Mortal Kombat: The Next Generation

Chapter 29: Work. Work. Work.

Cassie and Lily sat taking bites of their lunch. Cassie kept on checking her phone.
"Meant to be somewhere?" Lily asked, jokingly. Cassie gulped.
"I keep on getting texts from Max, saying that he misses me and stuff," Cassie muttered, fiddling with the gun in her belt. Lily took one long, annoyingly long, bite from her sandwich.
"Why don't you tell him you like him?" Lily asked. Cassie shook her head.
"He is across the seas, and exes are of limits!" Cassie joked.
"That's like the rules of feminism!" Lily finished. Lily felt a tap on her back, and span around to be faced by Sierra.
"Lily, can I have a word?" Sierra asked.
"Sure, what is it?" Lily asked, walking away from the dinner table.
"Erm-Does your Mom like me?" Sierra asked, awkwardly. Lily nodded.
"Why wouldn't she?" Lily asked.
"I don't know, I just had a feeling, y'know?" Sierra said. Lily didn't really know. Had Kitana said something? Did Sierra misinterpret Kitana?
"Sierra, BASE NUMBER 3," Lily heard Sonya shout.
"You're still working?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, maternity in 10 weeks! Counting down!" Sierra joked, even though something about her voice sounded so serious. Sierra jogged off.

Lily sat back down again, and felt someone breathing down her neck. She span around and raised her arms into fighting stance. Phew, Takeda. Why did he creep up on her like that?

"Hey babe!" He said, sitting down. Lily smiled. She felt so guilty taking Takeda back. Especially to Jacqui. Jacqui may have not been the nicest to her, but Lily always remembered what her Mother said, "Forgive and you shall be forgiven too," And those words meant everything to Lily.

Lily walked over to Jacqui, who was sat alone at a table.
"Hey Jacqui," Lily smiled. Jacqui turned around, grunted and turned away.
"Look, can we put everything that's happened behind us? Please? We can't let a guy get inbetween us!" Lily reasoned. Jacqui sighed.
"Okay, but I'll only be your friend again if you break up with Takeda. You can't have everything in life, surely you were taught that," Jacqui muttered. That command hit Lily like a bullet. 'I'll only be your friend again if you break up with Takeda.' What friend would think of saying that? Maybe Jacqui never really was her friend.

That was when Lily noticed it. Jacqui's eye began flickering. Her appearance looked different.

Then Lily pieced it together. Jacqui said "Takeda is a brother to me," at least 3 years ago. Why would she date him? Jacqui's fighting had become so much more vicious. Maybe, it wasn't even Jacqui...

All of a sudden, Lily felt something fly at her lower legs, which knocked her off of her feet. Lily sat up, gazed around and saw Jacqui stood up, transforming from herself to Shang Tsung.
"Ha! I had you all fooled!" Shang screeched.
"For the last year, I have been acting as Jacqui, but did you ever notice that when 'Shang' was around Jacqui was not? HA! YOU FOOLS!" Shang shouted, shooting fire straight at Lily. Lily flipped over it, stumbling as she landed. SF gathered around, pointing guns straight at Shang. This didn't phase him though. He raised one arm, wiping out an entire line of SF soldiers. The other lines began to shoot. Shang dodged everything. He disappeared off into the night, leaving only his voice whispering "Catch me if you can,"