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Fan Fiction
| Mortal Kombat: Afterlife |
| Chapter 1: Second Chance |
By: Iced Guardian |
DISCLAIMER: OK, first things first. None of the MK characters belong to me, Midway own them.
I'm not doing any money or whatever with this, so don't sue.
SETTING: This story is based on MK: the movie. Losely, though, since most of the action
happens in a different time and place. I added some scenes that COULD'VE (and should've,
IMHO) happened in the movie and don't compromise the events that take place in it.
Basically, this story is what happens to Johnny Cage after Shao Khan kills him in MK: anihilation.
I think that really SUCKED and I wanted to do something about it since he's always been my
favourite character since the first MK game. I also included(they're major characters, actually)
Stryker and Nightwolf in it since I think it's a shame we didn't see more (any in Stryker's case)
of them in the movie. Oh yeah, also, in this story, the end of MK: anihilation is a bit different:
Rayden doesn't become an elder God. He's just the good old Thunder God we all love... : )
FEEDBACK: Nice word, isn't it? Two possible ways: icedguardian666@yahoo.com or reviews
at fanfiction.net
Anyway, I'm planning to write several chapters and there's going to be violence(well, duh!) and
romance, so be prepared...
OK, I'm not sure about the rating. Probably PG-13 or R for this part...
Iced Guardian
Walk on fighting...
Don't look ever back...
Walk on fighting...
Don't you look back to your cries...
"Walk On Fighting", Edguy
Mortal Kombat: Afterlife
Chapter 1: Second Chance
"Woooaahhhh!" Johnny Cage screamed as he fell flat on his back. He groaned and looked up
only to have the time to see the blue portal above him disappear in a flash. He brought his
hands to his neck on an impulse. After he realized it was undamaged, he ran his hands on his
chest, stomach and thighs. He was in one piece all right. He was even wearing the same
clothes he had on when...
"How in.." he mumbled.
The last thing he remembered was Shao Khan's tight grip. And then there was a black out.
What happened? Shao Khan was going to kill him, wasn't he? Shouldn't he be... dead?
Johnny shook his head and looked aroud. His eyes widened as he noticed that he was
surrounded by trees with blue and purple leaves.
This sure wasn't the forest near the Temple of Light.
"Blue and purp..." Johnny began, but stopped as he realized his head hurt like hell. He sat up
and rubbed the back of his head to see if there was any injury, but there wasn't.
He decided to get up, but as soon as he got back on his feet, he tripped and collapsed.
"What the f..." Johnny mumbled. His body suddenly seemed to go numb. He felt extremely
dizzy for a few seconds. His vision was blurred and he couldn't hear anything.
He rolled over and laid down on his back with a groan.
Something was wrong. Deadly wrong. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and tried to figure
out what the hell had happened to him.
* * *
"Who the hell does he think he is anyway?" Sonya mumbled as she paced around.
"If he thinks I need someone to watch over me, he's damn wrong." she added angrily.
She had tried to get some sleep earlier but just couldn't. She decided she needed some air.
At least Shang Tsung had given them decent rooms, she thought. Hers was more like a small
suite, but it was kinda nice, if you forget the fact that it was located in a creepy castle that
belonged to an evil sorcerer who was trying to conquer the world and whose speciality was to
steal souls. She went on the balcony and looked at the stars. She sighed.
It had been an horrible week. Had it been a week? She wasn't even sure about since how long
they were stuck on this island. Was it four, five or six days? This whole Mortal Kombat thing
was turning into a nightmare. She wondered if any of them would ever leave this island alive.
Most of the Earth warriors were dead. Goro had slaughtered all of them.
The only ones left were Liu Kang, Johnny Cage and herself.
How could a human possibly defeat that monster?
She then thought about Johnny. He had told her earlier that he had challenged Goro and
was going to fight him tomorrow. The arrogant bastard said he was doing it to protect her and
Liu. How could he dare? Does he think she's helpless and can't defend herself?
Sexist pig, she thought. She was blazing furious at him and didn't know what stopped her from
beating the crap out of him. Strangely, though, she was also extremely worried about him.
