Noob Saibot was standing on a mountain overlooking the entire island in the shade of a large palm tree. He looked around, getting his bearings on the entire island, which, regrettably, wasn't that big of an island. In the distance he could see Shang Tsung's Palace, and two unknown fighters battling in the it's courtyard.

kevshi sees a black warrior in the distance. he looks evil. i could learn some new powers from him to gain more power from these dark arts and use of shadows. i can use the power to defeat my brother kenshi.

i run up to this warrior and ask for a sparring match. if i win will you teach me the use of your shadow abilitys. let's fight.

Taven enters the island on a boat with a group of monks. He casually walks past two men fighting in Shang Tsungs courtyard. Taven was here for one reason, and that was to...

Study the Shokan. He and his brother, Daegon, had recently been assigned to the EAHL (Edenian Academy of Higher Learning). His mother thought it would help him to know the realms and their cultures.

Taven, who thought it was a little silly to be going to "college", wondered what his brother had been assigned to study.

Taven walks up to a masked guard and asks; "Which way to Goro's lair?"

The masked guard stands, grabbing his weapon, "Who are you? You are not invited here!!" Shouts the guard.

"I came in with a group of monks, they are here to observe and learn new fighting skills. I am here for studies" Says Taven.

"Ah," says the masked guard, "The tour guide is that way".

Kano, who spends most of his time on this island, after all, whenever he goes to Earthrealm, he gets his ass kicked by Stryker, Sonya, or Jax, walks past Noob Saibot, who seems to be standing peacefully under a tree.

"That guy fuckin' freaks me out" said Kano. Kano wasn't sure what exactly Noob was, but his best guess was that ice bloke who scorpion killed in the MK tournament so many years ago.

Kano continues to walks toward the less pretty, more volcanic and rocky side of Mr. Tsung's island. He liked it there best. He did not want to run into Shang Tsung, however, cause he was not sure if he was exactly welcomed here anymore.

Kano passes a man conversing with a masked guard, and thinks "Fit, yes. Nothing I couldn't handle. Looks arrogant as hell."

The elder gods had sent me here. I am their champion yet they tell me nothing.
*sees a courtyard in the distance*

Perhaps I shall wait there the elder gods will contact when they want to tell me my orders. I hope it is for my vengeance the elder gods promised me this!!!

While he is wondering the island, he bumps into a large yellow-clad figure heading the opposite way.

He looks up to see that this man is a ninja spectre, one who Kano has seen before. He doesn't expect the conversation to go anywhere, but he is feeling rather talkative today.

"Ah.. Stinger, right?"

OOC Grammar Nazi: GAH!!! *faints*



IC: "Ok, I'll take up your offer, but I warn you,"
As he says this, a Shadow Clone splits off from his body, and the two of them assume fighting stances
"We won't make it easy for you,"

The name is Scorpion.

Scorpion realized who this was it was the traitorous Kano. Scorpion had time and could possibly learn what is happening on the island after all these years.

On one of the smaller mountaintops resides a small oasis. Palm trees can be seen scattered among the mountain range along with some other small shrubs that require little water. A palace sat uninterrupted in a valley to the west and the grunts of kombat echoed up the hills.

The oasis on this small summit was quite sad looking. The single palm tree was splintered near the roots and therefore hung on a very precarious angle. The small pond had almost dried up; mud and twigs rounded the bank of the water. While not the most aesthetic site, it had served it's purpose for Yaray.

He climbed looking for a secluded spot and found a surprising amount of other entrants had decided to do the same thing. Yaray veered from them, not saying anything. He left the old man his dark cave and the shadow creature his apex.

However, he had finally found the area he was looking for. The sand below was perfect and around the oasis there had been plenty of rocks. Yaray now sat with a square area drawn in the sand in front of him. The square was divided into even more squares creating a checkered board.

On one side of the board, rocks were placed quite uniformly, with the more impressive stones in the back row and eight nearly-identical ones in the front. The other side of the board through this uniformity out and instead boasted uneven squares, odd lines and broken rocks splayed out everywhere.

Yaray started to move one piece at a time in order. The orderly side would move and then the disorganized side. His hands moved fast, each trying to outdo the last move. He looked down occasionally but his eyes preferred to canvass the vast geography around him.

During one perplexing move where his jagged hand threw stones back and forth among the sand board, Yaray noticed a man with a sword and a green pentagram on his back by the shadow creature. He hadn't paid the completely black figure much attention as all he did was survey the land and chatter to himself (another case of split personalities Yaray assumed) but now it looked like things were going to get interesting on the shadow's high mountaintop. The man was drawing his sword and the shadow creature had just created a shadow doppelganger of himself.

Yaray stood, having an overwhelming urge to disrupt this fight and relieve some boredom. He looked down at the temporary chessboard. Some sand had been kicked up ruining one of the borders and stones were now scattered all amongst the squares. This practice helped keep him in tune with both urges that constantly ran through him.

The battle started in the distance.

"Right, right, mate."

Kano suddenly remembered the man, Scorpion had fought in many tournaments as well as Kano, but the last time he saw him, he got ripped to shreds by two Oni on his way to confront Quan Chi.

"Well..."

Kano didn't know what exactly to say to Scorpion, who looked very intimidating, and probably wouldn't go down as easily as the man he saw with the masked guard.

"What brings you here?"

I can not tell you this. But perhaps you can tell me something.

Why are fighters returning here? You seem to know more than most mortals.

