Arc 1: The Airship Arc

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Andromeda, Nanashi, & Nozomi

The dark-haired girl eyed the boy as he approached, loaded with suspicion and fear. Them appearing just as confused as her did put Andromeda at ease, just a tad, and she slowly let her shoulders sink and her guard drop.
...that being said, there was still lingering doubt of their identities. In one quick movement, her arm shot forward as she managed to get up to her knees, grasping the center of Kaminari’s forearm and squeezing it a bit. Immediately, fresh jolts of pain made their way through her arm and legs, but she needed to be sure that she wasn’t in danger…
Luckily, after a quick, gentle squeeze on the blonde’s arm, not feeling anything metallic or wire-like, she appeared satisfied, letting go with a sheepish look.
“I- I’m sorry, I just… well, you can’t be too careful these days…” she let out a nervous laugh, before the exhaustion in her arms became unbearable, and she lowered them completely, hands resting in her lap.
“...We haven’t met,” Andromeda stated with certainty, a fuchsia twinkle dancing in her left eye, which she’d just barely managed to calm down- and now it was acting up again, how embarrassing, and right in front of strangers, no less! She let her gaze travel the room, before locking eyes with the boy standing before her. “You… didn’t happen to fight my dad before you got here, did you?”

Nanashi, meanwhile, slowly rose to his feet, Nozomi doing the same, but with a bit more ease. She gave Midoriya a solemn shake of the head, a bit disappointed that the new arrivals didn’t know anymore than her. Nanashi, on the other hand, made no reply- his gaze alternated between two primary targets, those being Deku, and the smartphone strapped onto his forearm. Deku, because he was suspicious- and the smartphone, because he was trying to see if it still worked.
“Trying to contact the foundation? Any luck?” Nozomi asked, giving him a look, earning a frown from him.
“No. I can’t even access the Communications,” he sighed, lowering his arm. “The summoning system still works, at least. Mido, too, but outside of that? We’re royally screwed.”
Nozomi pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to come up with a solution in her head, but there simply wasn’t one. Nobody here seemed to be informed, to say the least; perhaps this was a prison of sorts? Or maybe just a bad dream. Either way, she was only hoping she wouldn’t have to fight any of these people. She let her hands rest on her hips rather than the shotgun in her belt, like she’d usually do, to avoid appearing as a threat- contrary to Nanashi, who still had a grip on his sword’s handle.

The princess blinked at the alicorn before her, looking down at them with a confused glance.

This was...different, she thought. Way more different then one of the Koopas, the Toads, or any other creature that she had ever met in her life. A frown tug on her lips in thought, as she looked around the area once more, in an attempt to dig up some sort of answer for Twilight.

Yet, she came up with nothing. No answer at all. Other then that they were on an airship, in the sky, and far, [i]far[i] away from home.

She glanced back at the alicorn, and let out a sigh. "...No, I'm sorry. The only clue I have is that we are on some sort of..airship. But as for the location of said airship? I don't have a single clue."

...She hoped that all of her subjects were safe, that they would be able to get on by while the Princess was...currently tied up in this situation.

She hopes Mario is okay.

Deciding to ask the question that was forming in her head, she tilted her head at the alicorn. "...But may I ask who you might be?"

IDDC Michael

Twilight heard what the girl in pink said and naturally could not hide her disappointment. She had not held it against her, after all how could any of them have an explanation for this, but she had hoped for some answer but it seemed there were no clues here. Still least there had been someone who seemed friendly to speak to here which had to count for something...right?

"I see. A shame, I just arrived and haven't found anything myself." Twilight answered, though her eyebrow raised when the curious furless creature asked about her name as instantly felt regret over having not taken curtsy to introduce herself first. "A-apologies, my name is Twilight Sparkle. Princess of Friendship and proud defender of Equestria." Twilight said, as she even bent her four legs down and did a little "bow" before the presumed royal figure.

