D) Follow Takeda and Cassie
>E) Other

>>46677328
>A) Head to the palace
ONE FUCKING JOB.

>>46677328
>>A) Head to the palace

Will absorbing the souls of Onaga's soldiers stop them?

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>>46677362
>>46677413

As they run down the street, a bright flash of blue light can be seen ahead of them. They come to a stop and watch as a group of soldiers are teleported into the city. They look like outworlders, but they wear strange uniforms consisting of headdresses and battle-skirts of colorful cloth, and each of them carries exotic weaponry; khopesh sickle-blades and shields.

"Woah," Cassie says. "Who invited the Egyptian-looking dudes?"

"Never seen them before," Takeda says. "They have to be the ones invading the city!"

The group sees them and automatically charges, assuming hostilities. Cassie takes out a gun in one hand and a baton in the other while her teammates similarly ready themselves. The soldiers shout and raise their weapons high as they close the distance!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 90 (1d100)

Flaming fists

Oh for fuck's sake turana

>>46677580
>implying turana has ever given a singular shit about anything other then what she wants to do

>>46677564
Specifically use them to punch the shit out of one of the warriors

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>46677529
Get to swinging with the dadao.

>>46677610
Kaito attempted to put Turana on the straight and narrow, but Turana has a pact with Anubis that demands their realm be restored one way or another. The question is why they're attacking Xun-Koto.

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>>46677564

Cao and his team meet their charge head-on! Calling forth the power of Kobra's slain soul, Cao coats his hands in fire and sprints towards one of the warriors. The man hoists up his shield and Cao slams his fist into it, shattering it completely! The wooden chunks fly apart and land in various places, burning. The man himself stumbles backwards and Cao follows up with a second punch with his other hand to the man's chest, shattering his ribcage and setting him on fire.

The man falls back, gasping and dying as Cao brings up his fist and slams it one final time downwards, caving his chest in with his magical might. His eyes roll up into his head and his soul bleeds up Cao's arm.

Thankfully, everyone else is too distracted fighting the other soldiers to notice. Cassie pops one in the head with her pistol after blocking his sword with her baton while Frost freezes one to the ground before shattering his legs. Takeda leaps forward, twirling with his whips out, cutting one man's arm off.

>>46677694

Cao moves to take out his dadao, but before he can swing it, one of the warriors hooks his weapon with his khopesh and yanks it out of his grasp, tossing it to the side! The same man bashes Cao in the back with his shield!

As Vapor and Fox work together to fend off three opponents, Cao looks up and sees three more warriors round a nearby corner, though this group is carrying spears. They halt in position, holding their shields in front of them, and as a team hurl all three spears with deadly accuracy towards his team!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>46677747
Throw our knives to cut the heads off the spears

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>46677747
dodge out of the way and grab the sword. Then use the sword

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>46677747
Tell the team to scatter and duck behind a cart for cover.

Rolled 65 (1d100)

Whenever the spears are delt eith try to stealthily absorb their souls

Hang on, some issues on my end, I have to restart

I think Turana is attempting to take over my computer

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>>46677784

Cao rolls forward to avoid the man's next swing as he conjures up three knives. He throws them at the spears, deflecting them out of the sky with seeking-magic accuracy. The spears fall to the ground as the warriors who threw them advance with hand axes.

>>46677802

Diving to one side, Cao grabs his dadao and holds it up to block the man's donward chop. He swings his feet and trips him as he hops back up before turning the blade upside-down in his grasp and stabbing the man in the neck. His life drains out of him and up the blade, empowering Cao even further. As he withdraws the weapon, he points it at the oncoming three soldiers, challenging them. He clenches his free hand and charges it with green soul-power, reveling in this battle!

Frost appears alongside him, wielding two ice-daggers, one in each hand. She stands next to him ready to fight the three of them. He can tell she is enjoying herself as much as he is!

>>46677921

Suddenly, all three of them lift their axes up high and throw them, too! Cao is about to shout a warning when Frost erects a wall of ice in front of both of them, safeguarding them from the axes. The team continues battling the invaders and he thanks her for her quick timing.

>>46677976

The three soldiers charge around the ice wall. Frost takes on one while Cao squares off against two. They carry daggers and they try to stab him but he quickly deflects their attacks and counterattacks with his sword, killing one with a stab to the heart before conjuring a dagger and killing the the second by shoving up through his jaw.

As they both fall dead and their souls subtly shift into Cao, an arrow flies from a rooftop and impales the stone at the thief's feet. He hears mad laughter and looks up at a trio of inhuman archers that look like hyenas preparing to unleash a hail of arrows on their position from above!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>46678634
Roll out the way for a few, then return fire with daggers.


She has Gnolls, brilliant

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>46678634
Get to cover directly underneath their firing position, and try to find a way up.

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>>46678692

Cao immediately backflips out of the way of the next volley of arrows, dodging the projectiles. He rolls to the side and summons a series of daggers that he throws up at them, causing them to take cover.

"Archers on the roof!" Cassie shouts as she dives behind a broken cart. Takeda and Fox run into an alley as Vapor turns invisible. Frost erects a frozen shield in front of her to block some of the arrows, which stick into the blue ice.

>>46678706

Cao runs up to the wall of the building they are standing atop and leaps onto a ledge above a window. He pulls himself up and finds another handhold and continues scaling the wall while they fire at his friends. Cassie returns fire and manages to kill one with a headshot. He reaches the top and hops over, kicking one in its dog-like face.

Just then, Jacqui appears! She leaps up onto the roof and charges behind one of the archers, punching him in the back! As she does, she activates her shotgun-gauntlet and blasts a hole clean through him, showering the street below with gore. The corpse falls to the ground after it.

As Cao approaches her, she sees movement behind him and raises her arm. He turns and allows her to finish off the archer he kicked, blasting his face into a pile of red bits.

"Nice work," he compliments her.

"Cao, damn good to see you," she smiles. "Are the others here?"

"Yo!" Cassie shouts from down below. "The hell is going on?"

"The city is being attacked by some army from the northern desert!" Jacqui shouts back down. "Kaito, Johnny and Scorpion are leading the defense of the city from the palace, and the rest of us are out here, mopping up anything that gets teleported inside!"

>A) Head to the palace
>B) Stay out in the streets
>C) Talk to Jacqui
>D) Run to the walls to see the enemy force
>E) Other

>>46679015
>D) Run to the walls to see the enemy force
Let's get a sense of scale.

>>46679015
>C) Talk to Jacqui

>>46679015
>>D) Run to the walls to see the enemy force

>>46679015
>D) Run to the walls to see the enemy force

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>>46679236
>>46679551
>>46679708

"I'm going to have a look for myself," Cao says, turning towards the wall. Jacqui suddenly reaches out and grabs his arm.

"Hey, Cao... Are you... taller?" she asks, cocking a brow.

He blinks a few times. "Uh, no," he says. "I just, you know, hunch over a lot..."

After a moment she nods. "Right, sorry. Guess I was just seeing things. Stay safe and don't get cornered---I'll bring the others to the palace. It's the big red building near the heart of the city."

He nods and parts from her, leaping to another rooftop. He focuses on making it to the wall, but part of him can't help but focus on her words: was he physically changing? Growing taller? He doesn't feel any different... But then again, he's currently full of energy from those souls he just absorbed. Maybe there is a direct effect on him...

He reaches the wall and scales it with stairs and jumping. At the top, he peers over it. This city could withstand a siege for a long time with how powerful these walls are, but strangely enough, there is not a massive army outside of it. He sees fires and small groups, but outside of the entrenched catapults and a few camps, there is no massive army.

