As Augustus stepped out of the treasure room, he found himself in a circular chamber, the arched roof held up by pillars as shadows consumed everything beyond them, making any way out invisible to sight along with the way he came in. In the center of the chamber was a pit that glowed with an unhealthy looking green light. As Augustus struggled to get his bearings, shadows and smoke flowed up out of the hole like liquid before taking a shape that looked like a man, but was plainly not. The entire figure was covered in black cloth, with only glowing white eyes visible over what looked like an air filter mask. What little bit of skin around the figure's eyes was an unhealthy, pallid grey, and a black hood covered his head, shrouding him even further from sight.
"You have proven victorious over three foes your superior in strength and skill with tricks, luck, and tools," the figure stated in a gargling, breathy whisper, his voice seeming to echo as he grasped something at his own chest and pulled out a bone scythe, liquid shadows seeming to seal the hole as he slung it over his shoulder. "In my past life, I would have respected that. Now, it is a disappointment that you made it this far, and I must sully my hands with a foe so pathetic. Such tactics will not work on me. You will die, and your struggle will have been meaningless."
Augustus flexed his hands, frowning as he saw the scanners on his wrist already telling him that his foe - in his current state - didn't actually have a biology to scan or target. He would be forced to rely on what few pre-made cantrips he had with him to try and fight him, and that would likely drain his resources something fierce even if it did work. He needed more information if he was going to have a chance to make it past this foe. "If that's supposed to intimidate me..." he began awkwardly, only to watch as the bone scythe seemed to flex, showing that it was made of strung together vertebrae...likely his foe's own. He swallowed convulsively. "Okay, it's doing a damn good job. But it won't stop me."
The figure chuckled softly, though it was barely a sound yet seemed to scratch on the very soul of the listener. "You are brave, I will give you that much, Veil Captain Augustus Black. But you now face Noob Saibot, and I will be the last thing you ever see." With no more words than that, the figure lunged forward.
Augustus reached into his coat and pulled out a police baton that glowed with inner light. It had been a gag gift from Valmont on the way to the island, but it was enhanced with Valmont's light magic. Since his foe seemed to be made of living shadow, with luck it would give him an advantage. However, as he swung it, Saibot vanished in a puff of smoke, and only strong instincts led to Augustus diving forward before the bone scythe could wrap around his neck. Landing on the ground with his hands, he kicked out with his legs trying to hit a vulnerable point, only for his foe to once more vanish into smoke, forcing him to roll away from successive strikes. He moved to swing with the baton, only to find it slashed in half, the light dissipated into the air.
"If all you are are your tricks and evasion, you would not survive the later foes, let alone pass me," Saibot declared as he suddenly appeared as Augustus was trying to get up, a foot connecting strongly in his midsection and sending him flying towards the hole in the center of the room. The green light within seemed to reach hungrily for him, but he managed to catch himself barely before he reached the edge. As Augustus pulled out a large fan, the bone scythe slashed it to ribbons before he could swing it, and the follow up backhand landed him at the very edge of the pit. "Light and wind may work on shadows and smoke, but I am more than that."
Augustus coughed as he managed to get to his feet. "You sure do like to hear yourself talk," he managed to growl out, quickly weaving back and forth as he struggled to evade the sudden onslaught of punches and kicks from his foe and the shadow copy he'd generated.
"This fight must entertain me somehow," Saibot sighed in resignation. "I am already growing bored. Did you truly think such tricks could work on a being of pure evil, or were you merely arrogant and foolish?"
As Augustus felt himself pushed up to the edge of the pit, his eyes narrowed. "Pure evil, huh?" he asked as his hand slipped into his pocket. He really shouldn't have brought this from the Vault, but paranoia kept him alive and he wanted some sort of a wild card edge wherever Valmont was taking the group, and this was the one that he thought could be least easily used against him and give the most potential advantage. "So far I'm just seeing someone too hopped up on his one trick. I've seen evil far worse. You're little better than a two-bit thug."
"I will not be distracted by your words," Saibot stated calmly as he leaned over Augustus, pulling one fist back. "To the Netherrealm with you!" His fist flew forward.
Augustus pulled his hand from his pocket and caught the punch...the Tiger Talisman glowing between them.
"WHAT?" Saibot screamed out, struggling to pull back but locked to the talisman as glowing blue-white light shot out of the pit, swarming over and through Augustus as it flowed through the Talisman and into Noob Saibot. "No! I will not be-"
Augustus felt his mind slipping as energy seemed drained right out of him, and then everything was a blaze of white light.
When the light finally faded, Augustus struggled to drag himself to awareness. He felt half-alive at best, and he felt the Talisman in his hand, his hand feeling like the design had been burned into his flesh, though that sensation was fading fast. A great deal of angry howling could be heard...along with the sound of someone chewing on something.
"Eat this," a friendly voice offered, holding what smelled like some sort of plant mash to his mouth. "It will help restore your lost stamina. What you did took more than you could spare."
Unable to really do much else, Augustus allowed the plant mash to be pushed into his mouth and chewed, swallowing as he found the strength. Someone helped him to sit up...and he found himself looking up at the figure from before, changed. The cloth that covered him was now a bright blue, the skin around his eyes a healthy color, dark colored eyes visible in the sockets. "Who...? How...?" Augustus managed to ask before getting a hold of himself. "Why did...?"
The figure managed a chuckle. "Let me answer your questions as best I understand. My name is...was?...Bi Han, and I once was known as Sub Zero. When I was slain in Mortal Kombat, the sorcerer Quan Chi transformed my soul into the wraith known as Noob Saibot by stripping away my pride, compassion, and all else that made me human, leaving only the evil behind, and filling in the gaps with Netherrealm energy and his own dark magic. When you used that artifact on me, it called those scattered pieces back to me, forcibly restoring the balance of my Yin and Yang...but it took more energy than we both had to fully accomplish. It drained much of your vital energy...to restore my body to a semblance of life. What I have eaten and fed you will help our bodies to restore the absent vitality, but you will need to rest if you are to recover fully."
Augustus shook his head. "No time," he managed to say as he pushed himself to his feet. He staggered a bit, but he refused to allow himself to fall. He felt his vision swim, but sheer nerve kept him upright. "Have to...stop the Kahn...whoever that is..."
A warm smile was visible in Bi Han's eyes. "My fell self was right about one thing," he said calmly. "You are most worthy of respect. Though you lack the training, you have nerve and skill that would have made you a welcome addition to the Lin Kuei. Would that I could go with you and aid you in your quest."
Augustus managed to stabilize himself as he felt his body starting to settle, his vision clearing. "But you're still bound to this Guardian Space?" he asked curiously.
"And not truly alive," Bi Han allowed sadly. "And the crimes of Noob Saibot still weigh upon my soul. If I am to break free of his ties to the Netherrealm and walk Earthrealm once more...I have much work before me. However...you have my thanks. And if you see Raiden or Hanzo...tell them I forgive them for what happened. It was not truly their fault."
Augustus nodded as he took a few calming breaths. "I'll be sure to survive to pass that along." Reaching forward, he grasped Bi Han's wrist. "Good luck."
Bi Han returned the gesture. "To you as well," he said warmly before turning to the pit. As the green light reached for him, ice surrounded his hands before he lunged down, a battle cry escaping his lips as he fell.
Augustus stared at the pit for a time, then turned to a path that opened in the shadows beyond the pillars. One more thing for his checklist of 'things to fix' once he'd made this Kahn back down, whatever that took.