Mortal Kombat - Smoke Ch. 02

We reach our gate and line up with the rest of the waiting passengers. This time, instead of dodging the shocked and angry glances from people, I stare right back, making them so uncomfortable that they never look at us again. Sub-Zero joins me in this game, though he comes out far more successful than me. Those icy blue eyes of his are beautiful and welcoming when he's happy, chilling and deadly when he isn't. I step up and go first, followed by Stryker and the other men, hoping to get on this plane and get going as soon as physically possible.

The desk attendant takes our tickets and lets us in without giving us any trouble, welcoming us with the same warm tone and smile as all the others. I do notice however, out of the corner of my eye, a newly seductive smile crossing her lips when she sees Smoke. Something about that tiny smile makes my stomach clench, and a bolt of jealousy roars through my blood. My envy becomes worse when I notice that she's a very pretty woman. Naturally blonde, with warm brown eyes and full pink lips, she's the trophy wife that every rich old bastard goes after. Her beauty makes keeping my anger under control even harder.

Stop it! He's not even yours. You have no right to stake a claim on him.

My inner conscience is right, despite my heart desperately wishing it wasn't. Smoke is far from being mine, but hearing that enenra of his whispering about how attracted he is towards me only makes me angry that another woman would even consider pulling his attention away from me. I'm becoming possessive of a man I've barely know for five hours. Yet here I am, standing at the very edge of our flight to New York, glaring at an unknown woman who dared to look at my friend.

This man is going to force me to kill someone.

Once I pass the desk, I turn around and wait at the side of the door for the others, wanting to keep all four of us close. Stryker tips his ball cap to the girl and smiles warmly, handing her his ticket and coming up to me. I motion for him to go and find our seat, silently telling him that I'll wait for Smoke and Sub-Zero. He nods and smiles, heading into the small hallway that connects that plane to the terminal.

Sub-Zero goes next, handing the girl his ticket and stepping forward quickly, his eyes ever watchful for any type of threat. I smile at him and motion for him to find Stryker. He also nods and heads off, leaving me waiting for the last member of our group. When Smoke finally steps up to the counter, my lungs seize up as I wait for the attendant to pounce on him.

Thankfully, as I watch Smoke hand the girl his ticket, he barely seems to notice her mood change. His eyes lock on mine, his mask hiding any trace of a smile or frown. But those warm chocolate pools are open and friendly, giving me a tiny sense of relief. He walks right by the attendant without a single word or look. When he finally reaches me, he pauses beside me, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

"I watched that girl from the moment we arrive at this gate. She was frowning constantly and looked like she wanted to punch someone. What do you think made her happy so suddenly?"

He has no idea...

Small wonder, though. That enenra of his is practically drooling over me. Whatever chemical or magic is in my blood, it wants me and no one else. It's probably blocking out any and every other possible option for a mate and forcing Smoke to focus all of his attention on me. There are times and places where those things can be loveable.

"I think you made her happy." I decide to tell him the truth, wanting to avoid be marked as a liar before we even get off the ground. "You caught her attention."

"She certainly didn't catch mine." His voice is smooth, and his eyes move to stare into mine.

My cheeks suddenly flare, but I smile warmly at him. "Go ahead. Sub-Zero and Stryker are already on the plane. I'll be right behind you."

He nods and walks into the hallway, leaving me alone at the edge of the terminal. I risk a last glance back towards the desk and notice the pretty attendant staring at me. Her eyes are cold, her lips pursed in a look of disappointed loathing. My pride and possessiveness suddenly flare to the surface, and I give the best 'fuck you' smile I can muster. The girl's jaw drops, and I continue smiling as I disappear into the hallway towards the plane.

I step onto the plane and immediately get caught in the back-up of people. I sigh to myself. I hate this part. Every time I fly, there's always some jackass trying to shove a suitcase that's twice the size of the overhead cabinets into the tiny space. This time, he's right in front of me, so I manage to elbow my way past him, ignoring his shouts as I search for my group.

They're not hard to find. Sub-Zero and Smoke, with their full Lin Kuei armor, are impossible to miss in this crowded plane. We were lucky enough to have grabbed the only flight that wasn't completely booked up; the lady at the front desk had motioned that their spare seat would be open, so they won't have to interact with the general public much.