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IDDC Michael

...Another Princess? Now this was an interesting development, as her face morphed into a look of surprise. Yet..she had never even heard of a Princess of Friendship...or this 'Equestria.'

How curious. Yet..they had more important matters to deal with than the possibility of new kingdoms.

Shaking her head, Peach gave a kind smile to Twilight. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Twilight. As for myself, I am Princess Peach Toadstool, Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom." She gave a curtsy in order to show some respect to the alicorn before her.

IDDC Michael

Much like Peach, Twilight was a bit shocked to learn she was a princess. Though then again her attire did seem that of the regal type so she already had a suspicion but still two princesses on this thing. That could not have been mere coincidence, could it? Either way Twilight took this information and gave a nod, even if this woman looked nothing like any toad she had seen she suspected this was the work of something beyond her own land's understanding as she began to think.

"I see. A pleasure, though I think that neither of us are in our own kingdoms. And I worry we were pulled her for a deliberate reason..." Twilight said, as the natural bookworm continued to try and piece together just where they might have been and more importantly what they had been brought here for.

Finding it difficult to keep up with both the girl with the strange eye ability as well as the two Christmas-colored ones, Midoriya and Kaminari shared a nervous glance before simultaneously deciding they'd focus on their own conversations, and explain what they knew to the other later.

Denki flinched a little at the girl's grip—fairly strong, in his opinion—and paused at her question.
"Your father?" he asked tentatively, obviously not knowing who her father was. Was she some villain's kid? He thought about Eri, who Midoriya'd introduced to him a while back with the rest of the class.

Midoriya uncurled his finger as he watched the two he was conversing with (or at least trying) attempt and contact someone... "The Foundation?" He suddenly wished he was the one talking to the girl instead of Kaminari; not because of jealousy, but because of how generally nerve-wracking and awkward the situation was; well, at least to Izuku in particular. Swallowing, he found it best to ask what he could and gather information; he was good at that. Usually.

"Who's the Foundation, if it's okay for me to ask?" he started, not knowing anything about what they were talking about. The mention of a "summoning system" intrigued him; could they create things using their Quirks, like Pixie-Bob? No, whatever it was, it seemed linked to their phones. Times like this made him want to pull out his notebook and start jotting things down, if not to gather data, but as a coping mechanism; but now wasn't the time.

Too many mixed signals. She was sporting bloody claws, the same crimson liquid staining her mouth, dripping down her chin, and a wicked row of razor teeth were revealed as she gave a smile, at the same time tucking her frame in, sliding her hands into her pockets, trying to appear small. Timid. Then her voice. Harsh and dismissive.
Too many mixed signals.
He doubted she even knew how she wanted to come off to him, so she was just making an amalgamation of facades, each a truth in its own right to her. He'd studied the behaviors of people well enough to understand what she was thinking of him. Or at least, what he assumed she was thinking of him.

His reply to her question took a moment to come out, due to him formulating a response. Taking all he knew into account, and not only trying to get out of this alive, but possibly even make an ally...
"Gotta say, Ms. Liverlips, you're scary as hell." He admitted to her, thrusting his own facade forward. The cocky, smirking, bulletproof facade he'd taken decades to develop. "The way you..." He glanced down at the dead man behind her. "Pretty fuckin' gnarly."
His dark, and a little dry, sense of humor was intended to lighten the heavy air about them. Display that he didn't intend to be a threat, even if he was ready to fight for his life at any given second. What the hell was this chick anyway? He'd heard stories about Wendigos, after they eat a person... but she wasn't exactly what he'd expected. "Listen, judging from the man in uniform who lies in unholy matrimony to your bloody proposal, I'll take it you're not from... here."
Wherever 'here' was.
"That's somethin' we got in common. I got a proposition for you. It's a simple one, no strings attached, just law by word. If you're interested in hearing it."

