REPTILE IN MKI

Reptile sighed as he leaned against one of the stone pillars holding the bridge up underneath the pit. It was night time and the moon was full. Neither the cool air nor the intimidating spikes of steel that surrounded Reptile concerned him in the slightest. He was bored.

He had a mission, but thus far it had been practically mind numbingly boring. All he had to do was stay down in the pit at night and guard the secret entrance to Goro's lair. Reptile obediently did as Shang Tsung commanded him, but in his mind he scoffed. Who would be dumb enough to try and climb down the wall of the pit, knowing that one mistake would end in impalement? And just who knew about this entrance anyway other than himself, Shang Tsung, and Goro? Reptile cleared his mind of these thoughts and continued to listen for intruders. He heard none.

Now bored and hungry, Reptile walked over to one of the impaled bodies that was fresh from a battle that evening. With one hand, he twisted and wrenched the head off and began to eat it. Spitting out the chunks of bone as he ate, Reptile turned and went back to the pillar which he had been hiding behind and leaned against it once again. Several minutes late he had finished eating the head and was once again bored.

He looked to the moon out of boredom and was shocked when he saw a shadow fly across it. Reptile shook his head and looked again. Another shadow passed by the moon. It had looked like a strange flying contraption Reptile had once heard of.

``You've been down here to long,'' Reptile told himself ``Getting so bored your mind is imagining things to keep it occupied.''

There is a sound from above.

Reptile instantly banished all thought from his mind. He made his body release its unique pheromone that first came out in a cloud, then condensed on his suit and skin. The pheromone acted as a light-bending material making Reptile practically invisible. Invisible though he was, he still hunkered down on all fours. If he moved to much at the wrong time, his invisibility would become slightly distorted and he would be exposed.

He peeked around the corner just in time to see somebody descending the pits wall using a rope. Because of the dark Reptile could not see who it was at first. The figure kept itself to the shadows as it made its way towards the secret entrance. However, there was a patch of moonlight that could not be avoided. The figure stepped its way through revealing his identity to Reptile. It was the Shaolin fighting monk, Liu Kang.

Reptile retreated behind the pillar once more. If his skin had been capable of becoming pale, it would have just then. There was only one earth warrior that he considered a threat to Shang Tsung and himself. And that was Liu Kang. But why should he be afraid? Was this not the perfect way to dispose of him? Alone at night and trying to infiltrate Goro's lair? The mortal had a death wish. And that was one wish Reptile would be more than happy to grant.

Smiling with anticipation, Reptile waited until Liu Kang walked past him by the pillar, then quietly stood up and followed him. He was unseen, and to stay unheard he matched the monks steps with his own but with bigger strides so as to get closer. He was closing in on Kang when the monk stopped suddenly. Reptile instantly froze in place with his foot one inch off the ground. The monk was staring at the impaled body that Reptile had taken the head from earlier. Liu Kang seemed to consider it for a moment, then resumed walking. Falling in stride again, Reptile inwardly sighed with relief.

As he finally began to close the gap between himself and Kang, Reptile began to consider the various methods he could use to kill his foe. He could lash out with his claws and slice the monk six ways from Sunday, but such an action would require to much motion. He could use his forceball technique, but the gathering of energy for that attack made light and noise. And so Reptile finally settled on using his acid to kill Liu Kang. It was a quick and quiet attack up until the actual spitting of the acid.

Smiling once again, Reptile began to build up acid in his mouth like it saliva. He built up more and more until his cheeks bulged outwards from it. Taking one more stride to bring himself only two feet away from the monks back, Reptile went for the kill. He leaned forward ready to spit acid right onto Liu Kang's head. What happened next was completely unexpected.

Liu Kang whirled around with his eyes wide and his fist cocked. And Reptile who only stood there in shocked surprise, was hit on the left side of his face with swift blow. The acid he held in his mouth shot out from the force of the punch and landed uselessly on the ground as he spun from the attack. His invisibility quickly dissipated as his concentration was broken. Now fully visible, Reptile quickly regained his balance and tuned his sights back on Liu Kang. He did so just in time to see the monk sweeping his leg outward meaning to trip his legs out from under him. Reptile countered this by jumping backwards and somersaulting in the air. He landed out of Kang's reach and quickly assumed a defensive stance.

