//------------------------------//
// Again? 
// Story: Three More Things! 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

The Netherrealm was a place of fire and endless pain, where souls were tormented for purposes of darkest magic, where even the most righteous of souls once captured could be twisted and broken into little more than living weapons or dark tools.  Quan Chi, the ruler of the Netherrealm, made certain that nothing happened there that did not give him power, and he always did his best to prepare for every possibility.  Losing control of Noob Saibot had been...unpleasant...but he was adapting.  A duplicate of himself was currently keeping the restored Bi Han distracted near the burning pits, wearing him down until he could be captured.  Once captured, the process that transformed him into Noob Saibot would simply be repeated.  The loss of the resources that went into the initial experiment - and the experience Noob Saibot had gathered - was unpleasant, but it was something he could adapt to.
However, the sight of an inter-realm portal opening up at his throne was not something he could greet with equanimity.  Only the Guardians of Realms could open those gates to other Guardians' seats of power...and the signs of this gate suggested it came from Outworld.  There had been that odd surge of magic along the contracts he had with Shao Kahn, and he hadn't been able to feel the Guardian Warlord's soul since.  Had he grown strong enough he no longer needed the contracts?  This was something he would have to approach with care-
A mortal human stepped out of the portal, followed by Raiden and a Shokan warrior maiden.  By their positions, the human was the one in charge here, which was most unusual...especially as he was wearing the ceremonial war helm of Outworld's Kahn, despite it not matching his long flowing leather jacket at all.
"Do I really have to wear this, Sheeva?" he asked irritably of the Shokan, tapping the helm with one finger.
"You are Kahn," Sheeva - Quan Chi recognized her now - pointed out with a surprising amount of affection in her tone.  "But now is the time for a strong front, not idle discussion."
Nodding, the man walked up to Quan Chi.  "You are Quan Chi?" he asked flatly, his arms resting calmly at his side as his coat billowed around him on its own, an amulet that glowed with Fujin's power glittering around his neck.
"I am," Quan Chi murmured thoughtfully.  "And you are...?"
"Veil Captain Augustus Black of Earthrealm, Augustus Kahn of Outworld, and in a bad mood," the man stated bluntly.  "I'm here for Bi Han.  The sooner you hand him over without any magics binding him to this Realm, the better for you."
Quan Chi couldn't stop himself from chuckling in amusement.  "You come into my Realm and make demands of me?  Kahn or not, you are but mortal-"
"Not a demand, just a statement of intent," Augustus interrupted.  "I am here for Bi Han, and I will be leaving here with him free of any binding magics.  Whether I accomplish that with, around, or through you is entirely up to you."
Quan Chi stared at Augustus for a time, completely flummoxed at the sheer unmitigated gall and chutzpah this...mortal could show.  Glancing at the amulet, he couldn't help himself.  Leaning to one side, he called out, "Lord Raiden, I think I like your brother's taste in Champions more than your own!"  A glance at Sheeva showed how she was trying not to react to Augustus' actions.  "And I see I'm not the only one."
Raiden sighed ruefully.  "...Fujin is going to be intolerable for centuries..." he muttered under his breath.
"Or at least as long as this one lives," Quan Chi pointed out in amusement.
"Like he said," Sheeva pointed out with a smirk.  "Centuries."
"Sheeva, I don't want to be immortal," Augustus countered in an irritable tone.
"Who said anything about immortal?" Sheeva asked curiously.  "With proper care, diet, lifestyle, and magical medical treatment, a mortal body can easily last centuries before decay becomes irreversible...and Shokan have a much longer base lifespan than humans, and I intend to keep you around for as much of that as possible...my Kahn."
Quan Chi chuckled softly at the flustered expression that crossed Augustus' face at that.  "So...you defeated Shao Kahn?" he asked curiously.  "I hope you keep an eye over your shoulder.  He's not one for staying dead-"
"He will this time," Augustus stated flatly.  "The weapon I struck him down with cuts through magic itself."
Quan Chi froze.  He knew such a weapon existed.  He'd felt its creation.  The fact this mortal spoke so casually of utilizing it said that he spoke true.  That explained why he could no longer feel Shao's soul.  That threw all of his plans off kilter.  Still, if Augustus wanted Bi Han...perhaps if he could arrange certain-
"This one has retrieved your ally, Lord Kahn," a hissing, insectoid voice suddenly spoke up as a buzzing of wings approached.