However, it does appear that forces are being continually teleported into the city itself. Someone, obviously some kind of sorcerer, is using great magic to bypass the city's primary defense. The massive wall is little use against an enemy force that can get past it in the blink of an eye.

Due to this, he cannot guage how massive the force that they are fighting truly is---but what makes it even more difficult is the fact that they appear to be brought into the city at random locations, making it impossible to predict when and where they will strike next and how large an area the enemy is currently occupying.

>A) Head to the palace
>B) Search along the walls
>C) Try and find enemies in the streets
>D) Climb down the wall on the other side and sneak towards the camps
>E) Other

>>46679727
>>A) Head to the palace

>>46679727
>A) Head to the palace

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>>46679807
>>46679910

Cao runs along the wall for a ways before dropping down onto a tower. He slides down its wall and leaps onto a rooftop, making his way to the palace. It is an ornate, red building with many guards and defensive positions being set up. As he approaches he is stopped by a pair of yellow ninjas who question him. He identifies himself as a member of the New Defenders and is allowed to pass.

Inside the main hall, he finds four people: Kaito, Johnny, and two he does not know: a bearded man in yellow and a woman dressed in red. She seems to be an Outworlder, though the man appears to be something more than just human.

"My scouts are reporting that the number of soldiers teleporting into the city are increasing by the hour," the man says. "If we do not do something, we will not be able to contain them."

The woman speaks next. "But if we leave the city undefended to lead an attack on the camp outside, they could teleport the majority of their force into the city behind us."

Johnny scratches his chin. "We shouldn't split our forces in half. But maybe we can send the team outside."

Kaito shakes his head. "No. The team can be most effective inside the city. They're trying to wear us down and taking out too many people from the team will only weaken the defense of the city."

"So what do you suggest?" she asks. "Should we send for reinforcements from Kotal Kahn?"

"For that, we'd need to reach the boat," Kaito replies. "I'd rather find the sorceress teleporting these soldiers into the city... I would have words with her."

>A) Listen in more
>B) Walk up and join the conversation
>C) Search the palace
>D) Speak to someone individually
>E) Other

>>46680099
>>A) Listen in more

>>46680099
>>A) Listen in more

>>46680099
>A) Listen in more

>>46680099
>Kaito replies. "I'd rather find the sorceress teleporting these soldiers into the city... I would have words with her."


>hes knows for a fact this is turanas bullshit
nice.

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>>46680116
>>46680356
>>46680364

"I'm not so sure that is a good idea," the man tells Kaito. "She will try to bewitch you."

"She hasn't before, I don't think she will now," he replies. "She's in service to Anubis. This may not be her doing."

"Regardless, she is still at fault," the woman insists. "She is attacking my city!"

"I know, Yanake, but it's complicated."

'So that is Lady Yanake,' Cao thinks to himself. 'It seems like Kaito knows who is behind these attacks...'

"I do not think you should trade words with her," the man says. "She deserves to be captured. Bring her here and take from them their Arch-Sorceress."

Johnny holds up a hand. "Hold up, Hanzo. Kaito, this is the chick you mentioned, right? The one with the history? The sphinx, right?"

"Yes," Kaito nods. "I recognize these soldiers. They're from her city up north." He sighs and turns around, rubbing his eyes with his hand. "I told her... I wanted her to change before something like this happened. To make everything right." The disappointment in his voice is quite apparent.

At that moment, Cassie walks in with Jacqui and some of the others. "Princess," Johnny says with a smile, moving to give her a hug. "Glad you could join us for the siege in progress!"

"I have info about Onaga," Cassie says, taking out her phone, "and where he's going."

Yanake and Hanzo walk over to Cassie as she explains about the Sarna Ruins and Dragon Mountain. Kaito sulks nearby, continually rubbing his eyes and talking softly to himself. Whatever is going on, it seems to be affecting him greatly.

>"He is weak and distracted. Kill him while he back is turned."

Cao shakes his head and slaps his forehead a bit in such a way to ensure nobody else sees.

'Shut up in there,' he thinks to himself as the voice of Shao Kahn sinks back into the darkness.

>A) Work with Cassie to come up with a plan
>B) Speak to Lady Yanake and Hanzo
>C) Stand off the to side and continue to listen
>D) Talk to Kaito
>E) Other

>>46680548
>D) Talk to Kaito

>>46680548
>D) Talk to Kaito

>>46680548
>>D) Talk to Kaito
Let's see what he knows about these Egyptian dudes. (God damn it Turiana)
>A) Work with Cassie to come up with a plan
Then we should plan the defender's next move

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>>46680680
>>46680713

Cao walks up to the Earthrealm warrior and taps his shoulder. Kaito turns and looks at him, surprised to see him. "Oh, Cao, it's you... Sorry, I'm just distracted."

"Who is this sorceress that is attacking the city?"

"Her name is Turana. I know this is her work, but she hasn't come here to show her face yet..."

"You know her?"

"All too well," he sighs. "She was my friend. She was... special."

He watches Kaito walk over to a nearby bench and sit. "I thought she was going to change. When we last spoke she said she was going to. I told her..." His voice trails off and he closes his eyes.

Cao sits next to him on the cushioned seat of the bench. "There's an explanation for this," he says to himself as the thief looks on. "I know there is. Turana wouldn't do this for no reason... She must have been forced by Anubis or something. Turana wouldn't..."

Johnny approaches the two of them. He sits between Cao and Kaito and pats his friend on the shoulder. He looks over at Cao and says, "Bitches, man."

Cao isn't quite certain how to reply---given his own relationship with the man's daughter who stands several yards away from them.

Before he can, however, Kaito stands up and shakes it out. "Alright. Let's come up with that plan, people. I need to get my mind off some things."

Cao and Johnny both go to rejoin the others.

>A) Focus efforts on stopping this siege by leaving the city
>B) Send someone back to Kotal Kahn for reinforcements
>C) Split the team up to handle multiple tasks
>D) Stay in the city and defend it from within
>E) Other

>>46681164
>A) Focus efforts on stopping this siege by leaving the city

>>46681164
>A) Focus efforts on stopping this siege by leaving the city

>"He is weak and distracted. Kill him while he back is turned."
I love how Cao is more of a badass then Shao. I mean we had no problem duking it out with a clearly stronger opponent more than once but here bone head is taking the most cowardly method to anyone tougher.

>>46681164
>B)
They need to know there a sorceress teleporting troops around. They could be attacked any moment.

>>46681309
Hey, it worked for Onaga.

I'll be heading to bed. We'll resume tomorrow when I get back from work----should be a quick work day and then we'll continue through the weekend.

Feel free to discuss what we're going to do from here, either to break the siege, find Turana or return to Kotal Kahn with the news.

Bo' Rai Cho's school isn't far off---Kung Ling and Lex have been sent there to warn their master of the siege, so reinforcements from them may be coming (assuming the school isn't also under attack). Other than that, the remainder of the New Defenders are here in the city.

>Cassie, Takeda, Fox, Vapor, Frost, Tundra, Jacqui, Sheeva, Mileena, Kaito, Johnny, Hanzo, Yanake
>Xun-Koto Guards, Shirai Ryu ninjas

>>46681309
its just shao kahn being butthurt about getting his shit slapped by kaito.
he's just way pissed he sucks that much.

bump

>>46681164
>>A) Focus efforts on stopping this siege by leaving the city

bump

bump

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one before bed

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>>46681214
>>46681278
>>46683223

"We need to cut this invasion off at the head," Hanzo says firmly. "We find Turana and stop her."

Kaito nods in agreement. "I'll go."

"No, not alone," Yanake insists. "You should bring at least half of our forces with you so you don't get cornered with no way to defend yourself."

