Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mileena vanish in a shimmering cloud before his body tensed as he heard a slight whisper in the air before he leaned back slightly and caught Mileena as she leaped from what appeared to be a teleportation cloud, trying to land on his back before he fell into what most WWE fans would have recognized immediately as an RKO.

He rolled out of the way as he narrowly evaded the charging Raptor. He gagged at the foul stench of rotting fish. "Ugh… bloody hell, you reek worse than a gallon of Liquid Ass," he groaned, trying not to vomit.

"The man is mine, reptilian! Take the boy in the two enquines!" Mileena said angrily. "I truly appreciate the compliment therefore I will not kill you and eat you but take you as my own."

"Did it cross your mind to make a life for yourself away from Shang Tsung and Shao Khan? Not fight or kill for them, but for yourself? After all, I know Shang may have resurrected you, but just like Shao Khan, they see you as a tool or, worse, an attack dog, rather than a being with your own thoughts and desires. Hell, the fact you recognize a compliment shows you're more intelligent than an animal.," Richard deadpanned before he twisted, catching Reptile's clawed hands by the forearms, dark green blood trickling from punctures caused by the Claw Shield's claws. "And you, Cyzoth… for your loyalty to the Emperor and his pet Sorcerer, how were you repaid? Not with comrades of your own race nor a mate, but shunned as nothing more than a tool, perhaps one treated as a cushy pet, but a tool much like a blade or arrow… to be aimed at and used at one seen as an enemy. Funny how they seem to ignore your own Loyalty to them. Rather sad that neither Shang Tsung nor Shao Khan choose to ignore the Loyalty of those who fight for them, wouldn't you agree, Queen Nitara?" he commented before he twisted, Venom engulfing his free arm in a skintight sleeve before a strand of high tensile webbing fired out from the back of his hand, the bulb of webbing no larger than a golf ball expanding abruptly and engulfing the Vampire as her wings dipped, capturing her and dropping her to the ground.

He let his gaze shift skyward to the storm, knowing his words were causing the trio to think and likely reconsider their loyalty to Shang Tsung and, by extension, Shao Khan. "And if you really consider it, how much fun is Kombat when you achieve victory through stealth, guile, and deception rather than strength and skill? Shows how much of a fucking pussy and coward Shang and Shao Khan are that they'd attack a world with no connection to the Realms, and by extension, the Elder Gods," he deadpanned.

"It matters not!" Mileena said. "Father nearly killed my sister for free thought, for now we fight if you survive this Kombat then we shall talk." The hybrid slashed at Richard with her Sai. "Now face me!"

Ayumi quickly blocked the strike with her blade, purposely getting the weapon caught in the blade breaker parts of the Sai. "High density equestrian Crystal made manifest thanks to the last piece of my tree of Harmony, unbreakable and perfect for doing this!" Ayumi said, leveraging her blade to remove Mileena's remaining Sai from her hand, tossing it to Twilight.

"Even unarmed, I can still beat you human!" Mileena said.

Richard cocked his head as he sheathed the Sword of Omens. He didn't notice the minor stinging ache as his sharpened nails bit into his palms as he clenched his fists, drawing blood. "You do know that your 'Father' sees you only as a tool… and not if, but when you break… he will abandon you," he sighed. Equally, he failed to notice that his blood glowed like lit rubies from the power hidden within his body. "But if you're so eager for Kombat, you will get it," he muttered, unaware his voice deepened slightly into a voice unknown to him, though most Outworlders recognized as the former God of Thunder and Lightning.

"I smell blood." A new voice said as a crimson blade impacted the dirt. "The blood of a god!" Another blade slashed through the organic webbing surrounding the vampire. "Help me spill more of it and you shall share it!" Skarlett said as she revealed herself.

"Blood witch, the man is mine!" Mileena growled. "All of him is mine, including his blood, stay out of this!"

"Just how many enemies are going to appear!" Rarity said. "This is almost as confusing as the last raid from the Everfree!"

Richard barely turned his head, unaware his irises were glowing a hot blue. His head tilted fractionally as the spilled blood ignited as the marking upon his brow was rippling between a pale bluish white, arcing with electricity, emerald green, also arcing with electricity, and a burning gold. "Raiden, though I don't mind your presence, I don't need your assistance… they will not gain respect for me if I do not fight under my own strength," his voice was a low murmur as the immortal presence faded away. He exhaled softly as he did sense the former deity in the back of his mind. His head turned to see the woman bonded to the Blood Kode… Skarlett.