A questioning look was evident on her face after the man complimented her for what she did to the dead soldier, making her look at the corpse as it reminded her of how much she was punished and disciplined at the asylum if she dared to attack the guards, staff handlers or scientists. However, the compliment made her feel a bit good on the inside, making her want to do it again if the opportunity presented itself again. Dillain looked back at the man, listening as he made mention of a proposition for her, barely able to concentrate as the man’s beating heart drowned out his voice, causing her to merely look at him with a blank stare.

They shared a gaze for a moment, which notably started to unsettle Negan, who licked his lips to wetten them, before speaking again. "I'll take your unsettling silence and creepy-ass stare as an invitation for me to continue." He said, swinging Lucille up to rest on his shoulder, ignoring the drying blood that still clung to it now dripping onto his leather jacket. "You see, I'm a man of action. Opportunity. And most importantly, trust and loyalty. Shit you're doin'? This place has cameras." He stated, lifting Lucille and using her to point at a nearby camera barely sticking out of the ceiling, appearing as just a small black bulb. "You've already been identified, and these people will kill you on sight. However, I can help prevent that. I'm pretty damn charismatic, if you hadn't noticed. I got a way with words. I can keep people off your back, and look the other way when you wanna feed. In turn, you watch my back too. Sounds like a win-win to me, missy. That interest you?" His lips pulled back in a wide grin, showing off his pearly whites. Despite living in an apocalypse, Negan took plenty of care of his body, including his teeth. Personal health mattered, no matter the circumstances.

He stuck his gloved hand forward, extending it in invitation for a shake. From the look the girl was giving him, he wasn't sure if any of his words had landed. Or if she'd understood him. Hell, he could have just been wasting breath on some poor mexican chick who didn't know a lick of english for all he knew. But a handshake, like the one he was presenting? That was a universal sign for peace. For an alliance. For a deal. If she didn't get his words, she'd definitely understand his action.

The bat in his hand caught her attention as the man continued to talk, his words going in one ear and slipping out the other as her amber colored eyes stared at the blood it was covered with, watching it drip on the man’s jacket. It was somewhat fresh, the metallic scent filling her nostrils as she inhaled every bit of it. Taking a bite out of the soldier was slowly causing a chain reaction within her, which was helped further by the blood and beating heart as something deep within her began to stir and awake. A few signs that could be noticed was her body beginning to give off large amounts of heat as though she was on fire before her muscles began to visibly move underneath her skin, followed by the sound of bones cracking as they began to grow and rearrange themselves with her body. Within seconds, Dillain let out a loud inhuman scream as she fell to the floor writhing in pain while her body underwent a painful change, growing ever so slightly as fur began to sprout all over her body.

She looked up at the man, her face now elongating into a canine muzzle while her hands and feet resembled that of a big cat predator. Where her spine ended, a tail began to grow until it was twenty inches long and rapidly covered in fur, accompanied by what looked to be porcupine quills that grew from the end of her back. The clothes she had been wearing were nothing more than torn pieces of cloth scattered on the floor, the only piece that remained intact was the jeans pocket holding her cards. The transformation felt like it lasted for an hour or so to her, but was in fact only a mere seven minutes once it was complete as she stayed on the floor panting, this being her first transformation to ever endure. Dillain then stood up, towering over the man while standing at nine feet tall as she stared down at him with a malicious look of hunger in her eyes. Her face and body was that of what could be described as a werewolf, but her legs were that of a big cat, a strange combination that did not belong together, however, that was of no concern to her at the moment.