"If he takes half, then that leaves the city at a pretty big disadvantage if they push for an all-out attack," Johnny points out. "A small team should go with Kaito to find this Turana chick. The stealthy ones."

"Or maybe Kaito should stay here and we could bring her in," Cassie suggests. "We could take a few heavy-hitters with us, knock her out and bring her back."

"I doubt it will be that easy," Kaito replies. "I do not know the extent of her sorcerous powers but I should be the one to face her if it comes to battle. It's only right."

More people begin discussing as Cao thinks about which camp to support.

>A) Kaito goes alone
>B) Small team goes with Kaito
>C) Half of the Defenders go with Kaito
>D) A different team goes after Turana
>E) Other

>>46687739

Just a quick updtate before heading to work. We'll resume as soon as I get back.

>>46687739
>B) Small team goes with Kaito

>>46687739
>B)
The team sticks to the shadows while Kaito goes out in the open, hopefully Turana will be too distracted by her man to notice them and they can surprise if need be.

>>46687739
>>B) Small team goes with Kaito
He should not go alone, but we are short on bodies right now.

>>46687739
>>B) Small team goes with Kaito

>>46687739
>B) Small team goes with Kaito

I'm back. Writing an update now.

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>>46687935
>>46688032
>>46688529
>>46689711
>>46691061

"I think a small team should go outside and deal with this sorceress," Cao speaks up.

"I volunteer," Cassie says.

"No, you should stay here," Kaito tells her. "We need as much capable leadership as we can inside the city. I'll take Vapor, Takeda and Cao."

The Earthrealmer makes eye contact with the thief and nods in his direction. Cao, Takeda and Vapor all assemble behind Kaito as he elborates, "We'll take the underground passage out of the city and into the enemy camp. There, we'll find Turana and stop her from teleporting enemy troops in."

Cassie jumps in for the next part. "Meanwhile, we'll stay in the city and keep them at bay."

Hanzo nods. "Good. Sheeva and Mileena have yet to report back from their journey to the southern gate---do you wish to wait for them?"

Kaito is silent for a moment. "No. I can't predict how Turana will react if I bring Mileena. It's best to leave right now."

Hanzo nods and goes back to planning the defense of the palace with Yanake. Kaito turns to the three of them and tells them to follow him.

>A) Follow Kaito
>B) Speak with someone before you go
>C) Say that you would rather remain behind in the city
>D) Talk with Takeda and Vapor
>E) Other

>>46691386
>>A) Follow Kaito

>>46691386
>A) Follow Kaito

>>46691386
> Follow Kaito

>B
Speak with Cassi and Jacqui

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>>46691399
>>46691404
>>46691513

The three of them accompany him to a passageway in the palace that leads down to a locked vault door. He opens it, revealing its connection to a secret tunnel which he explains leads to outside of the wall. Once within the cavernous passage, they travel for a distance at a brisk pace, with Kaito remaining silent the whole time.

About halfway there, however, he speaks up. "I don't know who she will have with her, but I can hazard a few guesses. If it comes to a fight, be ready to face some strange opponents."

"What about Turana?" Takeda asks.

"Leave her to me," Kaito says softly.

Cao looks around. Vapor and Takeda both clearly know about this 'Turana' and her history with Kaito, but he can only piece together a small picture from what he's heard.

>A) Stay silent until you get to the end of the cave
>B) Ask Kaito about Turana
>C) Inquire for specifics on the enemies
>D) Start making a plan before you arrive
>E) Other

>>46691617
>>B) Ask Kaito about Turana

>>46691617
>B) Ask Kaito about Turana

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>>46691665
>>46691929

"Who is this Turana, anyway?" Cao asks.

Takeda and Vapor exchange a look. Kaito continues walking, but speaks. "She was my friend. Twenty years of sleeping happened, and now she is an arch-sorceress pledged to serve some ancient god. She was a sphinx, once, but now her soul resides in a body that is not her own. She came here and built a city, raised an army, created a paradise for her people from magic waters... but did horrible things to acheive her goals. She did this because she loves me, but I can't stand for the things she's done. I told her to fix what she's done but... here we are."

They reach the end of the cave and step out into a field. Not far away, they can see the camps and catapults. Volleys of fireballs are launched over the walls and into the city.

"I'm going to find her," Kaito says. "If she is teleporting soldiers, she must be out in the open... but she'll be protected."

>A) Sabotage catapults
>B) Focus on finding Turana
>C) Scout around the enemy encampments
>D) Attempt to disguise yourself as an enemy
>E) Other

>>46692165
>>B) Focus on finding Turana

>>46692165
>B

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>>46692182
>>46692254

The four of them make their way through the fields and stealthily avoid any detection. They cross the camps, waiting for patrols to move by, before they make it to the heart of the enemy position, where they discover a ritual underway. A group of large, reptillian-like men, with long, flat maws stands in formation. In front of them is Turana.

Cao looks upon the beautiful sorceress as she moves her arms, a large snake entwined about her limbs as she casts a spell. Her eyes glow blue and she splays out her fingers as she sends them into the city. A bright flash of blue magic overtakes the group and causes them to vanish without a trace, whisked away to do harm elsewhere.

Kaito's hands curl into fists. "Stay here," he tells them. "Unless something bad happens."

He stands up and walks down the hill. He's immediately noticed by several guards who point weapons at him, but Turana, upon seeing him as well, commands them to stand down. Kaito strides past them and up to her, where she embraces him.

"That's one way to welcome an enemy," Takeda whispers. The three of them crawl closer to listen.

"Call off this siege, now," he tells her.

"That is not my order to give," she says. "I did not want to attack this city when I was one of those who helped liberate it."

"Then it is 'Lord' Anubis, I take it? What's his endgame?"

"The balance of power in Outworld is changing, Kaito."

"You refer to Onaga?"

"Lord Anubis has spoken with the Dragon King. They have entered into an alliance."

"What manner of alliance? I thought your gods wanted their realm independent from Outworld. From what I've heard about this Onaga, he wants the opposite."

"I know not the specifics of their arrangement," Turana replies. "I only know that I have been ordered to attack this city."

"Abandon your orders and stand with me," Kaito tells her. "If your gods stand with Onaga, they're my enemy. They should be your enemies, too."

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>>46692572

She shakes her head sadly. "I am sorry that it has come to this, Kaito. I never meant it to. But I cannot disobey my lord."

"You've already told me that they're in an alliance," Kaito says, "so tell me why. Why are you attacking this city?"

She looks away, sadness masking her face. When she looks back at him, she raises a hand and it glows blue. Kaito can barely get his arms up for a defense before a glowing blue chain emerges from the ground and attempts to wrap around him.

"I was commanded to lay siege to this city because they knew you would be here," she replies as the chains wrap around his forearms. The soldiers around him point their weapons inwards and Takeda, Cao and Vapor prepare to spring into action. "Not you, specifically... but heroes who would interfere."

Kaito struggles against the bonds. "This is a distraction?"

"I am sorry," she says as the chains tighten around him. "I have no choice."

"Then neither do I," he grunts. Before their eyes he turns from physical form into one of water, causing the chains to collapse. He drains into the dirt around them as they try to find where he is.

Kaito bursts forth from the earth, rising from a pillar of stone he summons from the ground, leaping towards Turana. She teleports away behind her soldiers.

"Capture him alive!" Turana shouts. "Do not hurt him!"

"I'd be more worried about them getting hurt," Kaito says. "ATTACK!"