He noticed with mild interest that she looked eerily like Elizabeth Olsen. "Rather sad that you don't see that, to Shao Khan, as well as Shang Tsung, at best, you are cannon fodder to be killed and resurrected over and over at worst… and at best, tools to be broken and ultimately discarded at their leisure. Even you, Skarlett. They fear all four of you… Mileena for her strength and ferocity… Cyzoth… or Reptile… for his race… Nitara… for the world and race Outworld consumed and the vengeance they know you would rain upon them if you knew… Skarlett… for your control and potential," he deadpanned bluntly. "They fear your potential and talents if they were to be turned against them… hence why they keep you weak. You've seen here already, Mileena, that though your sais are lethal, they are best at close range. True, your teleportation abilities make it easier to get in close… but to one who happens to have honed body, mind, and senses? It's nigh useless, much like Skarlett's knives. On top of that, your bloodlust can be a weakness, Skarlett… much like a serial killer or drug abuser… you're focused on getting the next high… whether by killing or feeding the Blood Kode," he deadpanned. "Everything and everyone has a weakness, no matter how strong they are," he finished, his gaze flicking to Ayumi, knowing she'd recall what Alluro did.

"There are things that, if you fight for those things… you will find yourself able to fight on par… nay… you will be able to outstrip those like Shao Khan… Onaga… Shinnok himself… with ease," he commented before an orb of crimson energy impacted his chest, detonating, and sent him sliding back a few feet with a squish before his gaze rose to see Motaro… one of Shao Khan's Centaurian Generals. He coughed, waving away the smoke. His chest plate was scuffed, but was otherwise untouched. "You know, I can say I never expected to see Outworlders face-to-face… I mean, amongst the kunoichi characters, my personal favorite was always Jade, though Mileena and Kitana were close behind. You, Motaro, was a character never really well developed in the series. I mean, you really only appeared in… I think four games out of eleven primary timeline games and mostly unplayable save for cheats? And out of those, one was a three second appearance in Mortal Kombat '9' where you pretty much got killed off," he sighed.

The words Richard said were having effects upon the fighters. Though not noticeable at first, Mileena was actually trying to get knocked out on purpose hoping that maybe she would not have to listen to that little voice in her head that told her to obey her father. "How many times have we done this all of us this time even my father is being forced into this!" She thought.

"In truth we were forced into this world. A great power has been taking over Outworld. We seek relics in this world hoping to find something to undo the damage." The blood mage said. "The storm is not our doing but the sign of things to come."

"See? Now you're being helpful…. though I'm getting the feeling that the 'great power' isn't Onaga," Richard commented as a small smirk crossed his face. His gaze shifted to the storm before, for an instant, he got a flash of malevolent crimson eyes that he was certain were not Mumm-Ra. In fact, the nauseating awareness of Evil and a desire for Death and Destruction made Mumm-Ra's evil seem downright kind. He blinked, taking a step back as the awareness passed as swiftly as it arrived. He could sense that Raiden had seen whatever it was and it left him shaken. "What in the Elder Gods was that? That made even Kronika feel kind and sweet," he heard the deity mutter in his mind.

"Shang Tsung at his most powerful." Reptile said, elaborating on Skarlett's message. "It seems that Kronika died in an alternate timeline and Shang Tsung took her power for his own. The god of fire and lightning of another timeline has been helping us preserve ours. Shao Kahn sent us here to look for anything that might undo the damage."

"Silence! Our Master would want us to destroy anything in our way, not bargain with it!" Motaro shouted, rushing at the group. "If you're not going to do as an Outlander should then I shall kill them all and then you!"

Richard's eyes narrowed as he cleared his throat. "Looks like you're running your own damn mouth, hijo de püta," he deadpanned before he pushed off, tagging Motaro across the face with a brutal snap roundhouse kick before he twisted with the kick, his heel scything around before tagging Motaro just in front of one of the horns. "Hmmm… seems there's multiple Kombat timelines colliding, including where both of the Aftermath endings took place separately," he commented.dryly. "Although if I'm honest, I could see all four of you, Mileena, Skarlett, as well as Jade and Kitana, as supermodels in a physical sense… though if I'm blunt, I suspect that all of you in that universe… are hot enough to make a black dwarf go supernova," he deadpanned.

"Again I thank you for the compliment and please take care of that idiot he was always far more battle hungry than necessary." Mileena said with a growl. "This world is outside of our laws and rules that means that we can be eradicated and the Elder Gods will not take pity on us. That means our souls could pass on permanently."

