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"Hahahahaha! No."

The smile upon Shang Tsung's face is as mocking as he is genuinely amused. The ancient sorcerer sits laughing upon his throne, his blue and golden robes as worn as the rest of his throne room, his withered and elongated fingers stretched protectively across the surface of the book in his lap: the Tao Te Zhan, an artifact of immense power. More than worthy of being bait to lure out the being known only as the Kollector.

Before him stands Kung Jin, and only Kung Jin, though others on his team are nearby. They are positioned just outside the palace's mostly-crumbled walls, hidden from sight but able to spring to his aid in a moment's notice. Among them are Takeda, Cassie Cage and Frost, as well as his distant cousin Ling. Of all of them, Jin had made the case that he alone could potentially talk Shang Tsung into relinquishing his tome, but it has not gone well.

Jin straightens and bows his head again. "Oh, wise and mighty sorcerer---"

"Still your tongue," Shang bitingly cuts him off. His milky-white eyes narrow as he continues, "You have manners, little Shaolin, but you are not cut from the cloth of a diplomat."

He stops himself from replying with, 'Oh, decrepit and cantankerous fool...' and instead leans back and takes a more casual stance, folding his arms before him. "Are manners now to be considered as rude as insults, Shang Tsung?"

"They are when used to cloak one's true meaning. Do you think I am blind to all that happens in the realms? The Tao Te Zhan has granted me sight beyond my island home. I know why you are here." His sharp nails delicately skim the golden surface of the book's binding, causing Jin's eyes to dart down to it before shooting back up to meet the sorcerer's cold, imposing gaze. "You shall not have it as your lure."

'Damn,' Jin thinks with a frown. He clears his throat. "Surely there must be some arrangement that we could---"

"I am already pleased with our arrangement as it is," Shang once more interrupts him.

Suddenly, Jin's attention to drawn off to the right as a maid in a black and white outfit appears. She is young and of Asian descent. "Excuse me, Mr. Tsung, I have finished cleaning the east hall. Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Shang's face takes on a more pleasant appearance and he smiles at her. "No, thank you. Take the rest of the day off my dear." She smiles and does a half-bow and hurriedly leaves. As she does, Jin looks back at him with a cocked brow. He frowns at the young Shaolin before asking, "What? Did you expect me to yell at her? I do not mistreat the help."

"I suppose I expected a 'wench' or something equally archaic thrown in. Color me shocked."

"Ah, the haughty Shaolin, who believes everyone not beaten with a stick is incapable of manners. You've much to learn yet, young one."

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>>4473270

>As I was saying, there must be an additional arrangement we can make.
>Tell me what you have learned about the Kollector from your book.
>This is a serious matter, sorcerer. If I cannot convince you, others can.
>Perhaps I should challenge you to Mortal Kombat, unless you lack the honor.
>Other

>>4473272

>>As I was saying, there must be an additional arrangement we can make.

>>4473272
>Other
Do we really need Shang Tsung’s permission? If we know where the book is, we can just slip the information where it’s located and wait for the collector to try and steal it.

>>4473272
>Tell me what you have learned about the Kollector from your book.
>Other
You know he'll come for you and the book sooner or later. The last thing we would want is for you to get sloppy and actually lose the book.

>>4473283
Refresher: Otiak's theory goes that the Kollector is too cowardly to challenge Shang Tsung for the book directly. As long as the sorcerer has it, the Kollector won't reveal himself. This is assuming the Tao Te Zhan is the only thing on the Kollector's radar.

>>4473272

> Tell me what you have learned about this Kollector

with a side of

> Additional arrangements

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>>4473278
>>4473283
>>4473284
>>4473291

Putting a hand under his chin, the Shaolin thinks for a moment. He casts a steely-eyed gaze back up at the sorcerer and tries another route. "If you know why I'm here, then you must know about the Kollector, and that he's interested in your book. It's a safe bet that sooner or later, he'll come for it."

"I doubt that very much," Shang replies with a wicked smile. "You see, I already killed him once. Well, not the one we are speaking of, but the one that we would."

Jin's eyes widen in understanding. "That's why we've never heard of him? You killed the Kollector of this reality?"

"He served as Emperor Shao Kahn's tax collector, bringing tithes and other tributes to the throne. He thought his position granted him power over me: a deadly mistake, and one that he paid for quite dearly, a concept that was altogether alien to him. Quite amusing." His fingers now tap upon the Tao Te Zhan, his nails making little clicking sounds with each strike. "So, no matter what artifacts and trinkets this naknada acquires, I fear him not, but he has great reason to fear me. I am not without power, even in my current state. You would do well to remember this yourself, little Shaolin."

Again Jin maintains his composure as Shang Tsung demeans him. His mind races as he puts together information based on what he has learned.

"What if the reality this Kollector calls home is vastly different from our own? Enough to the point where even he could provide a challenge for you."

"If he could, he would have," Shang Tsung replies casually with a dismissive wave of his wrinkled hand. "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one. You ask such simple questions."

Jin's brow furrows slightly, but he continues to maintain his composure. He's not going to let this sorcerer bait him into acting impetuously. He parts his lips as if to speak, but then bites his tongue, deciding to attempt his earlier tactic of negotiation.

"As I was saying earlier, there must be some additional arrangement that we can make. Perhaps two maids instead of one?"

"Hmpf. As if I am ruled by lechery. But do go on, I am willing to be entertained by what you think you could offer me."

>No, seriously, how about it: two maids?
>Is there something in your old home that you desire, the one in Outworld?
>Souls. I'll bring you a cache of them that you must have hidden away somewhere.
>You can relinquish the book, and I won't embarrass you by stealing it.
>Other

>>4473319
>You can relinquish the book, and I won't embarrass you by stealing it.

>>4473319

> Something in your old home.

>>4473319

>Is there something in your old home that you desire, the one in Outworld?

>You can relinquish the book, and I won't embarrass you by stealing it.

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>>4473326
>>4473328
>>4473338

"There must be something you want that you don't have. Perhaps something in your old home, in Outworld?"

"As if I could not retrieve such a thing myself," Shang brushes him off.

Kung Jin scoffs and then chuckles. "You know, you have a lot of pride, Shang Tsung. An odd trait to have for someone with your track record of losing and failure."

"I have lived and died long enough to recognize that an existence long-lived brings both sweet successes and disappointing failures. I may have been brought low, but that does not diminish the triumphs I have achieved. For example..."

He sneers as he looks Kung Jin in the face, hard. "You look like him, you know?"

"Who?"

"Kung Lao. Not your cousin, your ancestor. Yes, the resemblance is in some respects quite uncanny. Of course, there are differences as well... in temperament, most certainly. He was a true Shaolin. A warrior in body and soul. A man who commanded my respect, even as I despised him, and eventually relished in the claiming of his soul."

"As I recall, you never defeated him. You had Goro do your dirty work. The Great Kung Lao forever remains an enemy you couldn't best."

"True, but more than enough time has passed for me to make peace with such a thing. You, however, are young, and think that because you are studied that you are wise and clever. There is a difference between intellect and wisdom, little Shaolin, and if you live long enough you may just learn the difference."

Jin keeps from rolling his eyes at the mouthy sorcerer. "Alright, how's this for a new arrangement: you give us the book, and on my honor as a Shaolin it shall be returned to you, and in return I won't embarrass your prideful self by stealing it from under your nose."

Shang howls with laughter at that. "Yes, this is the entertainment I was seeking. You, a thief? You're hardly your little prince friend."

Jin smirks. "You'd be surprised what I'm capable of, sorcerer."

His ancient face once more contorts into a wicked smile. "Oh, ho ho, I doubt that very much."

>Leave
>Ask him some more questions
>Challenge him to a match for the book
>Call the others inside
>Other

Short break as I've just been called back into work. I'll return shortly.

>>4473372
>Leave
We're going in circles here, and we don't want to be accused of mugging if we fight him for the book.

>>4473372

>Challenge him to a match for the book

>>4473373
Alright changing answer to

>Leave

I'm back, and resuming writing.

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>>4473377
>>4473544

Content with what has been said, Jin offers a half-bow to the seated sorcerer. "As always, it's been a pleasure speaking with you, o wise and mighty Shang Tsung."

With a smug grin, the sorcerer snipes another comment at him as he turns to leave. "Give my regards to Kung Lao the Lesser."

Jin pauses for a brief moment, but keeps himself in check. To simply be in the presence of the sorcerer is difficult enough, but his words are almost enough to make one lose their discipline. To do so would be to lose the little game, for that is what the sorcerer wants. On the other hand, however, he is leaving without the book, which is also what the sorcerer wants. Jin grimaces as he contemplates what to do next.

Outside the once-grand palace, within its courtyard of smooth stones, he is approached by the others. Cassie speaks first. "I'm guessing the old man didn't give up the book, did he?"

"Wasn't much of a question in the first place," Frost reminds them. "As if he'd ever just hand it over. What was even the point of trying?"

Jin fixes her with a silencing glare. "I learned some potentially valuable things, for one. There was a Kollector in Shao Kahn's court, a tax collector. Shang Tsung killed him. The sorcerer might not be very cooperative, but others may be. Shang isn't the only one around who was in Shao Kahn's court."

Takeda scratches his chin. "Kitana, or Jade. They would've been around. Maybe they have some insight to offer about this Kollector."

"What about Mileena?" Frost points out. "She was Shao Kahn's daughter."

Jin holds up a finger. "But if the sorcerer is speaking true, he would have killed the Kollector before MIleena was even made."

Ling leans upon her staff, its shapeshifting head currently a smooth pole end. "So, what's our next move then?"

Jin thinks for a moment. "Shang said something else... he wanted me to give his regards to Grandmaster Lao. I think he may have been hinting at something."

Frost puts her hands on her hips. "Why would he help, after refusing help?"

Jin taps the side of his headdress. "Shang Tsung likes to play games of his own. He may not give up the book, but he may still have offered us an alternative. This Kollector that Otiak is hunting, he may just be lured by something else entirely."

Ling reaches the conclusion before the others, for she knows what he knows and guesses correctly about where he is leading up to. "The artifact vault of the House of Kung."

Cassie's brow arches over the rim of her sunglasses. "What's that mean?"

Jin turns to her to explain. "The House of Kung has many artifacts, ancient weapons of the Shaolin and others they encountered throughout many generations. Grandmaster Lao's hat, my bow and chakram, and Ling's qiang, these are all just a few items taken from the family vault."

Takeda looks impressed. "You mean to tell me you guys have been sitting on a horde of weapons and stuff?"

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>>4473630

"It's not that simple. The vault is like a museum. The artifacts inside are protected as much as they are revered. Not just anyone can take and use them; it is the birthright of any Kung to utilize a weapon housed in the vault, but also to ensure the others are not lost."

"So everybody gets one?" Frost asks before following up with, "So then why do you get two?"

Ling smirks at him as he frowns. "I may have loosely interpreted the words set down by my ancestors. They didn't say you can NOT take two, after all."

"Following the letter but not the spirit if you ask me," Frost mutters, and Ling lets out a light giggle in amusement.

"Alright, look, the point is that the House of Kung could have something valuable enough in it to draw out the Kollector. The Shaolin also keep extensive archives; perhaps some digging in them might reveal some information about this Kollector or his species, the naknada."

Cassie nods. "We should report this to higher. See if anyone's managed to get hold of Kaito yet as well. He's going to want to hear about this Otiak guy."

Frost holds up a hand. "Hold it. We're just going to walk away from the old man? Why go through all this other trouble if we can just get the book from him now and be done with it?"

Cassie tips down her shades. "I doubt we'll ever do anything involving that old man that's simply done with."

"I say we just go in there and take it from him," Frost retorts. "Or steal it. He probably takes long naps; what's he gonna do, sleep with it in his arms?"

"I agree," Ling replies. "We tried it one way. Why give up before trying the others?"

>Let's not mess with the sorcerer. He probably suspects an attempt already.
>We could challenge him to a match over it.
>I think I could steal it, but we'd have to be clever.
>What if we get him something that he doesn't even know he wants?
>Other

>>4473635
>Let's not mess with the sorcerer. He probably suspects an attempt already.
Do you really want to WILLINGLY involve yourself in business with Shang Tsung? Think very carefully before you answer.

>>4473635

>Let's not mess with the sorcerer. He probably suspects an attempt already.

>What if we get him something that he doesn't even know he wants?

Worth a shot.

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>>4473642
>>4473646

Jin shakes his head. "Let's not mess with the sorcerer. He probably suspects an attempt already, and not just from us. I wouldn't recommend willingly involving yourself in business with Shang Tsung. I say, if there is an alternative we can pursue, we pursue it."

"I'm inclined to agree," Cassie says. "Let's err on the side of caution."

"I'm inclined to agree with the agreeing," Takeda remarks.

"What a surprise," Frost says, rolling her eyes. "Let's go do things the long and hard way, then."

"Oh, that's our favorite way to do things," Ling says sarcastically. "As if we would ever do them any other way."

Jin is about to correct her, in that dealing with Shang Tsung could end up vastly more complicated (especially if one were to end up on his bad side) but lets it go. The cryomancer is, after all, nothing if not an agitator, and to argue with her is to reinforce it. His cousin is similar in this respect.

Ling and Frost, friends in their mutual disdain for authority and others in general, walk on ahead of the three of them as they make their way back to the New Defenders base, traversing the twisting paths of the island towards its beaches.

"Always so nice to see them getting along," Takeda says. "You ever think that they make each other worse, or better?"

"I try not to think about it at all," Jin replies.

Cassie holds up a hand. "Let's stay focused. I'll tell the general what we've learned, and I'll make a recommendation from the team's perspective. Jin, you threw out some good ideas back there. Anything in particular you want me to push for?"

>We should visit Kitana and Jade and see what they know of the Kollector.
>Let's visit the House of Kung's artifact vault and see what we can use.
>The Shaolin Archives may have information hidden away. Let's dig into it.
>Nothing in particular right now.
>Other

>>4473686
>The Shaolin Archives may have information hidden away. Let's dig into it.
Let's stick to what we know, and that's Shaolin business.

>>4473686

>Let's visit the House of Kung's artifact vault and see what we can use.
>The Shaolin Archives may have information hidden away. Let's dig into it.

Lets go all martial arts genre in this quest

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>>4473690
>>4473691

He doesn't give it much thought. "The Shaolin archives are what I know best. I spent a lot of time there, learning all that I could about the realms, but not even I was able to read everything in there."

"I don't suppose you know anyone else on the team who can read ancient Chinese, do you?" Cassie asks.

"Well, maybe Zian. We've never really talked about it."

Takeda smirks and says, "You know, I could read his mind as he reads, then I'd know what he's reading."

Jin stops walking and wears a skeptical look on his face. "Really, now? Read my mind, then. You've got my permission."

Takeda stops, as does Cassie to watch, and puts a hand up to his forehead, touching two fingers to the side of his yellow headband. He stares intently at Jin as the Shaolin thinks hard about a certain phrase.

The Shirai Ryu chuckles. "'I bet you can't read my mind while I'm thinking in Mandarin.' Nice try."

Jin is genuinely surprised. "You can understand my thoughts even when not in English? I always assumed that people who speak multiple languages only think to themselves in their native tongue."

"It's not about languages that we speak," Takeda explains, drawing a circle with his finger to illustrate a head. "It's about the language of the mind. The brain speaks its own tongue, and telepaths can tap into it like a radio frequency."

