Tall, dark, sinister, the fortress stood, quite noticably, higher than any
other sky scraper in the entire city, half of which was ablaze or crumbling to the ground as
she looked out over the ghastly scene. A mountain of rock had burst throught the streets
below, engulfing many of the buildings nearby and perched on top was a monstrosity of a building.
A horned skull carved into the stone at the roof of the building and fires burning in it's eyes. But
perhaps what she found most desturbing of all; above the fortress a deep swirling mass of darkness and
souls, a portal. A gateway to the realm of Outworld. A mysterious and evil world ruled by an immortal who
was known as Shao Kahn. He was a powerful force, feared throughout the realms. Feared
by many, but not everyone. She was not afraid of him. She wouldn't allow herself to be. After all, the
last time she had seen him she'd punched him squarely in the face. It almost got her killed but she really
needed it. After what he'd done, after how him, his invasion, his sorceror, ruined her life. She
remembered of how complicated her life seemed as she hunted Kano throughout the back-streets of Hong Kong
that faithful night. But now, other realms, Eldor Gods, a tournament to decide her home world's faith. It
made her think, made her wish for her old life back. A life in her para-military elite group seemed like a
walk in the park in comparison. As she gazed out into city, she felt a crushing blow in her heart. Her life
would never be simple again. The far-away horizon was tinted a dark pink, reminded her of Outworld. That
hideous place. She wondered was this happening all over the world. Where portals opening up all around the
globe spewing out obscure buildings and twisted looking demons that looked like they
should be in horror films. It send a chill down her spine. She didn't want to think about it. She had been so
caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard the approach the man behind her. She kicked herself for
being caught of gaurd like that. Turning to face her visitor, rage filled her.
'Did you miss me Sonya?'

As he watched the fight, Motaro felt a twinge of jealousy. The female human looked likea formidable opponent
and it should have been him who should have been sent to extinguish her life. Not that moran, Kano. He was
not to be trusted. No mortal was. Still, the Emperor had instructed Kano to do it. Perhaps he was as
able a fighter as Kahn had said. Then again, he had also asked for Motaro to watch him closely. Which he
decided he'd better start doing. He had a good view of the fight, hidden, as best as he could for his size, behind a
stone gargoyle. He'd have a good shot should he have to kill her in the possible event that she defeated Kano.
Silently, he watched, he saw Kano deliver a decent punch to her jaw, saw her lift him of the ground
in a series of fast, powerful kicks, and saw the fury, hatred burning in her eyes as brightly as in the flames
burning in the tower's eye where, no doubt, the emperor was watching.

Sonya leapt out of the way as Kano sent a laser blast straight from his bionic eye. A black scorch
marked appeared where she had stood a split second earlier. But it took Kano at least two or three seconds to
recover from it himself. Plenty of time for her to deliver a kick to his wrist her he held a butterfly knife.
He'd already caught her with that and she could feel the warmth of her blood trickle down her thigh. It was
painful but she'd walked away from worse. He still held another in his left hand and he lashed out at her.
His thrust was perfect but is aim wasn't so good and she easily dodged it. She grabbed hold of his wrist,
twisted her body on her heel as hard as she could in a fast 360' and heard a meaty snap. Then a
clang as the second knife hit the stone below. But that didn't stop Kano. He lunged at her, knocking
her down and pinning her to the ground. Her arms and legs immobile she threw her head up, and catching Kano
on the nose. There was on her cheek and she wasn't sure whose it was but seeing the flow pouring from Kano's
broken nose, she felt convinced it was his. For a split second in the fight, she seemed to forget
about everything around her. She was back in the good old days of hunting this bastard down and making him
pay for what he did to her. The annihilation occuring all around her didn't matter. It was just her and him.
She wasn't ready for what came next, Kano, in an instant, had curled himself up and knocked into
her like a cannon ball. It winded her and she gasped for breath as she tried to stand up. But she wasn't given
the chance. She felt the leather of Kano's boot connect with her face, sending her rolling near the edge
of the roof. She got herself to her hands and knees and gasped as convincingly as she could muster. As Kano
came closer, savouring the moment, he wasn't even aware of his own stupidy.

Fool. Never send a human to do a centaurs work.

Throwing her legs up and forward, the second she felt Kano's body, she wrapped her calves around his waist
and hurled him behind him. Over the edge. On his over her body he grasped a lock of her hair and tore it from
her head. Screaming, the two went over the building. Sonya's lightning fast reflexes kicked in and she grabbed
the edge of the roof, her leather gloves absorbing the burn as Kano plummeted to the street that seemed so far
below. She didn't even her a thud when he finally hit the ground, his bones crushed and his flesh torn from
the impact. She pulled herself up to be greeted by a man. No, a horse? No...

It didn't last long. Nor had he expected it to, the human fell within a minute. One punch to the head
and a sweep of his tail and Motaro felt sure the human would never rise again. But there was something
bothering him, something about the way the mortal lay...