The Savior Leader's eyes widened, and he took a reactive step back as this woman before simply began to... change. Only a minute in, and her limbs were elongating, hair sprouting on every bit of exposed skin. Fuck Wendigos, this bitch was a Werewolf.
This day just got stranger and stranger. And now, here he was in quite the pickle. Not the good kind, either. Or the funny kind. No, this was a mess, and he doubted she'd be any more willing to listen to his propositions of alliance any longer. He was stunned into silence, unmoving as he watched this scene unfold before him. Several minutes had passed before he regained himself, immediately pulling his new weapon from its holster, aiming the space-age pistol at the Werewolf as she stood, rising to her full height. The red light that bathed the hall blocked by her form, casting a long shadow over him.
"This is some horror movie bullshit right here." He breathed, and tightened his grip on the pistol, grin long gone, his face displaying his weariness, caution, and blatant fear. "This gun'll mess you up. Take a step the fuck back." He warned her. He had no idea if this weapon could stop this thing. This... Werewolf. She wasn't what he'd envisioned Werewolves to look like, but that was certainly the least of his concerns.

In her current form, she could no longer understand or be rationalized with while being driven by pure animal instinct, not even knowing the gun in his hand was a weapon that could kill her as she raised her right paw, ready to swipe at the man. Unfortunately, a shot rang out, followed by an ear splitting pain filled howl that resonated from Dillain as she lurched forward, nearly falling over while she bled from a new wound that hit her from behind. She turned to see the assailant that attacked her, locking on to a lone soldier who had his gun aimed at her and ready to fire again. The beast let out a threatening snarl before swiftly attacking the soldier, moving fast towards him before he could get another shot out as she wasted no time in tackling him to the floor while biting down on his neck. The soldier let out a bloodcurdling scream as her teeth pierced through his flesh, feeling her large paws on his arms while her claws dug into whatever skin was exposed.

The screaming was then cut short, followed by an audible crunch before the head of the now dead soldier was tossed at the man, rolling along the floor until it stopped at his feet. The beast began to rip and tear into the decapitated body, eating around whatever armor the soldier was wearing while blood painted the walls and floor. Dillain momentarily paused in her consumption as she turned her head to look at the man, her amber eyes stared at him intensely while emitting a deep throaty growl, the quills covering her tail stood on end, rattling as her tail moved rapidly from side to side.

Negan had taken several steps back at this, watching the scene unfold. She was gruesome indeed. Horrifying. Straight out of some horror shit that he used to watch as a kid. Except far more real, for obvious reasons. He took in a shaky breath, weapon still aimed at the Werewolf as it stared at him as he took another step back.
Then another.
His eyes flit to the soldier beneath her, then to the dead man behind her. Between them sat the soldier's weapon. Bigger, and presumably more powerful than the pistol in his hand. If he could get his hands on that, he'd feel a lot safer. Well... maybe just a little safer, actually. But better, regardless.
Only problem was, she stood in the way.

He quickly devised a simple plan. If he could get her to move... probably by lunging at him... he could drop to his knees, maybe do a little slide, go under her, get that rifle, and let loose hell on this creature, he might stand a chance.
Truth be told, he was honestly starting to miss dealing with the walking dead. At least they were slow, and dumb. He had no idea just what he was up against, and that truly scared him. It took a lot to scare him, that's how he knew just how fucked he was.
His eyes found hers again, locking. He doubted she'd run if he put on a big display, that usually only worked with herbivores if he remembered correctly. But maybe he did have a slight advantage. Werewolves were weak to silver, right? While he certainly lacked any silver bullets, he did have an old Civil War nickel in his back pocket. Belonged to his great grandfather in his youth. It had taken a bullet during the war, saving his great grandfather's life. This nickel had been passed down for generations, and Negan held onto it through everything. It was important to him. The last physical thing that remained of his old world. His family. This nickel was the only reason why Negan was even born.
And now, maybe it could save him. But first, his plan.

"Sorry 'bout this..." He said to her, breath slightly hitched as she let out a deep, guttural growl, slowly rising up from the soldier's body.
Here goes nothing.

BAM!