Cassie whistles. "That's damn cool, and good to know. Means you can understand the thoughts of pretty much anyone."

"And influence them," Takeda points out. "My dad's better at it, but I'm getting there."

Cassie looks back at Jin. "Shouldn't be too difficult to send some people to the Shaolin Temple. I'll get clearance from the general. If this Otiak can really deliver what he's promising and get us intel on the saurian queen, we can finish dealing with the lizards and get back to worrying about the Deadly Alliance."

Jin's brow furrows. He hasn't spoken much with Lao since he became afflicted with the Wraith-Plague, and only once since Liu Kang was killed by their enemies. A pang of guilt runs through him, and he finds himself worrying about the state of the temple. The thought that he is subconsciously using this as an opportunity to justify a trip home occurs to him, though he brushes it off. There are more important things going on.

As Cassie and Takeda resume walking towards the base, talking about the finer points of telepathy, Jin spares a look back up towards the ruined palace. There is a lot of history to this place in relation to his family: it is where his ancestor, the Great Kung Lao, was defeated and killed by Goro. It is where Liu Kang avenged their legacy by defeating the shokan and his sorcerer master in Mortal Kombat.

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>>4473723

All of these things he knows because he has studied them and committed them to memory. As a scion of the House of Kung, he has only ever felt pride in living up to his ancestors, and yet he feels a strange sense of disconnection from it all. He wasn't around for the Mortal Kombat tournaments, he only got to read about them.

Perhaps this is what the sorcerer meant by his words on wisdom and intellect. One can know much, but have experienced little of it. Though he has accomplished some fantastic deeds alongside his team, he feels as though he is missing something from it all, as though some part of him was supposed to have been discovered by now, yet it eludes him.

Though he tries to ignore the words of the sorcerer, he cannot help but wonder: what would the Great Kung Lao think of his legacy?

>Return to Shang Tsung and speak some more.
>Return to base and meditate.
>Return to base and contact Cyrax. (He's the only one at the Shaolin temples with a phone built into his head.)
>Return to base and spend time with a teammate.
>Other

>>4473724
>Return to base and contact Cyrax. (He's the only one at the Shaolin temples with a phone built into his head.)

>>4473724

>>Return to base and contact Cyrax. (He's the only one at the Shaolin temples with a phone built into his head.)

>Return to base and meditate.

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>>4473727
>>4473729

He turns back and catches up to the others, joining them as they reach the base. From there he splits off from them once more to return to his room.

Jin's quarters are not entirely spartan, like several of the others on the team. He enjoys to personalize his surroundings and living space, but not frivolously. Each item holds meaning to him, be it the incense holder he received from a beloved relative, or a bowl he sculpted during one of his lessons, or the woven fabric banner hanging upon his wall that he was given by the monks of the Temple of Elements. There are photos here as well of his family, some framed while others lie neatly in a stack.

For now, however, he needs a device of more recent invention: a communicator.

>Elsewhere, at the Wu Shi Academy...

Cyrax sits among the flowers of a quiet garden. Nearby, the still surface of a pond is broken only by a fish briefly surfacing before quickly vanishing down into its depths. The yellow-clad cyborg has in his hand a small bird which has landed. The precious and delicate creature hops onto his mechanical finger, chirping lightly as he beholds it. What a beautiful and peaceful---

Suddenly, he vibrates with a small alert, and the bird flies away. Cyrax lets out a small sigh as he answers his built-in communicator, projecting a holographic image in front of him. He is pleased to see the image of Kung Jin appearing before him.

"Cyrax, it's good to see you. How are you doing?"

"It is a very sunny day."

"Sounds lovely."

"I wish I could feel it."

"Right... Uh, am I catching you at a bad time?"

The cyborg looks over to his side slightly, seeing the bird chirp away in a nearby branch. "No... No, of course not. How may I assist you?" His voice is deep and methodical, like always.

"I need to pay a visit to the archives. Please let them know I'll be stopping by."

"Of course. Shall I inform Master Lao as well?"

"I've got some things he should know about, yeah. It's not any trouble, is it?"

"I am more than happy to be the Shaolin answering machine." Before Jin can reply, Cyrax says, "I shall inform them of your forthcoming arrival. Have a pleasant day."

He closes the call, and remains seated for a moment before getting up. He moves towards the tree and attempts to coax the bird back onto a finger, but the bird doesn't budge, eventually flying off. With a forlorn sigh, the cyborg heads towards the main temple.

>Back at Shang Tsung's island...

Jin blinks a few times. "He's in one of his moods again, it seems. Can't really blame him... if I were trapped in that shell, I'd hate it too. Still, he's got a little bit of an attitude, doesn't he?" Realizing he isn't speaking to anyone else, he closes his mouth and swallows. He reasons that he will have a brief period of time before he is given clearance to leave the island.

>Meditate
>Train
>Relax
>Seek someone out
>Other

>>4473748
>Meditate
Gotta have that obligatory "You're not half the man your ancestor was" echoey voice to irritate Kung Jin, so soon after that chat with Shang Tsung.

>>4473748

>Meditate

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>>4473753
>>4473761

Jin proceeds to take a deep breath and prepares to meditate. As a Shaolin, he has several traditions and practices that relate to meditation, though he elects the simplest for now and simply sits in the center of his room, crossing his legs as he gets comfortable. Steadying his breathing, he brings his hands together in his lap and focuses inwards. Each breath is slow, deliberate and soothing. His muscles, perfectly controlled, relax as he rapidly enters a state of higher awareness, leaving worldly feelings like the soreness of his arms from his recent exercises behind.

Even focusing on breathing soon is left behind as his mind enters a place of calming peace. It is not a state of being that one easily reaches, nor has the discipline to maintain, but the Shaolin know it well. In each man there is a vast space, larger than most can comprehend, large enough to hold mountains. That is where he is now, on the side of a mountain, feeling the cool breeze and smelling the river as it springs from the nearby rocks.

It is not a space visualized so much as it is understood and felt. One does not see it with their eyes, but their mind's eye. It is not a place imagined or remembered, for it is beyond such fragile concepts as human imagination and memory. It simply is.

However, there is something wrong. Something off. There is a presence here that seems foreign, and its inclusion causes him to focus upon it. Such a distraction is difficult to deal with, for the connection and focus required can easily be lost if one strays from the path. Yet he finds the distraction tempting, and looks to see what it is nearby. A person is near the cliff. Who is---

His eyes open. It is not unlike waking up from a dream, which is often accompanied by a kind of stupor and confusion, but reawakening from a meditative state is clearer and less jarring. Still, the sudden halt to his focus was odd. He tries to clearly picture the figure he perceived, but finds difficulty in doing so. The individual lacked any identifiable features; or was his back turned? He cannot see it any more.

Jin lets out a somewhat-frustrated grunt as he stands up. He isn't used to a distraction of that nature, and wonders what caused it and how it manifested in his meditative mind. He rubs his head in deep thought. He looks at the time, and realizes it has been an hour.

>Seek out your superiors.
>Get something calming to drink.
>Head outside.
>Attempt to focus again.
>Other

>>4473793

>>Get something calming to drink.
>Seek out your superiors.

>>4473793
>Get something calming to drink.

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>>4473795
>>4473796

'I could use a drink,' he thinks to himself, and proceeds to the break room.

There, he opens a cabinet and removes a packet of tea leaves and begins the process of heating up water.

He hears the doors open and looks over his shoulder to find Ling entering the room. She spots him and wanders over. "Getting a drink, hm?"

"Yes."

She quickly closes the distance, nudging his side as she slides up to him. "Ah. Tea. Soothing and delightful. The drink of a Shaolin, it is. I assume, anyway, since I'm not, you know, one of them."

Ling strides over to a different cabinet and takes out a small jug. There are markings upon its wooden surface, indicating that it is from a brewery in Outworld. "I learned how to relax from Master Bo' Rai Cho." She takes a small wooden cup, about the size of a conventional shot glass, and pours herself a strong-smelling drink. She holds her drink up. "Cheers! Oh, your drink isn't ready yet. Should I wait?"

He shoots her a sidelong glance and she grins. Jin goes about his preparations for tea as he readies a white kettle. Of the people who have tried getting under his skin today, an immortal and powerful sorcerer Ling is not. Her weaknesses are more known to him. "How's the family?"

She's about to take her swig when she hears that and pauses. "Excuse me?"

"The family, back in Outworld."

"You know my mother is dead," she says, shooting daggers at him.

"Yes, but what about her parents? Siblings? Ever try to go back and reconnect with those roots?" He adjusts the settings on the stove as he keeps from looking at her, even as she stares hard at him. "You carry a weapon from our house, so I can only assume it must be important to you on some level. I'm just wondering if you've ever reached out to your family back in Outworld."

She is silent for a moment before replying with a firm, "No. I haven't. And I don't care to." She takes her swig and is about to leave when Jin cannot resist adding something else.

"It's just something I've been thinking about ever since you smashed that statue of Goro at the Warrior Shrine. After all, he killed an ancestor of yours, so there must be some kind of pride in your family."

"I broke that statue because it was just a stupid statue of an enemy," she retorts. "One that I hear too much about from your side of the family. 'Goro'-this and 'Goro'-that. 'The Great Kung Lao...' If he was so great, why'd he die?"

Jin pours himself his cup of tea, allowing the hot water to mix with the ground leaves. "Perhaps it is not the manner in which he died that is important, so much as the manner in which he lived."

She folds her arms. "So?"

"So," he replies, turning to her with his cup finally prepared. "Cheers." He drinks and lets out a satisfied sigh.

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>>4473845

She sees his game and flicks a hand in his direction before leaving. At first he is satisfied, not only with his drink but with his small victory, but then finds himself frowning. Ever since first meeting her as a child, she's been like this. A reliable and capable warrior, but a child in temperament.

He approaches the jug she left out and smells how strongly it is scented. He's by no means averse to alcohol, he's not entirely sure that Outworld Rice Wine qualifies as liquor so much as it may in fact be some kind of fuel source for a combustion engine. He puts it away and contemplates how Master Bo' and even Ling can stomach such a thing.

Sometimes, he even wonders how she can carry the same blood as him. Still, she is family, and the House of Kung looks after their own, no matter what.

A small beeping noise is heard as his communicator lights up. He takes it out and sees a message from Cassie. "Shaolin temple is a go. Gen. says u can take 2 othrs." Then there is some kind of emoticon that he doesn't immediately recognize.

'That's one thing the Shaolin archives will never cover,' he thinks. He then ponders on who to bring with him.

>Vote for 2:

>Zian
>Ling
>Takeda
>Sheeva
>Fox
>Sam
>Other (write-in)

>>4473848
>>Ling
>>Sheeva
Great Kung Lao presumably collected all these treasures while fighting Outworlders, might as well take the two who might know the most about artifacts from Outworld

>>4473848
>>4473895

I second this.

>>4473848
>>4473895
Sounds about right.

Good morning (evening) everybody. I know the time difference here in Korea doesn't give us the best of times to run, but I'll try to make the most of it. I'm writing the next update now.

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>>4473895
>>4474000
>>4474135

Setting down his cup and taking a moment to wash everything before putting it away, he proceeds towards the control center of the base. About halfway there, he sees Cassie as she exits a set of doors; her eyes lock onto him immediately.

"You get my text?"

"I thought 'texting' was what you used a phone for, but sure."

"Semantics. Who are you thinking of bringing?"

"We're dealing with Outworld, and next to me, the two resident Outworlders who might know the most about ancient artifacts are Sheeva and Ling."

"What about Cao?" she's quick to point out.

Jin gives her a flat look. "Cass, he can't read. He has his uses, but I doubt this is one of them."

"Oh, right." She gets a slightly embarrassed look on her face. "I just, you know, thought that since he was an Outworlder and all... Anyway, uh, Sheeva's back from her last mission. You'll have to speak with her about it, but I think she'd agree. You sure about Ling?"

"She's trained under Master Bo' Rai Cho, and she carries an artifact from our family vault too. She should be a part of this. I know she's not going to like it, though."

"I'll leave that one to you too. You have a way with people, right?"

"So I've been told," he replies with a small smile. "I've already sent word to the Shaolin to prepare for our arrival. As soon as I gather them, we'll be off, and I'll report back whatever we find."

"The general is pretty interested in this case. I think that's why she signed off on the idea so quickly; anything to try and get back the people the saurians kidnapped. Good luck with whatever you find."

"Thanks." They part ways, and Jin considers who to approach first: Ling, or Sheeva.

>Approach Sheeva first
>Approach Ling first

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>>4474777

>Approach Sheeva first

>>4474777
>Approach Sheeva first

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>>4474788
>>4474791

As he ponders which, he continues walking into the mission center, located on the SF side of the base, and spots Sheeva speaking with Colonel Briggs. 'Guess that decides that,' he thinks to himself as he approaches the two of them.

Sheeva is speaking to him about some of the finer details of the Nemsai mission she went on, and he is relating their efforts to transport the water to Earthrealm. He then asks a question about the Wraith-Plague and its effect on the shokan kingdom, and that is when Jin is now standing near them.

"The plague has not reached Shokan lands. When it appeared in Z'unkahrah, we were quick to close our borders. Still, Kotal Kahn has promised a supply of the curative water, I think primarily due to my efforts to assist him in Nemsai. Thank you again for approving my deployment to that city, Colonel."

"It was mostly a matter of not wanting to meddle too much in Outworld affairs," he explains. "We were interested in the water as a cure, but were hesitant to use a military force against a native population. Kotal Kahn was already laying siege to the area, and we wanted someone we could trust on this job. You and Cao fit that bill. And Kaito, well, you know his past with Turana."

"All too well," Sheeva replies with a nod.

Jin chooses that moment to cut in. "Speaking of Outworld affairs, I've been approved to visit the Shaolin Archives by the general to research a solution to our saurian problem. I need someone well-versed in Outworld lore, and I'd like to extend an invitation to you, Sheeva."

The shokan champion folds two of her arms in front of her. "I have never been a guest of the Shaolin before. Historically, there are complications."

"Times have changed. You're an ally. This is a fantastic opportunity to build a bridge between our two peoples while also achieving another goal of ours." She seems to be considering it, but Jin decides to double down with another point. "Was there not also a time when the edenians and the shokan would have been enemies? Yet you have been a guest of Queen Sindel and her family many times."

"Very well," she replies quickly, with her usual confidence and conviction. She nods at Jax. "Colonel."

"Lemme know how that turns out," he says, nodding at them both before walking off.

Jin claps his hands together. "Great. We'll just gather Ling and be off."

Sheeva hesitates. "You mean to bring her?"

"Yeah, she might be able to help in a few ways, and it's partially her ancestral home. Part of this may involve artifacts from the---"

She holds up a three-fingered hand. "I mean no offense, but she has been behaving oddly towards me of late."

"Oddly? How so?"

"I would describe her as being flippant and callous."

"That's just how she is, she's---"

"I mean more than is usual."

"Oh. Hm." He cups his chin in thought. "Any idea why?"

"No."

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>>4474849

>Maybe we should talk about it with her?
>I'll go talk to her and see how she feels.
>Perhaps it's nothing. Let's just get her and get on our way.
>Do you think we should exclude her?
>Other

>>4474852
>Maybe we should talk about it with her?

>>4474852

>>Maybe we should talk about it with her?

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>>4474883
>>4474891

"Maybe we should go talk about it with her?"

Like most of her responses, she is straight to the point. "Very well. Let us find her."