The row behind them – mine and Stryker's seats – are only partly filled for now. Stryker's middle seat is empty, but his cap is resting on that chair, a sure sign of a last-minute bathroom rush. The aisle seat is filled with an overweight business man with an ill-fitting suit and hideous pink tie. I grimace but head towards my seat anyway, smiling as I pass Sub-Zero and Smoke on the way. They both look up at me and nod, their eyes warm but uneasy. It's their first time flying, so Lin Kuei or not, they're nervous. I give them another smile, this one more reassuring.

I pass their row and stop at mine, glancing down to look at the businessman blocking my path. He's hideously overweight, balding, extremely sweaty and completely unaware of my presence. My stomach churns at the sight of him, but I block out any thought of reading his soul and instead gently clear my throat.

Watery grey eyes flick up from his travel magazine, widening when they see me. My stomach does another flip, but I keep my spine straight and smile softly.

"Excuse me. The window seat is mine."

"Oh! Oh, of course!" The man scrambles to push himself back into the sea, giving me just enough room to squeeze by. I settle into my seat and buckle myself in, leaning my head back and closing my eyes, relieved to finally be on our way.

"So...why are you heading to New York?"

Fuck.

I open my eyes and turn towards the man seated so close to me. He's leaning towards me and staring at me with his cold eyes and practically drooling on Stryker's seat. I resist the urge to pull away, and instead smile uncomfortably.

"I'm meeting some friends."

He nods slowly, his eyes moving over me. "Bet none of your friends are as pretty as you."

"Thanks," I squeak, barely managing to swallow. "And, uh, yourself?"

He grins and pulls away slightly, straightening his tie. "I'm settling a final business deal with a major bank. The deal could bring in millions for my company and help us raise the number of clients we could take in."

I force a tight smile as I nod, listening to his boasts but wanting to burst from the plane. As a cashier, I have very little patience for pretentious assholes who think they rule the world. This one, however, is horrifically ugly and overly self-important, the kind of person I'm taught to ignore and despise. And now I'm trapped with him in a tiny flying tin can for the next six hours. Fantastic.

He leans in again, his smile widening as he stares at me. "How old are you?"

I swallow again. "Twenty-two."

His eyes suddenly grow heated and dark. "Just a few years difference. I'm staying at The Carlyle for my trip. Would you be interested in visiting me sometime?"

Do not punch in face. Must not punch in face.

I pull back another inch, pressing my spine into the armrest. "That sounds like a wonderful place, but I already have plans with my group."

"Oh, come on girl. I can promise it'll be worth your while."

At this point, I've had enough of his come-ons and I'm sick of his smell. I straighten my spine and force my eyes to go cold. I glare at him, watching as his confidence deflates and he starts to pull back.

"Not interested," I growl through clenched teeth.

Besides, you're not the one who has my interest.

The man hesitates, then smiles at me again. "Forceful little one, aren't you? I like that."

Shit!

"I'll bet you're an animal in bed, aren't you girl?"

I'm ready to smack him, but just as I'm about to pull my hand back, someone close to us clears their throat. The man and I both turn and look up at the row in front of us. Smoke is staring down at the two of us, arms crossed over the top of his seat and his eyes cold and unfeeling. He glares at the man beside me, piercing his soul with rage-filled eyes.

"I apologize for the interruption, but if you want to spend time with my girlfriend, you'll have to take that up with me." His voice is as unfeeling as his eyes, sharp as a blade and colder than ice.

The man goes pale and pulls away, his eyes staring at anything but me as he begins to sweat profusely. I remain frozen for a moment, staring back at Smoke with a mix of shock and confusion. I keep the bubble of elation well concealed, not wanting to lose control of my emotions just yet. His eyes flick to the man, narrowing as he makes sure I'm free from his disgusting gaze, and then flick back to me. They become warm suddenly, and he winks at me before turning around and settling back into his seat.

I stare at the back of his seat, shocked, overjoyed and suddenly bewildered. Girlfriend? He called me his girlfriend. True, it was mostly to get that creep off my ass, but still. Stuff like that just doesn't happen for no reason. As much as I appreciate the few seconds of being claimed by Smoke, this has 'enenra' written all over it.

Oh, stop acting like a teenager! He helped you, that's all. Calm down.