``What are you?'' Liu Kang asked as he also assumed a fighters stance.

``Fool, ``said Reptile `` I am the one they call Reptile. I will be your death!''

``We shall see, `` remarked Liu Kang.

``Oh yes, indeed we shall.'' said Reptile as he and Liu Kang squared off.

At first the two fighters only circled each other, looking for a weakness in the others stance, or waiting for the opportunity to strike. The circling was ended by Liu Kang as he brought out his hands, raised his knee, and shot a fireball borne from his own chi at Reptile. Reptile sidestepped the fireball and counterattacked by curling into a ball and rolling at the warrior monks feet. Liu Kang was still trying to dodge when he got hit by Reptile. His feet went flying out from under him and he flipped haphazardly through the air and landed on his side. From this prone position, Liu Kang flipped over in time to see Reptile curling into a ball once again for a follow-up attack. As he executed the rolling attack, Kang timed it and used all four limbs to propel himself over the attack and landed on his feet with ease.

As Reptile uncurled himself and stood up, Liu Kang performed a flying kick that landed squarely between Reptile's shoulders sending the saurian flying into one of the stone pillars face first. There was a thud as he hit it and he could feel the stone crack around him. Turning around to face his opponent, Reptile's already hurting face was greeted with more pain as Liu Kang landed punch after punch against it. Ducking an incoming blow, Reptile quickly charged his feet with the same energy used for his forceballs. Pushing off the wall for thrust, Reptile slid on the energy like ice between Liu Kang's legs.

This time it was Liu Kang who turned to face his opponent. He barely saw the green glowing ball until Reptile had already launched it. Thinking quickly, Kang jumped and somersaulted over the ball. He could feel the forceballs heat as it grazed his legs. The ball exploded against the pillar behind him, causing Liu Kang to fly through the air towards Reptile. The warrior monk re-oriented himself in the air so his feet and legs were facing his enemy. Reptile was in another state of shocked surprise as he saw the intended attack coming. His reaction was of no help to him. In his shock all Reptile did was put one arm out in front of him and yell through gritted teeth, ``EEEEEEEEEWWWWWW!!!!'' The attack, which Liu Kang would later name the bicycle kick, hit its target with accuracy and deadly force. His legs pumped up and down after the initial strike, pummeling Reptile with a furry of kicks that broke several of his ribs, knocked the wind out of him, and caused his head to whip around like a rag doll. Liu Kang ended the attack with one final kick that sent Reptile flying through the air once again. He glanced the ground several times before fully coming to a stop on the ground.

Liu Kang was weary on his feet. His legs hurt from their repeated usage in the fight, despite the early injury from Reptiles rolling attack. He was dizzy from the use of so much energy, and he felt as though he might faint. However, Kang saw Reptile getting up from the ground slowly and resumed his fighting stance. Spitting up green blood, Reptile turned once more and looked at Liu Kang. Their eyes met, and a silent message passed between them at that moment. It was a stalemate. If either of them continued to fight, one would invariably kill the other. And neither of them felt like dying. Yet.

Liu Kang had abandoned his mission, whatever that may have been, and climbed the rope he used to get down into the pit. Reptile slowly limped away and went through the secret entrance to Goro's lair. He constantly cursed the warrior monk and the pain from his injuries as he made his way back to Shang Tsung's throne room. Injured though he was, Reptile had indeed fulfilled his mission by stopping Liu Kang from entering Goro's lair. Even so, Reptile knew Shang Tsung would be angry at him for failing to kill the infernal monk. But that didn't bother Reptile in the slightest. His pride had sustained an injury far greater than any that could be inflicted by both Liu Kang and Shang Tsung combined. And for that he would make Liu Kang suffer.

``Yes,'' Reptile thought to himself, ``make him suffer so greatly that death and hell will come as a mercy. And before he dies his last sight will be me eating his heart!''