As they proceed back to their half of the base, Jin takes out his communicator and attempts to reach her, but she does not respond. While he knows she isn't exactly a Luddite, while off-mission she very rarely has her communicator on her. This makes it difficult to reach her, which likely suits her just fine.

Thankfully it is not difficult to track her down. She is outside, her feet in the sand, as she goes through a martial ritual with her staff. As she twists and strikes at the air, she notes their approach, and halts her routine. She plants her staff's head in the sand and faces them. "Can I help you?" she asks with a hint of barely-hidden irritation at being interrupted.

Jin swallows and offers her a disarming smile. "You see, we---"

Sheeva cuts him off. "I wish to know why you have been behaving like a child towards me lately."

'Oh, Elder Gods,' Jin thinks.

Ling flicks a few loose strands of hair behind a shoulder and turns up her nose in another direction. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sheeva points a finger at her. "You have increasingly made comments both in my presence and when you think I cannot hear about my figure and my standing. Explain yourself."

Jin holds up his hands, quickly getting between the two of them. "Woah, woah, okay, hold on a moment here, let's all just take a breath." He looks at Ling and explains to her, "We're here because I would like both of your assistance. Remember what we talked about outside the palace? It's been approved."

"Oh, good," Ling says, putting her hands on her hips and cocking them to one side. "I just love that you feel obliged to drag me along every time you visit family."

"This is about more than that," he insists. "If we can find a way to lure out this Kollector, the information this Otiak can give us could prove invaluable. Ling, you're a student of Master Bo', and you've traveled Outworld much more than I have, and Sheeva, you're a high-ranking member of the shokan court; the same applies to you. Both of you have insights you could offer me about knowledge I could dig up in the archives, and information about what we could use from the artifact vault. So, what say we just air out the... whatever this is, and work together as a team?"

Several moments of silence pass as Sheeva and Ling let his words sink in. The shokan remains statuesque, standing tall and firm, but Ling shifts from one foot onto another as she thinks. Finally, the outworlder speaks. "Fine. I'll go along."

Jin waves his hand a little. "Anything else to say...?"

"No," she replies in an aloof manner.

Sheeva seems unconvinced, but says nothing further, offering him a single nod.

'I wouldn't mind having some of that telepathy right about now,' Jin bemoans internally. He wonders if he should not press this matter further and leave while they can.

>>4474949

>Let's just get going, shall we?
>Let's hash this out right now. What's the deal?
>Maybe Takeda can help...
>Why don't we give it a day?
>Other

>>4474949

>Let's just get going, shall we?

>>4474951
>Let's just get going, shall we?
We'll pull that scab when we get there.

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>>4474960
>>4474962

He looks between them both an additional time before asking, "So, if we're all on the same page, shall we go?"

"I am prepared to depart," Sheeva responds, though her tone is somewhat difficult to read.

"Yeah, what she said," Ling replies, grabbing her staff and removing it from the sand.

Jin observes them as they walk towards the base, with him keeping pace just behind. They are not looking at each other.

'I hope I haven't made some kind of severe mistake,' he thinks.

After requisitioning a personal portal generator for each of them, and ensuring that Ling begrudgingly brings along her communicator, they use the base's portal device to create a gateway to the Wu Shi Academy. Stepping through the portal is like taking a breath of fresh air, for the grounds of the Shaolin school are refreshingly beautiful. Jin closes his eyes and cannot help but smile, for there is little else like home for one's heart.

He does not forget that he is with two people for whom this is not home, however, and takes a moment to observe them. Sheeva is taking in the sights of the meticulously curated grounds, with its elegantly maintained gardens, trees, carefully arranged stone paths and intricately detailed sculptures. Ling, having seen it all before, inspects her nails instead.

"This is the Wu Shi Academy," Jin says to Sheeva. "It is not far from the temples, and this region is the ancestral home of the Shaolin and the Order of Light, as well as our family."

"I have often heard of this place from our allies. It is beautiful, in an Earthrealm fashion."

Ling chuckles under her breath. "Not enough pits of spikes or lava pits for a shokan's liking, eh?"

Sheeva's eyes narrow as she casts a look at Ling, but Jin is quick to interject.

"Right this way," he guides them, making a point to stand between Sheeva and Ling as they walk.

>Find Cyrax
>Head straight for the archives
>Seek out Grandmaster Lao
>Give Sheeva a proper tour of the grounds
>Other

>>4475033

>Find Cyrax
>Head straight for the archives
>Give Sheeva a proper tour of the grounds

>>4475033
>Find Cyrax

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>>4475043
>>4475064

As they cross the grounds after the portal closes behind them, they are quickly spotted. The numerous monks of various ages throughout the area look on as they are approached by Cyrax. The yellow-clad cyborg stops several feet in front of them and bows in greeting. "Kung Jin. Kung Ling. Sheeva. Welcome to the Wu Shi Academy. We are honored by your presence."

Jin and Sheeva bow back to him, and Ling follows after a moment. Sheeva rises and approaches the cyborg. "It has been some time since last we met," she says, offering a hand. Cyrax looks down at it, as if contemplating their level of familiarity for a brief moment, then clasps it with his own.

Off to the side, Jin cannot help but smile. He is very familiar with their storied histories, particularly in relation to the invasion of Earthrealm two decades ago. He knows that they share a strange kind of kinship, in that they were both enemies of Earthrealm and caught up in circumstances much greater than themselves before eventually switching sides. In a way it comforts him; it serves as a reminder that there are few who are truly lost to evil.

The significance of their reunion seems to go over Ling's head, as she is staring off in the distance at something. Jin notices this and follows her gaze. A group of monks nearby are whispering to themselves, and at their head is Guy Lai, a man for whom Jin has little affection. Based on the look of his face, he doesn't much care for Jin or his choice of visitors.

"The Grandmaster is still partially bedridden," Cyrax explains to Sheeva, and Jin's attention is drawn back to their conversation. "But still, he has expressed a strong desire to see Jin upon his arrival. I am certain he will be pleased to see you both as well."

"I can only imagine," Ling says with a huff. Under her breath, she mutters, "He's about the only one in this place who is."

"If he is well enough to see us, I would enjoy to visit with him," Sheeva replies to Cyrax. She spares only a small look towards the nearby group of monks, and some of the children under her gaze run to hide.

Jin knows that, as inhabitants of Outworld, both of them are not used to this place, and the Shaolin are not used to them. Sheeva in particular, as a non-human and especially as a shokan, faces certain prejudices from his fellow monks and Earthrealmers in general. However, the shokan doesn't seem to mind it as she and Cyrax walk together alongside a small river that runs through the grounds. Jin and Ling walk along behind them.

As they walk, Jin notices that several younger monks are keeping their distance, doing chores and such around the area, but it is clear that their attention is focused on the visitors. A boy sweeping the path on the other side of the river hurries along to sweep another area, leaving his first area unfinished, just so he can keep looking at them.

>>4475162

>Attempt to introduce some of the monks to Sheeva
>Urge your group towards the archives
>Visit with Grandmaster Lao
>Send a runner to summon your family
>Other

>>4475165
>Visit with Grandmaster Lao

>>4475162
>>Visit with Grandmaster Lao

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>>4475169
>>4475177

Jin leans forward to get their mutual attention. "I think that we should hasten to the grandmaster. We're drawing a bit of a scene."

"They have become accustomed to my presence," Cyrax points out. "Given enough time, they will grow accustomed to outworlders as well."

Ling finds the sentiment amusing. "It is a brave new world after all."

Jin looks back at her, pleasant surprise coloring his face. "I didn't know you read that book."

She grows confused. "Book? What book?"

"Oh, ah... never mind."

Within a central dwelling on the grounds, its walls constructed of red and blue bricks and its rooftop high and angular with cobalt-colored shingles, the grandmaster sits within a chair. The room is dim, lit only by many candles that line its walls and shelves. He is seated before a shrine built into an alcove of the wall, that of a stone monk sitting cross-legged, draped with prayer beads and flowers, amidst a sea of lit candles.

"Grandmaster," Cyrax says as he enters, "your guests have arrived."

Lao raises his head from his meditative trance and smiles warmly. "Please, enter and make yourselves comfortable."

Cyrax moves behind Lao to reposition his chair, that he may better face them. Jin studies his face carefully; he looks healthy, but Cyrax assisting him gives him some reason to worry. As he, Ling and Sheeva sit upon the smooth stones of the floor, Lao notices this and raises his hand to assure him.

"I am not yet fully recovered from the sickness, but I am no longer bedridden. The medicines of the Shaolin and meditation have nearly healed me fully."

"I'm glad," Jin says, and Sheeva is quick to follow. Ling remains silent.

"And I am glad to see you three are well." He places a hand on Cyrax's arm. "My friend, I would very much enjoy some herbal tea. Some for our guests as well, please."

The cyborg nods and swiftly proceeds outside to fetch it.

Lao looks at them. Though not wearing his enchanted hat, the shadows of the room seem to heighten his already sharp-looking eyes. "As pleased as I am to see family, I suspect this is not merely a social call."

>I would like to grant my teammates access to the archives.
>We may need to access the artifacts in the vault.
>Business can wait; let's catch up.
>We may be able to heal you sooner if we can secure a shipment of water from Nemsai.
>Other

>>4475208
>We may be able to heal you sooner if we can secure a shipment of water from Nemsai.
But that aside,
>I would like to grant my teammates access to the archives.
Official Defender business and all. We're trying to bait a very curious mouse out of its hole, and we're looking for the right kind of cheese to do it.

>>4475208
>>4475214

Seconding that.

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>>4475214
>>4475216

Jin bows his head forward. "With respect, I would like to grant my guests access to the archives. We must research something of great importance."

"It is granted," Lao replies with a smile.

"Thank you, grandmaster." Jin's brow furrows slightly, concerned over Lao's appearance. "You know, we may be able to heal you sooner if we can secure a shipment of water from Nemsai." He looks at Sheeva, who is about to speak.

But Lao speaks first. "No thank you."

"But why?" Jin asks. "It would be a simple matter."

"This is true," Sheeva replies. "In fact, with these portal devices, it could be done within the hour."

"Your concern humbles me, I would rather not take the water. I am healing in time."

Ling scoffs, and the others look at her. "A lot of this going on lately. What's wrong with taking the easy way out? Why not steal Shang Tsung's book? Why not just take the water? Why insist on doing everything the hard way?"

Jin and Sheeva are both about to reprimand her for speaking in such a manner, but Lao holds up his palm, stopping them halfway through their first words.

"When I became sick, some of the others became sick. These brothers now lie in a temple, clinging to life by a thread. All of our efforts are bent towards helping them first. If I take the water, someone who needs it much more than I will be deprived of it. Furthermore, I have received word from Master Bo' Rai Cho's school that some of his students are sick as well, and in need of the wellspring water. Did you know this?" Jin and Sheeva both look at Ling, who sits in silence.

"...No," she admits quietly.

Lao sits back and lightly places his hands together in his lap. "I understand the desire to grasp at the first flower that you come upon along the trail, but if that is all we ever did, would not the trail become so very dull to walk along?"

Ling nods at first, but then says, "Yeah, well... not much walking for you these days, is there father?"

Jin immediately rises to his feet, and Sheeva looks furious as well. However, both of them are again stopped by Lao, this time by his laughter. He is laughing in a low tone, yet one that is genuinely mirthful. Jin looks between him and Ling, seeing a small smile on her face as well, and he cannot help but feel conflicted. He wants to defend the honor of his grandmaster, yet here he is, simply laughing at his daughter's joke.

"The nice thing about the trail is that it shall still be there when I am ready to walk upon it once more," he says. He then looks up at Jin, and his simple smile is enough to get him to sit back down. "Always remember that there is strength in humility. I am simply happy to see my daughter."

Again Jin looks to her, and it is clear that she is wearing an aloof mask, but her body language and something about her eyes tells him that she inwardly delights at Lao's comment, though she is working hard not to show it.

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>>4475306

Sheeva seems to have caught on as well, and is somewhat amused, though she remains perplexed at the intricacies of the interraction between the elder Kung and his daughter.

Cyrax arrives then with the tea. He distributes it to each of them. Ling takes her cup and spares Jin a look before drinking from it; he can only assume she's reminded of their earlier conversation. If she feels any irony from the fact that she wouldn't drink tea earlier but is doing so now, she's doing a better job of hiding it.

As Cyrax kneels nearby, Lao drinks and then remarks, "I feel that there is something larger going on. What is this about Shang Tsung's book?"

Jin scratches at his leg for a moment. "Let's just say that there's another big threat looming on the horizon, and we're trying to find the best way to deal with it."

"That is where big threats tend to loom," Lao says with a chuckle. "What is it this time?"

He listens patiently as Kung Jin explains the situation: the encounter in Japan, the appearance of Otiak, his potential information about the saurians and their matriarchal leader, and his pursuit of the enigmatic Kollector.

Sheeva adds, "What's more, Reptile has escaped from captivity in Kotal Kahn's dungeons. We know not yet how he may be involved, but it is somewhat strange that his escape should coincide with the sudden appearance of his Otiak."

"That is is," Lao concurs. He contemplatively drinks his tea for a moment before speaking once more. "Perhaps there is another way that I may personally assist you."

Jin is quick to reply. "Any assistance you could offer is greatly honored, Grandmaster."

"You require an item of significant power, yes? Perhaps you could utilize my hat as bait."

Jin's eyes widen. "Your hat?"

"I have been told that it is quite valuable by those who care for such things. And speaking from personal experience, it is quite stylish."

"We couldn't," Jin says, stammering slightly. "Your hat is... it's yours! If we lost it, we'd never be able to replace it!"

Even Ling, ever the fan of taking the easy solution, seems aghast at the notion. "You'd just give it up, after carrying it for more than half your life? It's practically a part of you!"

The grandmaster simply smiles and says, "It is not the weapon that makes the warrior, Ling. It is the warrior that makes the weapon. I am not battling at this time. If it would help, I would gladly volunteer my hat as bait. Besides, I am more than confident in your ability to not lose it."

Sheeva looks between the three of them and remains silent, not having what she would feel is anything significant to contribute to what is clearly a family matter.

>Let's look for our other options first.
>I don't want to make that decision for you, Grandmaster.
>We can't risk it. I don't want to take the chance at all.
>Perhaps we could use it. May we have it?
>Other

>>4475310
>Let's look for our other options first.
Admittedly, Kung Lao's Hat (capitalization intended) is undoubtedly one of the most prized trophies of the realms, if only for its exploits in the last couple decades alone, and it would almost assuredly draw out the Kollector, but let's see if we can't find an alternative first.

>>4475310
>>Let's look for our other options first.
>>I don't want to make that decision for you, Grandmaster.

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>>4475317
>>4475322

With great concern on his features, Jin says, "With great and due respect, Grandmaster, perhaps we should explore all options first."

"A wise option," Lao says, and Jin glows with pride upon hearing those words. "Perhaps the archives will offer an alternative."

"Agreed," Jin says, setting down his cup. He is about to rise to leave when Lao speaks yet again. "But first, please, I insist upon showing you something."

He nods at Cyrax, who raises his arm and begins to utilized a console there after flipping it open. The three of them look at each other in confusion as the cyborg makes a series of tapping noises with his fingers on the keys. Then, they are each of them surrounded by a green wave of energy that expands, rising from their feet to their heads. Before they know what is going on, they are gone, teleported from the chamber.