Richard tilted his head. "You've never considered creating a Collective? That way, your souls would both buoy each other and bolster your powers… exponentially. Especially if you found someone strong and noble enough to act as the core of the collective… meaning even if he died, you would still be able to heal him without fear that he would leave you behind and vice-versa, you'd hold each other to life… and only through mutual agreement could someone be released from the Collective," he commented before realizing not only the Kombat kunoichi, but Ayumi and Twilight were staring at hi. He was unaware that what he'd just revealed was Ancient Magic as old as the Sun Goddess' birth… if not older. He heard a snarl before a spear bladed staff hit the ground feet away.

"Damnit!" Ayumi said as she got pissed. "Enough interruptions!" The goddess of magic roared as she cast the shield spell that Shining had used to protect Canterlot in another time to seal them in. "Now we can finally either turn them to our friends or kill them for all I care!" If anyone that had looked directly at her eyes they would have noticed the bright glow emanating from them as her eyes shifted to a more predatory slit. "I'm sorely tempted to kill them all, even if the females are beautiful."

Richard's eyes narrowed as he took a shuddering breath. He could feel a burning in his chest as he rolled his shoulders as his hand rose to his chest, unaware that Makoto's eyes widened as molten power that felt distinctly familiar… yet simultaneously foreign and strange. What was, however, certain, was that the power awakening within him was powerful… and it was Celestial Magic.

What formed from streamers of reddish golden fire was a small item, though it had a hollow where something should have been on top.

Elsewhere, within a distant Castle, a head tilted skyward. "His true power has begun to awaken, though much of it still sleeps," a soft, aged, yet powerful female voice whispered.

Motaro quickly got up ready to attack once more but felt compelled to look at the woman who said she would kill them all. In that glance he saw the power of Onaga almost as if she were his female counterpart, the sight causing him to freeze and stand down. "I am not an idiot!" He said, still looking at Ayumi. "That would be Goro. Be thankful that he is not here otherwise he would have not even let you talk." The centaur turned to the rest of the Equestrians and their summons

"We know nothing of this world that axe drew us here." He said, "I believe it affected my mind. For a moment after the shield came down I felt something vanish from my head."

"You're right even now my mind feels cleared." Skarlett said, Mileena and the others nodding in agreement. "Outworlders are not so naive as to try not to become allies, in times of War, with those that are neutral with us. For now I believe that would benefit us all."

Ayumi's eyes reverted back to their normal shape but still glowed that deep purple. "It seems you've gained wisdom since we last observed your universe. I take it that the versions of you we have encountered are from a timeline where Armageddon did not occur, yet Shao Kahn is still alive."

"Yes, that is correct for the most part." Mileena said. "Armageddon did occur but it was not at the hands of father but Onaga himself in revenge for what father did to him."

----☆|♤|☆-----

"That axe apparently is native to Chaosrealm, which only high ranking Chaos Clerics possess. More than likely, it was left intentionally. Though if I'm honest, I always found Shokans intriguing. Though if I'm blunt, I suspect that Chaosrealmer who left the axe was fucking with us… sowing chaos just for shits and giggles. Hell, I wouldn't be shocked if DC's Joker was, in truth, native to Chaosrealm," Richard said dryly.

His ears twitched at a growling laugh as he heard a low cracking sound. His eyes narrowed as his eyes tracked the axe… and its wielder.

"I told Havik his little scheme would fail… that he should have let me bathe in blood," the hissing snarl chuckled.

Richard gritted his teeth as he groaned, glowing blood trickling from the corners of his mouth as a surge of memories from that dream surfaced viciously and painfully. He distantly heard Lyra cry out at an instant shared migraine. So distracted he was, he missed the feel of two wet tongues brushing his skin… that of a certain Outworld blood mage and Tarkatan hybrid.

His grip tightened on the wand in his grasp as his eyes snapped open. He didn't realize that golden steam was coiling around his hand, wrist, fingers, and forearm. He was unaware his irises had become the same color tone as a black opal… ebony with prismatic bluish teal flames and golden slits. "Anata wa, daijōbudesu... Jigoku no hi no naka de nyūyoku shimasu," he muttered, not seeing Cole jerk at the raspiness of his voice… despite having only heard it once before…. as it was the spectral voice of Hanzo Hazashi.

Richard let his leg slide back. "You may want to materialize, old man… as I doubt this will agree with ya," his voice was a low whisper, barely audible. "Yoku dekimashita. Betsu no rerumu de betsu no kettō ga kokyū shite iru no o mitsukeru to wa omotte imasendeshita," he heard before he heard bubbling and the crackling of flames moments later.

His eyes drifted almost closed before snapping open as his arms crossed over his chest. As they did, flames that were a brilliant golden white spiraled from his forehead around his body twice before, unseen by him, though quite obvious to Cheetara, Lion-O, and anyone that saw, that the Eye Of Thundera migrated from the Sword of Omens to the wand within his grasp before a trio of thin silvery white claws encircled it in a spiral as the golden flames suffused within its heart as if it were greeting its true wielder once more.

