Okorik stared at the warrior. He did not expect one from Earthrealm to be so brave. It almost reminded him of someone but that person was gone and should never return. Okorik placed his head, now racked with pain, and said "You're lucky I have a fight soon and can't tire myself out, but know that one move against the Netherrealm's interests will be a very bad move for you." Okorik gathered a small spark of black flame in his hand and threw it at the warrior's face, mildly scalding them. "That was just a taste of of my power. Ire is more than a match for you but know I will face you if I have to." With a strained pain, he held his hand to his skull and opened a portal to gather more info on the mysterious Nirvana.

Ire summons his Morning Star, gripping it tight with both hands, readying himself for Kombat. "If you serve no one then no one will miss you; I was going to kill you anyway for just that reason. Okorik's presence will only make your death come that much more quickly! You may not fear it, but we are of the Netherrealm. Not even death can save you from me!"

(man I wish we had our own story mode for all of this hahaha good stuff)

I'm surprised no one has done something regarding the fights in the tournament (AKA the winners of the vote)

I agree.

"You have no fear now, but you will learn to fear me! The ghosts you feel are the powers of Shinnok, for he and I are bound. I see that my friend has burned your face, It will look even more interesting after it meets my mace! I am nod bound by the tournament like my companion, I am merely here to see whom ever is left dies. Shinnok said nothing about stragglers! HAVE AT THEE!" Ire charges with surprising speed given the armor he is wearing, as if granted demonic strength. The long Morning Star is over his head ready to strike. Kombat has begun

FIGHT!

[nevermind]

@daryui Urrrhh...last I recall Krimson went off in her own direction away from Kano...?

(this is good character development. Im really pushing my KAK bio into this, so we can see Serenity all into her job at first but then later slowing starting to go against it. i wish we actually could play this in story mode haha)

As Marek left, Serenity still felt the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. (He truly does care for these people) she thought. Looking at Ekibyogami she says "Are we going to follow him? or shall we contend with them?" As she says this she points to a female shokan warrior in red and a monster with blades protruding from his forearms.

(Same here, haha)
"We are Ermac, we will destroy you!" Marek chuckles. "Not likely, warrior."
Ermac uses his telekinesis to rip several statues out of the ground and hurl them at Marek one after the other. Marek slips into the folds of his robes vanishes, evading the statues, and eventually reappears levitating in the air.
"I do not want your blood on my hands, but you may not leave me a choice. Prepare yourself, Ermac." Marek summons fireballs down from the sky that rain down on the shrine, destroying the majority of the statues. As the smoke clears from the flame, Marek sees that Ermac erected a telekinetic shield around himself in time. "We will not fall so easily, traitor." Shaking his head, Marek prepares for the next attack. "I truly hope Lady Serenity is having better luck than me...."

Hearing the sound of battle in the direction of Marek, Serenity began to worry, "Ekibyogami if this Ermac is as powerful as we believe, Marek is in danger. We must defeat these warriors and help him. Ill take the ugly one"

"You will have to be more specific,i guess i will take the shokan."

Ekibyogami's maw bursts open into a storm of locusts,followed by the rest of his form. The cloud surrounded the shokan and Ekibyogami spun around her in a circle. Sheeva swatted at the locust,setting a group on fire. She prepared to jump out of the swarm,but realized that the bugs had formed a dome over her. "Foolish human do you expect to beat me with insects,i am of the mighty shokan!"
"Yes i do"
Just at that moment the shokan had realized the insects made up the floor between her feet as well,she was trapped in a personal cage.
"Let me go"
"As you wish"
Ekibyogami released the bottom of the cage,and Sheeva dropped. Well she was swatting at the bugs he had steadily lifted her into the air,her to busy to realize it. Sheeva came crashing into the ground.
"You will get back up,sorry about that,we could have talked this out,but we were in a rush."
"How are you doing Serenity"

"Four men would do on a slow night, yes." She says, casually. "And yes...I collect the dead... only a fool forgets who she's done harm to. As others would do well to remember."
Khaali folds one pair of arms down to place on her hips, the other remains crossed over her breast.
"Some have keepsakes for lovers, some for fancy. I keep mine to remind me who I need to kill before they try to kill me in turn, As for the tournament? Why would you come if you've never killed a man? Many will die here, I believe.. And I'm certain you know you'd look much less pretty without any skin on your body. Although with all those clothes covering you Earthrealmers head to toe, I probably wouldn't notice the difference." Khaali slumps to sit against the wall, her knees up and her arms spread behind her head to cushion her. "As for why we are here... why are you here? Surely when your life hangs in the balance, you'd be best not knowing why anyone else is her. You wouldn't to hesitate over an honorable soul and have your head snicked off...."

The goddess laughs "Sorry" as she runs at her ugly opponent. Serenity gracefully dodges the blades of the beast as he tries to decapitate her, impale her, cut her limbs off, and slash her stomach open. A swift counter kick sends the beast back holding his gut.
"I am BARAKA! You have no chance. I will enjoy seeing you suffer"
"Let us see Baraka"
Serenity's blade comes forth as the monster slices down at her head with both blades. A high block with her blade stops his attack dead in its tracks. As she pushes her weapon up and send Barakas blades up revealing openings for attacks, Serenity spins and slices the beast diagonally on his chest. As he steps back in pain, Serenity rushes in with great speed punching at Baraka's arms, chest, throat, and face. Not knowing what is going on, Baraka stands there until he falls on the floor in pain.
"It appears i overdid it Ekibyogami, do you need any help?"