Cyrax, Lao, Jin, Ling and Sheeva appear in the same manner in which they were situated, only in a different place. The three visitors are quick to rise and survey their surroundings; none of them recognize it, even Jin, though he knows they are still within the region due to the familiar mountains. In fact, the more he looks, the more he recognizes the area; they are deep within a forest not far from the Wu Shi Academy, at the foot of a mountain. But he has never been to or known of this place.

They are in a quiet courtyard where no one else is; no monks at all. The circular stone upon which they now stand is surrounded by measured and maintained patches of grass, separated by rows of stone paths intersecting throughout the area. Buildings, walls and gates of red and black surround the area, with columns of bright crimson supporting long roofs made in the traditional Shaolin style. The area is adjacent to a body of water, across which spans a bridge, and on the opposite side is a large stone chamber with one side exposed to the open. Within it is a great brazier of bronze, and it contains a mighty fire, roaring with life. Above it and behind it hang four medallions of golden dragons.

"What is this place?" Jin asks, turning around. "I do not recognize it. It looks new..."

"It is not new, but has found new purpose," Lao explains. "It has been renovated, one might say. Once, it was the resting place of past masters, a place of reverence for only a select few to know of. Now, it is still that, but the monks of the Order of Light have added onto its purpose and significance. It is now a tomb and also a shrine to a dear friend, brother and hero: Liu Kang, and all may visit."

"It is a worthy tribute," Sheeva says quietly as she looks upon the flames. "In many ways, he was like a dragon."

"The fire we keep to represent him," Lao replies just as somberly. "We lack his body, but honor his memory."

"When was this?" Jin asks.

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>>4475367


"Only very recently. The tomb has been kept by the Order of Light for many centuries, maintained in secrecy, but the passing of Liu forced many of the order's eldest members to reconsider keeping it so secret. We brought many monks here to work as their daily regimen."

Ling looks around the courtyard. "But what if we bring him back? He has not been dead so long. Have you given up hope of freeing his soul from the Deadly Alliance?"

"No," Lao replies firmly. "But for the Shaolin, this is how we chose to express our grief, and may now venture here to pay respects and contemplate his passing. Every member of the order contributed."

"But I did not," Jin says, looking at his elder cousin with a hurt expression. "Why was I not given the opportunity to do so?"

"No offense was meant. You were busy with a far greater task, for no one else in the Order of Light is on your team, battling the very forces that took Liu Kang from us." Cyrax brings the grandmaster closer, softly pushing his chair towards Kung Jin. "Yours is not a task that we would distract you from. If you have grief over his passing, as we all do, now here is a fine place to reflect upon it. But you are not beholden to the whims and restrictions of the temple, I have seen to that. You are free to come and go as you please, and do what you think is best to stop those who would do onto others as they have done to my dear friend."

Kung Jin, humbled by Lao's words, silently bows his head. "Forgive me, Grandmaster. I spoke out of indignity."

"Yours is a dignity that few are chosen to bear. It is in you and your allies that we have placed the hopes of the Order of Light, to stop those whose hearts have turned to evil." He looks at Ling now. "And, if possible, to return Liu Kang to us. But we must also accept the possibility that he may never return. Just as I once freed the soul of the Great Kung Lao from the grasp of Shang Tsung, so too you must accept that some spirits are meant to move on once freed from their prisons, whether it is a prison of flesh or of magic."

As Lao speaks, Sheeva approaches the great brazier and bows before it to pay her respects.

>Follow her example and pay respect to Liu Kang.
>I would like to return to this place, but later.
>Thank him for showing you, but you must hurry to the archives.
>Swear that you will return Liu Kang's body and soul to this place, in one form or another.
>Other

>>4475369
>Swear that you will return Liu Kang's body and soul to this place, in one form or another.

>>4475369

>Follow her example and pay respect to Liu Kang.
>I would like to return to this place, but later.

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>>4475372
>>4475391

Jin follows after her, looking on at the great flame kept alive within the brazier. He kneels on the stone before it, closing his hands together in his lap. He ruminates on his complex feelings about the Mortal Kombat Champion.

Liu Kang was a hero, but he was also a man, and one that fell prey to complacency. After helping seal away Shinnok, he lived happily in the land he had freed: Edenia. He would remain young so long as he held the title of champion, and made the choice to live with the woman he loved. He grew comfortable, and was confident that he could handle any problem that arose. He even thought that the New Defenders were unnecessary.

And in his complacency, comfort and confidence, he was struck down in the palace that had been his home.

His choices were his own, and Kung Jin reminds himself not to condemn a man who was ambushed by more than a dozen powerful assailants.

Still, if only the champion had been more proactive in preventing those enemies from getting strong enough in the first place...

He shakes his head. To ponder endless possibilities is to ponder endlessly.

As a member of the New Defenders, he and his team know the price Liu Kang paid, and they intend to return the cost to the Deadly Alliance. In some way, Liu Kang shall be set free, to either know his eternal rest or life once more.

He rises and looks back, seeing Lao and his daughter speaking in a quiet tone. He is still uncertain of how to feel about their earlier exchange, when she insulted him and he laughed about it. It isn't that he is unfamiliar with the concept; after all, he bonds with his teammates in such a manner of playful insults. But does he have the same rapport with Lao and he shares with his daughter?

Jin suddenly feels foolish. 'I'm not jealous of Ling, am I? I couldn't be. Of course they have a connection I couldn't hope to match; they're father and daughter. It's obvious that there are going to be social nuances that are different between her relationship with him and mine.'

Even with that reasoning, he cannot help feeling the way he does.

Not long thereafter, they have left the tomb and are traveling back to the Wu Shi Academy through the forest. Once there, they proceed to the archives, a vast repository of knowledge from throughout the ages. Chronicled within are lineages, histories of kingdoms, legends and tales from Earthrealm and beyond. The ancient shelves are filled with texts, scrolls, wood cuttings and more. Jin has never quite felt as home in any place on the grounds as he does here.

"It's a bit stuffy in here," Ling says, sniffling a little. "Awful lotta dust..."

He ignores her comment and proceeds within.

"Where do we begin?" Sheeva asks, looking within the tallest alcoves of one wall.

>Artifacts of great power
>The naknada race
>Information on saurians
>Ancient kingdoms of Outworld
>Other

>>4475429
>The naknada race

>>4475429

>The naknada race

Naknadas. How the fuck do they work?

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>>4475431
>>4475432

Jin begins searching for and collecting texts relating to Outworld, specifically its many races and cultures. "What do you know of the naknada, Sheeva?"

"Very little, and I have never met one of their kind. It is said that they were all enslaved by Shao Kahn. Few races survived his conquering of their realm; only the most hardy could live in his empire, and the naknada were not. But where they lacked strength, they had wiles, and for a time lived under his rule. I do not know why they all vanished, but I know it happened not many centuries ago."

Jin finishes gathering what he can find, and begins the difficult process of pouring over texts. Ling, versed in the ancient script of Outworld, assists him, as does Sheeva, though she is not as proficient as Ling. Spending time with his cousin in the context of research actually surprises Jin with how quickly she is able to pick up on various topics; he'd even go so far as to say that he'd underestimated her capacity for learning.

It is only two hours into the task, however, that what he had initially expected occurs: her boredom overtaking her curiosity. She yawns and sets aside a book, leaning back to stretch her legs up on the table.

Sheeva continues her work, however, searching through less-wordy texts. "Behold," she says, turning a book around for Jin to see. It contains an impression from a carving dated several centuries back, and even then the original carvings found in Outworld are much older. It depicts a race of six-armed beings, adorned with many items and elaborate wardrobes, and Jin has difficulty translating the text beneath it.

Ling leans over. "Naknada," she says, pointing to the curves on both ends of the word that meet in the middle.

"I've seen that word before," he says, now quickly flipping through another book until he can find a certain page. "Here." His finger flies down the page, seeking certain passages out and reading them aloud. "...A vile and covetous vermin, its teeth and eyes yellow, its skin sickly green, and through its mouth is the language of one thousand lies. Demons without names; they are seekers, takers, collectors... Many-handed, and each hand grasping in greed... Trust that the serpent will be a liar, but be wary of the serpent who claims he is not a serpent and is clothed in gold."

"Deceivers," Sheeva says. "A foul people. Perhaps it is a mercy to the realms that Shao Kahn wiped them out."

"There are several other texts mentioned here," Jin notes. "Now that we have a reference point, we can learn more about them." He excitedly flies his fingers across another book, opening its pages, enthralled at the possibilities.

>The realm of the naknada
>The treasures of Outworld
>Naknada and Earthrealm
>Another topic; saurians
>Other

>>4475471

>The realm of the naknada
>Naknada and Earthrealm
>The treasures of Outworld

>>4475471
>The realm of the naknada

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>>4475600
>>4475683

Cross-referencing the translated naknada text to a book that contains information and legends on many different realms, it does not take long for Jin to learn about the naknadan home realm.

"Listen to this," he says as he reads. "Karstvol. It was a place of water and storms. A world of oceans broken up by spires of great rocks, like jagged teeth cutting the sky. The naknadans lived upon these surfaces, scaling them and living on the walls of these spires, subject to the cruel seas and storms that surrounded them, and the only thing more cruel to them than nature was each other." He goes on to read, "Apparently, their society was based entirely on the accumulation of wealth and power, because those brought safety. Gold and jewels from beneath the sea formed the basis of their hordes, but that wasn't the only source. Somehow they were able to 'crawl' into other realms, and take from them treasures back to their home. Eventually their spires were decorated with them as they decorated themselves. This is interesting; they apparently didn't have given names, but rather titles based on their functions in society."

Ling looks up, resting her cheek in her palm. "Let me guess: all their wealth and splendor attracted enemies? I mean, at some point Shao Kahn gets involved, so it's kind of a given."

"It's said that the realm was a cursed place whose inhabitants became too drunk on gold and began to devour one another in their greed. They couldn't sustain themselves with all the treachery and greed that ran rampant in their society, which made them weak. Shao Kahn conquered them in Mortal Kombat in ten easily-won victories, for they were not warriors." His eyes narrow as he reads ahead a little. "It is said, however, that they were crafty, and used magic to defend themselves. Not any spells of their own, but stolen items and knowledge from other places allowed them to survive." He looks up at them. "Makes sense. The accumulation of magic artifacts is like the accumulation of wealth; the more you have, the more powerful and protected you are."

"Vulnerable, more like," Sheeva replies. "Power drawn from wealth and items means only that you possess such power so long as you possess your treasures. If they are taken from you, what do you have left?"

"Well, seems like most of the naknada learned what that's like, because like Ling said, eventually they fell. Their ocean world was absorbed by Shao Kahn, and it is said that he cared not for their water, for it was salty and bitter, and so he kept it in a bottle. Their riches, however, he claimed for himself, and the naknadans found little love in their new home, with most perishing to the inhabitants of Outworld."

"That's all fascinating, but does that tell us anything helpful?" Ling asks.

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>>4476282

"At the very least, it gives us some context. If this Kollector is the last of his kind, and he's been collecting the most powerful artifacts he can get his hands on from various different worlds and realities, we know that they definitely won't do any good in his hands. So, if Otiak's word is to be trusted, he's worth stopping."

"Is there anything else?" Sheeva asks.

Jin looks on. "Not much after the absorption of their realm," he replies. "Wait..." He reads a passage over a few times. "There are some words here I don't recognize; I think they're Outworld-specific." He turns the book around for them to look at. Ling and Sheeva both lean over to look at the passage he is pointing at. "It's said that after they were enslaved, many of them were sent to exile and die in a place, but I can't translate the name."

Ling purses her lips for a moment as she thinks it over. "They were sent across the Sea of Giants to the Land of Gold. I know the Sea of Giants, but what is the Land of Gold?"

"An older term for the Golden Desert," Sheeva says, and then she relates a legend. "Once, great palaces of gold existed there, but they were destroyed, and the gold became as dust, mingling with the sand. Forever after it was known only as the Golden Desert. It is said that the land is cursed, for each people who attempt to make a life there suffer the same fate."

"You think these golden palaces belonged to the naknada?" Jin asks.

"It is possible," Sheeva replies. "But if so, then nothing of them remains."

"Cao once told me that he traveled through the Golden Desert and found a palace there," Ling relates to them. "Says he had sex with a vampire he was traveling with in it. That was what the story was really about, anyway. Never could tell if he was lying or not. He also said that there was some kind of vault underneath it, but he never opened it."

Sheeva folds her four arms. "I myself have traveled through the Golden Desert before. Structures exist there, but none of gold. Though, it is said that great treasures yet exist beneath the sands, hidden away. It is legends such as these that lure people to the desert to settle it, only for themselves to be swallowed by the harsh lands, as the naknada were if we are to believe it is they who raised the golden palaces. How foolish of a people from a water-realm to attempt to settle a desert."

>Perhaps we should find such a vault; naknadan treasure might lure him out.
>Research topic: Naknadans and Earthrealm
>Let's research artifacts that we may possess that could lure him out.
>There must be something specific that we're missing, some clue...
>Other

>>4476286

>>Research topic: Naknadans and Earthrealm

>>4476286
>Research topic: Naknadans and Earthrealm
So that's an Outworld desert field trip on the table, alongside Kung Lao's hat. Let's see if we can't find something more local.

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>>4476297
>>4476311

Reaching for another book, a historical text on deities and demons of ancient religions, Jin opens it up halfway. "It's well-known to us by now that many different cultures and practices are related to beings from other realms. Kotal Kahn was a god to the Aztec people. The ancient Egyptians worshiped gods who were beings like Raiden, only from the realm of Aaru. These naknada are described as possessing many arms, with blue or green or red skin, and many religions have beings such as these."

He looks up at Sheeva and says, "At first, I may have thought that these depictions were based on shokan, but look." He opens a page containing images of various beings from Hindu scriptures, in particular images of many-armed figures clad in elaborate gold, in each hand possessing a different item. "The shokan did not venture into Earthrealm, but the naknada did. What if they influenced, at least in imagery, some of these depictions of gods and other beings?"

"It is possible," Sheeva admits. "The shokan do not gird themselves in gold quite so much, it is not honorable. At least, not always. Some of our more ceremonial attire can be quite magnificent, but never as elaborate as these pictures."

"I bet," Ling says with a snicker. "The oh-so-honorable shokan would never show off in outfits of gold. Right."

"Now you mock my people?" Sheeva says, her nostrils and eyes flaring.

Jin clears his throat. "Maybe we should---"

"Your people have just as much a capacity for dishonor as anyone else," Ling points out. "Didn't Goro become champion by betraying and trying to murder his brother? And the stories I've heard about Kintaro's days in service to Shao Kahn aren't pretty, either."

"Their dishonor is their own! They are traitors to the crown!"

"Well, that's just the perspective of who has the crown currently, isn't it?"

Jin holds up his hands. "Woah, woah, let's not---"

"I will not hear such dishonorable prattle from the mouth of a child!" Sheeva stands up. "The shokan may have made mistakes, but---"

"MAY have?" Ling says as she too rises. "How many centuries was King Gorbak in charge and pledged in service to Shao Kahn, exactly?"

"I am your elder by more than two generations of your people. You will show respect!"

Ling laughs. "Oh, your age makes you a wise and respectable elder now? So what's a two-hundred-year-old doing with a twenty-something in her bed?"

Jin and Sheeva's eyes widen. "That's what this has been about?" the shokan asks. "You are jealous of my mate?"

"As if," Ling scoffs, looking away and putting her hands on her hips. "I just think you'd want to find someone as old as you are, for if I am a child, is not he as well?"

