Mortal Kombat - Smoke Ch. 02

Acting on instinct, I shake my head and inch backwards. This whole thing may be a dream, but I don't like it. It's too dark, too cold for it to be a dream I can enjoy.

"This is a dream, meaning you're a figment of my subconscious. I did not call you here."

"Didn't you?" His tone is almost mocking, as if he doesn't believe my denial.

I shake my head, more blood rushing to my cheeks. "No. I can raise the dead, not summon the living. I can't control minds."

His smile softens a bit. "No, but you can call the dead to you, correct? The corpses in the parking lot listened to you quite well. They seemed almost...interested in you."

"Well...yes. That's the bad part of my heritage, I suppose. The dead are drawn to us in a way." I chew my lip nervously.

His smile darkens again, his eyes becoming more lustrous in the soft moonlight. "And what, exactly, is an enenra?"

The question takes me aback for a moment, but I manage to answer. "It's a spirit made of smoke and mist and the soul of a dead-"

I squeeze my eyes shut and hang my head. Of course I've drawn him to me. Why else would he be making such a claim? Part of him is dead, which is why that damn enenra of his is constantly drooling over me. Smoke probably isn't aware of it, but his little hitchhiker is likely subliminally shifting his host's thoughts and feelings closer towards me so it can get closer. Shaking off my embarrassment, I lift my head to see Smoke staring at me, a triumphant smile gracing his lips.

I glare at him. "Smartass."

"Yes, well..." He pushes himself up and turns to face me, crossing his legs and resting his hands in the grass as he grins at me. "My host isn't completely aware of all that just yet."

I stare at him, bewildered. "Your host?"

Before he can answer, the gears click into place. No wonder I sensed an unusual darkness radiating off him. He's the reason I felt so uncomfortable – I was sensing something that didn't belong in a dream. It's only now that I notice that his luminous eyes are silver, not brown.

Pause, making sure all the information matches up. "You're the enenra."

He grins wider and bows his head, sweeping one arm out dramatically. "At your service."

I continue to stare at him in wonder. He's confounding compared to Smoke. They're almost complete opposites. Where Smoke is controlled and serious, his enenra is playful and shameless. It's as if Smoke has two different minds that move and control one body.

"And how did you get here?" I ask cautiously.

He straightens and smiles wickedly. "You did say dead things are drawn to you. While the man and I are connected by blood and soul, I'm not completely bound to him. You've seen us separate once before. He won't die if I leave - far from it - and it can be beneficial for two of us to work separately."

I nod slowly, taking it all in. "Why attack with one, when you have two?"

His smile widens again. "Exactly."

I attempt to relax a bit and sit on the soft grass, never taking my eyes off his. "So... does your other half know that's you're here with me?"

He laughs, an infectiously musical sound, and shakes his head. "No. Poor thing's sound asleep. I tell you, that boy could sleep through a stampede."

"You can tell when he's asleep?" I ask, slightly surprised. I know enenras are bound to their hosts, but I never knew they could travel outside their body or be aware of the other's actions.

He nods. "He and I are linked more closely than any other creatures could possibly be. We are together, yes, but we are separate beings."

I chance another burning question. "Do you know what he's dreaming about?"

He nods again, his smile becoming more playful. "Always. I'm part of him, Sara, you know that. We share thoughts, feelings, emotions...everything. There isn't an action taken or a word spoken that isn't felt or sensed by the other. I know his most chivalrous actions and his darkest thoughts."

"So even though your human half is sleeping, he can still tell that you're here?" I wait patiently for an answer.

Honestly, this is an amazingly critical moment for my people. While Necromancers are bound to enenras by flesh and desire, no one has really had the chance to sit down and talk to one. We know they're made of mist and feed off the anger and pain of their hosts, but as to how they really work... we don't have a damn clue. Talking to Smoke's little companion could open up quite a few windows for us.

He shrugs. "Partly. He can't sense it while he's sleeping, but once he wakes up he'll know I was gone."

Wide-eyed, I manage to crack a small smile. "Fascinating."

His own smile widens. "I fascinate you?"

I nod. "As an enenra, you do. My people are connected to you through sex, but we know very little about you. We have no idea how you think, what you feel...anything."

He looks almost wistful. "Then aren't you lucky I'm here?"

I almost answer, but something about his voice catches my attention. It's as deep and melodic as Smoke's, but there's a hint of something foreign. A trace of an accent on his lips as he rolls his words and catches them on his tongue.

I cock my head to the side, studying him. "What is that?"

His eyes widen, then narrow in confusion. "What is what?"

I hold my stare. "You have an accent."

His smile fades to a scowl and he looks away. "Ah, that. That's part of our past."