The super-heated blast of energy slugged into the Werewolf's shoulder, forcing it to stagger back from the hit that had burned a hole clean down to the Werewolf's bone. Negan gulped as he noticed that she barely even seemed phased, but his plan was still able to continue as she lunged, leaping into the air, claws outstretched for him. He let out a quick yelp, dropping to the ground as low as he could as he quick as he could. She swiped, her claws grazing his right arm, tearing through the leather, grazing across his skin, but dealing no lasting damage. Nothing that would slow him down.
As she hit the ground behind him, he dove forward, tossing the gun and Lucille aside to pick up the rifle. Damnit he hoped this would work.

"AAAAAARGH!" He screamed, whirling about, leveling the rifle, and opening fire. More of those super-heated bullets began sailing through the air at rapid-fire. Its accuracy wasn't on point, and he hoped it wouldn't run out of ammo, or energy, or whatever it used. He hoped the bullet rain would scare it the other direction, even if for a moment. All he wanted to do was run, put as much distance between himself and the beast as possible. Like hell he was dying today.
He hoped. Lotta hope goin' around today.

The barrage of bullets that were fired at her made Dillain back away, feeling most of them pierce through her body while others merely grazed her or missed completely. Attempting to kill prey that was able to put up more of a fight and severely injure her in the process was a clear sign to retreat, wasting no time as she turned tail and took off running down the hall on all fours, able to move faster than this way than running only on two legs. Although, as she fled, the intact jeans pocket managed to become caught on a few of her tail quills with the cards still snug and intact.

A trail of blood was all that she left behind while she quickly moved along the hall, following it to find a suitable spot to allow her body to recuperate and possibly find more prey. She had no intention of going after the man that had wounded her, at least for now unless they happened to cross paths later on, in which she would try to kill him again. Dillain finally slowed to a stop, finding herself in a different section of hallway as she licked at the many bullet wounds on her body, pausing when the sound of movement and voices made itself known, drawing attention away from her wounds and to the cause of the movement as she stared ahead of her.

She could see two soldiers standing not too far from where she was, both completely unaware of her presence as they made conversation. They then began to walk away, continuing to talk back and forth while unbeknownst of the beast following behind them. Since this was her first transformation, she wasn’t as stealthy as she was in human form as her quilled tail noisily brushed against the wall, making enough noise to catch the attention from one of the soldiers. He turned around to see what had caused the noise, but instead only had enough time to see a flash of fur and teeth before he was tackled to the floor, immediately struggling and yelling while trying to push away whatever had attacked him. Before the second soldier could react fast enough, an audible crunch was heard as blood splattered onto the second soldier, leaving her stunned and shocked as she fearfully raised her weapon.

Dillain had managed to crush the man’s skull in her jaws, feeling pieces of the brain hanging from her lower jaw as she looked at the terrified woman who watched in horror. Blood poured out from the remains of the soldier’s head, rushing down the body and onto the floor where it began to pool. The beast let out a threatening snarl, baring her bloodstained canine teeth as she stood up to tower above the woman, causing her to back away while she kept the gun aimed at Dillain. They stared at each other for two minutes, the fear from the remaining soldier coming off in waves as she took another shaky step back before taking her chances as she shot at the beast before quickly turning and took off running fast down the hall.

The chase was on.

The shot from the weapon hit between her stomach and chest, causing more pain and furthering her frustration. Parting her jaws, Dillain let out a loud roaring howl to further terrify her prey and signify her presence to any other prey that might be close by before sprinting after the soldier.

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUURRRRRRWWWHHHHOOOOOOOOO

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The Princess gave a hum, as she looked around, analyzing her situation once more, but yet again coming up with a blank as to where on Earth they were, before turning back to the Alicorn, a frown still pursing her lips. At the very least Bowser wasn't here...or so she thought.

"..Yes, it appears we have been pulled away for a reason. But what could be that reason? For me, I could've sworn it was just luck..." She replied, thrumming her fingers together, in an attempt to think of some sort of reason on why they could be here, before she came up with an idea.

"..How powerful is your magic?" She slowly asked.