"I will not bicker on a subject such as this. It is beneath me."

Ling snickers. "What, like Takeda? I mean, I can only assume, since I doubt you'd let him take the lead, with that shokan pride and all."

"Perhaps you would respect me more if I were as promiscuous as you are, you dishonorable wench!"

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>>4476430

>Let them hash this out.
>Point out their flaws and strengths.
>Separate them.
>Call in for backup.
>Other

>>4476433
>Separate them.
FOR FUCK'S SAKE, WE'RE IN A LIBRARY. If you're going to have a bitchfit, can we at least do this outside?

>>4476430

>Separate them.

Ladies please.

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>>4476438
>>4476543

A book slams down on the table, causing Ling and Sheeva to both look at Jin as he puts his hand down upon it.

"Enough! I may not know everything about history, but I'm pretty confident that this kind of conversation has never happened in the Shaolin Archives, and as the only member of the Order of Light here, I feel qualified enough to say that it never SHOULD happen, either. Is this what we came here for? Name-calling and accusations? Now do I need to separate you two, or can you stop this yourselves?"

Sheeva stands firmly and turns her head. "As I said, this is beneath me. I shall be with the Grandmaster and Cyrax."

"Yeah, go hang out with the other relics," Ling mutters.

"I heard that," Sheeva calls out over her shoulder as she storms out.

Jin lets out an exasperated sigh. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"I'm not the one throwing temper tantrums."

"No, you're the one who thinks she can just say anything and that there won't be consequences."

"What is she going to do? Steal another young boy?"

"Steal?" He laughs, walking around the table. "I don't believe this. You ARE jealous of her!"

"I'm not jealous, I simply hadn't decided whether or not I wanted him, that's all."

"So now that he's off the menu, you suddenly want him more." A light goes off in his head. "I can't believe I didn't see this before. It's so obvious. It's like the turtle."

She cocks a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"You don't remember, do you?" He sits down and leans back. "When Lao first brought you here, you were a child, only a little older than me. And I thought, 'Wow, a new cousin to play with!' I was over the moon. And then I took you to my favorite pond, where me and my other cousins would feed the turtles, and I showed you which one was mine."

Her lips part and her brow furrows in confusion as she tries to remember what he's talking about. He continues.

"Even though there were turtles everywhere, you wanted my turtle. And when I wouldn't give him up, you took him and ran away with him, and you know what? I actually cried." He sits forward and asks, "Do you even remember what you did with the turtle? Because I never found it."

Remembrance comes back to her then. She shakes her head and holds up an empty hand. "I just... I let it go in another pond, because I didn't actually want it. It was just a stupid turtle."

"But not to me, because to little baby Jin, it was MY turtle. And you only wanted it because someone else had it, but when you took it, you didn't want it anymore."

"I... can't even believe you remember that."

"Well, I did cry, so it kind of stuck in my memory. But you know, I learned a lesson that day too: there are plenty of turtles in the pond, so why get upset about it?" He stands up and approaches a nearby window, looking out to behold Sheeva walking through the garden. "And here we are, years and years later, and you're still trying to get something you don't even want just because it's someone else's."

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>>4476555

After a moment, Ling lets out a sigh. "Fine, I get your point, I don't even really care about Takeda. He's cute and all, but..."

Jin looks back at her. "But?"

"I don't even know what I want," she admits in a sheepish tone. "I don't even know why I'm on this team."

"...What?" He faces her fully now and approaches her. "Ling, come on, you're a great fighter. Nobody can deny that."

"And that'd be great if I were alone, but I'm supposed to just get along with everyone else and that's something I'm not very good at."

"Is that why you're always so... Well, you know. You?"

She shrugs. "Maybe. But I don't really even like most of the team. I like Frost. And you're... okay, I guess. I liked messing with Takeda, but now he spends most of his time with her. And everyone else gets along just fine."

"That's not true. We're not exactly a well-oiled machine, we're more like... a bunch of odd parts that kind of fit together and are able to do work, but we're not the most efficient yet. I don't get along with everyone on the team either, you know. You don't see me hanging out with Cassie or Jacqui or Vapor or Sam when we're not on mission. Or Sheeva, for that matter. For a long time I didn't feel comfortable trusting her."

"So what changed?"

"I don't know, it's just... You spend time with people, and you get to know them, and understand them, and even if you don't like parts of them you can still fight alongside them. Even if I didn't like them, I'd still fight for them if they were down."

Ling averts her eyes. "I don't know if I could say the same. If I had the choice between saving myself and saving someone else, I'd... I don't know. Part of me says, 'Live to fight another day' or something like that. So sometimes I just get the idea that I don't belong here. Someone like Lex does."

He thinks for a moment. "She's your friend from Master Bo' Rai Cho's school, right?"

"She gets along with everybody, even me. I've been thinking about asking her to take my place on the team."

He reacts visibly, as though the notion is ridiculous. "Ling, you can't do that."

"Why not? Who'd miss me?"

"I would." He puts a hand on her shoulder. "You're family. This is where you belong."

She shakes her head. "That's just it. I don't feel like I 'belong' anywhere. Outworld, Earthrealm..."

>Relate about occasionally feeling like an outsider.
>We should talk about this with the others.
>Since you know now that you don't really want Takeda, Sheeva deserves an apology.
>We should talk about it with Lao.
>Other

>>4476556

>Relate about occasionally feeling like an outsider.
>We should talk about this with the others.

>>4476556
>Relate about occasionally feeling like an outsider.
>We should talk about it with Lao.
If anyone knows what it feels like to be a third wheel in something, it's the brother of the friggin' three (two)-time Mortal Kombat champion.

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>>4476561
>>4476563

Jin is initially quiet for sev before he responds. "I now how it feels to feel like an outsider. Sometimes I feel the same way, like I'm trying to fit into a place that doesn't fit me. It's how I saw the Shaolin, once. I probably wouldn't have joined if Lao hadn't been here. He told me something once that I never forgot."

"What's that?"

"'The sun will always rise and the sun will always set, and each day is different from the last.' People are like that, too. Sometimes we change for the better, sometimes for the worse, but we do change. What feels uncomfortable one day might feel less uncomfortable the next. We adapt to our surroundings and our surroundings adapt to us. The thing about people is that we can 'belong' anywhere, because we choose where we belong."

Ling listens to his words and is silent. When he's done, she looks up at him and gives him a tiny smirk. "Thanks for the talk, but I still feel the way I feel."

"Well, if we could everything with words, we wouldn't need to punch people for a living. But if you want, we could talk about your feelings with the others, or with your father."

"Maybe. To be honest, I feel a little odd to have even said it to you."

"I get it, it's not easy to open up. We don't have to do it now, but it's something to think about for the future."

"Yeah... sure." She looks over at the table. "We should probably get back to figuring out about the Kollector, huh?"

"I actually found an interesting passage here," he says, walking back to his side of the table. "It was before, you know, the argument. It talks about a horde of treasure that was stolen from another realm and lost on Earth, coveted by many-armed beings. They subjugated and destroyed many people and villages, but the treasure that was taken from them was never found. Later, when the many-armed ones left, the family that had hidden the treasure lived like kings, and their empire lasted for generations, but was then sealed away."

"So, where did it end up?"

"India. I've never been, myself. Could be worth investigating."

>Let's see the artifact vault of the Kung family.
>Let's go find Sheeva and you two can hash things out.
>Perhaps some more research on alternatives...
>We should return to base.
>Other

>>4476658

>Let's see the artifact vault of the Kung family.

Lets shop for some cool gear not licensed by the corporate NRS guys

>>4476658
>Let's see the artifact vault of the Kung family.

Oh shit we're live
>>4476658
Might as well look into alternatives while we're here, but a treasure vault sounds like a right proper good time

>>4476664
>>4476715
>>4478027
Up and awake, writing now.

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>>4476664
>>4476715
>>4478027

"Is it far?" she asks, unfamiliar with Earthrealm geography.

"Only a portal away. But first, I think we should pay the family vault a visit."

She frowns a little. "I was hoping to avoid the rest of the family on this trip."

"Sorry to disappoint you," he replies with a grin. He closes the books on the table. "Help me put these away?"

She holds several of the books as he walks along through the shelves, carefully returning each to their place of origin. "How do you remember where each one goes?" she asks after the eighth book.

"I just have a knack for it." He takes the final book from her and places it back, high up in one of the uppermost wooden alcoves. "That, and it's part of the training to remember everything in its place. They do it with rocks and things, too. It's about building discipline."

"At Master Bo' Rai Cho's school, he taught us to balance on bamboo sticks with jugs of wine on our heads."

"If you failed, did you get whipped?"

"No, you had to drink it all," she says, and a tremor surges through her from an evidently bad memory as she visibly wretches. "And then, you had to clean up what came out after. The training grounds never smelt the same..."

They share a quiet laugh as they depart the archives. Jin instructs a nearby younger monk to inform Grandmaster Lao and Sheeva that he and Ling are headed towards the Kung family's traditional lands. The fastest way to reach them is by river, and so they climb into a boat, with Jin steering and rowing.

The ride is mostly silent, with Ling looking out and observing the landscape, which is currently warm and misty. "I always thought this place was pretty, but I could never get used to the blue sky."

He shrugs. "Well, it might not be purple or orange, but it does have its moments. There's a place far north where the sky dances with lights of many colors in the night."

"Like fireworks?"

"Kind of, but like the fireworks of the heavens."

She considers the image he describes, then says, "I'd like to see that."

"Someday we'll see it together," he says, and it is not so much an offer as it is a promise.

Further up the river, two spires can be seen near the bank, not very tall but distinct, especially for them. Ling gets somewhat anxious. "I don't suppose we can skip the family reunion and go straight to the vault, can we?"

>Let's at least say hello.
>Why not stay for dinner?
>I think we can do that.
>Fine, but I'm visiting them on the way back.
>Other

>>4478118
>Let's at least say hello.

>>4478118

>Let's at least say hello.

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>>4478124
>>4478129

"Let's at least say hello," he says, and she rubs her arms in an uncertain manner.

Almost immediately upon reaching the shore and docking, mere seconds after stepping off onto the pier, a child from nearby calls out their names. In less than a minute, several members of the Kung family rush to enthusiastically greet them.

Jin happily receives them, whereas Ling has always been uncomfortable with their familiarity. To them, she is another member of the family, worthy of the same level of love and care they would bestow their closest of kin; something she has never been able to feel comfortable with. As Kung children of various ages, some only slightly younger than they, assault them with questions and stories, they make their way towards the households.

For generations the Kung family have kept this land, living lives as farmers, weavers, couriers, artisans and more. Theirs has always been a humble and warm existence, supporting each other in all of their endeavors, especially when it comes to those who go off to the city for schooling or those rare few who walked the path of their greatest ancestor, the Great Kung Lao, and became Shaolin. In the dozen-and-a-half generations or so since his time, the Kungs have become a prominent family in the region---and numerous, much to Ling's chagrin.

"Yes, yes, nice to see you again," she says as two little girl cousins pull on her hands. One of them tries to play with her prayer beads, and she slaps her hand away, while two boys dance in front of her, trying to get the attention of their 'big sis', a nickname that turns her stomach like the strongest of Bo' Rai Cho's drinks never could. She tries to smile and play nice as they walk, but it is a trying task.

Not so for Jin, who greets each and every one of his relatives by speaking their name, talking to them about how much they're grown since he's last seen them, asking about his various aunts and uncles and great-aunts and great-uncles and everyone in between. Ling's mind spins as she attempts to even remotely comprehend the number of names he can recall as he greets them: Chen, Wei, Fang, Ying, Na, Hua, Min, Fan, Li, Jing, Lei, Yang, Yong, Bao, Han, a different Wei... there are simply too many relatives.

At the top of the hill, at the base of the taller buildings, some of the adults have gathered. A round of greetings and hugs for all occurs, and Ling is not excepted from their affection. When this is concluded, the elder is brought forth: Kung Nuan, the current matriarch of the Kung family, a tiny woman who walks with a cane and whose eyes are not what they used to be. Her smile, however, is as warm as a summer day, for there are fewer joys to her than seeing family come home.

"Come here, children," she urges, and they kneel to hug her. She buries a hand into Ling's hair and pulls her close, squeezing her tightly. "So wonderful to see you! You must stay for dinner! We must hear all that you have to say!"

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>>4478169

"Actually, we were just on our way to the vault for something very important," Ling says, staring at Jin over the small woman's tightly-woven grey bun, her eyes begging him to get her out of here.

>Actually, dinner does sound wonderful.
>We shall return after we are done for it.
>Unfortunately, we cannot stay for long, as Ling says.
>Tease Ling by lingering a little longer.
>Other

>>4478170
>Tease Ling by lingering a little longer.
Unfortunately, we're still on official Defender business. I'm sure we'll get a care package of snacks nonetheless.

>>4478170

>>Actually, dinner does sound wonderful.
>Unfortunately, we cannot stay for long, as Ling says.

Maybe have dinner for a bit. Perhaps the Kungs have something interesting to say about the Vault.

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>>4478177
>>4478179

"We could stay for just a little while," Jin says, and her eyes go wide. He throws a teasing grin at her and says, "But it is true, we must be going."

The family is saddened, but understanding. After more than a few good-byes, which take entirely too long for Ling's taste, they are on their way, heading towards a nearby forest path. Shrouded on all sides by dense foliage, Ling shivers. "That was downright cruel, what you said back there."

"Oh, come now. Would dinner be so terrible?" He laughs at her reaction. "To think, you've faced monsters and demons and all manner of death-dealing warriors, but some time with family scares you the most."

"It's not that I am frightened," she is quick to defend herself. "I'm merely uncomfortable with how... friendly they are. In Outworld, strangers that are too friendly are to be distrusted."

"It's the same way in Earthrealm, actually. But those people aren't strangers; they know you, even if you've never taken the time to know them. If you did, you wouldn't find them so strange."

Up ahead, they stop and see Sheeva. She is standing in front of a temple, one that is ancient and much of it covered with plants that have crept up through vines. The stone path leading to its entrance is faded and worn, much of it covered with patches of moss, with lots of wild grass and flowers. Her back is to them as she surveys the area, both sets of arms crossed.

Jin gives his cousin a look, and she remains behind on the path as he approaches the shokan.

"This place is not well kept," she says, noting his approach without looking at him. "Kung Lao insisted it would be difficult to find, but it is not."

"Well, most people don't know what they're looking at when they come upon it," he explains. "It may look an old and abandoned shrine, but that's the idea." He pauses alongside her. "I've spoken with Ling. I do not believe that an outburst like earlier is going to happen again."

"I should expect not," she says stiffly. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I shall endeavor to remain dignified, as my station demands."

He looks over his shoulder at Ling, who leans on her staff just out of earshot, and then whispers to Sheeva, "Listen, she doesn't actually care about Takeda. She doesn't know what she wants, and sometimes it causes her to act out. She may not be at a place where she is willing to apologize yet, but I need to know if I can have you two be here together."

Sheeva's response comes after several pensive seconds. "As I said, I shall remain dignified. It would be dishonorable to insult someone on their family's traditional land."

"Okay," he says with a breath of relief and a nod. He then gestures over his shoulder for Ling to approach. She and Sheeva exchange the barest of glances before Jin walks up to the door.

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>>4478272
"I see no lock," Sheeva observes. "Your vault is without protection?"

"I wouldn't say that just yet," he says with a smirk. Placing his palm upon the door's center, he prepares himself by setting his feet apart and getting into a ready stance.