Spinning, Quan Chi's eyes narrowed in anger as he saw an insect woman he knew all too well floating down, carrying Bi Han in one arm as she was surrounded by a swarm of her insect children...far more than she could normally have active at a time.  "D'Vorah!" he demanded angrily.  "What...how...why?"
D'Vorah landed gently next to Augustus, setting Bi Han down as Raiden moved up, immediately removing all hostile magic attached to the once fallen Lin Kuei.  "Thanks to Augustus Kahn, the lands of the Kyttin once more thrive, and our people replenish.  This one pays her debts, and this one's loyalty to the Kahn is now absolute."  She then cast a sidelong glance Augustus' way before sending another look Sheeva's way.  "This one would gladly show gratitude and loyalty elsewise...the Kyttin would flourish with the addition of the Kahn's bloodline..."
"He's still getting used to me D'vorah," Sheeva countered flatly.  "Give him a few years at least, alright?"
A brief look of embarrassed mortification flickered across Augustus' face, but he quickly smoothed his expression.  "As I said," he continued to Quan Chi, "I am leaving here with Bi Han, with no hostile magics binding him to this realm.  Is it with, around...or through you?"
Quan Chi lifted his hands in defeat.  "While I cannot consent to aiding you with no recompense, I am not so foolish as to challenge one who slew a Guardian without preparation.  I accept that I am outmaneuvered here.  Around it shall be...but I will remember this, Augustus Black.  I will find comeuppance one day."
"I'll be seeing about getting the Guardians of the various Realms to settle things diplomatically instead of with violence," Augustus stated flatly as he turned to leave.  "Feel free to file a petition at the first meeting."
Quan Chi chuckled at the idea.  "You would circumvent the rules laid down by the Elder Gods?  They will not greet that with equanimity-"
"The first mortal to ever slay an Old One already taught me how he did that in his last life," Augustus interrupted.  "I made sure to figure out how to manage it more reliably before coming here.  I doubt an Elder will be as difficult."
Quan Chi was stunned silent at that declaration.  It was only seeing a matching look of shock on Raiden's face that let him keep whatever composure he had...though that was a struggle.  "...you are not a man to cross lightly, Veil Captain..."
A brief smirk touched Augustus' lips as he led his group back through the portal.  "And don't you forget it."



Raiden followed Augustus uncertainly through the portal.  Bi Han had been dropped off with Hanzo, allowing the pair to resolve longstanding differences and sort out how both their lives could move forward.  D'Vorah had been dropped off in her lands, where she continued to oversee their restoration now that Augustus had provided ample resources and means for her people to flourish once more.  Sheeva had been dropped off in the Palace of the Kahn, to watch over things there unless and until a situation required Augustus' immediate attention.  As such, Raiden and Augustus were now on their way back to Section 13, where he could get back to his job.
"Do...do you really know how to kill an Old One?" Raiden asked in shock.
"I put a few details together and figured out who Santa was in his past life, and sent a request to talk with him about it," Augustus replied easily.  "Quite an interesting story, I admit.  I can make his method work, though it's a one off.  Still troubleshooting simplifying it to take down an actual Old One, though."
"But...you are confident you could kill an Elder God?" Raiden asked, still struggling to wrap his mind around it.
Augustus let out a rueful sigh.  "Raiden...after what I've been through, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything life will throw at me.  It might be incredibly difficult and painful, it might leave me with scars and nightmares, or it might turn me figuratively inside out to deal with it...but I'll handle it."
Raiden was silent for a time.  "I genuinely believe you," he admitted finally as they reached the end of the dimensional passage.
"At least Section 13 is the easy part now..." Augustus began, only to fall silent as he stared at the mess of his base.
Several walkways had collapsed on top of each other.  A heavy duty laser cannon had blown out its primary generator from energy feedback, the resulting explosion damaging several key systems.  The Vault was torn open, and stone fragments were scattered about, their magic visibly gone to Augustus' sight, and the underground base somehow had twelve new skylights.  Lying pretty much in the middle of the devastation was Jackie Chan in tiger form, groaning as he scratched at where his fur had been scorched by an explosion.
"...one night, Jackie!" Augustus snapped out in disbelief.  "I ask you to look after things here for one night while I kept some promises!"
Raiden winced.  "...no wonder he refused the offer of a vacation package as part of his rewards..."