He may be an egoistical jack-ass who seems to never run out of smart-ass remarks, but she
had kinda began to like his companionship even if they had only been together for a few days.
Sonya frowned and shook her head.
What was she thinking? Did they actually have a conversation that didn't end up as an
argument? Did they actually act nice with each other? She couldn't even recall one
occasion. They would've probably killed each other if Liu and Rayden hadn't been there.
She smiled at that last thought.
"Couldn't sleep either?"
"Wha...?" She quickly turned around. She saw Johnny standing behind her with his hands in
the pockets of his black robe.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." he said softly with a smile.
"I wasn't scared!" Sonya answered fiercely while tightening her robe.
He looked at her for a second with a raised eyebrow but lowered his gaze and slowly walked to
the ledge of the balcony. "Whatever." he shrugged. He took his hands out of his pockets and
leaned forward the ledge. He sighed and looked up at the sky.
"Why did you come here?" she asked startled.
"Sorry I had to break in. I knocked, but you didn't answer, so I let myself in." he explained.
"You didn't answer the question." she crossed her arms and gave him a severe look.
"I know." he sighed again.
"Well?" she asked with a hint of impatience in her voice. She was now getting worked up.
"I..I.." he stuttered. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about tonight." he looked at her for a
response, but she didn't move or react. He turned his head around to look at the stars again.
"I'm sorry if what I said earlier came out wrong. I didn't mean to insult you or imply that you can't
take care of yourself." he paused. "It's just that... there's no way you or Liu can stand a
chance against that monster." he looked at her again.
She stared back at him in disbelief.
"Is that your best attempt at making an apology?" she asked incredulous.
"Listen, I didn't came here to fight." he replied calmly.
"I don't believe it! Is that how you usually patch things up? Well, let me tell you one thing: you
suck at it!"
"Dammit, Sonya! Why do you make it a point to hate me? What did I do to you anyway?
Can't you put your pride aside for a moment and let people care for you?" he snapped. He
didn't turn around to look at Sonya, but she saw him clench his fists.
"Even if I'd want someone to be concerned about me, what makes you think I'd want you to, of all
people?" she asked harshly.
"I'm just trying to help, Sonya! I just don't want anything to happen to you and..." he began.
"Oh, can it Cage! I didn't ask you anything and I certainly don't need your pity!"
"I don't pity you, Sonya!" he looked at her for a second. "I lo..." he stopped and shook his head.
"You know, it's not a flaw or a weakness to show emotions once in a while!" he said sharply.
"What does this have to do with anything?" she narrowed her eyes.
"A lot."
"Oh, I see. So now you're the poor victim." she huffed.
"I didn't say that." he rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to..." he paused and stared at her
"What's wrong with you, Sonya? I tried to be nice with you but all you do is insult and snob me!"
"Nice? Give me a break! I can't believe you actually know how to spell the word! And don't
lecture me about not snobbing people, Johnny Cage!" she angrily replied.
He sucked in his breath. "I thought I could talk some sense into you, but I was obviously
wrong..." he hissed as he turned around and walked off.
"Not so fast!" she barked as he was about to go back into the suite. "This isn't over!"
"Is there anything left to say?" he stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around to look at her.
"What makes you think you'll be able to defeat Goro anyway? Liu's the best of us and you
know it!" she pointed out.
"Liu's good, but he's too honorable and predictable." he shook his head. "Goro's expecting him
to be the main competition. Anyway, why should he even worry about the most selfish and
arrogant human being ever?" he asked sarcastically, referring to one of Sonya's many insults.
"I take it you have a plan?"
"Yup." he nodded. "Not a perfect one, but it bumps the odds up to fifty-fifty." he shrugged.
"You're serious." she stated. "What do you have in mind?" she asked curious.
"Can't tell."
"How's that?"
"This is Shang Tsung's domain. I trust it as much as I trust him."
Sonya closed her eyes for a second and shook her head as she understood he wouldn't tell her
anything else. He was right about that one thing, though, she thought.
"Why are you really doing this?" she asked seriously and looked directly at him.