With a sharp breath, he withdraws his hand before rapidly striking it back outwards, hitting the door with his palm. Dust flies from its surface in a circular pattern that spreads outwards from the point of impact, and birds nearby fly away. Sheeva arches a brow as she waits for something to happen.

The shokan tilts her head back. "Well?"

"Patience," he says simply. "It has not been opened in some time."

There is the sound of a great bolt within unlatching, and bars moving. Before their eyes, the door slowly swings open.

"Phew," he says, straightening his stance and shaking his hand. "I was worried I had lost the touch."

"I do not understand," Sheeva says, approaching the entrance to stand alongside him and look within.

"It will only open with a certain strike," he explains. "Passed down through our family for the keepers of this place. A door with no locks, yet requires a key---or rather, qi."

"I see now. Very impressive. The shokan prefer doors that are too heavy for weaklings to lift, but I see the usefulness of this lock."

They enter the artifact vault. A starker contrast between its inside and outside could not be drawn, for it is a place kept by powerful magic and preserved from the forces of entropy. The interior is rife with vibrant crimsons and sashes of orange, with lanterns lining its walls, their candles ever-burning. To enter this place is to understand that it is no ordinary treasure room, but a place of respect built to honor the ages of the artifacts which it houses. The treasures themselves are kept upon pedestals, on the walls, within glass cases and placed in orange shelves. The vault is not very large, but wide enough for several dozen people to fit within, though it is clear that very few people have ever set foot upon its hallowed stones.

The stoic Sheeva herself is stricken with its quiet elegance. "I am honored that you have brought me to this place. I have seen many sights in my life, but I doubt I shall ever forget this one."

"So, where do we begin?" Ling asks.

Jin thinks hard about what may serve as a lure for the Kollector.

>A weapon of powerful enchantment.
>A treasure of priceless unique rarity.
>The ashes of an honored ancestor.
>The vault itself: we shall leave it open, and lure him here.
>Other

>>4478273

>A treasure of priceless unique rarity.

Naknada bitches love jewels.

>>4478273
>A treasure of priceless unique rarity.

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>>4478275
>>4478312

"The naknada like treasure, so I say we tempt him with something priceless." They spread out and look around. "Otiak has said that he's taken things from many different realities. From what I've understood, many realities are similar, but none are identical. There must be something unique in here that fits what we're looking for..."

Sheeva passes by a goblet of gold, then pauses. "This was from Outworld," she says, leaning in close to inspect it. "I believe this may be the cup that Shao Kahn poisoned Onaga with before claiming his throne."

"There are jewels here," Ling notes, pausing in front of a purple pillow with red gemstones laid upon it. "Fire stones from the hinparian kingdoms. Not very unique, but curiosities."

Jin pauses in front of a great banner, looking upon its intricately-woven patterns. "A tapestry depicting the fall of the Shinnok. Something tells me it's not his thing."

"A vial of Jinsei essence," Sheeva notes, looking upon a bottle of glowing blue liquid. "This would have been in many Earthrealms that this Kollector may have visited."

Ling lets out a laugh. "There is a bottle of Outworld rice wine here! Are we certain that Master Bo' did not leave this here and forget about it? How can this be a treasure?"

"Some things are more meaningful in their sentimentality than outright value," Jin replies, looking upon the crimson headband and bracers of the Great Kung Lao, a centerpiece in the temple. Above it hangs a collection of his medallions and belts earned from his many victories in Mortal Kombat before Shang Tsung corrupted the tournament.

"Texts, perhaps?" Sheeva asks, beholding a rack of scrolls.

"Perhaps the dao that sliced a thousand demon's necks with one stroke?" Ling thinks, gently tapping on the glass of its case.

Jin closes his eyes and thinks hard. 'There must be something we're missing. Something we're not guessing...'

Then, it hits him. "Guessing," he whispers aloud. "It's not about knowing, it's about not knowing..."

Sheeva turns her head from inspecting an ancient shokan statuette. "What did you say?"

"I've got it," he exclaims, running towards the back of the temple. Ling and Sheeva both walk to the center to follow where he is going. He arrives at a series of shelves full of boxes, chests, cases, coffers and all other manner of small containers of elaborate fashion, from jewelry boxes to more plain caskets.

"What are you looking for?" Sheeva asks as they both approach.

"Nothing, and everything," he says, confounding them both. "Ah-hah!"

He turns around, holding a golden box. It is surprisingly elaborate, with small, carved dragons crawling upon its surface. Not an inch of the box is plain, with iconography of the Shaolin and other groups fashioned in exceptionally minute detail in a nearly-hypnotic maze of lines layered atop each other. The handles are dragon tails, and the lock is that of a dragon's mouth. Four clawed feet emerge from each bottom corner.

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>>4478365

Ling tilts her head. "What's in it?"

"That's just it," he says with a wide grin. "Nobody knows."

Sheeva and Ling exchange confused glances as they attempt to puzzle through his riddle. "Then why not merely open it and find out?"

"Because then we would know, and the real power is gone," he explains. "We don't know. And that means nobody else knows, either. And that means it's a mystery. It could hold the most powerful item in all of this vault---or it could be empty. But could someone like the Kollector ever possibly resist the chance to know for certain?"

Their eyes light up in understanding. Ling is first to speak. "I see the game. Taunt him not with something he may already have, but with something he may not have, and he wouldn't even know until he opens the box."

"And the trap will be set," Sheeva finishes the thought. "A finer bait there could not be for one who seeks ancient treasures."

>Let's report this up to base.
>We should speak with Kung Lao.
>Let's go have dinner at the family house.
>Maybe we should take something else, too.
>Other

>>4478366
>Let's report this up to base.

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>>4478381

"Let's get back to headquarters and tell them about our plan," Jin says, heading towards the exit.

Ling holds up a finger. "Quick question: what if it doesn't work?"

"Then we think of something else, but based on everything I've read today, I think it will. Let's get out of here and get this door closed."

Tucking the golden box under an arm, he takes out his communicator as he steps through the entryway. But not less than two steps outside, Jin is suddenly assaulted by a wave of energy that causes his ears to ring. He stumbles back, nearly dropping the box and his communicator, which is now fried. His eyes open and they strain to focus on the sparking, useless device in his hand.

Both Sheeva and Ling, who were right behind him, are similarly affected. All three of them are given only a moment to react as a rocket launched from a missile tube flies at them.

Sheeva leaps forward, her hands burning, and she launches her palms in front of her. A brilliant surge erupts from her four palms, a white-hot fireball that meets the rocket halfway. The explosion nearly sends them all flying back, but they hold their ground, shielding their faces from the smoke and shattered fragments.

When the smoke clears, they realize they are surrounded by men in black and red armored suits, covered head to toe, with round-eyed red-glowing goggles poking from their masks. In their hands are various weapons, from shock prods to firearms.

All except one, who now drops the spent rocket launcher. He stands tall, with a black mane of wild hair and a matching trench coat. Some fashion of inner armor can be seen that rises halfway up his torso, which is exposed beneath, revealing scars. A gleaming silver pauldron decorates his right shoulder, and the left arm of his coat has been cut away, leaving the arm open, save for a black gauntlet worn strapped to his forearm. When he takes a step forward, he does so with metal boots, spiked on the bottom.

The buzzing in Jin's ears stops as he looks at Sheeva, who shouts, "Mavado!"

"Been some time," the man, evidently known as Mavado, says to her. "When I last saw, you, it was in Kuatan."

"You know this guy?" Jin asks her.

"He is a thief. He stole weapons from the shokan armory, and ran instead of fighting."

Jin does not know the man, but knows the soldiers of the Red Dragon clan. He looks down at this communicator, then reaches to his belt to withdraw his personal portal generator---which is, unfortunately, destroyed.

"Couldn't have you running off on us," Mavado calls out. To his left is a soldier with some kind of combination EMP/sonic cannon, a device that requires a tripod. The soldier stands behind it, and is aiming it squarely at them. "Now then: surrender, and this won't have to get ugly."

Several sparks leap out from a nearby Red Dragon's shock-sticks as he bangs them together. Nearby, two others appear, de-cloaking themselves, meaning that even more could be lurking.

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>>4478435

"What are you doing here?" Sheeva demands of him.

"Taking all of the artifacts in that vault back there. We've been waiting for someone to open that door. It was polite of you to do so, but now you're in our way. Lord Daegon will be pleased when I bring you three to him, I think. Especially your weapons," he says, looking specifically at Jin and Ling with his final words.

"Over our dead bodies!" Ling calls out, holding her spear in front of her.

He shrugs. "Either way, I get what I want." He gestures with his hands. "Take them down."

Jin equips his bow in the blink of an eye as the Red Dragon charge in. Sheeva immediately leaps high upwards, over the heads of several enemies, attempting to land directly atop Mavado. The lithe man flips backwards, withdrawing claws from within his red-lined coat to strike at her with.

Ling and Jin are left to deal with the others. With a brief shared look, they meet their foes weapons in hand.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>4478437

>>4478445
Sorry, it's been a while since I've ran, I should've been more specific.
>Roll 1d100 and describe an action
Example: Use the chakram to slice necks
Jin's special abilities can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12-IT8pOV-Zql8AQeJwJuojjMDWRtzdPb60i-9qKCQeo/edit?usp=sharing

>>4478449
Its Okay, I rarely follow.

Jin
Enhanced Straight Arrow
at the legs, we pepper the enemy while Ling keeps em at bay.

Ling
Scythe Trip

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>>4478460
>>4478445

Ling rushes ahead while Jin kneels, rapidly withdrawing a bow from the quiver upon his back. He nocks an arrow upon his dragon-headed staff, drawing a silver-white bowstring that appears between his fingers. He fires the arrow and it flies true, striking a Red Dragon soldier in the chest. The silver string vanishes as it leaves his fingers. The man with the arrow goes down to his knees, clutching at his chest as he finds himself unable to breathe.

Ling transforms the head of her staff into that of a scythe and swings it low, slicing through the leg of a soldier. He falls immediately, blood spurting from his stump as another soldier leaps at her with a shock prod staff. She brings up the shaft of her weapon to block his sparking attack, deflecting it and him off to the side with one smooth movement.

Nearby, Sheeva battles with Mavado, bringing up a leg to strike at him. He blocks it with both arms, then throws his claws at her. They are connected to red ropes, and as Sheeva blocks the claws they dig into her skin, allowing him to pull her closer and deliver a powerful dropkick to her stomach, bouncing off of her in an athletic backflip. The shokan steps back, shrugging the claws from her person as her eyes blaze red with fury. As he lands on his feet, she charges forward and tackles him, dragging him deeper into the forest.

Two Red Dragons leap down in front of Jin, one carrying a large machete and the other aiming some kind of taser pistol at him. The one with the machete moves to swing as the other one lines up his shot.

>Roll 1d100 and describe an action!

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>4478470
Chak-A-Rang
Throw it at the machete guy so he doges and it hits the guy with the taser, then have it come back to hit machete guy in the back.

Ling
Pole Vault Kick
an enemy into another enemy.

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>4478472
well fuck. since no one else is gonna roll this late at night we probably get tazered the machete guy probably didn't doge.....

>>4478472
>>4478475
It's alright, it's late evening here in Korea, so I'm about to head off to bed. I'll keep the ability to vote until I return.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>4478470

Shoot a fire arrow into the barrel of that soldier's taser pistol and perform a chakram throw at the machete guy's arm, chopping it off

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>4478470
Swat the taser soldier before he can get a shot off.

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>>4478472

Jin brings up his staff to block the strike of the machete, but this leaves him open to the man with the taser, who fires a clinging pin connected to a wire that leads back to the gun at him. Upon contact, volts of electricity surge throughout his body, causing him to seize and his muscles to loosen. His defense fails, allowing the man with the machete to follow through and swing his weapon downwards once more.

But he is Shaolin, and not so easily defeated. Gritting his teeth, he manages to fall back onto his other leg, harnessing years of training just to maintain his balance. The blade chops down, slicing his left leg down the side. It is a damaging blow, one that draws a fair amount of blood, but it is not fatal. It very well could have been had he not moved. With a swipe from the tail of his staff, he pulls the wire off, freeing him from the shocking prod and allowing him to move once more, though he is still dazed from the attack.

>>4478545

The clan member with the machete brings up his foot and kicks Jin in the chest, knocking him back onto the stones that lie before the entrance. As the one with the taser gun falls back to reload another charge, the machete-wielder attempts to leap atop Jin while swinging his weapon downwards. The Shaolin rolls to the left, causing the blade to strike stone. The zealous enemy is far from finished, and follows after him, swinging again and cutting Jin's backside. The pain is great, but his discipline is greater, and he shrugs off the blow and gets up to his feet with a flourish.

The man attempts to impale him, diving forward with the head of his weapon pointed straight ahead, but Jin leaps over him, his legs spread wide, and he lands between both of his enemies, just as the taser pistol wielder finishes reloading and aims again.

>>4478746

He does not get the chance. Jin swings his staff, the dragon head acting like a club, smashing the hands and weapon of the taser wielder. This utterly destroys the gun and wrecks his hands, but Jin isn't through yet, following up with a twirling strike not once but twice, spinning and hitting the man first across the shoulder and then to the side of his head. The clan member goes down, his mask cracked in half.

As he finishes his second blow, Jin turns to face the one with the machete, who advances towards him. He slams the tail end of his staff onto the ground, and the dragon head glows red before flames emerge from its mouth, spewing fire in an arc before him. It does not hit the man, but it forces him to fall back and think twice about charging him.

Jin spins his staff, its flaming head leaving a trail behind it as he does so, before pointing his free hand at the man and gesturing for him to come at him. At that moment, however, two other Red Dragon members rush at him from the side, and the one with the machete sees his chance and darts in as well.

>Roll 1d100 and describe an action!

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>4479059

Trip the first guy charging from the side and perform an uppercut with the staff into the second guy before shooting an arrow into the machete guy's eyeball.

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>4479059
Toss our Shaolin glaive to maintain space.

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>>4479066

With the reach of his staff, Jin has the advantage. He swings it low, into the legs of the nearest enemy, tripping them. As they fall forward, he continues the motion of the swing, allowing both its natural heavy head and his precise training to build up momentum as he curves it in a circular arc, angling it upwards to smash it into the jaw of the second clan member from below. The man is stopped in his tracks, sent hurtling backwards from the devastating dragon-headed uppercut.

Finally, as the one with the machete attempts to get in a third strike, Jin leaps into the air to dodge the attack. The man looks up at him, and it proves to be the last thing he sees, for whilst in the air Jin draws an arrow and fires it downwards, straight into the eye of the man's mask. The red lens shatters as the arrow pierces it, embedding itself deeply within his brain matter.

Jin lands nearby, atop a stone pillar. From this perch, he launches another few arrows at his foes. Down below, Ling continues to battle fiercely, using her staff to great effect as she swings it in wide, sharp arcs, keeping them at bay and striking from a distance. When one attempts to approach from behind, she swipes the lower end of her staff behind her, tripping him. This allows Jin to sink an arrow into his back.

After firing another volley, he spares a moment to look for Sheeva. She is elsewhere in the forest, somewhere nearby by the sounds of it, but he cannot see where she is. Suddenly he spies her as she leaps up high above the trees before vanishing once more, utilizing the great leaping ability of her people. Though he cannot see her battle with Mavado, he hopes she crushes him with the attack.

