Body and Mind

by The Acolyte

The Living Forest, for once, was quiet. This was an unnatural silence since even the trees themselves could talk. It mattered not to Smoke, who was meditating in small clearing. He was used to the ever changing habitat of the Living Forest from his time spent in Outworld. The trees here had faces in their trunks and spoke. They operated as one unit but each had their own different personalities. They never took kindly to drifters or anyone else who dared to venture in. Smoke was a natural tracker. He had earned the respect of the Forest and even, at times, commanded it. In return, the trees left him alone.

He took in a deep breath. It took a lot of concentration not to emit the vapors that would rise from his skin. Meditation helped build the strength, but he no longer required it. The Lin Kuei had taught him control over this. What he used to think was a disability was now his ultimate weapon.

Although the Living Forest was always dark, Smoke had grown accustomed to the environment and could tell if something was out of place. Indeed, something was amiss. The branches were crackling a bit too much for his taste. In a season where no leaves should fall, he saw lots of foliage descend to the ground. This only occurred on trees that surrounded them. He smiled underneath his half-mask at this. His attackers were unorganized. This counter would be easy.

He opened his eyes to four shiruken being launched from the bushes toward his face. The ninja sprung up and did a front flip over them instinctively. The stars whizzed by, missing their target and landing into a nearby tree trunk. The tree opened it eyes and let out a giant roar that echoed throughout the forest. That seemed to wake up the rest of the trees who did the same.

``Show yourselves, cowards!'' Smoke yelled over the sounds of the forest.

Immediately, eight black clad ninjas dropped down from the tree branches and encircled the Lin Kuei. Smoke was more than prepared for them and was already in a defensive stance. He could almost anticipate the moment they would collectively strike. Before they could, Smoke leapt straight up into the trees and disappeared from view.

``Cue the blinding mist.'' whispered the gray warrior to himself.

Smoke let his discipline off his skin and let the air thicken with his vapor. Some of them coughed, some of them stood still hoping to blend in. This proved the perfect cover for the Lin Kuei to move about and strike. This was Smoke's favorite method. Take them out one-by-one, let the others grow fearful and weaker. Distracted opponents were so much easier to dispose of.

His first strike would be true. He launched his kunai into one of the ninjas below. It found itself a place in the enemy's shoulder. The ninja had no time to scream in pain as he suddenly rose up into the trees and disappeared. The rest of them huddled together and looked up. The ninja's formation was suddenly broken by the body that was thrown in their direction. Smoke repeated this process three more times.

Bored with this technique, the Lin Kuei slipped to the ground and took them head on. He launched his kunai in one of the ninjas throat and gave a yank. The force pulled the ninja forward into his uppercut which ensnared him over a tree branch dangling helplessly in front of Smoke. Two ninjas made a rush toward the mist. The Lin Kuei gave a sharp side kick to the hung ninja who then knocked over the two with a brutal momentum. One was pushed back into a tree, the other landed into the nearby bushes out cold.

For a moment, Smoke let the vapors clear out to reveal his shadow to his enemies. Three ran towards the shape with their katanas pointed forward. Smoke jumped on the dull end of the first ninja's katana blade to connect a jump kick to the second ninja's head. He then suddenly vanished into thin air.

``Pull back.'' said one of the intruding ninjas to his counterpart. ``We'll have to....''

This was cut off by a spiked gauntlet that met the side of the leader's head. He instantly dropped to the ground.

The ninja left standing raised his blade as a bright cloud of mist appeared in front of him. It seemed to pull back around the Lin Kuei's shape. Who revealed his appearance to the last standing ninja.

Smoke looked rather fearsome. He was a hulking figure now. The armholes on his vest were frayed. Two spiked gauntlets that covered from his hands to his elbows adorned his arms. Mist poured out the vents in his mask. His eyes glowed white when in use of his power.

``What are you?'' questioned the ninja.

``Out of your league.'' Smoke responded.

He sent a forceful front kick into the ninja's abdomen that sent him flying into an open mouth of one of the trees. The deadwood began to chomp away at the ninja who's screams were quickly muffled out as he was being swallowed whole. Smoke relaxed himself as his last enemy was eaten quickly.

``CPU.'' Smoke said aloud. ``Run this drill again. That was too easy.''

The colors of the forest suddenly dulled and then glowed a bright green hue. One of the trees eye glowed a solid red. It turned towards him as it shone holographic icons in his direction.

