What If... Venom Stayed Evil? (The Cheated Kombatant) (Male Reader)

Chapter 10: Confronting Quan Chi

After Jax talked with Jacqui, Kenshi walked up to him.

Kenshi: Feeling better? Or worse?

Jax: Not sure. Maybe both.

Kenshi chuckles and places a hand on Jax's shoulder.

Kenshi: They'll be fine.

Jax: Question is, will I be?

They walk over the Krossroad's bridge to the landscape before it. Several soldiers have set up a perimeter behind cover, facing outward into the hellish landscape beyond.

Kenshi: We have good crossfire position. But why is it Quan Chi travels by conventional means?

They walk over to another person - one of the Netherrealms' more known denziens - for their answer.

Sarenna: He seems unable to fully use his magic. He's weaker than when I was... in his service.

Jax: Sareena's dead on. He doesn't have Shinnok as a power source. He's still Quan Chi, though.

Kenshi nods at this. The three of them take up a position behind some rocks as cover.

Kenshi: I realize you agreed to guide and observe. But you are welcome to assume any role you wish.

Jax: I'm too rusty. I don't wanna jeopardize the mission.

Kenshi silently accepts this. Sareena looks into the distance beyond their cover.

Sarenna: He approaches.

The soldiers around them ready their assault rifles. Jax and Kenshi crouch with Sareena behind cover, Jax with a growing dread visible on his face. The hell-horses are galloping toward the ambush at full speed. Quan Chi leads the group. All of the available soldiers take cover and aim their weapons directly at the approaching horde. Accompanying Quan Chi are Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kitana, Sindel, Kabal, Stryker and Nightwolf. Kenshi waits a few moments before giving his command.

Kenshi: Now!

The soldiers opened fire. They don't hit any immediate hits, but the barrage is enough to spook the hell-mounts. They rear up on their hind legs and refuse to go forward. One soldier aims his gun and shoots a hell-horse on its shoulder, causing it to rear up and throw Kung Lao from his saddle. Seeing this, Sindel and Kitana both jump off their mounts and take cover. Jax notices this, looking very concerned. Sindel shoots off a blast of purple magic from her palm that hits a soldier near Jax. He falls to the ground, either unconscious or dead. Stryker aims a pistol from his mount and fires, blowing a hole through the skull of another soldier. A bullet fired from another soldier clips Quan Chi's mount in the neck. It drops dead, falling on its master's leg in the process. Liu Kang immediately dismounts from his hell-horse to assist Quan Chi. Two more soldiers shoot at Kabal's horse, and he responds to their poor aim by charging them. As the horse approaches, Kabal pulls his hookswords from their sheaths, readies one in his hand and decapitates a soldier as he gallops past. Kenshi comes out of cover to assist, and Jax realizes that the skirmish is going to end badly.

Jax: Shit...

As Kabal takes the head off another soldier, Kenshi pulls out Sento and yells out in Japanese, loosing off a telekinetic push that shoves Kabal off his mount. As he rushes in to engage Kabal, Liu Kang finishes pulling Quan Chi's leg out from under the hell-horse carcass. Several soldiers run up to engage them, and Kang lets loose one of his fireballs - which now looks more like a black hole encased with dark red energy. The fireball lands in the dead centre of the soldiers, exploding into flames and roasting them instantly. With the way now clear, Liu Kang takes his master by the arm and escorts him through the ambush, with Kung Lao following close by them. They rush past Jax's hiding spot, not noticing him as they move towards the Krossroads. Realizing that no one else can stop them, Jax takes a second to ready himself and stands up from behind cover, charging after them. Kung Lao turns around and spots Jax approaching and moves to intercept him.