Exhausted, aching and dizzy Sonya lay, bruised and bloody against a gargoyle. The monster was drawing in
closer. It was no that she got a good look at it. About 9 feet tall from hoof to head, lower half of the body
was that of a horse, the torso and head was almost human like, almost. His eyes were pure black and he had
large horns sticking out from either side of his head just behind his ears. He was huge and Sonya felt a deep
sense of regret. Why had she strayed from the others? She could have avoided all of this. No point crying
over spilt milk, there was no time to think of such pointless things, if she was going to get out of here alive
she'd better think hard and fast.

Hmmm...the Emperor had captured this mortal before and was furious when she escaped. Why had he wanted her
so badly? Perhaps I should bring her back to him, yes, he'd reward me greatly for that.

The centaur knelt down to where Sonya had landed, she hadn't moved, not a muscle. As he stretched out a
hand to pick her up she slashed out as strong and fast as she could using the butterfly knife she had nearly
been killed with moments before. It went it, slowly, deep into the centaurs side. She held the blade firmly
in place. The creature let out what she took to be a scream. It was hard to tell. It got harder and harder
to keep the blade there as the centaur began to buck and try to kick Sonya. She dodged the powerful limbs but
lost her balance as it's tail lashed out from behind her. She dropped to ground. Her conciousness flowed away
like the blood from her wounded leg...

'I'm still alive. Why?' She was aching, the fight on the roof had exhausted her like no other. The
centaur, Motaro (fitting name) had carried her to Kahn's fortress. She now stood right in front of him. Alone.
On a walkway, dark, lit only by candlelight and the eerie glow of the Soul Cages hovering on either side
of the pit. Screams shattered out from within and faces, contorted with agony appeared every once and a while.
'I can offer you many things Sonya, everlasting life, wealth beauty. You could rule the realms of Earth and
Outworld at my side. And eventually, Edenia, Seido, Chaosrealm and even the Netherealm will be ours.'
Shao Kahn's voice wasn't abnormal deep or loud, it was soft but very menacing. He was exactly as she
had remembered him from the previous year. At least 7 feet of solid muscle. He still wore the armour she'd
last seen on him and that helmet. That skull. That had haunted her everywhere she went since she first set
eyes on it. She was in no condition to fight him, not yet anyway. Unless there was some way to catch him
of gaurd. She'd have to keep him talking, play along with him.
'You want me to be your Queen? What about Sindel?'
'She was just a loose end. A side issue that needed tidying up.'
'So you killed her?'
'I would have, had your friends not arrived a few hours ago. They took her. Not that any of this matters.
It's you I want!'
'So, all the realms?' You and me, more power than we could possibly ever use? Sounds nice.'
'Forever, we shall rule all, none will oppose us, everything will be ours for the taking.'
Sonya could hear the excitment in his voice. She almost wanted it, to rule all but an eternity with this man
was not worth any of it. It was time to end this. He wanted her. She wanted him...dead.
'Kiss me.' She made her voice as soothing and believable as she could. She needed him to be
completely unprepared. Kahn smiled and moved towards her, leaning down towards her. Sonya was very tall but
Kahn still dwarfed her. They kissed, it revolted Sonya but it was neccesary, she was going to stop Kahn by
whatever means neccesary. She swung her arms around his back and closed in swiftly, jamming her mouth over his
to keep him from screaming. The knife went deep into his back and through his heart. When Kahn fell limb, Sonya
let him drop, silently, she didn't know how many gaurds where outside the room. Kahn lay motionless on the ground
but alive, and conciousess. He was obviosuly stronger than any human was. Sonya knelt in, kissed his cheek and
whispered in his ear.
'D'you know, it's been a real pleasure to shut you up.'
Kahn couldn't speak and he died realising that. As he embraced his own mortality, the fortress began to crumble,
it would probably be sent back to Outworld and Sonya had no intentions of being inside when that happened.
Quickly she placed the knife back in her boot where she'd been hiding it from Kahn. She ran towards the entrance
to the pit, regarding all her previous intentions for stealth, ran straight past Motaro, whose corpse was lying
on the ground. She didn't have time to wonder what happened there she just kept on running. It was over. Shao Kahn
was dead. Kano was dead and the Earth was safe for another generation. She was free. Free from other realms,
demons, sorceror and four armed women who kill your friend who you secretly liked but wouldn't allow them the
pleasure of knowing. That last thought hurt her. Johnny died protecting her. She hated being coddled but he took a fireblast
for her. Killing Sheeva didn't mend the pain that she felt. She couldn't stop Cage, it was his choice, there was nothing
she could do. But there was also nothing anyone could do to rid the guilt they feel when an assault ment for you
claims another instead. She put these thoughts aside and focused on getting out of that fortress. She set of up a
long flight of stairs and hoped that on the roof, Raiden could pick her up.