That's all the signal they need. Takeda activates his own teleporter and vanishes in a flash of orange light as Vapor turns into a fine mist and rolls over the battlefield. Cao draws his dadao and leaps over the hill, running down to attack the men!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>46692589
Light your Dadao on fire and fight the enemies

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>>46692676

Using a bit of soul magic, Cao ignites his blade with some of his inner fire. The metal bursts into licking, searing-hot flames as he leaps down at the soldiers, swinging away at them. The burning sword keeps them at bay but they form a semicircle around him, jabbing with spears. He knocks the spearheads away as Takeda leaps overhead, using his bladed whip to slice the throat of one of the soldiers.

Kaito and Turana battle, slinging spells and elemental powers at each other as a large crocodillian male wielding a sword in each hand charges at Cao! The thief leaps back as Takeda rolls to the side. The burly reptile-man hisses at Cao, his maw snapping shut with a loud crunch as he raises his swords and charges again!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>46692589
Maintain distance with the dadao. See if we can find a way to flank Turana herself. Kaito clearly wants her alive, so shoot to disable.

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>46692789
Get Vapor's smoke to entangle the charging soldier so Cao to counterattack.

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>>46692871

Cao dodges the charge of the crocodilian and sees an opening to strike at Turana! She has a magical shield in front of her, blocking a fiery blast from Kaito. The thief ignores the crocodilian warrior and charges at her from behind!

She turns around and sees him coming. The sorceress raises a single hand and a blue spirit-blast emerges from her palm, flying like a bullet and exploding on his chest. Cao is sent hurtling across the battlefield, straight through a tent, only to smash up against a rock.

The thief coughs up some blood and tries to get up on his feet, but they're like jello. Turana, done with him, completely ignores him and returns her focus to Kaito.

>>46692912

The same crocodilian approaches Cao slowly, laughing. He towers over the weakened warrior and opens his mouth, intent on swallowing him, but that only allows Vapor to surge into his mouth in her smokey form. The crocodilian drops his weapons and chokes as he is attacked from the inside.

Cao picks himself up, managing to stand fully as the crocodilian falls down, his scales burning off of his body as Vapor bleeds out through his skin. He hears the crack of a whip and assumes it is Takeda, but it is instead one of the hyena-folk! The creature cracks a spiked whip in his direction, laughing and cackling as he dodges away from it.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>46692981
Grab the whip where there isn't a spike and pull him into a fire uppercut

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>>46693004

Cao brings up his sword and blocks the whip, causing the end to wrap around the blade. He yanks on the line, drawing the soldier closer to him before bringing up a foot to stomp on the rope. This causes the hyena to stumble forward and opens him up for a flaming uppercut, knocking him away. Cao sheds the rest of the whip from his sword and turns back to the battle.

He looks on as Kaito blasts from the ground into the air with a gust of wind to avoid a powerful attack from Turana. Her blue beam destroys part of the hill he was standing on. The earthrealmer soars through the air, lobbing fireballs at her, but she teleports away.

Nearby, Takeda and Vapor continue holding the other soldiers at bay while Kaito battles the arch-sorceress. As Cao moves to rejoin the fray, he suddenly feels strange, like he weighs less. He realizes then that his entire body is glowing green! He is lifted off the ground and thrown backwards! He skids along the dirt and looks up as a new figure floats onto the battlefield.

The mummified corpse looks down upon Cao with green eyes. Cao can sense great power within him... soul power. The kind that comes from thousands of souls housed in one body...

The soul construct speaks in an echoing voice. "We are many, but you... You are more than one..."

Cao squares off against the soul construct, holding up his sword. A thought enters his mind as he looks at the green gem upon him.

>"There are many souls inside this warrior... You can destroy him and claim them for yourself! Ten thousand warriors lending you their might!"

He closes his eyes as he attempts to get Shao Kahn out of his head, but as he does, the soul construct once more knocks Cao backwards before floating down to hover a foot up off the ground.

"Face us!" he demands.

Cao gets up to his feet. "Far be it from me to refuse an invitation from so many people," he mutters, holding up his sword.

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>46693168
throw a dagger into its eye and drop kick him

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>46693168
Combo on hims then sweep his feet out ending with a knee to the spine

We need to absorb Ermac when were done

>>46693225
I think this is Ermac-Lite, as I think Jerrod is still king of Edenia.

>>46675445
Holy shit, first time in the quest Damashi's used my artwork

>>46693244
Still thousands of souls and Ermacs powers will be super helpful to us in future fights

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>46693168
Monkey pounce on not!Ermac and slap his head around.

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>>46693253

That's YOU?

You made this as well?

>>46693261
This is probably the not-Ermac who has the soul of the girl whose body Turana took.

>>46693293
Yeah, that's me. I'm also one of the guys on the Netherkast podcast if you've ever listened to that.

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>>46693204

Cao quickly summons a green dagger and whips it at the construct's eyes. It raises a hand and creates a glowing shield that deflects the attack. The thief wastes no time and follows up with a dropkick, but the construct teleports away in a flash of green.

He appears behind him as Cao lands and reaches out with one hand, capturing him in a telekinetic grasp. He lifts Cao up and slams him onto the ground.

"You cannot hope to defeat us!" the construct shouts.

"You people talk too much," Cao mutters.

>>46693225

As the construct floats near him, he surprises the mummy by springing to his feet and slamming an elbow into his chest. He turns and delivers a swift combo to his stomach before sweeping his legs out from under him. As the construct falls, Cao grabs him and slams him down onto his knee.

The construct shouts and teleports away, appearing nearby where he rightens himself. He brings up his hands, glowing green with power, before clenching them and surging forward, propelled by his power in a charge attack!

>>46693269

Cao attempts to meet the charge, but is knocked off his feet like a man thrown in front of a train. The construct pushes him across the battlefield, the two of them barreling through multiple soldiers, before they crash into a tent. The construct throws out his arms and creates a powerful explosion of soul energy that emerges outwards in all directions, destroying the tent utterly.

Cao slowly picks himself up, but the construct levitates upwards and drops down onto his chest. The thief shouts in pain as the mummy's hands glow green.

"Your souls will serve us!" he says to the thief.

But then, from behind, Takeda leaps out and kicks the construct off of his friend. He helps Cao up to his feet as the mummy turns around.

"You, too, shall know our power!"

"Take your power and shove it," Takeda says, throwing out his arms and extending both bladed whips. "Come on, Cao, let's shut this thing up."

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>46693365
Grab onto him and starting sucking out souls

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>>46693316

I do! You're blowing my mind. I collect a lot of artwork for inspiration, and you are one of the few who had ever drawn a decent picture of Shao Kahn with his staff. Hat's off to you, man, I really like your work.

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>46693365
Cao attacks high, while Takeda sweeps low.

>>46693386
Not in front of the protagonists. Especially not if this is the construct mentioned in >>46693302. This this construct is destroyed, Turana will be crushed.

>>46693391
Well I thought the staff would be fun to do because it's an MK2 roster and he didn't actually have the hammer yet until 3.

Sorta the same reason Jade's holding the glaive instead of the bo, it's meant to be a reference to those copper fans from when she was just a Kitana clone, without actually treating the fans as canon.

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>46693365
shoulder check the mummy and then move into a stab from the sword

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>>46693386

Cao leaps forward, grabbing onto the construct. The mummy levitates upwards as they grapple, spinning a bit. His burning green eyes lock onto Cao's as the thief attempts to leach power from him. The mummy's eyes go wide as he realizes what he is trying to do and glows green, creating an energy wave to knock Cao back.

The thief hits the ground while Takeda's whip wraps around the construct's feet and pulls him downwards. Cao wasn't able to leech any souls from the construct---not while they are contained in the body's scarab-like soul gem.

>>46693430

As Takeda pulls the construct down, Cao charges back in, leaping up high to kick the mummy in his wrapped face. Takeda sweeps his legs out as this happens, both of them dealing a considerable amount of damage to the powerful soul construct.