Cyrax searched through his database for him. He was somewhere. He just didn't know where. Standing next to the Warrior Shrine of Goro, Cyrax saw the Pit in the distance; two warriors fought upon it until one lost his balance and fell to the gore-ridden spikes at the bottom, his screams echoing in the silent midsummers night.
Cyrax's database contained information on every kombatant that had fought in a tournament. Cyrax looked at his objectives until he heard a noise behind him.

As he turned, a crystal-like ball of ice hit Cyrax's titanium feet rooting him to the ground. Three figures walked up him; They were Sub-Zero, Jarek and Daegon. Sub-Zero smirked and morphed inside a green mist. Shang Tsung then stood and lent towards Cyrax. "I hear you've been looking for me."

"You may have heard wrong, chap. Most mortals know more then me, except the best way to shut a man up using only your left toe." Kano chuckled.

"If you ask me, with the, uh.. Realms, in such a, well, boring state, most warriors are just wondering all over. Some say they see visions of the end of the world, or pyramids, or something.

Others, are still helplessly trying to resolve personal grudges."

Kano smiled, "Me, I gave that up a little while ago. Can't even go back to Earthrealm to make a quick buck without getting busted."

"Say, mate, I've been trying to get some work as a merc. You need any... "Favors" done?"

Taven approached the "tour guide". He was a very fat man, wearing only the robes of a guard, but not the mask.

"I'm here for..."

Taven realizes that the man is sleeping, and decides he can do some looking around himself.

As he heads down long underground hallways, on his way to the lair of the great Shokan Goro, he runs into a man covered in blood.

"What is going on? Do you..." Started Taven.

"Gotta get outta here gotta escape!!" screamed the man as he began running toward the exit.

Taven hears two men coming up the hall, he quickly hides behind a large stone statue.

The men are more masked guards, but they are also covered in blood.

"Damn, if Tsung were here we would all be dead, this is the third time we've let a prisoner escape!!" said on of the guards.

"Hmm" Taven thought to himself. He waited for the guards to head towards the exit after the man, and started toward this "prison".

Shang Tsung produced a medium sized flaming skull. "Now then. Let's find out why you're here." Cyrax's CPU readied a large bomb inside his chest cavity. Suddenly, loud cries for help rang through the Gardens. Daegon and Jarek ran towards the shouting, arming themselves with knives and clubs.

Shang Tsung morphed into Ermac and paralyzed Cyrax; Only his CPU was active. Using Ermac's telekinisis, Tsung carried Cyrax into Goro's Lair passing two guards, Daegon and Jarek who were standing over a bruised and bloodied corpse. It was still twitching and had one cut off. Tsung carried Cyrax into cell where two Oni cowered in the corner apparently afraid of Shang Tsung.

"We will visit you later." said Ermac. Shang Tsung appersed from the green mist; "I'll make sure you talk...."

bring it on. kevshi launches his snake projectile at one of the clones of noob blasting him on his back. noob gets angry and throws his ninja stars. they fly at kevshi. kevshi uses his tk to slow the ninja stars to a halt. they fall down to the ground and stick in. i am worthy. i will beat you. i whip my chain but it goes through noob. what the hell. bring it on. it's only just begun noob.

Kabal knelt near some footprints in a small clearing on the far side of the Island. He reached down and felt the soil on the inside of one of the footprints, "Still moist" he affirmed in his head. He wasn't far behind the man he was after.

Kabal was tracking a former member of the Black Dragon. An old friend who had abandoned him years before and left him for dead.

At the same time, his secondary objective for while he was on this retched island was to scout out possible recruits for the new Black Dragon clan. which he was reforming under himself.

He remembered spying a fellow with black hair coming off a boat earlier that day. He appeared to be in adequate shape and could possibly make a worthy addition to the Black Dragon. "I must remember to keep a look out for that warrior." he thought, and was on his way up a small winding path to the palace of Shang Tsung.

(I'm confused, are you Cyrax? why are you controlling so many people?)

Taven entered a large round room, with many levels, many cells, and many machines used for torture.

"What is this place?"

Taven saw many monks and other warriors in the cells, but one yellow cyborg stuck out.

"What are you doing here, what's going on?" asked Taven.

"You know more than you say. Even my quest for vengeance."

"Perhaps I could use you."

Scorpion smiled or at least tried to it had been to many years for him

"Kano I would like to find a certain sorcerer one who has plagued my life for many years"

"What's your price?"

Scorpion thought to himself his years of hardship his hunting for the ones who killed his family and clan and he was so close to finally getting his vengeance torn to shreds. But now he had the elder gods on his side. Perhaps he could even help for good.

"2,000 Koins, mate."

"So tell me, who is it your after, anyway?"

@Rubex

(Please try and stick to controlling Cyrax, please. If you need another character to help move the story along, I suggest doing what bobbycool1 did, and use masked guards and less important people.)

(This applies to everyone else, too. Thanks, and great so far!!)

(Sorry guys )

A young man walked into the Prison. He looked at Cyrax and asked him why he was in a cell; "The Lin Kuei have sent me to kill Shang Tsung." explained Cyrax. "I was captured and imprisoned here. If you could help me, I would greatly appreciate it....."

"It;s a deal mate." Said Kano to Scorpion.

As he began wandering the island, looking for Quan Chi, he spotted his old friend, Kabal.

He quickly jumped behind a bush and began observing Kabal.

"What 'ave we here?"