"I told you. Someone must stop Goro before he kills someone else." he answered without any
emotion in his voice.
"There's more to it. You wouldn't do something unless you'd get something from it." she paused.
"Is that it? An ego trip? You want to proove you're the best?" she asked coldly.
"Oh my God! Do you really think I'm..." he turned around and looked at her with a shocked
expression. He was hurt and she could see it. Sonya almost regretted that she had said these
words. He narrowed his eyes but then looked away. "Art." he blurted.
"Art?"
"You heard me." he sighed annoyed. "Something inside me snapped when I saw him die."
"You two were good friends?" she asked intrigued. She remembered seeing them chat a bit, but
that was all.
"Kind of, considering we only met a few days ago. It's just that we got along well and...
In other circomstances, we could've been friends..."
Sonya didn't comment as she realized he was serious. She softened a bit.
"I.. I'm sorry." Sonya felt a bit ashamed for a second. "I didn't mean to be harsh. I had no reason
to overreact. It's just that I don't like the idea of someone..." she began softly as she stepped
closer to him.
"There's something else." he interrupted her. He turned around and reached for her hand.
Sonya didn't know why, but she didn't stop him. He grabbed her hand and put it in his and
looked down at their palms.
"I don't know what I'd do if something happens to you. I know it sounds stupid since we're always
fighting and we only know each other since a couple of days, but..." he stopped and stared
intensely at her. "Even though this week had been a real living hell, I enjoyed in an odd sort of
way sharing it with you. You were actually the best part of it." he smiled shyly.
Sonya gasped as she jerked her hand out of his grasp and took a step back. She wasn't
expecting this. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.
"Just don't say anything. It's hard enough this way." he turned around and started to walk away.
"Johnny, I..." she started, but couldn't find the right words.
He stopped in his tracks and chuckled.
"It's the first time you used my first name alone. Ironic, isn't it?" He shook his head and left the
balcony. Sonya was speechless and just looked at him leave her suite.
"I'm so sorry, Johnny..." she whispered after she heard him close the door. She wanted to go
after him, but something stopped her.
"Oh God..." she murmured. She leaned against the wall and let herself slide down. She sighed
and buried her head in her hands.
"What was that for?" Johnny asked with a smile after Sonya had hugged him and kissed him on
the cheek. Sonya didn't answer and just smiled back as she clung to his arm.
"You know, Liu's the one who did all the dirty job..." he raised an eyebrow.
"Who cares? He's got Kitana to cheer him up." her smile widened.
"Ohhh.. And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked playfully.
"I don't know. What do you think?"
"I can imagine a lot." his smile got bigger.
"I'll bet you do..." she rolled her eyes.
"Hey, you're the one who asked." he pointed out.
"Then I take it back."
"Fine." he shrugged.
"Fine." she sighed and looked around. "I can't believe this is all really over."
"So do I. But I prefer to see it as a new beginning." he said seriously, glancing at her.
Sonya looked up at him. He brought his hand to her cheek and slightly caressed it.
"I really mean it, Sonya..."
Her response was to look down.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I... I'm just so sorry, Johnny..." she apologized.
"For what?" he asked confused.
"The way I've been acting with you since we've met each other. I had no reason to behave the
way I did. I wasn't being fair to you..." she explained.
"Hey, I forgave you the second I left your appartment last night." he said soflty as he
stroke her hair. He ran his hand down her jawline and lifted her chin so he could look into her
eyes. "I've never been mad at you. Never." he smiled at her.
She just nodded, incapable of saying anything.
"It's OK..." he said as he pulled her into an embrace. "Me too." he whispered.
They just stood there for a few moments, obviously happy to be with each other.
"I think we'd better catch up with the others. I'm betting Rayden would like to talk to us."
he said as he broke from their embrace and looked at Liu and Kitana who were now surrounded
by a group of celebrating monks. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
She nodded and smiled.
"So what's gonna happen now?" he asked as they started walking.
"I don't know, but I'm kind of scared. You?"
"Petrified." he chuckled.