When he looks down, he sees a small group of Red Dragons heading towards the entrance of the vault, three of them. He is immediately filled with resolve; he is reminded that he is not only fighting for his life, but to protect his family's heirlooms.

>Roll 1d100 and describe an action!

Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>4479132

Stun Quiver one of the Red Dragons

Leap from the pillar to perform an Air Dive Kick

Shoot an arrow right through the neck of the third RD

Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>4479132
Hamstring shot the goons.

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>>4479128

Reaching to his belt, Jin withdraws his chakram. Gripping it tightly, he positions himself and then swiftly throws it. The circular blade deftly slices across the front of the group daring to enter the vault, cutting into the stone. They all stop as the weapon harmlessly flies in front of them---but that's exactly what Jin wants and expected them to do.

>>4479134

Focusing intently, the quiver on his back glows blue, activated by his qi. Upon withdrawing an arrow from it, the head too radiates with energy. The centermost lead Red Dragon is shot at, and the energy disperses from the point of contact in the center of his chest. The man goes limp, falling backwards, forcing the other two to step away from him.

With a smirk, Jin leaps from the pillar, keeping his limbs close to his body before exploding outwards, directing his fall in a diving kick at one of them. As he does so, he fires another arrow, this one without the stunning quality granted by his qi. As his foot meets the face of one Red Dragon, his arrow penetrates the neck of the other. They both fall, with one dead and the other merely knocked down. As that one tries to get back up, Jin smashes his head with the head of his staff in a falling blow, shattering his mask and caving the man's face in.

>>4479168

Jin looks towards Ling, or more specifically beyond her, for the sonic cannon that obliterated their electrical devices is about to fire again, having fully recharged. Knowing that a blast from that device could result in a fatal distraction, as its stunning capability is powerful, Jin immediately draws an arrow and fires. He shoots low, beneath the shielded upper body of the weapon, at the operator's leg. His arrow once more strikes true, and the operator stumbles backwards from the weapon, clutching his thigh, now hamstrung by the projectile.

Another goon moves to take his place, attempting to aim the turret at Ling, who is distracted from grappling with a burly foe.

>Roll 1d100 and describe an action!

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>4479396

Fling the chakram right into the man's face

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>4479396
>>4479410
Chakram

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>4479396
See if we can't chunk the gun itself.

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>>4479410
>>4479420
>>4479432

Jin rolls to his side, grabbing his chakram from the floor. As he raises it to throw, intent on destroying the gun itself, the man behind the turret fires. A wave of sonic pulsing energy hits them both, causing them to have blurry vision and ringing ears. The Red Dragon members, their suits and weapons purposely shielded against such an attack, are unaffected by it. Jin falls to a knee, planting a palm on the ground as he tries to keep steady, but Ling is not as fortunate. An enemy jabs her in the stomach with his shock prod, causing her to bowl over, whereupon she is kicked in the gut while she is down.

Jin attempts to get to his feet, but one of the Red Dragons decloaks behind him with a staff. He gets behind Jin and pulls the staff in front of his neck, attempting to choke him out. Jin struggles against the man's iron grip as he watches Ling suffer another prod as they jab downwards while standing over her.

Just then, the three Red Dragons standing over her stop, and their heads hit the floor afterwards, followed by their limp bodies. A high-velocity spinning blade circles the area, flying straight towards Jin, or more accurately, over his shoulder. It buries itself in the head of the man who was behind him, and the pressure on his neck relinquishes as he dies, allowing Jin to free himself from the hold. He looks back at the blade, seeing that it is a high-tech weapon comprised of many thin, folding blades---and in the center, a bright yellow link that connects them all.

The man behind the turret struggles to recharge the cannon when a yellow and silver sphere rolls out of the jungle underneath the tripod on which it is mounted. The sphere explodes and the bomb destroys the gun and the man behind it, flinging him backwards like a rag doll.

The remaining Red Dragon immediately panic and look around, trying to discern the location of their new enemy. A slicing noise is heard as a section of the forest falls away, revealing Jin and Ling's savior: Cyrax. The yellow-clad cyborg's hand is transformed into a rotating saw, identical to the one he launched a moment ago. His bright green eyes survey the area as he slowly turns his head, locking onto each enemy, cloaked and uncloaked alike.

"I have spent many years at this temple, seeking peace and harmony," he says, his deep mechanical voice amplified throughout the area, booming in its intensity. "It is very unfortunate for you that I have not found it."

His chest opens up, two panels parting to reveal a miniature cannon that launches another bomb which hits one of the Red Dragon squarely, utterly blowing him to pieces. As the Red Dragon reassess their current numbers and strategy, Jin and Ling take their chance and leap to their feet, each preparing for another bout, though Jin worries about the vault and Sheeva's current status.

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>>4479472

>Close the doors to the vault
>Finish off the Red Dragon soldiers with Cyrax and Ling
>Find Mavado and Sheeva
>Secure the golden box
>Other

>>4479475

>>Secure the golden box
>Close the doors to the vault
>Finish off the Red Dragon soldiers with Cyrax and Ling

>>4479475
>Close the doors to the vault
Securing the Kung vault is top priority. It's why they're here in the first place.

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>>4479476
>>4479480

'I need to reseal the vault,' he says, looking towards the open entrance. As Cyrax and Ling, the latter spurred to a second wind by the cyborg's appearance, take on the remaining Red Dragon members, Jin dashes towards the doors. The doors are heavy, and once closed, the magic that seals them will prevent them from opening once more until opened by those with the proper qi technique.

Grabbing hold of its stone handles, he drags one door, which slowly moves, stone scraping against stone. Behind him, he can hear the battle raging, but he focuses intently on his task. Finally, he manages to close one door completely, his muscles straining after the wounds he has taken, but like a true warrior, he rises above the pain and sees his task through. Now he reaches for the next door.

A bomb is thrown against the closed door, which clings into the stone with steel talons. Its red, jewel-like surface beeps audibly and flashes brightly a few times, giving Jin only a moment to react before it explodes. He flips backwards to safety, but this was no ordinary bomb, but a smoke grenade. Crimson-colored smoke fills the area in front of the door, allowing a mysterious figure to rush inside. Jin attempts to fire an arrow, but the red mist obscures his aim, and he hears his arrow striking the stone entryway.

Cursing the craftiness of his foes, he makes it to the entrance and runs into the temple. Within he sees a Red Dragon warrior, but one dressed differently from the mercenary-like tech-garb of the soldiers outside. This one's outfit looks almost ceremonial, styled in an ancient manner, with chainmail and plates of red steel decorating his person. Upon his chest is the emblem of a red dragon's head.

"Go no further," the Red Dragon commands, holding up a detonator. "My body is laden with explosives. If I press this, I explode, destroying all of your precious family artifacts. If I die, I blow up anyway. One wrong move from you, and I press this, and we'll go together. Do not think I will not do this, Shaolin. My devotion to Lord Daegon is absolute!"

The Shaolin hesitates. He knows that Red Dragon captured have bitten down on cyanide capsules within false teeth, meaning that they are more than willing to die for their cause. It is the primary reason why the Red Dragon have never been tracked down.

"I see you are smart, and know when you are outmatched," the man says. "We have come to claim only a few things. You may keep the rest, for the trinkets do not interest us, only the weapons. Do not let your pride destroy the honor of your ancestors, boy. What would they think?"

Jin grits his teeth and his grip upon his bow tightens. Is the risk of destroying the temple and its priceless heirlooms worth the attempt at saving them? Should he truly let them take what they wish, just to save the vault? Or would the vault be better left destroyed, its treasures lost, rather than any of them be surrendered to the enemy? And what of his own life?

>>4479741

>Stall for time
>Attempt to shoot him
>Surrender the temple to him
>Offer him a deal: your weapons instead
>Other

>>4479742
>Stall for time

>>4479742

>>Stall for time

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>>4479743
>>4479910

Jin's mind continues to race as he attempts to come up with a plan, deciding to instead stall for time until a solution presents itself. Slowly, he raises his empty hand. "You're right," he tells the man. "I don't want that to happen."

"Good," he says. "Your bow. Drop it."

Jin does just that, now raising both hands with palms facing the Red Dragon. "Let me ask you this: where are you taking the weapons?"

"As if I am fool enough to tell you," the man says before looking around. With one hand clearly holding up the trigger and his eyes darting between Jin and a nearby weapons case, he slowly makes his way over to it.

Jin watches him carefully. 'If he presses the button, he blows. If he dies, he blows. There must be some way...'

The man uses his free hand to break the glass of the case, and holds up a strait sword, a jian, to inspect it.

'Perhaps I could sever his arm. But if he bites down on that capsule, he's gone. I could attempt to drag him out before his death, but that is a very narrow window of time...'

The man takes a moment to break another case, his attention drawn between both Jin and his task at hand. He uses the hilt of the sword to shatter some more glass.

'My stunning arrow. I could shoot him, if I am quick enough, before he presses the trigger. But if I am a half-second too slow...'

The man, now with two sword shoved underneath one arm and holding another, backs away towards the rear of the temple. "Don't even think about it!" he says as Jin's eyes dart down towards his bow.

"One more question. Once you get out of the temple, what's to stop us from taking you down? You haven't thought this through all the way."

"Actually, we have." The man sets down the swords and reaches for his belt, never taking his eyes off Jin. He takes the bright red dragon head that forms his belt buckle off with an audible clicking sound. "I'll just be making a portal and escaping through that. Make one move and I'll---"

There is a subtle flash of blue light behind him, and Jin's eyes widen. The man notes his odd look, and turns his head---only for Kung Lao, standing with his razor-lined hat upon his head, to dart forward with lightning speed. With a mantis-like strike, he jabs but two fingers into the man's neck, and he seizes, his back going straight as he suddenly gags on his words. His hand lets go of the trigger, and Jin dives onto the ground to catch it. He does so, holding it delicately in his open palms.

The man falls, and Lao catches him, still holding his fingers to his neck. Jin looks up at him in disbelief. "Lao, you're walking?"

"I am not so weak that I cannot move when absolutely necessary," he says with a wry grin. His attention returns to the Red Dragon. "He will remain paralyzed so long as I apply pressure. Go, and assist the others."

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>>4481059

"But the door?"

"I am more than capable of leaving this place with the doors shut. There are a few tricks that you have yet to learn. Now go."

Jin nods, carefully tucking the detonator away so that it will not activate while carried on his person, and grabs his bow as he passes it. Once he gets to the door, he digs his feet into the floor and heaves as hard as he can, pulling with all of his strength. The door shuts, sealing the vault once more with its enchantment. Turning, he beholds the Red Dragon in retreat as Ling and Cyrax chase them through the forest.

>Assist Ling and Cyrax
>Find Sheeva and Mavado
>Return to the Kung family home and ensure they are safe
>Remain to guard the front of the temple
>Other

>>4481063
>Find Sheeva and Mavado
If Ling and Cyrax have that in hand, we need to address the one other loose end.

>>4481063

>Find Sheeva and Mavado

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>>4481066
>>4481069

Confident in their ability to handle the others, Jin now seeks Sheeva and Mavado. He runs in the last direction he saw them, and comes upon quite the battleground, with broken trees and burnt stumps forming several new clearings. He sprints through the area, following the general path of destruction that they have left behind, until he reaches the slopes of a nearby mountain.

There, upon the rocks, he sees his ally still doing battle with her agile foe. Mavado is a mobile warrior, continually on the move and using the environment to his advantage, utilizing his unique rope-hooks to both evade and attack with uncanny accuracy. As Jin enters view, he sees the man throw a hook up into a rock and pull, the claw digging into its side holding strong, allowing him to dislodge the boulder. It falls, nearly directly upon Sheeva, forcing her to leap backwards. Mavado himself throws out another rope, swinging away on it, further up the mountainside.

Jin takes out his bow and fires at the rope, smiling to himself when he hits it dead-on near the top, cutting it in two. Mavado falls, but lands gracefully, rolling as he does so.

"It's over!" Jin shouts out, a cocky grin on his face as he draw another arrow. Sheeva runs forward to stand alongside him. "The vault is sealed once more! Your plan to escape with the artifacts has failed!"

"Oh, I'm just getting started," Mavado calls out from his rocky perch. He takes out a detonator similar to the one used by his underling, and presses it. Several explosions rock the mountainside, all going off in synchronized fashion, quickly creating an avalanche. Jin and Sheeva reach safety in the form of a large rock to stand behind.

'Damn!' the young Shaolin thinks. 'He had those ready! Clearly, they weren't unprepared for a fighting retreat...'

When the rock slide subsides, they both emerge and scan the mountainside for him, but Mavado is nowhere to be seen. However, his voice echoes from somewhere, for he taunts them, "Until next time, Sheeva. I enjoyed our dance."

"Reveal yourself, you coward!" the shokan calls out, her voice booming throughout the area, but there is no response. She curls all four of her fists in rage, clearly greatly displeased to have lost him once more.

>Let him go and regroup with Ling and Cyrax.
>You and Sheeva will continue to try and track Mavado down.
>Return to the House of Kung vault with Sheeva.
>Travel back to the Shaolin temple.
>Other

>>4481462

>Let him go and regroup with Ling and Cyrax.

>>4481462
>Let him go and regroup with Ling and Cyrax.

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>>4481565
>>4481503

Sheeva is ready to pursue, but Jin holds his staff in front of her. "They were ready for this," he tells her. "Those bombs on the mountainside were planted ahead of time. If we follow him, we might find ourselves in a trap."

The shokan wants to protest, but his words make sense to her. Still, she is frustrated, and he shares her anger. These defilers managed to make it into the temple itself; at least, one of them did.

Jin lets out a sigh. "Let's regroup." He turns and leads Sheeva away from the foothills of the mountain, towards where he last saw Ling and Cyrax.

Several minutes later, the four of them are standing in a field that contains several dead Red Dragon. "A few of them escaped," Cyrax notes. "They were able to open a portal. Those that didn't are now dead."

"Not all of them," Jin tells them. "Grandmaster Lao managed to subdue one that made it inside."

Ling reacts with disbelief. "How?"

With a somewhat cocky grin, Jin tells her, "Don't underestimate your dad."

As Ling scratches her head in bewilderment, Cyrax approaches Sheeva. "Their leader?" he asks.

"Gone as well," she grumbles. "Mavado is like a snake, slippery and quick to vanish."

"Unfortunate," Cyrax relates. He looks at Jin. "The grandmaster was able to capture one alive?"

"He stunned him with a nerve strike. If he can get something into his mouth, he could stop the man from biting down on the poison capsule, and we could interrogate him."

"A live Red Dragon would be very valuable to the OWEA and Special Forces," Cyrax notes. "Their base is unknown to all Earthrealm organizations."

Their conversation is about to continue when they are suddenly beset by a strong wind. Turning to face it as leaves and grass are blown about, a figure appears in a whirling gust: Fujin. The white-haired god, clad in green, black and with a red cape, descends from his small tempest and touches down alongside them. His white eyes quickly and somberly drift across the area. "I see I am too late," he quietly comments.

They look at each other, then at the protector. Jin says, "Hardly your fault. These Red Dragon guys tend to pop up in unexpected places and leave just as quickly."

Fujin closes his eyes and shakes his head. "They are elusive, yes. I know they travel through portals, but am unable to sense them until it is too late. Too often they infiltrate the places they set their ambushes, sometimes many days or weeks in advance, and are careful to leave a cold trail behind. I am capable of detecting presences from other realms, but what makes these Red Dragon so dangerous is that they are not from another realm."