>>46693451

As the mummy attempts to get back up, Cao shoulder-checks him back down, turning and stabbing him in the chest with his sword. The blade impales the corpse through the ribs, narrowly missing the soul gem. As he withdraws the blade, several souls leak out in wispy-like green balls of light. Cao holds up a hand and they fly to his palm where he absorbs them.

The construct teleports away to lick his wounds, effectively out of the fight.

Nearby, Kaito is locked in struggle against Turana. Vapor manifests behind the sorceress and tackles her from behind, wrapping an arm around her slender neck. Now she is struggling against them both as she attempts to escape.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>46693552
Dogpile Turana.

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>>46693443

Yeah, I can see what you were going for there. Keep up the good work. Let me know if you take comissions or requests, or if you ever are looking for a quest on your podcast, because I'd definitely be interested.

>>46693606
Unfortunately I don't do requests/commissions because when I started doing MK art, I promised myself the project would be to do EVERY roster of the old timeline from Mythologies to Armageddon, primary AND alternate costumes...and it's been like two years since I made any progress. Like, that MK2 roster isn't even technically done because I never did Hornbuckle.

So...yeah, the backlog can't handle anything new.

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>>46693710

Understandable, that's quite a task for any artist. Good luck on that. Glad to have you here regardless.

>>46693595

Cao and Takeda both take advantage of the moment and sprint towards Turana, both leaping onto her and Vapor. They tackle the duo to the ground and dogpile onto her, ruining part of her dress and golden snake tiara as they get into the mud. They struggle to hold her down, but with a flash of blue light she teleports out of their grasp, leaving them tangled up in each other.

She appears near them, disheveled and angry. "You little cretins! Now I'm going to---"

Suddenly, Kaito is at her side and he delivers a resounding fist to her face. The sorceress immediately faints and falls back down.

Kaito shakes out his fist. "I really didn't want to do that," he sighs. He leans down and picks her up, throwing her over his shoulder. "Time to go, guys!"

The three of them disentangle from each other and run with him, following him back to the cave before her army can recover and take up chase. As they make it to the cavern entrance, a group of hyena-folk archers finds them and begin to launch volleys of flaming arrows. Once they are inside, Kaito turns around and holds up a free hand, using his earthpower to collapse it behind them.

"That'll keep them at bay," he says. "Come on!"

They run back into the city, entering the palace once more. At the halfway point, Kaito once more collapsed the passage behind them, promising to return later to fix it. Once they are back in the palace, Kaito goes to place Turana in the prison, sending the other three up to the top.

They discover the palace under siege. A final push by the enemy forces within the walls is underway, with the New Defenders defending the palace from attack. They have the main doors barred as soldiers from outside attempt to get back in.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>46693804
Kick down any ladders currently set up.

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>46693804
Attack the back of the group. Try and split their attraction from the palace.

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>>46693839

Cao runs up to the upper level, where siege ladders have been placed to allow access to the upper balconies. He charges up the stairs and onto the first balcony he sees where several Xun-Koto soldiers are battling the invaders, scaling up the ladders. Cao sees one of them at the top of the ladder and the thief tackles him!

They and the ladder both fall from the balcony. The man grabs Cao but finds himself pinned and very much dead as he hits the ground, the combined weight of the ladder and thief cracking his head open on the ground.

Now that he is out in the street, Cao turns around and sees the invaders attacking the palace. The soul of the dead man slips into his body as he stands up.

>>46693861

The thief takes up his sword and charges at a soldier from behind, stabbing him through the back. Two more see and attack him, but he uses the still-alive man as a shield, holding onto the hilt of the blade and keeping them at bay as he flails around.

Sheeva then joins him, landing alongside him from a nearby rooftop. The shokan champion claps her hands together and creates a large fireball that blasts one of the men backwards. Cao himself kicks the dying man on his sword onto the other, his soul adding to Cao's already impressive collection.

Sheeva gives him a look and he cannot read her expression, but she goes back to battling the invaders alongside him.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>46693996
Stick next to Sheeva, attacking from behind her to strike exposed enemies.

Rolled 90 (1d100)

>>46693996
Back-to-back fighting with a sweet 360 degree aerial shot of the action

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>>46694051

Cao sticks close to Sheeva as the shokan champion goes about her work. She is a powerhouse in every sense of the word, each limb delivering powerful blows to any unfortunate soul that ends up on the receiving end. Her strikes send enemies flying backwards and she tosses them like ragdolls. For his part, he sticks close to her and darts in and out, striking at exposed enemies and any who would try to flank her. The thief and the shokan make a surprisingly good team, combining strength and speed into a dynamic duo that sends the invaders running.

Hanzo and the Shirai Ryu attack from above, throwing kunai and launching arrows at the fleeing foes. They leap down and draw swords to chase them and hack at them. Hanzo approaches Sheeva as the remainder of the New Defenders leave the palace to join in chasing down the enemies.

"They will have no place to hide," Hanzo says, "with the walls sealed. It's only a matter of time now."

"We've captured the sorceress," Cao tells them. "Kaito has her downstairs."

Hanzo nods and goes to enter the palace. Sheeva looks at Cao and raises her brow. "Not bad work... for a thief."

As she walks off, he decides that he'll take the compliment. He puts his sword away in its sheath and looks at his hand, clenching his fist.

He's gained power today. The souls were not very powerful, but there is power in numbers. He feels the energy within him, strengthening him and healing his wounds.

>A) Find Cassie and Jacqui
>B) Go inside to find Kaito
>C) Follow Hanzo
>D) Follow Sheeva
>E) Other

>>46694306

>A) Find Cassie and Jacqui

>>46694306
>A

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>>46694319
>>46694332

Cao looks and sees Cassie and Jacqui sitting on the palace steps, covered in a bit of blood. They look weary from the fighting and he sits alongside them both.

"How'd it go?" Cassie asks.

"We bagged the sorceress," he says.

Cassie smirks. "Couldn't keep it in your pants, huh?"

He blinks a few times. "What?"

She slaps his knee. "Nothing, nothing. Where is she?"

"Palace dungeon. But she said something weird... She said this was just a distraction."

"This siege?" Cassie asks. "A distraction? What, for us?"

"Supposedly," he tells her.

Jacqui gives them a worried look. "Maybe something even worse is happening. What else did she say?"

"Nothing," he says as they get up and walk towards the palace entrance. "I imagine Kaito is going to have a lot of questions for her."

Cassie holds up a hand and looks on as Mileena walks past them, her sais dripping in blood. She doesn't exchange words with them as she enters the palace, heading for the dungeons.

"That might be a bad situation waiting to happen," Jacqui says.

>A) Stay with Cassie and Jacqui
>B) Follow Mileena
>C) Attempt to stall Mileena
>D) Go with them down into the dungeon
>E) Other

>>46694497
>C) Attempt to stall Mileena

>>46694497
>B

>>46694497
>D) Go with them down into the dungeon
Cao doesn't know about the love triangle.

>>46694497

>A) Stay with Cassie and Jacqui

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>>46694542
>>46694541

Cassie, Jacqui and Cao follow her down the stairs and into the dark dungeon. There, Hanzo, Yanake and Kaito stand outside of a cell. Turana is inside, kept in place by powerful shackles designed to negate magic.

"Tell me what's going on," Kaito says. Turana looks up as the four of them walk up, her eyes fixing upon Mileena.

"Nice to see you again, Mileena," the sorceress says.

"Spare me the pleasantries," Mileena replies.

Kaito gently touches Mileena's shoulder and takes her off to the side to speak in whispered tones. Turana follows them with her eyes as Hanzo steps forward. "You told Kaito this siege was a distraction. Explain yourself."