A lone figure stood before a temple, at the top of the stairs. He was leaning against a pillar adorned in the style of a Chinese dragon.
A rice hat shielded his face from the glaring sun, hiding the glowing, white, pupil-less eyes. His mouth was slightly agape, his eyes wide in shock as he used an arm to lean against the pillar, supporting his weight. The Elder Gods had just dropped an incredibly disturbing and terrifying pile of information on him.
"We wouldn't have told you, if it hadn't come here." They'd said. Now here Raiden stood at the Shaolin Monastery, having just called Liu Kang and Kung Lao to him. They were yet to arrive, giving the Thunder God time to... mull over events.

Arrive, the two Shaolin heroes did, walking up the steps side by side as they had for years. Best friends. Practically brothers.
Raiden now stood at the head of the stairs, arms at his side as he stared down at them. Once within speaking distance, Liu Kang was the first to speak; "Lord Raiden." He clasped a fist in his other palm, and bowed, Kung Lao mimicking this. Raiden returned the bow, before he spoke.
"I know I promised no more surprises, Liu Kang." He said. "After Kronika, I didn't think there were any left. However... the Elder Gods have revealed something to me. Something I believe you deserve to know."
Liu Kang and Kung Lao gulped, sharing a look. "What could it possibly be?" Liu Kang asked. "Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Shinnok, Kronika... they're all dead. Dead-dead. It couldn't be any of them, could it?" Kung Lao spoke up. Raiden pursed his lips, glancing down at his feet, before answering.
"Kronika was just the beginning. They told me of a powerful entity outside of our own collection of realms. Outside of our multiverse. A being named Zeliyis. One capable of destroying entire universes." He paused, allowing this to sink in for the Shaolin warriors. Kung Lao, always the one to take a dark situation as lightly as possible, smirked. "What kind of a name is Zeliyis?"
Liu Kang lightly slapped his friend's chest, before looking up at the Thunder God. "What would you have us do, Lord Raiden?"

Raiden was silent for a few moments, brow furrowed as he silently thought over scenarios. "The Elder Gods told me it is impossible for us to enter the fray. Not without something known as the 'Evanesce Shard', capable of transporting individuals to these distant realms." He informed. Liu Kang took a step closer. "Where can we find an Evanesce Shard?"

------

"Twenty hotdogs, comin' right up."
Johnny Cage strutted into the vacation home he'd purchased a few years back, his usual shades adorning his chiseled and weathered face, flashing a dazzling smile at the two women seated at the table.
"Oh my God, dad. Twenty?" Cassie Cage blinked, unable to help but let out a snort as Johnny delicately set the plate down before them. "Le diner... est servi." With that, he took off the apron he was wearing, which was labelled 'Kitchen Kombat', and draped it over his chair before plopping down himself. "If I knew you were making this much, I'd have invited Jax and Jacqui." Sonya shook her head, smiling at her husband.

That's right. You heard correctly. After a rocky marriage and devastating divorce (devastating for Johnny, at least), the two finally re-married, and are happier than ever before.
"You still can." Johnny replied, grabbing four hotdogs and putting them on his plate. "But they'll have to be fast, I did a lot of cardio this morning and I am hungry like a hippo."
Sonya chuckled, grabbing a single hotdog and a bottle of ketchup. "On second thought, I won't. It's a family day, today."
Johnny smiled brightly at this comment. They'd never once before had a 'family day' in their previous marriage. She'd always been too engrossed in her work to give him, or even their daughter, the time of day. She was still General, but she'd learned how to balance work and home, much to Johnny's joy. And Cassie's.

"Geez, that's a lot." Johnny pointed at Sonya's hotdog while beginning to scarf down his second. "Ha ha." Sonya replied, before a loud crack echoed through the house, making everyone jump a little.
"The hell?" Johnny frowned, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he turned in his seat to look for the source of the noise. The window overlooking their deck, and the beach, had a spider-webbed crack along it. The moment Johnny saw this, he was quick to his feet. "Who the hell..." He muttered, stepping outside to the deck, hurrying to the fence that overlooked the beach and looking about.