"What?" Sonya asked as she looked at him, wondering what was funny.
"Facing Goro was nowhere as scary as this is." he answered with a smile.
"Hey!" She slapped him on the arm.
"I'm sorry, Johnny. I should've been able to protect you, but I failed." Rayden stopped, his voice
breaking with emotion. He looked up. "I hope you'll forgive me, wherever you are."
Sonya allowed tears to run down her cheeks as Rayden said these words. She was tired of
being so strong. She didn't allow herself to cry or grieve over Johnny's death while Shao Khan
was still a menace, but she couldn't hide her pain and sorrow any longer. Jax put an arm
around her shoulder and tried to comfort her as best as he could. She was well aware that he
couldn't understand what she was going through, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless.
Liu and Kitana were standing next to her. Liu was looking down at his feet and had his eyes
closed. She could see a single tear run down his left cheek. Kitana had her head down too, out
of respect. Kitana didn't know Johnny as much as Liu and Sonya did, but she was well
aware that the three had grown close during the Mortal Kombat. Sindel was standing next to her
daughter with her arms crossed and a solemn look on her face. Sonya looked down at Johnny's
grave. Since they didn't have the body, Rayden had broke into Johnny's house and brought back
some of his stuff. The only things left of him were a pair of sunglasses, several copies of some
of his movies and a picture of him taken from some magazine. She sobbed and rested her head
on Jax's shoulder. It just wasn't fair. Why did he have to die? And the worst thing was that he
did it to save her. She just would've wanted to get the chance to tell him that she loved him too.
* * *
Johnny suddenly opened his eyes. For a second he wondered how long he had been out.
He quickly sat up and looked around only to see that he was still in the same mysterious forest.
So this wasn't just a nightmare.
"No it couldn't..." he said aloud as he recalled the vision he just had. His friends were gathered
around an empty tomb and a man that Johnny didn't recognize was speaking.
He somehow looked like a younger version of Rayden, but Johnny was pretty sure it wasn't him.
Sonya and Liu were crying while Kitana was clinging to Liu. There were also two persons he
had never seen: a muscular black man and a long-haired woman that looked awfully familiar.
Everybody was there except himself and Rayden.
"No..." he whispered as he understood what the vision was. His funeral. It was the only logical
answer. Shao Khan killed him and they were grieving over his death. But what of Shao Khan?
Johnny assumed his friends defeated him since they all seemed fine and there were no signs
of armaggedon or whatever Shao Khan was planning to do. Rayden's absence bothered him.
What happened to Rayden? Johnny was sure he wouldn't have missed his funeral.
Did he die too? Could he die anyway? He was an Immortal, wasn't he?
Johnny groaned and massaged his temples. All of this didn't make any sense. If he was truly
dead, why did he still have his own body and why was he sent here through a portal?
Was this the afterlife? Or was he in some other world or parallel universe?
Normally, he wouldn't even consider those thoughts, but fighting wizards and demons that came
from other dimensions taught him to never say never. Not anymore.
There's got to be an explanation, he thought.
But Johnny knew he couldn't find it right here and right now. He slowly got up and decided to
get out of this forest and find out where the hell he was. He could hear birds squawking.
"At least this place isn't dead..." he muttered as he followed what seemed to be a trail.
After a while, Johnny noticed he seemed to not go anywhere. The trees all looked alike and he
was almost sure he had followed a circular pattern. He kicked a tree in frustration.
"Dammit!" he cried. He was going for another kick when he realized the forest had suddenly
gone completely silent. A disturbing silence. "Uh oh..." he mumbled as he looked around.
He couldn't see anything or anyone in the surroundings. That's when it hit him. This scene
reminded him of his battle with Scorpion. The forest, the silence... It was almost a reenactment
of the scene. Almost.
He saw something moving towards him from the corner of his eyes and dove to the ground.
TAK! TAK! TAK!
As soon as he hit the ground, he rolled over and took cover behind a tree.
TAK! TAK!
He quickly jumped back on his feet and took a peek. There were three ninja stars in the tree he
was standing next to a few seconds earlier. There were also two in the one that was shielding
him right now. It didn't look good.