Meanwhile, Marek and Ermac continue their sorcerous battle. "You may be Shap Kahn's most powerful enforcer, but you are no match for me." Marek strikes Ermac with a chance fireball that knocks the telekinetic warrior through the Goro Statue. Levitating to the ground, Marek walks over to Ermac, standing solemnly over him. "I did not intend for this battle, and even if I did, I would still not kill you. You are not meant to die here, and it is imperative that you survive. For the sake of the realms-And the sake of your Princess and Queen." Marek walks away from Ermac's unconscious body, looking over his shoulder and giving one final look. "Good luck in your quest for redemption, King Jerrod."

"I could work skinless..."

Annette crosses her arms now, raising her chin to suggest a certain confidence.

"I'm not here to kill, or even to win. I've been presented with... A certain question. One that can only be answered by someone here at this tournament. Ordinarily I'd never throw myself into a situation like this, but I'm not without training... I find an evasive tactic gives me all I need to survive. These warriors are so set in their ways, they'd defeat themselves for me. That said, I am quite certain of my own coming defeat. Pride is silly, so I'll settle with the shame of fleeing if it keeps me alive."

Annette looks around the room as she speaks, noticing a tray of questionable beverages. She takes one, then drinks. She looks back at Khaali as she spits back into the cup. She closes her eyes tightly and furrows her brow, it was quite nasty.

"Point being, I'm here for a solution. The tournament is just something in the way. I will not hesitate to kill if I must, but if there is no need, I take no satisfaction from it. As of yet, none are on my side, and I have taken no one else's. I am here for myself, and I'd like to keep it that way. Do you think the same? Or perhaps you're swept up in this conflict of 'realms'?"
Annette slides down the wall to sit, leaning on hard stone made her back hurt... She rubs her lower back and grumbles...
"I suppose if you don't want to speak of it, don't. Though knowing won't make me hesitate. You'll have to take my head some other way, heh."

My time doing this but I'm willing to give it ago
An unsettling woman is seen sitting in a darkend corner, she quietly rocks back and forth pulling individual hairs from her head.
In a quiet child like way she starts to sing "He loves me He loves me not He loves me He loves me NOT"

"Nope I am fine,but we should check on Marek"

"Ok" As the two gods headed to the warrior shrine they cross a strange woman in the corner.
"Umm.. Ekibyogami should we talk to her?"

"Well....you come back to me, stripped and skinless, and say the same thing and I'll be impressed. As for myself.....I have nowhere else to go. The events of this tournament may rectify that."
Khaali reaches and reclaims her drink, one long grey skinned leg stretched out before her, the other knee up resting an elbow on it.
"or, it may not, it may be senseless killing, and a start to new wars. We shall see. Or I may lose my.... pretty... head myself."
She smiles, more viciously than humorously.
"And I wouldn't worry about that." Khaali holds the girl's chin briefly in one clawed hand. "Human heads pop off very easily. You'd barely feel a thing."

"I am not sure,she does not look well. She could be a potential ally or enemy. ........... I will go check on Marek. You can stay and help this one,take this locust and if you need help at any point ask the locust for it and i will run to help"

Ekibyogami gives serenity the locust,confident that she can defend herself,and that if this warrior turns out to be as dangerous as the Mute one,that she has a backup if she needs it. He sets out towards the shrine.

Shortly after his battle with Ermac, Marek runs across Ekibyogami. "Lord Ekibyogami, where is Lady Serenity? Is she hurt?"

"She is attempting to comfort another warrior,we did not know her intentions,so she could be at risk so we must hurry back"

Cheeks slightly smushed by Khaali's fingers, Annette mumbles as she is let go, "I'd certainly hope so. You've nowhere to go? Where are yo-"

Annette shifts uncomfortably again and is quite visibly disturbed. She holds her stomach as if in pain, wincing briefly....

"I... Must go. I'm sorry, I...... I have gas."

Unable to think of something better to say, Annette is embarrassed but her sense urgency does not falter. She stumbles off down a dark hallway, holding on to the wall. She can be heard breathing heavily for a moment before she is gone.

After a few moments, a rather scantily clad man enters the room. He pulls two suspenders over his shoulders and buckles them to his slipping pants. After setting a pair of high heels on the floor, he stretches obnoxiously and yawns. He walks casually, shoulders held back with hips swaying slowly.

Approaching the shokan woman sitting on the floor, he speaks in a soft voice, fluidly and calm.

"Hello."

He stretches his hand out to the woman, motioning for her to stand.

"Wouldn't want to appear unladylike, now would we?"

Gesturing to her uncrossed legs, he tilts his head and shoots his eyes in the opposite direction as if to say "ahem" in his less than subtle fashion.

"That was rude of me... Or so they say."

He continues to extend his hand to her.