"She's very pretty, isn't she," Turana whispers. "Comes from good genes, I suppose."

Mileena casts a glaring eye upon her. Hanzo slams a hand around the cell bars. "Answer me!" he demands.

Turana looks up at the Shirai Ryu leader. "The leadership of Outworld is about to change."

"Onaga will not succeed," Scorpion says.

"He already has. Your attentions here have allowed it to be so. The House of Kotal is falling, and Z'unkahrah will follow."

Cao's eyes widen a bit. What danger could his sisters be in?

>A) Step forward to speak
>B) Let Hanzo continue questioning
>C) Pull Cassie and Jacqui aside to speak to them
>D) Threaten the sorceress
>E) Other

>>46694797
>A) Step forward to speak
What's happening to Z'unkahrah?

>>46694797
>A) Step forward to speak

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>>46694868
>>46694891

Cao moves forward, stepping up to the bars. "What's happening to Z'unkahrah? What's going on?"

She looks the thief up and down. "I don't believe I know you."

"And I don't believe I give a damn, now talk," he demands of her. Hanzo places a steady hand on his shoulder and pulls him back.

"I've been very hard at work," Turana says. "My magic has been taxed lately. Creating a nethership is no triffling thing... To say nothing of several."

Kaito looks over. "You what?"

"I learned it from Shang Tsung's tome. Our finest craftsmen forged ships, and I blessed each and every one of them with the spells to make them travel between worlds."

"Turana," Kaito says, his voice heavy, "tell me you didn't."

"I did as my lord commanded me," she says. "We didn't have an army for them... but someone did."

Kaito immediately understands. "Anubis gave Onaga the netherships?"

"The Dragon King struck the bargain and his mummified army boarded the vessels. They have carried his army across the sea, a month's travel reduced to mere moments."

Kaito grabs the bars. "The mummified army of the Dragon King is at Z'unkahrah?!"

"No," she smiles. "The Dragon King himself and his mummified army are at Z'unkahrah, right now."

>A) Leave immediately
>B) Demand to know how they landed with no port
>C) Tell her that Kotal Kahn is ready for them
>D) Tell Cassie to call Kotal Kahn on the radio
>E) Other

>>46695078
>A) Leave immediately
>D) Tell Cassie to call Kotal Kahn on the radio
This threatens to be the moment that absolutely destroys Cao as a character.

>>46695078
>A) Leave immediately
Well that's where our family is.

>>46695078
>>A) Leave immediately

>>46695078
>A) Leave immediately
time to go full shao kahn and murder literally everybody.

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>>46695115
>>46695158
>>46695219
>>46695231

Cao immediately turns and storms out of the dungeon with Cassie and Jacqui following him while the others remain to question Turana further, but the thief has heard more than enough. His family is in that city, and it is the capital of Outworld---it will not be a siege to distract, but to take over.

"Cao!" Cassie gets his attention. "What are you doing?"

"I need to find a way back home!" he tells her. "My family is in that city!"

"We need to mobilize the team," Cassie says. "We gather the others, get to Kaito's boat, and---"

"There's no time," he cuts her off. "I need to get back there and ensure their safety. Call Kotal Kahn on the radio and tell him to use the Portal Stone to open up a portal to the palace." She hesitates. "Do it!"

She takes out the radio. "Kotal Kahn, this is Sergeant Cage. Do you read? Over." She pauses to allow for a reply. "Kotal Kahn! Anyone listening! This is Sergeant Cassandra Cage. This is urgent! Respond! Over!"

There is no response. "He's probably just not near the radio," Jacqui says.

Cao runs nervous hands through his hair. An undead army is laying siege to Z'unkahrah and his sisters are caught in the middle of it while he and all of his team are here. They crossed the sea in an instant through the use of magical ships. Both girls place their hands on his shoulder as he tries to remain calm and think logically.

"Sergeant Cage," the radio suddenly crackles to life with a deep voice. "This is Kotal Kahn."

>A) Grab the radio
>B) Let her talk to him
>C) Other

>>46695305
>B) Let her talk to him

>>46695305
>A) Grab the radio
Open a portal now. Onaga is attacking Z'unkahrah

>>46695231
Ditto

>>46695305
>B

>>46695305
>B) Let her talk to him

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>>46695338
>>46695372
>>46695395

"Kotal Kahn, we need you to open a portal to the Xun-Koto throne room immediately. Over," she says.

There is no immediate response. Just when they think that perhaps he did not receive the message, a swirling yellow vortex of light emerges and manifests nearby. Cao looks at the portal and walks towards it. Cassie reaches out and grabs his hand. "Wait. We need to get everyone here, then go through together!"

"I need to go now!" he insists.

"We should at least all three go," Jacqui suggests.

>A) Cao goes through alone
>B) Cao goes with Cassie and Jacqui
>C) Wait for the other New Defenders
>D) Take everyone currently in the room
>E) Other

>>46695554
>A) Cao goes through alone
Catch up.

>>46695554
>B) Cao goes with Cassie and Jacqui

I feel like this may be a distraction so leave the rest behind, we can always call for more if we need to

>>46695554
B
It might be a trap or something so let's leave some behind

>>46695554
>C

>>46695554
>D) Take everyone currently in the room

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>>46695587
>>46695612

"We go, the three of us," he says to them. He turns back towards the portal. "My sisters need me!"

Cassie keeps her radio handy; she'll need it to keep in contact with Johnny and the other New Defenders. She and Jacqui both follow him into the portal and step through to Kotal Kahn's throne room.

The osh-tekk places the Portal Stone on the pillow and turns to them. "I am glad you are here," he begins, but Cao cuts him off.

"What's going on? Are they here yet?"

"See for yourself," he indicates the nearby balcony.

Cao runs over and looks out over the city. Pillars of smoke are rising from some of the buildings and there is open battle in the streets. He looks and sees snake-people fighting against the Kahn Guards.

"Snake people..." he whispers to himself.

"When the undead army arrived, they swarmed out of the Tower of the Serpent," Kotal says.

Memory strikes Cao then---the blind sage on the street warned him of this! And he never told Kotal Kahn...

Now the snake-people and the cultists who worshipped them are running freely in the streets, attacking the poisoning the guards.

"What of the mummified army?" Cao asks.

"They are outside our walls and have the city nearly entirely surrounded," Kotal reports. "They are holding their position... for now."

Cao turns as two people enter the room: Sanra and Ruby. He runs up to his sister and hugs her. "Where is Hua?" he asks.

"She has been brought here," Sanra tells him.

"We have been betrayed," Ruby tells Cao. "The Emperor ordered the ports closed---but the when the undead army appeared in their ships, the village of Sun Do allowed them to land. They moved north and were outside our walls before we even knew they were there."

"Sun Do..." Cao whispers.

Ruby nods. "Li Mei has betrayed us to the Dragon King, and now we are under attack from within and without."

>A) Go to Hua
>B) Stay with Kotal Kahn
>C) Use the Portal Stone to gather reinforcements
>D) Head down to the streets
>E) Other

>>46695882
>E) Other

Send Sanra and Hua to earth realm to stay with Sonya so they're safe

>>46695882
>A) Go to Hua

>>46695924
This

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>>46695924
>>46696097

"Alright, we're going to use the Portal Stone to get you and Hua out of here. We can send you to General Blade and---"

"No," Sanra cuts him off. "I'm not leaving."

He looks up at her, confused. "What?"

"I am not going to run away and hide in another realm while my little brother stays here to fight and die without me," she says firmly. "If you mean to stay here, then so do I."