"Ah! You missed!" he yelled mockingly. He took another look and saw three ninja stars coming
straight at his head. He quickly hid back behind the tree.
TAK! TAK!
He heard two of the stars hit the tree and while the third skimmed past his head. It was so
close he could actually hear it flying.
"Dammit..." he muttered. "Hey!" he called out. "Why don't you come out and fight like a man?"
he tried to provoke his mysterious opponent. "Or are you too scared to show yourself?"
"I do not need to hide, fool." a voice calmly replied. "I'll kill you with my bare hands!"
Johnny smiled. At least now he had a chance.
He took another glance at the surroundings and could now see a man standing in front of him.
A good fifty feeth were separating them. It struck Johnny how much the man looked like
Scorpion. He had the same outfit, only it was orange instead of yellow.
"So you're the welcome party, uh?" Johnny stated aloud. "And I guess you're not here to
offer me coffee or make my stay more comfortable, huh?" he cringed.
The man didn't say anything, but just pulled his hands from behind his back and extended them.
Johnny jumped aside when he realized what he was up to.
He yelped as one of the stars brushed against his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw
five stars planted in the tree in front of which he was standing.
Could've been worse, he thought as he looked down at his ripped shirt. He was bleeding, but
it was just a scratch.
"Got anymore of them? I can dodge them all day!" he said with a challenging tone as he took a
defensive position.
"I won't need them." the ninja answered as he ran towards Johnny.
The ninja stopped in his tracks when he was only a few feets away from him. They slowly
circled around each other, preparing to attack.
The ninja attacked first. He extended his leg and did three side kicks, respectively aiming
aiming for the stomach, chest and head. Johnny easily blocked the two first kicks, but he had
to step back to evade the last blow. The ninja turned around and attacked again with a high
roundhouse kick. Johnny was expecting this move and bend down just in time
to evade the blow and counterattack with a low roundhouse kick. He quickly jumped back on
his feet as his opponent fell down. Johnny lifted his left leg and literaly tried to step on his
opponent with an axe kick, but the ninja quickly rolled over and tried to trip Johnny.
Johnny had to pull back to not be caught. He assumed a defensive position as his
opponent got up.
"Not bad..." the man commented as he dusted himself up. "But it won't be enough to save
you..." he hissed as he jumped towards Johnny and extended his leg.
Johnny simply stood aside to dodge the jump kick and tried to kick his opponent in the back
while he was landing. The ninja was faster than Johnny thought and managed to turn around
fast enough to catch his leg. He was about to twist it, but Johnny, using the man's grip on his
leg as a counterweight, lifted his other leg in a swinging motion so he could kick him in the face.
The trick worked and the ninja took a few steps back from the impact, but Johnny fell down the
hard way. Johnny got back on his feet only to see the ninja laughing and preparing for another
assault.
"Now I understand why they wanted to kill you so bad..." he said with a chuckle.
Without any warning, he charged at Johnny and tried to punch him in the face with
his right fist. Johnny blocked the punch with his left forearm, but his ennemy immediately went
for another attack with his other fist. Johnny dodged the second attack with his right hand and
tried to counterattack with a high punch with his left hand. Johnny's fist swung in the air as the
ninja quickly ducked and tried to punch him in the stomach. Johnny had barely enough time to
catch his fist with his right hand. He didn't let it go as his left hand had now finished its swinging
motion. Johnny tried to elbow his adversary in the face with his left arm, but the ninja caught
Johnny's elbow. The two struggled in that unusual position for a few seconds until the ninja
kicked Johnny in the stomach. Johnny was taken by surprise and took a step back. The ninja
jumped and kicked him in the chest, which was enough to bring Johnny down. Johnny only had
the time to get on his knees when he saw his opponent's foot coming straight at his head. He
caught the ninja's foot and tried to throw him off balance, but the ninja jerked his foot out of his
grasp and kicked him in the face.