Leaning on her staff, Ling cocks a brow and inquires, "So, does that mean Sheeva and I appear as intruders to your senses?"

"You are friends. It is a different kind of air. Reading the winds can be difficult, especially when our enemy knows how to cover their tracks so well..."

>>4484700

>Can you give us a lift back to the Shaolin temple?
>I want to check on my family.
>Speculate one why the Red Dragon sought weapons.
>Our comms are fried; we need to report this up.
>Other

>>4484702

>>Our comms are fried; we need to report this up.
>Can you give us a lift back to the Shaolin temple?
>Speculate one why the Red Dragon sought weapons.

>>4484702
>Can you give us a lift back to the Shaolin temple?
>Speculate one why the Red Dragon sought weapons.

>>4484702
>Our comms are fried; we need to report this up.
>Can you give us a lift back to the Shaolin temple?

>>4484710
>>4484787
>>4484832
Sorry for the lack of updates today, had an absolutely awful headache all day. Writing now.

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>>4484710
>>4484787
>>4484832

Fujin's appearance temporarily distracted Jin from focusing on what is important. He turns to Cyrax. "That turret they had fried all of our electrical devices. We need to get word to the New Defenders, Special Forces, anybody you can."

"I already have sent out a general distress signal on all friendly channels," Cyrax reports.

"Good." Jin rubs one of his ears. "I've still got a ringing from when that cannon blasted us... need to get my ears checked out back at base."

Ling sticks a pinkie in one of hers and digs around. "Me too."

"What were they after?" Sheeva asks.

"Weapons," Jin tells her. "The one that made it into the temple told me as much. I don't know why, but I can imagine that it's for building up an arsenal."

"A frightful thought," Fujin says, cupping his chin. "It is known that the Red Dragon are thieves, and well-armed, but to specifically seek out ancient weapons and magic is worrisome in another manner."

Cyrax looks off to the side. "I shall remain here to scan for more enemy activity."

Now, Jin looks back at Fujin and asks, "Can you give us a lift back to the Shaolin Temple?"

"Of course. Hold tightly together."

Sheeva pulls both Jin and Ling close to her. Fujin begins to slowly wave his hands, and the wind around them begins to pick up. In very short order, a small cyclone is generated around them, kicking up dirt, leaves and twigs as they begin to lift off. A sense of weightlessness pervades their beings as the wind god pushes them upwards. Then, with a burst of sudden speed, they are off, soaring through the sky, their clothes and hair whipping about their bodies as Fujin guides their trajectory. Across the countryside, only a short distance when flying in such a manner, the spires of the Shaolin Temple and the Wu Shi Academy become clear.

They angle downwards, towards a courtyard, descending feet first. As they touch down, the small tornado slowly dissipates, and the four of them settle, though the three mortals feel a slight bit off-balance for a moment, unused to traveling in such a manner.

Guy Lai runs up to them, followed by a gaggle of monks. "Lord Fujin! We heard the sounds of battle from far away. Is everything alright?"

"The Red Dragon attacked the House of Kung's vault," the wind god replies. "They have been repelled."

The venerable monk, second in status at the academy only to the grandmaster, gives a distasteful look at Kung and Ling. It has never been a difficult thing to perceive that he bears little love for the Kung family, particularly Jin. He bows before the wind god. "It is good that you are unharmed, Lord Fujin." Jin's brow furrows slightly, noticing distinctly that his words only pertained to the Protector of Earthrealm and not themselves.

>Link up with Lao
>Wait for reinforcements to arrive
>Speak with Fujin
>Speak with Guy Lai
>Other

>>4485893
>Link up with Lao

>>4485893

>Link up with Lao

>>4485893
>Link up with Lao
We do have a prisoner, after all.

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>>4485902
>>4485907
>>4486020

Jin ignores the older monk and also addresses Fujin. "Thank you for returning us to the temple, Lord Fujin, but as we have a prisoner to deal with, we should get with the grandmaster." He is about to bow in parting, but then realizes something. "Wait! The box! We forgot it!"

But before he can panic or the others can question him, Fujin flourishes his cape and brings out the small golden chest. "You mean this?"

Jin quickly grabs it, and Guy Lai is infuriated that he would dare so brashly take an object from the hand of Earthrealm's protector. "Ah! Can't believe I nearly forgot this. It's the key to everything we came here for. I dropped it when the Red Dragon attacked us."

The elder monk shakes his head. "No discipline..."

Jin shoots him a nasty look of his own now, though Fujin is quick to intervene. "I did not know its purpose, but picked it up as we left with a stray strand of wind. I thought it may have been important."

"Very much so," Jin says with a nod. "Thank you again." Now he bows properly, as do Ling and Sheeva, and they depart, heading towards the grandmaster's temple.

"That was smooth," Ling comments. "Almost forgot why we were here to begin with."

"Oh, stuff it," Jin says over his shoulder to his cousin. "I had a lot on my mind, alright?"

Sheeva now jumps in. "Then we are fortunate to have attentive allies."

"Someone must pick up the slack," Ling says with a smile.

"There is plenty to be picked up," Sheeva replies, now with a wily grin of her own.

"I don't like this, this ganging up you two are suddenly doing," Jin tells them. "When I wanted you to get along, this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

They remain silent, but keep smiling.

Within the temple, they find Lao, once more seated with his hat in his lap, this time across from a man who is tied up in another chair. Jin recognizes the uniform the man wears, only now his mask has been removed, revealing a shaved head that has been ritualistically scarred with draconic tattoos. Within his mouth is a block of wood that has been tied at the ends behind his neck with thick string. The man is groggy, but his eyes dart around the room, focusing on them as they enter.

Ling walks around her father, placing a familiar hand on his shoulder. "I hear you're more up and active than you let on."

He looks up at her and smiles. "Just because the surface of the water is calm, does not mean a fish is not lurking below, little grasshopper."

"So I'm a bug in this proverb, am I?"

"Perhaps you would have preferred something about webs, spiders and flies?"

"...I'd still be a bug in that one, so no."

He pats her hand as Jin walks around towards the Red Dragon. "Excellent work, Grandmaster. You even knew to keep him from biting down on a false tooth."

"This is not the first time I have dealt with these zealots," he explains. "That and I do, on occasion, speak with old friends. They too have told me the difficulties of dealing with the Red Dragon."

>>4486565

>Tell Lao about the plan with the box
>Talk about past encounters with the Red Dragon
>What do you know of their leader, Daegon?
>Any idea how they get around?
>Other

>>4486572
>Talk about past encounters with the Red Dragon
>What do you know of their leader, Daegon?

>>4486572

>>Talk about past encounters with the Red Dragon
>>What do you know of their leader, Daegon?

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>>4486575
>>4486586

Jin kneels down next to the captive, sparing a quick glance at Lao. "You've fought them before?"

"Only once, not long after Shinnok's invasion of Earthrealm. Ever since that time, they have grown increasingly bold, yet never any less clever or crafty. When they appear, it is suddenly, and they vanish as quickly."

"Tell me about it," Jin mutters. "They definitely don't go in unprepared, either. A confident enemy is one thing, but a smart enemy is another; they had bombs in place to cover a retreat."

"Time is on their side. They can plan and plan and plan, and their execution will more often than not be flawless; even if their initial plan fails they often have a backup plan. And even if captured, they are willing to die for their cause." Lao looks at the captive, who glares at him over the wooden block in his mouth. Even now he bites down upon it as hard as he can; Jin can almost hear the straining of his jaw.

"How does Daegon convince so many to throw their lives away for him?" Jin wonders aloud.

"There exist many rumors and legends about the man known as Daegon, and I suspect a good number of them are merely myths to build him up in the eyes of his followers as well as his enemies. They say he is immortal, a master of fire, that he commands a legion of dragons and has killed ten thousand men. They say he has the teeth of a dragon; some say he even is a dragon in human form. Even if these are lies, his followers believe them."

The man struggles against his bonds fiercely for a moment before tiring himself out.

"They fight and die at his whim, never revealing what they truly know. There is one man who lived through an encounter with Daegon, and it is Takahashi Kenshi."

"Takeda's father?"

"The same. The Red Dragon murdered his wife, and he has since dedicated it to the eradication of the clan. He tracked them down while they were in Outworld, but it did not go well. It was only the intervention of his son and Kaito that he survived, for he had been left to die."

"Takeda told me about that. Perhaps Daegon left him alive as a warning?"

"More likely he left him to suffer, not expecting anyone to rescue him, but your theory could be just as true. We know very little of the man behind the veil of the Red Dragon... but now, I suspect we will learn more."

A young monk quickly approaches the entrance of the temple, his swift feet carrying him up its steps with great urgency. "Grandmaster. More are arriving; Americans with guns."

"That would be your reinforcements, here for the prisoner," Lao says. "The Shaolin give him up freely."

Jin bows and proceeds outside with the others where he sees Colonel Briggs with a military escort, including Cassie Cage and his daughter Jacqui. The monks look on from a guarded distance as the Special Forces soldiers approach the main temple.

Guy Lai boldly intercepts them. "Weapons are not permitted within the temple."

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>>4486920
Jin walks up and holds up his staff, and then gestures to Ling's qiang. "And what are these? Don't be a hypocrite. It doesn't suit you. These are friends as well."

"We're only here for the prisoner," Jax says. "If he can be brought out to us, fine."

The elder monk gives Jin another stern, harsh look as he raises a hand, commanding two nearby adult monks to gather the prisoner from the Grandmaster. The Red Dragon is brought outside, struggling against their iron grip, and the transfer of custody is quick, with the soldiers taking possession of him and immediately securing him with additional binding cuffs.

Cassie walks up to Jin. "I thought you came here to learn, not go fishing. Quite a catch either way."

"Sometimes you go looking for a fish, and sometimes it comes looking for you," he replies. Then, he shakes his head. "I'm starting to sound like Lao."

Guy Lai points in the direction the soldiers came from. "You have what you seek. Now, leave this place."

Jax doesn't challenge the authority, nor the tone, of the monk. He lights up a cigar and turns, directing the men to begin preparation to leave. A portal device is prepared.

Jacqui approaches Jin, Ling, Sheeva and Cassie. "The message Cyrax sent said you guys were down your portal generators. You coming back with us now?" She takes out a personal portal device. "Otherwise, we brought a few extra for you to use, and new communicators, though fair warning, the tech guys are really upset that yours were destroyed."

"Yeah, well, let 'em be," Jin says. "All part of the job, right?"

>Head back to base
>Explain to them the plan with the Kollector
>Remain here for the time being
>Go see your family
>Other

>>4486921
>Explain to them the plan with the Kollector
Now we need a site to draw him out.

>>4486921

>Explain to them the plan with the Kollector

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>>4486937
>>4487072

He turns to regard Jacqui specifically. "Anyway, we've got what we need to lure out this Kollector." He then holds up the golden box.

Their eyes alternatively widen and narrow as they behold the intricate designs of the dragons and carvings on it. "What's in it?" Cassie asks.

"Can't say," Jin replies. "Otherwise, then more people would know."

"Well open it," Cassie prods at him.

"Ah-ah-ah, it's a secret," he says with a knowing grin.

Not enjoying being left out of the loop, Cassie folds her arms. "Seriously? C'mon, let's have a peek at least."

"The fact that you want to know what's inside is exactly why it's the perfect bait," Jin tells her.

Realization colors their faces, though Jacqui is the first to get it. "That's brilliant," she compliments him. "It's so simple, it's foolproof."

Jin taps the side of his nose. "On the contrary, we want it to specifically attract someone fool enough to fall for it. Fool-prone, more like it."

Cassie nods. "Alright, I like it. So, JB, how'd Otiak say he'd contact us?"

"He didn't. He gave some cryptic 'you play your part and I'll play mine' spiel and then poofed away."

"So, we wait for him to come to us. Easy enough. We just need to figure out where."

"We should keep box at base until he shows up and says that it's game time," Jacqui suggests. "He said we had a very limited window of time before the Kollector 'gets what he wants' from our reality, so he should show up soon."

"He never said what that was, did he?" Jin asks. Jacqui shakes her head. "This all better be worth it."

"If he can do what he says and actually lead us to the saurian queen's lair, it'll be worth it," Cassie replies.

>Hold onto the box for now
>The box will be kept here at the Shaolin temple
>Bring the box back to HQ
>Give them the box to take to HQ; remain here for now
>Other

>>4487201

>Hold onto the box for now

>>4487201
>Hold onto the box for now

Sorry for the slowdown, we're moving barracks here in Korea, it's been a long process.

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>>4487205
>>4487287

Jin hesitates for a moment. "I think I'll hold onto the box for now. Just to make sure it stays safe."

Cassie raises a brow. "You sure? I mean, we have security staff and---"

He cuts her off. "I already kept a group of Red Dragon from getting their hands on this and the rest of my family's treasures. Plus, the Special Forces staff aren't exactly Shaolin, you know?"

Both Cassie and Jacqui shoot him a look that is equal parts surprised and offended. He realizes he may have let a little too much cockiness through in that last sentence, considering he is speaking with two Special Forces soldiers, and clears his throat. "What I meant was---"

"No, I think I got it," Cassie says with a frown. "Nice, Jin."

"Yeah, classy," Jacqui adds.

"Oh come on, I didn't mean anything by it. The box is going to be safest in one of our hands."

"So, why not mine?" Cassie asks. Jin hesitates, and she puts her hands on her hips. "Well?"

Again, he hesitates. "Look, it's not that I don't trust you."

"Feels like it."

"It's that I want to make sure this works!" he says. "This is my plan, and it's a damn fine one, and I can't risk it being ruined." He realizes too late that he's again said too much and mentally slaps himself. 'Oh, here we go, lecture time...'

"Part of being a team is working together and coming up with a plan together and executing it---" she pauses for effect, "---TOGETHER."

Jacqui, piggybacking off Cassie's remark, throws her lot in as well. "It's also about being able to trust that other people on your team can pull off their part of the plan. Thinking they can't isn't going to get anyone anywhere."

Jin rubs his face. "Look, I grew up training here in the temple, day after day of routines and traditions and ceremony. Part of those intricate and choreographed martial arts is relying on others to be where they need to be, so I don't think we need to go through the military 'trust fall' phase. I know what it means to be on this team."

Cassie looks about ready to go off. "And you think the military isn't about routine, tradition, discipline and ceremony?"

He sighs. "It's not exactly the same, Cage." They're both about to retort when he holds up a hand. "Look, the end of this conversation is that if I give up the box, some fool is going to slip up and look inside and know what's in it. That could ruin everything. What if the Kollector has some way of knowing they know? Or seeing what they've seen? Only someone with the mental discipline to truly convince their opponent that they know something they do not know should handle this."

They are both silent for a moment, then step back, with Cassie holding up her hands. "Wow. I've never been called an undisciplined moron in so many words. Let's get out of here, JB."

Jacqui shakes her head and follows Cage off, leaving Jin standing there with the box tucked protectively under one arm.

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>>4501870

'Ego,' he thinks with a shake of his head. 'Everything's got to be about them. Why can't they see the bigger picture, like me?'

>Meditate
>Speak with Lao
>Return to the family vault
>Check on your family
>Other

>>4501871
>Speak with Lao
A Kung insists on protecting a Kung family treasure himself, and suddenly everyone gets pissy. What's the deal?

>>4501871

>Speak with Lao

>>4501871

> I cannot wait for Humble Lao to dunk on us for being like he was when younger

That said.

> Speak with Lao