"Sanra, if we both die, then Hua will be---"

"I am NOT leaving," she says, stepping close. She stares into his eyes and presses her forehead against his. "Our entire lives we've been running. I don't want to run anymore. I want to dig my feet into the sand and say, 'No.' This is our home, Cao. I am going to fight for it."

He closes his eyes and leans into her hug, but remains conflicted.

>A) Sanra, Cao and Hua stay
>B) Sanra and Cao stay, Hua goes to Earthrealm
>C) Insist that Sanra goes to Earthrealm with Hua
>D) Other

>>46696196
>D) Other

Knock her out and send her with Hua, shes gonna be in too much danger if she stays here

>>46696196
>B

>>46696196
>C
Maybe >>46696231

>>46696196
>C) Insist that Sanra goes to Earthrealm with Hua

>>46696231

>Punch out our sister

Nigga what

>>46696374
Gotta keep her safe

>>46696196
>C) Insist that Sanra goes to Earthrealm with Hua - "please, if anything happens to you, I don't know if I could maintain control."

>>46696196
>C) Insist that Sanra goes to Earthrealm with Hua
You have no idea how big this is.

>>46696438
This. Sanra knows what we're talking about.

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>>46696300
>>46696313
>>46696438
>>46696449
>>46696566

Cao falters and shakes his head. "No. No, I need you to go to Earthrealm with Hua."

She is about to protest again when he stops her and says, "Please... If anything happens to you, or to her, I..." He trails off and then whispers in her ear, "I don't know if I could maintain control."

She is still and holds him tightly in a hug. "Cao... I can't just leave you like this."

"I'm asking you to," he whispers. "Please."

"I want to fight," she says to him.

"Then bring back help," he tells her. "Go to Earthrealm and speak with General Blade. Tell her what's happening."

Sanra pulls away to look into his eyes. After a moment, she closes hers and nods. "Alright. Alright, I will." She looks over at Ruby. "I'm going to go get Hua and then we'll leave."

The hinparian nods as Kotal Kahn walks up. Sanra leaves through a nearby archway. "I have sent word to the shokan but I know not when they will arrive," he tells them. "What of the New Defenders?"

"Back at Xun-Koto and preparing to mobilize," Cassie answers. "It won't be long. I'm in radio contact with them."

"Nemir Rajah and Hachiman are leading the guards in fighting against the snake cult in the streets," Ruby reports. "We have some districts under control but most of the marketplace is in chaos. The undead outside our walls have cut off any chance of escape and it is difficult to say how long our supplies will last."

"Our supplies will not last against a siege of this magnitude," Kotal says. "They are dead. They do not eat or sleep. Onaga can wait us out for a century and his army will be just as strong. If we do not act now, the city will die, either sooner or later."

>A) Go to Hua and collect Skarlet
>B) Stay with Kotal Kahn and help plan the city's defense
>C) Head down to the streets to help with the fighting
>D) Work with Cassie and Jacqui to organize the New Defenders
>E) Other

>>46696633

>A) Go to Hua and collect Skarlet

then

>C) Head down to the streets to help with the fighting

>>46696633
>A
>C

>>46696633
>A) Go to Hua and collect Skarlet
>C) Head down to the streets to help with the fighting
>E) Other
Now would be a good time to grab the staff before the palace is overrun. This is the worst case scenario we were talking about.

>>46696903
This this this

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>>46696659
>>46696697
>>46696903

Nodding at Cassie and Jacqui, Cao turns to follow his sister. They find Sanra in a bed protected by two guards outside the room in a well-protected portion of the palace. She is awake, but weak, and Speelock is at her side, ever the dutiful friend.

"Cao..." she whispers when she sees him, her face brightening. "I'm much stronger now!"

He smiles and kisses her forehead. He steps back as Sanra kneels to pick her up and carry her in her arms.

Cao looks off to one side of the room and whispers, "Skarlet. Follow me."

A small shifting along the floor tells him that the blood construct is now right beneath him, following along.

They head back up to the throne room, where Kotal Kahn uses the Portal Stone to send Sanra and Hua to Earthrealm, to the same place he sent Cao originally. Speelock hops up onto Cao's shoulder and hunches there, waving goodbye to Hua.

"This isn't a good place for you," he tells the little lizard.

"Not good place for you too," Speelock replies.

Kotal Kahn approaches him. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going to head onto the streets and help fight," Cao says. "If we can get the city back under control, we'll be better off."

"I'll go with you," Jacqui volunteers.

Cassie nods at them both. "I'll stay here with the Kahn and help plan the next move. I've got dad on the radio---they won't be too long."

Kotal Kahn is about to speak when a resounding voice reaches across the entire city: booming, dark, powerful. "KOTAL KAHN!"

"Onaga," the osh-tekk whispers. They all approach the balcony and look out to the walls. There, upon a high tower, perches the Dragon King himself.

"False Emperor!" Onaga shouts before laughing. "I am told you are 'the Fire that Burns the Sun!' I see no great flame---only the withering light of a candle! You hide within your palace, and there you shall perish!"

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>>46696995

The Dragon King stretches his wings. "But it has been millenia since I have conquered a city, and I do so wish to enjoy this, my first conquest in new life, and I am told you have a compassionate heart for this realm and its people! So I shall test you. In three day's time, I shall enter your city and kill you myself before slaughtering every single one of your citizens! My undead army will climb your walls using each other as ladders and swarm your people, sparing none!"

Cao looks up at Kotal's face and sees the osh-tekk grimace. Onaga's thunderous voice then continues, "But if you surrender to me now, I shall spare your people! Your head will decorate my throne and your blood with paint my floor, but all others shall live! This is your test, compassionate one!"

The Dragon King spreads his wings and soars up into the sky. "THREE DAYS, STARTING FROM THE MOMENT THE SUN RISES TOMORROW TO THE NIGHT OF THE FINAL DAY!"

Onaga flies off, his challenge issued. Kotal Kahn stands silently, his eyes closed and his arms behind his back. Everyone in the room is looking at him, wondering what he will do next, what order he will give.

>A) Ask him what he is going to do
>B) Head down to the streets to help fight
>C) Stay and speak with Kotal Kahn
>D) Retrieve the Staff of Shao Kahn
>E) Other

>>46697015
>D) Retrieve the Staff of Shao Kahn

then

>B) Head down to the streets to help fight
Absorbing every single person we go up against

>>46697015
>A
>D

>>46697056
Forgot to add, tell Kotal that we have an ace up our shleve that could turn the tide

>>46697015
>D) Retrieve the Staff of Shao Kahn
Fuck you, Reptile.

>>46697078
Let's not.

Part of me thinks we should make that expedition to the Netherrealm now, and see if we can't get at least one of the warring factions topside to deal with Onaga.

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>Meanwhile...

>>46697100
Also don't forget >>46676512

>>46697015
>D
>E
"Father, let's make our bond formal. As my first gift to you as your son, I intend to bring you the head of the Dragon King."

>>46697015
>D) Retrieve the Staff of Shao Kahn
>E) Other
We need to go to Netherrealm quickly and save Ashrah. She could help with using Shao Khan

>>46697195
1. Fuck off, Crashmash.
2. Let's not make promises we can't keep.

>>46697153

What a whore

>>46697195

Woah, jumping the gun a bit there sport

>>46697153
I hope Onaga turns back into reptile and we decapitate his sorry ass

>>46697197
This, we need Ashrah before we use the staff so we can keep control

>>46697358
Its important for the full back-to-back double khan action.

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>>46697056
>>46697061
>>46697081
>>46697195

Cao is silent as well. He turns to Kotal and says, "I'm heading down to the streets. We proceed with our plan to defend the city?"

"Yes," he says. "I do not hold him to his word. He will slaughter the city regardless. If I die, it will be in kombat, not in surrender."