``Select difficulty, LK-9T9.'' responded the tree.

``Make them worthy adversaries this time.'' answered Smoke in a stoic tone. ``In real situations, the Tengu clan would never be so sloppy.''

For those few moments that he handled the intruders, he was convinced that the world he was in was real. It was nothing more than an advanced computer program. This was a screen saver, at best, for when his true robotic body was shut down or in stasis. In this state, Smoke experienced himself in his human form down to even retaining his former senses. This was only stimuli responses to his brain that helped him experience these sensations. For years his brain had been trapped in the shell of a robot. He was the victim of the Lin Kuei's experiments in human automation. When he and Sub-Zero rebelled against the clan's new marching order, he was used as a highly experimental part of the procedure.

Unlike his counterparts, Cyrax and Sektor, who had their muscular system enhanced by nanite technology and covered in polymer armor, Smoke's physical form was different. His actual brain was transplanted from his human body into this shell. The result being trapped inside his own body and watching himself execute the will of his superiors. There were lapses where he could regain control if he fought hard enough. These were few and far between, however.

He couldn't tell at this point how long his body had been in stasis. The Central CPU had played the last few moments before his recent shutdown. Smoke had put together that he was ambushed by the last of Shao Khan's extermination squads after he had helped Sub-Zero destroy his counterparts. For a time, he was able to take control over the robotic shell and use it as his own body. With Sub-Zero no longer worried about assassins on his tail, he could assist the other Earthrealm warriors put an end to Khan and his invasion. He never found out if they were successful.

In order for his robotic shell to function, it required the wavelength of a human brain as a central battery. When shutdown, the machine had several synapse stimulus mechanisms resulting in this screen saver type program. Smoke was able to customize it into one of his favorite places, the Living Forest. At least here he could remain somewhat human, he thought.

It would be a few moments until the central CPU ran the drill over again. He once again took to a position of meditation on the ground. The Living Forest assumed its natural colors and sounds again.

Smoke pondered several things while in this state. He wondered where his body would turn up next. If he hadn't awakened yet, it surely meant that he was hidden from Sub-Zero. His counterpart would have hunted him down and helped him regain his will back. He concluded that his body was being hidden. By who and where were two remaining questions that he had no answer for.

A nearby tree opened its eyes nearby. They were glowing a striking crimson red.

``WARNING!'' shouted the avatar. ``FOREIGN PROGRAMMING ATTEMPTING TO OVERRIDE SLEEP STATUS.''

He was here. Sub-Zero has returned, thought Smoke. He ordered the CPU to cancel the drill and do nothing to retaliate against the foreign threat. This made sense. The younger Sub-Zero was a man of science and understood the mechanics behind the Lin Kuei's new technology.

``Identify intruder.'' Smoke ordered of the tree.

``Unable to at this time.'' it responded.

The forest then glowed that same red hue as the tree's eye did before. Smoke remained his natural color against the dramatic background.

``Directives overridden. New objectives to be assigned.'' announced the central CPU. ``New taskmaster assigned to LK-9T9.''

``Interesting.'' stated Smoke dryly. ``This is not Sub-Zero. I would have my freedom. CPU, Identify new taskmaster.''

``The taskmaster assigned... will.. ensure....'' The tree's voice filled with static. It suddenly took a deeper demonic tone.

``All is mystery but he is a slave who will not struggle to penetrate the dark veil.''

``What is the meaning of this, CPU?'' Smoke questioned puzzled at the statement.

``You serve ME now, Smoke.'' the tree said in its new-found tone.

``Who are you?'' replied the ninja.

With that the ground shook and the roots of the trees quickly grabbed Smoke. They wrapped themselves tightly around his legs and moved up his body. The warrior could not fight against the sheer force of this new power. Once the twigs and vines tightened around his arms, he noticed his skin became one with the foliage. His bronze skin was now replaced with the bark of the trees in the forest. This effect quickly took hold over his whole body until he was part of the forest he retreated to. His place of escape suddenly became his prison.

A slender black figure emerged from distance and in front of the trapped ninja. Smoke could only indentify the stranger's solid light blue eyes. The rest of him was solid black from skin to armor.

`` I am Noob Saibot.'' said the stranger. ``The future ruler of the Netherrealm and you will obey me.''

Author : Brian Radigan

Creation date: 2010-7-22-22-26

Modification date: 2010-7-22-22-26