"What was that for?" Sub-Zero asks in a low whisper.

I'm snapped out of my inner musings and focus in on what the two masked me ahead of me are whispering about.

"I had to help her somehow. Was I supposed to let him harass her until Stryker came back?"

"No, but...your girlfriend?" Sub-Zero sounds as confused as I am.

Smoke pauses for an instant. "I had to think of something believable."

My lungs seize up and my heart literally stops. For the first time in my life, I think I might actually die. Believable. Smoke and I as lovers is believable. Some small, secret part of me - the hyperactive, lovesick teenager that I've kept locked inside my head for the last six years – finally starts to creep into my veins. Before she can come bursting out and risk an impromptu in-flight romance session, I force my sliver of shocked hopefulness down and stare out the window.

Despite trying to ignore the people around me, something in my gut tells me that I'm being watched. It's an uneasy feeling, and my curiosity gets the best of me. I move my gaze a millimeter to my right and seek out my watcher. From the corner of my eye I can see Smoke peering through the crack between the seats, his dark eyes locked on me. I resist the urge to make full eye contact, managing to keep myself totally still and convincingly uninterested in the rest of the world.

Before I have the chance to tear my eyes from him, I notice something about Smoke that makes my blood turn as cold as Sub-Zero's hands. His eyes, normally the color of rich chocolate that makes my mind go numb, start to shift. A bright silvery fluid starts to seep out from within his irises, slowly consuming his entire eye and making him look almost inhuman. I'm unable to stop my breath from catching on horror. Those are the eyes of his enenra.

At the sight of those bright, hungry eyes, my throat locks up and my stomach starts to turn. That age old hunger starts to resurface, and I have to bite my tongue to keep it from boiling over. Against my will, my own eyes shift over and full meet his. Bright, ravenous silver stares back at frightened, uncertain blue. I watch him silently, waiting for him to either turn away or claw through the seats.

We stare at each other for a moment, a tense standoff between a novice Necromancer and an obsessive enenra. Before I can say anything to persuade him away from any dark intentions, Smoke moves. His eyes widen suddenly, as if in shock, and the silver color quickly fades away to reveal his naturally beautiful coffee-colored eyes. He stares at me for another heartbeat before looking away, swearing under is breath. I watch as he pulls back and settles back into his seat, hiding himself from my view.

I stay frozen, unsure of what to do or say or think. I stare at the back of Smoke's seat, waiting for something, anything, to happen. I hear a sigh, then the sharp sound of metal clinking against hard plastic, like someone had just smacked their armored head against a seat tray in attempt to hide themselves from the world.

"What?" Sub-Zero's voice is concerned. "What happened?"

"Don't ask." Smoke's voice is soft, almost ashamed.

"Smoke, what happened?" Sub-Zero is more urgent now. "What went wrong?"

I hear smoke sigh again. "Damn that creature."

"Ah...I see. I'm sorry for his inconvenience."

The conversation ends there, and I sink into my seat, letting out a sigh of relief and confusion. Poor Smoke. He can control his darker half relatively well when we're in normal settings, but once even the possibility of mating is proposed, that enenra comes out full force. By the sound of their conversation, it seems Sub-Zero is also familiar with his friend's unwanted companion. And, apparently, he's accustomed with the trouble it's caused.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the doors are now closing. Please turn your attention to the flight attendants for plane safety instructions."

I breathe a sigh of relief, happy to know that we're finally on our way. Just as I lean my head back and close my eyes, Stryker comes racing down the center aisle and slides into his seat, smiling apologetically at me as he buckles himself in and adjusts his cap.

"Sorry about that. There were twins in the back row." He grins wickedly, and I can see the hopeful mischief in his eyes.

I smile back at him. "I hope you got their numbers. We're probably going to have to cancel any dates you planned once we find Raiden."

His grin widens, and he holds up a carefully folded piece of paper. "Way ahead of you."

I laugh and shake my head. "Such a guy."

I turn and continue to stare out the window, tuning out the flight attendants performing the horrifically complicated tasks of buckling our seatbelts and pushing the call button. I don't really see the need for it – the chances of us all dying in a fiery plane crash are about one in ten million (I'm a Necromancer; I have to know this shit). It's all very mundane and something almost everyone knows. However, with it being the first time they've ever flown, I can understand if Sub-Zero and Smoke start having problems. Thankfully, Stryker is there to lend a hand when Sub-Zero can't figure out how his seat belt works and makes sure he's strapped in tight.