Lion-O's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he noticed the reaction the Eye of Thundera had… to a human… of all beings. "How much did we not know about the Eye? I have the distinct sense that something has begun that will echo for hundreds if not thousands or tens of thousands of years," he said slowly.

"Looks like we need to get serious." Ayumi said as she drew her blade a pillar of black fire forming around her. "Girls, keep back, even you, scout."

Richard's head tilted fractionally. Words escaped from him, yet they held an old dialect of Japanese that amongst them, only Makoto and Ayumi most likely understood, the former only because of her Senshi wand. "Moeru seimei no kokoro, hai kara tachiagatte atarashī kibō ni hiwotsukeru... Taiyō kyōi, Henshin."

Hanzo's eyes snapped to Richard the moment the words escaped him, however. "Anata no yūjin wa kare ga daredearu ka shitte imashita ka? Umarekawatta Fenikkusu Ōji?" he spoke sharply as brilliant iridescent blue and golden white flames engulfed him before a navy and gold clad hand slashed out in a flourish, whipping the flames into golden and silvery blue embers. A sunburst with deep coppery gold wings much like those of an Angel or Pegasus rested over his heart, the wings curled protectively.

The pillar of flame dispersed and revealed that Ayumi had completely transformed.

"Might as well stop playing around." She said in her dual voice as her element of magic appeared embedded in her chest just above the breastplate. "Time for you to die!"

The Chaosrealm Cleric cackled. "Doubtful, witch. You and the Elemental Knight are nothing, even combined," though even as he spoke, a dark reddish black aura that reeked of Chaotic Malice surged around him.

Richard's eyes widened slightly before his hand reared back. "Suisei no chie wa anata no nikushimi o kūru de shōten o shibotta ronri to musubitsukemasu," he barked sharply as his hand thrust forward, a burst of radiance the same shifting tones of the Aurora Borealis surged forward at high speed. His eyebrows rose slightly as the Chaosrealm Saurian swung his axe, an energized projection of the axe head spinning at high speed, speeding at them. His hands reared back as electricity arced over his fingers and palms. "Mokusei Tsuin Rasenyari," his voice was a low whisper before twisting arcs of electricity surged forward, one shattering the chaotic projection In an eruption of sparks before the second tagged him in the shoulder before the ice elemental burst hit him low in the chest and abdomen, engulfing it in a quarter inch thick layer of prismatic ice.

Hanzo's dulled eyes narrowed slightly, his head tilting. He had run across a trio in the Netherrealm whose Gifts were very similar to his own… the Flames of Vengeance, they'd called them… they had mentioned a Chaos Sorceress they knew of… and the energy they'd shared the feel of… felt very, very similar to what this one used, yet far more malicious. His eyebrows rose as Richard pushed off after a trio of swift strides before he planted a flying side kick into the chest of the Chaosrealmer before he rolled his hips, a second kick plowing into and fracturing the ice before he landed and thrust both fists into chest and abdomen with an impact sound like a shotgun blast. He recognized that particular technique as one of his own as a shockwave kicked outward from the blow before he blinked in mild surprise as a blade on the end of a chain shot from the underside of the forearm bracer, impaling deep into the chest of the Chaosrealmer.

"Get over here, bitch," Richard barked as he jerked hard, the servo motors within the armor whining slightly and enhancing his pull as the Chaosrealm Saurian was jerked several inches off the ground as he was jerked towards Richard before a nasty elbow strike to the jaw sent a few teeth glinting in a crackling flash of lightning as he jerked free the kunai as the Chaosrealmer spun before Richard slammed a brutal headbutt into his face, staggering him backwards.

"Don't hog the meat, let everyone get a slice." Ayumi said darkly as she ported next to the Saurian slashing her sword over the chest wound and slicing off its wings before using her magic to send the Chaosrealmer back to Richard with a painful lightning blast.

"I'm brutal but even I don't do that kind of shit often." A deep voice said as the air next to Twilight parted, revealing Al Simmons the Divine Spawn. "I save that kind of thing for the real motherfuckers."

"Such as that annoying little bastard Violator. Ran across one of his brothers a couple years back when I was in high school… big, bullish bastard calling himself Vandalizer," Richard deadpanned before his visor flared a brilliant pale blue. "Suisei Zettaireido," his voice was a whisper as he grabbed the Chaosrealmer by the belt and throat, icy fog erupting immediately from the contact as he heaved the Saurian in a Powerslam, only for a loud, abrupt shattering sound to follow a wet splatter as the Saurian's body, most of his muscles and flesh flash frozen, shattered. It was, however, obvious he was not completely frozen as blood splattered from the impact as half frozen organs splattered and other organs exploded. He breathed a bit hard as he straightened.

