Mortal Kombat: Timelines

Chapter 11

Aric watched from a distance as the Special Forces grouped up together, then he turned as he heard a door open behind him. He saw Johnny walking up toward him, the Edenian smiled at this and looked back toward the soldiers.

"You took your time." Aric said with an amused sigh.

"Got a call from my agent. Need to film another Ninja Mime sequel." Johnny said standing next to him.

"Another one?" Aric asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yup." Johnny said.

Then Sonya appeared and sailter her soldiers before giving a speech.

"You know, there's always room for one more on set."

"For the last time, Johnny. No." Aric chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Just making sure." Johnny smiler before looking at Sonya.

"I'm glad you and Sonya are back together, Johnny." Aric smiled in content. "It'd not easy coming back from what you two went through."

"You're partly the reason, Aric." Johnny smiled. "You're family. You made us realize a lot of things during all these years."

"I'm glad." Aric nodded at him.

Then they watched Cassie fight Sonja, which was Special Forces tradition. Sonjs never made things easy for Cassie when it came to the Special Forces but it made her stronger and ready to face anyhing, Aric's influence was great in her and she even picked up his leadership skills along the way. Then Cassie knocked her mother to the ground, then the other soldiers applauded.

"Commander Cage, reporting for duty." Cassie saluted.

"Ckngratukations, Commander." Sonja said dropping her stoic mask for a second, showing she was proud of her.

Then Johnny and Aric walked up with smiles on their faces, her father hugged her and they stayed like that and enjoyed each other's company. Once they let each other go, Aric came up and hugged her.

"I'm so proud of you, Cass." he said softly.

"Thanks, Aric." she chuckled softly. "You're partly to get the credit on this. You helped me get this far."

"Well, I wouldn't go that far." Aric said as he let her go.

Johnny smack him on the back with a smile.

"Don't be modest, Aric. This is all you."

Aric glard at him for that, to which Cassie and Johnny merely laughed.

After some time, they were outside the vase and were escorting Johnny to his jet for him to go back to California. Aric and Jacqui were a distance away and he watched the family as Jacqui spoke to him.

"What was he like the last time you called him?" Aric asked her.

"He sounded worried. Like he felt it was his fault I'm here." Jacqui said looking up at him.

"Oh, that's a familiar." Aric said. "My brother had a similar reaction when I took over the military position, he feared I would never return. He felt I was forced into the role, but it wasn't."

"How did you convince him?" Jacqui asked.

"I told him that I wanted to protect Edenia a different way, from the front lines." he said with a smile. "It was better than sitting around and doing nothing all day in the palace."

Then thunder rumbled, then red lightning struck and ctsckled before Raiden appeared in a dark outfit. Aric narrowed his eyes when he saw Raiden, he got to his feet and started to head for the god.

"Please, don't fight." Jacqui pleaded. "The Realms are still paranoid after the last time you fought."

Aric looked at her and nodded.

"General Blade. Cassandra Cage." Raiden said with his red glowing eyes.

"What is it, Raiden?" Cassie asked.

"NetherRealm." he said solemnly.

Then Aric showed up. Raiden turned to look at him and his eyes narrowed, the Edenian returned the look.

"Prince Aric."

"Raiden." Aric said, refusing to call him "Lord"

The Cage family glanced at each other in concern.

                ....................................

The family, Raiden and Aric walked into the base and surrounded the table with the holographic tech labelled on it. Aric kept glancing at the Amulet that was on Raiden's chest.

"We should open a dialogue. Maybe there's an explanation." Cassie said instilling hope. "Liu Kang and Kitana were friends once."

"They are irreparably polutted by Shinnok's evil. They are no longer the champions we once knew. We must strike them preemptively." Raiden said.

"They are not the only ones polluted by Shinnok's evil." Aric glared at him.

Raiden looked at him with a scowl.

"Its about time we brought the fight to them. What's the target?" Sonja asked, breaking the tension between the two.

Sonja pressed a button and a holographic display of what looked like a jagged building appeared, Aric looked at it with recognition.

"Buried deep within Liu Kang and Kitana's castle is the Cathedral of Shinnok, the seat of their power." Raiden explained. "Destroy it and their undead army will fall, removing its threat to Earthrealm."

"Aren't your powers weaker in the Netherrealm?" Cassie asked.

"Yes. But I will have sufficient strength to occupy the undead army." The god said.

"Of course you will." Aric murmured.

"That will buy us enough time to infiltrate the Cathedral. Destroy it from the inside." Sonja figured.

"We get pinned down there, there's no way out." Cassie reminded.

"Which is my concern." Aric said looking at the group.

"To ensure Earthrealm's survival, we must all be willing to sacrifice." Raiden said.

"You know its been two years too much of your grim and gritty makeover, droning on about sacrifice. You don't have a family to lose." Johnny glared at him.

"I know loss, Johnny Cage." the god said taking offense.

"Raiden's right, Johnny." Sonja chimed in. "We're not ready for another war. We need to take out Netherrealms army now, before Liu Kang can bring it here."

"I need Aric to stay here." Raiden said.

"Why?" Aric asked suspiciously.

"You are too much of a risk in the Netherrralm. The emerald Jinsei is volatile in the Netherrealm." Raiden said looking diem at the price. "And given your anger mood at the moment, I don't want to take any chances."

Aric glared at the god for a good minute, then he looked at Cassie and Sonja. They nodded at him and he sighed before looking up at him again.

"Fine. But if anything goes wrong, its on you." Aric said walking out.

Aric let out his anger in that second and formed flames in the hallway as he walked out, leaving a trail of emerald flames behind.

"Did we make the right choice?" Cassie asked.

Johnny sighed and followed Aric out the flaming hall as well, ever since Raiden put on Shinnok's Amulet he had been acting different and more cruel toward the realms. Aric did not stand for it, neither did Johnny after some time considering it.