Once the show is over and all the passengers are good to go, the pilot announces that we'll be taking off momentarily. The plane jerks as it pulls away from the terminal, and the sudden movements startle Smoke. He jumps and inch and digs his fingers into the armrest, his breathing slow but unsteady.

Acting without instinct, I reach through the space between his seat and Sub-Zero's and rest my hand on his shoulder. He freezes, turning his head so his dark eyes meet mine once again. I hold his gaze, trying to force down any residual traces of unbridled lust or fear that might still be alive.

Holy fuck, those eyes...

"You alright?" Thankfully, my voice comes out stronger than I feel.

He nods, his eyes shifting away. "Fine."

I stare at him, offering my best guess. "Are you afraid of heights?"

He swallows loudly. "High cliffs are not my strongest point."

I do my best to give him a reassuring smile. "You'll be fine. No one in my clan has ordered a giant, fiery plane crash today."

His eyes soften and he nods at me. I nod back and pull my hand away, relaxing into my seat again. As the plane takes off, I watch Smoke tense up again, then slowly relax. I smile again and lean my head against the pillow, tapping Stryker on the shoulder and asking him to let the stewardess skip me. He nods, and I dig into my purse and pull my trusty iPod out. I plug myself into my music, letting the sweet voices of Norah Jones and Josh Groban surround me and separate me from the world.

The plane continues to climb as we head toward New York and our mysterious army of warriors. I wonder who they are and how they'll react to me, but I'm too relaxed to care at the moment. As the stewardess comes around and serves drinks, I rest my head against the cool window and drift off into sleep.

* * *

I'm cold suddenly. A soft breeze whips around me, caressing my skin and causing me to shiver. The cold feels wonderful, and I remain still so it can continue its wondrous touch. I smile slightly and sigh, loving the silence and the cold that surrounds me.

Wind? But we're in a plane!

Absolute panic forces my eyes open. I half expect to be freefalling in the air, staring down at the rapidly-approaching ground. Instead, I'm laying on my side in the middle of an enormous graveyard, dressed in nothing but my skimpy panties and lacy bra. Moonlight shines down through the surrounding forest, making the shadows move and sway with unseen life.

What the hell?

I push myself up onto one elbow and survey my new surroundings. The graveyard I'm laying in must be ten square acres. It's unnaturally dark here, even for this time of night. The soft grass under my fingers continues outward, pitching and rolling through a dense forest filled with chipped headstones. The grave markers are carefully set between the thick trunks of oak and pine; the ivy that cascades down a few of them has begun to creep up the trunks as well, marking its new home.

I hold my breath and listen for any sound of life. I come up empty. There isn't a bird call or a snapping twig to be heard. In the style of Marcel Duchamp, this forest is quiet...far too quiet.

It's beautiful...deathly so.

"Where in the hell is this?" I ask no one, my eyes flicking around the darkened world.

"Would it matter?" The voice is dark and rich, seductive and terrifying all at once.

A finger traces along my spine and I jump, spinning around and instinctively covering at least some of my almost bare body.

Smoke lies beside me, dressed in full armor but missing his mask. His eyes are bright, the moonlight reflecting in those orbs so perfectly that I almost want to fall into them. His smile is warm and genuine, welcoming me to this beautiful world like it's our own little secret. The breeze catches a few strand of his hair, lifting them delicately into the air and he continues to smile at me.

I stare at him for a moment, becoming extremely aware of just how much of my body is on display. I may be able to raise the dead and suck the soul from a living person, but I was raised with the idea that our bodies are sacred and should only be shown to those we truly love and desire. I do desire Smoke, but I'm nowhere near comfortable enough to start prancing around naked in front on him. I flush bright red and swallow sharply.

"Hi. How did you get here?"

He shrugs. "No idea, but I can't say I'm complaining." His dark eyes skim over my body, hungry yet cautious.

I pull back another inch. "Well...why are you here?"

His smile deepens, becoming darker. "It's your dream, Sara. My purpose here is whatever you want it to be."