Cao nods and moves over to Jacqui. "I have something I need to do," he tells her. "Take Speelock with you and head to the streets---I won't be far behind."

She nods and allows the lizard to hop onto her shoulders. "What are you going to do?"

"Just trust me," he says to her, reaching out to hold her hand.

She squeezes his hand back and nods before turning to leave, offering a small hug to Cassie before heading out to fight. Cao wastes no time and heads down into the catacombs. He sprints up to the door to Shao Kahn's sanctum and opens it.

As he enters and approaches the Staff of Shao Kahn, he picks it up. He feels its power radiating through him and banishes it, much like he does with the Wrath Hammer. The staff can be recalled at any time, just as the hammer.

He pauses and looks down at the fires beneath the dragon symbol on the floor. If this truly is a portal to the Netherrealm, then perhaps he should go there now.

But the city is under siege...

Skarlet rises from the floor alongside him. "My Emperor?" she says. "Your enemies will soon all be here. You can destory them all in one fell swoop and retake your throne. Onaga, Kotal Kahn... all of them."

"I don't know what I'm going to do next," he says. "But I know I'm not an Emperor."

"You are," she tells him. She places her hand on his chest, feeling his heart. "Your power has grown since last I saw you. You have tasted more souls. More power will be yours yet---and then you can take your proper place as ruler of all of Outworld."

>A) Stay and help defend the city
>B) Head to the Netherrealm
>C) Leave the city and attempt to face Onaga
>D) Ask Skarlet what she would have him do
>E) Other

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>>46697153

Relevant

>>46697416
>A) Stay and help defend the city

Absorb every single person that we fight while doing this

>>46697416
>B) Head to the Netherrealm

>>46697416
>B) Head to the Netherrealm

>>46697416
>B

>>46697416
>B) Head to Netherrealm

>>46697416
>B
We are staying in the driver's seat.

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>>46697454
>>46697474
>>46697480
>>46697554
>>46697630

"Stay near me," he tells her, summoning the Wrath Hammer in his other hand. He hefts it up, now able to lift it quite easily. "We're going to take a trip to hell."

He puts the hammer in both hands and smashes the metal floor. He smashes it again and again, denting the metal with resounding thuds until he breaks through. He then hammers away even more, working up a sweat, forging a hole large enough for a man to fit through. Beyond the hole is fire, burning eternally even with no fuel.

He holds the hammer close as he jumps in, and Skarlet follows him. He is swallowed by the flames and heat washes over him, searing his flesh and skin---but not harming him. His world is fire and light for a moment before he is spat upon hard rock. Skarlet lands alongside him and helps him up.

He opens his eyes and looks upon the Netherrealm. In all directions stretches a hellish world of fire, lava and pain. Red skies with black clouds cover a land of ash, with great mountains rising from the black rock. The ground at his feet feels as though it is burning and the air he breathes is foul; this is a dark, terrible place.

'Makes the Ashlands seem almost pleasant,' he muses.

Great formations, unnatural sculptures of stone, metal and bone can be glimpsed. Mountains with massive skulls carved into the side, with lava pouring out of eyesockets and mouths. Pillars lined with metal spikes jut out of the earth and ancient structures lie scattered and in ruin. And in the distance, along the red horizon, he can see a massive obsidian spire, stretching up into the red sky and vanishing from sight.

He doesn't know where to beign.

>A) Search for others
>B) Have Skarlet lead the way
>C) Head towards a mountain
>D) Follow a river of lava
>E) Other

>>46697720
>B) Have Skarlet lead the way
If I were a demon recently arrived, where would I be?

>>46697720
>B) Have Skarlet lead the way

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>>46697436
>>46697153

OTP

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>>46697765
>>46697782

He looks at Skarlet and tells her to lead the way. She doesn't know which direction to travel, but they begin their journey and descend the hill they are atop.

"What are we searching for?" she asks.

"A demon woman named Ashrah," Cao says. "I need to find her."

"I know her," Skarlet says. "Years ago, during the invasion of Earthrealm, we fought side by side, but only briefly. Why do you wish to find her?"

"I'll keep that to myself for now."

"As you wish."

She takes him down a dark road. As they walk, fiery eruptions in the distance draw his eyes. This place stretches on for what seems like infinity.

"How big is this place?" Cao asks.

"The Netherrealm is endless," she says. "We can see the sky, therefore we are on the uppermost layer. Nobody knows how deeply it truly goes, for much like the lands of the Elder Gods, it has no true end, nor a beginning. The Netherrealm simply is."

They walk but it is not long before they are found. Several beings of red skin and yellow eyes find them. They appear to be lesser demons, with weaponry of black metal. They cackle and circle them as they appear from a nearby hill.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" one asks. "Fresh meat?"

"A fresh kill! Just arrived!" one laughs.

"No," one of them sniffs the air, "something different!"

"Alive!" a fourth cries. "They are alive!"

"One of them," the second says. "The lady is different... she smells like blood!"

"Blood! BLood! Blood!" a fifth and exceptionally dimwitted one chants.

"Quiet, you lot!" the sixth and largest shouts. "Alright, you two, spit it out: what are you doing here? The living ain't got business in the Netherrealm!"

"Maybe they're with those Black Dragons..." the seventh says before the sixth tells him to shut it.

>A) Black Dragon?
>B) I seek Ashrah
>C) Take me to your leader
>D) Attack!
>E) Other

>>46697215
Fuck you too pal.

>>46698012
>E) Who the hells are you clowns?

>>46698012
>A) Black Dragon?

>>46698012
>B) I seek Ashrah

>>46698012
>B) I seek Ashrah

>>46698012
>E) Other
I'm looking for the Brothers Chi. They have something that belongs to me.

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>>46698090
>The former criminal escaped the cops after his anger manages to kill them and escaped from the Police helicopter from almost going to prison. He now have vengeance at his side, seeking out to find a worthy challenge to face.
I CAN'T

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>>46698120
>>46698160
>>46698102
>>46698181

"I'm looking for the Brothers Chi," he tells them. The demons all look at each other.

"Well, you're speaking to the right people!" the largest demon says. "We serve the Brothers Chi and are faithful to the Brotherhood of Shadow and our Dark Lord Shinnok!"

The others chuckle as they draw their weapons. "Now, do you desire to be brought to them as prisoners, or souls to be harvested? Well, either way the second one is going to happen."

Cao holds up a hand. "How about as guests? I'm a personal friend of the one known as Ashrah. She's the reason I'm here."

They pause. "Ashrah has nothing to do with you, boy," the lead demon says.

>A) I assure you, you'll be rewarded if we are brought to her
>B) Take me to her or else
>C) Oh, so you know her? Tell me where she is.
>D) Beat them to a pulp
>E) Other

>>46698379
>D) Beat them to a pulp

>>46698379
>C) Oh, so you know her? Tell me where she is.

>>46698379
>B
Fighting would waste time and we are on a timer

>>46698379
>A)

>>46698379
>C) Oh, so you know her? Tell me where she is.
Yeah, she does.

>>46698379
>>C) Oh, so you know her? Tell me where she is.

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>>46698415
>>46698464
>>46698499

"Oh, so you do know her? Tell me where she is."

"I see no reason to," the demon says. "We have you surrounded. There's no reason to bring you to her when we can enslave you to our cause!"

"So that's how you guys welcome visitors?" Cao asks as he holds up the Wrath Hammer. Skarlet draws her knives. "Leave one alive to take us to Ashrah."

"With pleasure," she replies.

The demons charge in from all directions!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>46698578
Wrath Hammer shockwave on the ground.

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>46698578
Summon your knives and use them to cut their tendons