"Everything okay?" Cassie called, half way up in her seat, unsure if she should join her father or if whatever had hit the window was mere coincidence. This place had cost Johnny a lot, and he worked hard to keep it in tip-top shape, so it was no wonder this cracked window was pissing him off.
"Someone threw a rock! A rock!" He yelled back, shaking his head angrily as he turned around, about to head back inside, before noticing what had hit the window in the first place. A small blue gem sat on the deck. It was smooth, with some kinda of... swirly shit inside. He furrowed his brow, stopping short. "Actually... they threw jewelry?" He said. Slowly, the ex-movie star made his way to the strange object, in the middle of stooping over to pick it up when another loud crack filled the air, causing him to jump back and clutch his chest where his heart should be.
"Do not touch that, Johnny Cage!"

His head swiveled about to see three individuals standing on his deck. The crack had been Raiden's teleportation thunder trick. "Whoa, okay, not touching." He replied, throwing his hands up and stepping back from the crystal. "Mind if I ask why?"
"It is an Evanesce Shard." Raiden replied, moving past Johnny, and raising a hand. The blue item was enveloped in crackling electricity, before lifting into the air. "If touched, it will activate and transport you through the fabrics of time and space to a place we cannot reach."
"Great reason. Glad I didn't touch it." Johnny replied as Sonya and Cassie made their way onto the deck, concern etched into their faces. "What's going on?" Sonya asked. "Magic space crystal." Johnny replied.
"It seems you were chosen, Johnny Cage." Raiden stated. "The Elder Gods informed me that the Evanesce Shard would appear to select individuals in an attempt to abduct them. For what reason, we do not know. But these are the only things to get us close to Zeliyis."

"Is that some new brand of shoes?" Johnny asked. "See? Dumb name." Kung Lao stated as Liu Kang turned to Cage. "He is a being capable of destroying entire universes. And he is headed this way."
"What the hell does he want with us?" Cassie asked, joining her father at his side. "According to the Elder Gods... enslavement or servitude. If not those, then our destruction." Raiden answered, turning from the crystal, which was still encased in a bubble of electricity. "So you want to take the fight to him. Fight on his own turf." Sonya stated. Raiden gave her a nod. "Precisely. According to what we know of his power, however... we'll need help."

"I'm in." Johnny replied, folding his arms. "I mean, I kicked Shinnok's ass. How hard can this Zeliyis guy be?"
"The greatest challenge we have ever faced." Liu Kang replied. "Even more than Kronika."
"The crystal can only transport a certain amount of people. So we need to make this decision wisely." Raiden informed them. "I believe Johnny Cage should go, as he was initially chosen. Myself and Liu Kang will follow."
"What about me?" Kung Lao asked. Liu Kang turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need defense here if we fail. Should we fail, you will go to the Hourglass and assume its power."
Kung Lao gulped, but gave a nod. "Wait, no." Sonya frowned. "I'm going too."
"Same here." Cassie added. "I am sorry, but you cannot." Raiden replied. "The Evanesce Shard can only allow for four travelers at a time. Our fourth member will be Grandmaster Liang, if he would have us."

"It's okay." Johnny told his wife and daughter, turning to them. "I know it isn't ideal, but I'm a lot happier with you guys staying here."
"I'm not." Sonya argued. "We made a promise." Johnny let out a sigh. "I know. We did. But you know that isn't a promise we could keep."
"We must get going." Raiden interjected. "Every second we waste is a second closer Zeliyis comes to us." Sonya shot eyes of daggers at Raiden, before grabbing Johnny, and pulling him to her, forcing him into a kiss, one which he returned. Cassie rolled her eyes, turning away from her parents. "Be careful, Johnny." Sonya told her husband, pulling back. "I will." He replied, smirking, before turning to his daughter.
"I'm not saying goodbye." She told him. "You better come back."
"I'll be back before ya know it." With that, Johnny turned to Raiden, who now stood beside Liu Kang. "Ready." He nodded, looking back at his wife and daughter. A small part of him couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time he'd see them. "Also, don't forget to save some-"
He wasn't able to finish his sentence, as four bolts of lightning came down upon him, Raiden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao. With that, they were gone.

