Backstage Pass to Mortal Kombat

Chapter 1 - Recruitting

[[Yes, I'm starting yet another book and yes, this is going to seem like the dorkyest thing you've ever read. Mortal Kombat; the game everyone is embarrassed to say they play. Well, why? It's just a game. Sure, it's kind of nerdy, but I love being a nerd - I'm still cool! Anyway, I'm writing this mostly for my own pleasure, so if you don't like it, don't read it. I only ask that you give it a chance, since I'm making it as non-cliche as possible and I think it's working. This was on my other account, Cookie95, but I'm moving it - my friend told me to upload this to my account, since it was so good. So, here it goes - enjoy!!]]

[[[By the way, Wikipedia has SAVED my life with all of these names and everything. I created Zak and Keanu, I did not create any of the legit characters of Mortal Kombat, blah blah blah and all that legal shit. Thanks!]]]

Chapter 1 – Recruiting

“Hurry up, Zakyya!” Keanu hissed at me. It wasn’t my fault he was two years older than me and much faster. We were racing to the top floor of an old sky scraper, trying to get to the roof to look down at them. I couldn’t believe they came to our city, looking for more warriors.

The both of us ran up the stairs, Keanu taking two at a time, but both of us running as fast as our legs could carry us. We didn’t want to miss one moment of this. “I’m going as fast as I can!” I hissed back at him, pushing myself further.

Keanu looked back at me, his icy blue eyes looking silver in the dim lighting, and a small smirk playing on his face. My heart stopped and my legs almost stopped as well until he continued running up the stairs. I shook myself before continuing even faster, wishing my sixteen year old legs were longer. Keanu’s eighteen year old ones didn’t falter once; carrying him without delay until he finally reached the big metal door that led to the roof top of the building. I soon tripped out of the door as well, seeing Keanu already lying dangerously close to the edge, looking down at them. I tried to slow my breathing as I mimicked him and lied there as well. Half of Thailand must have been there, surrounding seven men and two women; all lined with expensive silks of many colors, all matching their specialties.

The tallest man stepped forward - a man wearing a beast’s skull as a helmet; his eyes glowing orange, sunken in the sockets. Everyone gasped as they looked at the legendary king; some cowered, some praised. Shao Kahn swept his glance over them all, enjoying the power he felt around mere mortals. He then raised his arms, his loud, booming, voice ringing through the city. “Mortals; I stand before you today, searching for a new champion to fight in my honor in the competition you all know as ‘Moral Kombat’.” This produced another gasp from the crowd, making his full, chapped lips twist into a smirk. “As it is every hundred years, the age we seek is eighteen – good physical condition is a requirement.” He added when a plump young man stepped forward. When the kid stepped back into the crowd Shoa Kahn’s thundering laugh echoed through the ally way, soon accompanied by his warriors standing next to him.

I recognized the legendary fighters; Kitana, the beautiful princess of Outworld, with her mother, the queen of Edenia; Sindel. Kano was also there; a man with one robotic laser eye. The rest were irrelevant, not yet popular enough for the world to know. I did notice a man, Keanu’s age, dressed jeans and a yellow sweat shirt, with the sleeves ripped off; he obviously didn’t like the clothes the others were wearing. As I studied him, his gold eyes raised, looking in my direction. My breathing stopped instantly as he smirked at me. His dark hair coiled in perfect waves around his head, framing his structured face, chiseled from the gods. I couldn’t help but smile as he lifted one hand and pretended to scratch the back of his neck as he waved at me. I copied him.

“Will no one step forward?” Shoa Kahn asked, his voice breaking me out of my thoughts, as well as the boy dressed in yellow. He looked forward again, looking sternly at everyone that stood before them. I realized no one had stepped forward, leaving the warriors alone.