Johnny fell flat on his back. He looked up only to see his opponent jump towards him. He
rolled over quickly to evade the attack. The ninja's right knee landed right where Johnny's head
was a few seconds before. Still on the ground, Johnny swung his right leg and tripped his
ennemy. He rolled backwards and got back on his feet while his ennemy did the same.
The ninja didn't loose any time and charged towards Johnny. He went for another serie of
punches, but Johnny blocked them all. Johnny counterattack with two high side kicks followed
by a lower kick to the stomach. The ninja wasn't expecting this and didn't block the last one.
He doubled over as Johnny's foot hit him in the stomach. Johnny punched him in the chin before
he could recover and brought him down with a high wheel kick. Johnny didn't let him have
the chance to recover completely and jumped towards him as his opponent was getting back on
his feet. The ninja tried futilely to shield himself with his arms, but Johnny's jump kick hit him
directly in the chest.
The ninja jumped back on his feet while Johnny stood in front of him, obviously waiting for
another attack.
"Is that all you've got?" Johnny asked sarcastically.
"I'm just warming up."
"Don't worry, I've got plenty of time to play with you." he smiled as the masked man charged at
him.
The ninja attacked with two fast punchs, but Johnny successively blocked them with the same
hand and used its free hand to punch his opponent in the throat. The man sucked in his breath
and took a step back. He chocked and stood still for a second. Johnny didn't loose any time
and punched him in the chest and in the face, which was enough to bring him down. Johnny
grabbed his ennemy's head while he was still down and kneed him directly in the face twice.
He took a few steps back and smiled. His opponent wasn't moving.
His smile vanished when he heard his ennemy laugh.
"What the f..." he mumbled as he saw an orange glow surround the warrior. It vanished a few
seconds later, but as a result, the man quickly rolled over and jumped back on its feet, as good
as new.
"Did you really think you could beat me with your bare hands?" he asked, still laughing.
Johnny's jaws dropped. No normal guy would still be up after the beating he had just received.
"Let's make this a little more interesting..." the ninja hissed as he drew a short sword from his
back. Johnny frowned as he took a step back. He hadn't noticed any sheat before.
Dammit, he must have hid it under his tunic, Johnny thought.
"Hey, I thought we would be doing this the fair way." Johnny said mockingly.
"Life isn't fair. You should know that by now!" the man yelled as he charged at Johnny.
The ninja swung his sword high in the air, literaly trying to chop Johnny's head. Johnny stepped
back and arched his back to evade the blade. The ninja's second attack was much lower as
he crouched and aimed for Johnny's legs. Johnny jumped up to dodge the sword. He was
about to go for a front kick when he landed, but his adversary had already finished its swinging
motion and went for another attack. This one was aiming for Johnny's chest. Johnny let himself
fall to the ground and rolled backwards to the get back on his feet As he stood up, Johnny
bumped against a tree. The ninja just chuckled and ran towards Johnny. He aimed for Johnny's
chest, but Johnny stepped aside at the last moment and the warrior thrusted his sword directly
into the tree. He let go of his sword and raised his arms to defend himself, but he wasn't fast
enough and received a punch directly in the nose. Another punch in the ribs made him double
over. Johnny kicked him in the stomach and in the chest. The last blow projected the
ninja against a tree. Johnny grabbed him by the throat and knocked his head against the tree
several times. The ninja fell down with a groan. He wasn't uncounscious, but he wouldn't be
in shape to cause trouble for a while. Again, the same orange glow appeared. Johnny ran to the
sword and removed it from the tree. He stood in front of his defeated opponent and solemnly
raised the weapon above his head. He didn't want to do it, but he had no choice. Johnny had
to finish him right now. His opponent, who was now on his knees, looked up at Johnny.
"You won't." the man hissed. "You don't have the guts to do it..."
"Guess again."
The glow disappeared as the man's head rolled on the grass. Johnny looked away, disgusted.
That's when he heard several gunshots.
"Great..." he muttered and rolled his eyes. "Things are just getting better and better..."
To be continued...
So, what did you people think? Please R & R since I'd really like to get some feedback!
And don't worry about Stryker and Nightwolf, they're coming real soon! Hint: what do you think
those gunshots were anyway?
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