"Well that means that the Shirai Ryu has some of the Lin Kuei in their DNA." Ayumi commented thoughtfully. "Either that or Hanzo specifically is a cousin of Bi-Han and Sub-Zero," she commented.

"Not quite. Each of the planets within the Sol System has a different elemental affinity. Suisei… or Mercury… is the Element of Ice. Kaisei is Mars and has the Element of Fire. Mokusei is Jupiter and holds the Element of Thunder," Richard commented. His gaze shifted to Hanzo. "Though I wouldn't be surprised if the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu were connected by more than the brotherhood between Hanzo and Kuai Liang," he commented as the helmet retracted into his collar.

He noticed the stare Hanzo was giving him that obviously demanded answers. "Simply put, Kuai Liang is Bi-Han's little brother and will, in time, prove to be stronger than Bi-Han in his Cryomancy and far more honorable. And I'm certain you have suspicions on how Bi-Han found your family…. simply put… he didn't. Someone used his guise and powers to fool the Lin Kuei… and more importantly, use you as a puppet of rage and vengeance… because the one behind it knows he lacks the Kombat skills to defeat Bi-Han in head-on Kombat as Bi-Han not only kicked his ass, but those of his underlings and his Master…. so he manipulated events to ensure he was able to ensnare the one man who was not only a rival, but just as lethal as Bi-Han… General Hanzo Hazashi. And how else to distract you than take the one thing that you held most dear?" he deadpanned.

"You dare?" a furious snarl interrupted him as he half turned at a surge of dark emerald light before dark purple embers hung in the rain as it pelted down.

"I dare… Quan Chi, as you're dishonorable trash not even worthy to stain General Hazashi's blade with your blood," Richard commented icily as his helmet reengaged, the visor igniting a pale golden red. He didn't see Cole shiver at his tone, unaware it sounded almost identical to Bi-Han's. He noticed the necromancer's aura was a sickly greenish black, but dense and strong.

"Normally I would go for the brutal approach but this fucker doesn't even deserve that." Spawn said as he snapped his claws encasing Quan Chi in a cage of holy light. "Thanks for drawing my target out, kids have a gift as a reward." Spawn snapped his fingers again, a pulse of light expanding rapidly from the snap flowing over the entire planet. "You'll have to figure part of it out but every one of you have a dedicated weapon/item and a rpg style skill system/inventory now. This goes for the whole planet so have fun."

Richard cocked an eyebrow as the only thing he saw was a rounded rectangular projector Iris open on the top of his right forearm. He noticed a HUD activate within his visor before he paused, a slight frown crossing his face. He could see a distinctive deep golden orange beam radiating skyward from deeper in the forest. "You said that Quan Chi was the target you were after. I'm guessing he damned more than a few souls," he deadpanned, unaware of the fact that what had happened to a certain blonde driving actor…. had not been an accident as many thought.

"The most satisfying was that Walker fool," Quan Chi gloated.

Two bright golden blue glows shone through the visor within seconds. "What did you just say?" his voice was low, even soft. However, there was an undercurrent within his voice that held the sense of a giant, hungry, irradiated lizard three or four times the size of a skyscraper staring at a morsel of food.

"The mother of all things gave me a task to round up all of her disappointments and send them to the world I left Satan and his brother to. Quanie here has earned that one way ticket along with Mum-ra and a version of Skeletor, the one you might face." Al commented. "A way to repent for what I did to Wanda."

Richard's eyes narrowed as he realized Al was referring to something. "Shows no matter how powerful we are, we still make mistakes. I'm guessing sending this bastard off to that dead world will free those souls he ensnared?" he growled, unaware that the inheritance he had also came with a curse… one that was tied to his emotions. His godfather knew of it… as he too had it. He gritted his teeth as his armor dispersed in embers of golden flame. It revealed Richard's clothes were straining as he shivered as he gritted his teeth, unaware a primal predatory energy surged around him as he felt like his muscles were burning whilst his veins surged with icy fire.

Lyra's eyes widened as she saw her Familiar hunched over and trembling, feeling a dull aching echo of what he was feeling. She noticed both the Outworld blood Sorceress and the Tarkatan hybrid trembling slightly as if they felt a slight echo of it as well. She winced as she could hear low cracks and pops as she knew if she was picking up muted echoes of what he was feeling then what he was feeling had to be far worse, even agonizing.

Sigils of the Past, Summoned!

by KukriRyuTsukino

Kombat in Khaos