------

"-hotdogs for... me..." Johnny bit his cheek as he stared at where his family had just been moments prior. At that moment, the feeling of chilly wind pierced his skin, and he wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Right. Sub-Zero. Forgot we were c-coming here." He shivered.
"Raiden."
The four turned to see Grandmaster Liang, otherwise known as Sub-Zero, walking down the steps of the Lin Kuei temple to join them. "I heard your summons. How urgent is this?"
"Very." Raiden replied. "I am gathering a small team to defeat an entity known as Zeliyis. He has the power to destroy universes and is coming this way. We intend to stop him."
"Quite the m-mouthful to take in all at once, huh?" Johnny asked Sub-Zero with a strained grin. He was seriously wishing he was wearing more than an exposed vest at the moment.
Sub-Zero stopped at the bottom of the steps, mouth slightly agape as he stared at Raiden. "I..." He paused, closing his mouth. "...Very well. I will leave my temple under the protection of my people. Will Grandmaster Hasashi be joining us?"
"I'm afraid not. Scorpion will need to remain behind as Earthrealm's defense, alongside Kung Lao, Sonya Blade, Cassie Cage, Jax Briggs, and Jacqui Briggs, should we fail."
"Speaking of... could I go?" Kung Lao asked. "I'm not exactly built for this kind of climate."
"Of course." Raiden replied as Liu Kang turned to Kung Lao. "Take care." The two shared a brief hug. "Try not to die, Chosen One." Kung Lao smirked, before a bolt of lightning transported him away.

"Why so little of us?" Sub-Zero asked, joining the small team. Raiden raised a hand, and the Evanesce Shard came out from behind him, still enveloped in a shield of electricity. "This is an Ecanesce Shard. The only thing we have capable of transporting us outside of our multiverse. It can only warp four individuals, that being us."
"Will we know where we come out?" Liu Kang asked. "Will we be there at his feet? Or...?"
"I am unsure. There may be others like us, leaving behind homes to face this Harbinger of Destruction. The possibilities are endless. We must be prepared for anything." Raiden turned to Sub-Zero. "Are you prepared to depart?"
The Lin Kuei Grandmaster looked about his temple for a moment, before wordlessly giving a nod. Raiden raised the crystal into the air between them. "Stick out your hands." He ordered.
In the center of their small circle, the four warriors put their hands in. "We g-gonna say 'Go Team Chosen Ones'?" Johnny joked. "Maybe T-team Cool. Or Team Lightning. I think I prefer Team C-cage."
Nobody else spoke as the crystal lowered down to their hands. The electricity barrier disappeared, and the crystal fell, landing in Sub-Zero's palm.
"Can't believe we're doing-" Johnny gulped as a sudden vortex opened in the middle of them, swirling in blue and indigo, pulling them in with tremendous force. Johnny was unable to finish his sentence as the four were brought into the portal, which closed not even a second later, leaving nothing behind...


"-THIIIIS!" Johnny yelled, feeling his stomach turn even more than his flailing body as he hit solid, cold metal, and skid down its length for a moment, finally coming to a stop. Cage groaned, as he slowly sat up, looking about himself to find he was in a hallway with about thirty or so armed men and women staring down at him.
"Oh. Uh. Hey." He greeted, glancing about. "You uh... didn't happen to see a few other dudes come in with me, did you? Electric dude... fire dude... ice dude..."
No response. "Okay, uh... is Zeliyis here?"
This got a response, as every single weapon was suddenly trained on him, and he found his arms in the air again. "You working for him?" One soldier asked. "What? No." Cage replied. "I came here to kill him. Who the hell are you guys?"