I nearly tackle him. His past is something I've been dying to know. I can read Stryker's soul, and I know most of Sub-Zero's story, but there's something about Smoke that I can't get through. He's missing a few key parts of his soul and memory, so I can't correctly read his past and thoughts without hitting a few roadblocks.

"Your past?" I nearly shout the words out of excitement.

His gaze hardens. "That's not something you want to know." His tone is clipped, trying to end to conversation.

Oh, hell no. You're not getting off that easy!

I pull back my enthusiasm, but my curiosity remains. "Why not?"

The enenra sighs and avoids my gaze. "It's a dark part of his life that you shouldn't know. A painful part."

I pull back a bit more. Usually, my people can handle the worst of the worst. Bisection, plagues, bodies crushed under rocks... we've seen and dealt with it all. Enenras, for their part, come from the burnt, tortured parts of a person's soul. They're experienced the worst shit a person has done or felt. For an enenra to warn a Necromancer of something painful and tragic...this must be really bad.

"Does...Smoke know about his past?" I ask that instead, hoping to get my guest back to his playful self.

He relaxes, but still scowls. "No. I've kept those parts from him. He doesn't need to feel that again."

I bite my lip as I watch him. "You care for him, don't you?"

Finally, his eyes meet mine. "He is a part of me, and I a part of him. His health and sanity are part of what keeps me alive. If he breaks, I break with him." He pauses, his eyes going dark. "If I were to unlock those memories, to allow him access to his past...he wouldn't make it far."

I grimace. 'That bad, huh?"

He nods. "The absolute worst."

"Could he ever know about it?" I ask cautiously.

The enenra takes a slow breath. "I suppose, but only if he braces himself for the impact. His story is not a happy one."

"Has he ever asked about it?"

He laughs. "He's begged me to tell him more than once, but I've always refused. I can't risk harming him like that. I don't want to subject him to something that painful."

I clamp my mouth shut, not sure of what to say or do. If what the enenra is saying is true – and they're one of the few creatures who don't take well to lying – then Smoke's childhood must have been awful. I hate to even think of what that man went through in life. The poor man. How he can sleep at night...

"Enough about our story. It's nothing you want to see just yet." Seeming to break out of his trance, the enenra lifts his head and smiles at me. His eyes soften and become brighter and more open. "I'm more interested in you."

I give a sharp laugh. "Of course you are."

His smile turns a shade darker. "Of course I am."

Smiling, I lean back at stare up at the stars, bracing my hands behind me as I stretch. "So why here?"

"It's your dream, Sara. Why did you pick a graveyard?"

I hesitate, frowning as I think. "Because I'm comfortable here. It's cold and quiet in a graveyard. I'm surrounded by death and shadows, something that I can feel at home with."

"That seems logical." He shifts and moves beside me, sitting close enough that I can feel his breath.

I continue to stare at the stars. "So, if your human half is Smoke...what do I call you?"

His lips graze my neck and I shiver. "I don't care what I am called as long as it comes from your mouth."

"My mouth. Why only mine?"

I hear his laugh against my skin. "I'll be claiming that soon enough, along with the rest of you."

I smile at that comment - something inside me doesn't register it as the threat it really is. Instead, I'm surrounded by the soothing cool of the wind, the gentle sway of the trees, the moving shadows of the moon. It's all very peaceful for someone like me. Very calming, almost enough to-

I groan. "Motherfucker. You made this place."

I blink rapidly, breaking out of my trance. I'd been so lost in my dream world that I hadn't even noticed him touching me. I lay on my back in the soft grass, staring up into the trees. The enenra sits above him, straddling my hips and grinning like a fool.

"I hope you like it. Your kind are very easily subdued." His tone is humorous, yet still a bit mocking. "The one thing all of you have in common: you all seem to like graveyards. How perfect."

I glare at him. "Smart little thing."

He barks out a laugh. "Little? Oh, my dear, I'm far from that."

I catch his reference immediately, and narrow my eyes even further. "Asshole."

He smiles. "Perhaps. But I have you, don't I?"

I move my hand to smack him, but my attack is easily blocked. He moves faster than lightening, grabbing my wrists and pinning me to the ground. I glare back at him, squirming under his grip, unable to free my hands or buck him off. He grins down at me, leaning over so he can stare me in the eyes.

"Such a pretty little thing," he purrs. "I'm gong to have fun with you."

"Really?" I spit. "I don't think your partner would appreciate you partying without him."

He chuckles and leans forward, licking my face. "I don't plan to. It's no fun if I can't have you in the waking world. The dream realms aren't personal enough."

I wrench away from his tongue, starring daggers at him. I knew enenras were wild creatures, maybe even a little unpredictable and manipulative. But this dark? This menacing? They're after us for sex, not blood. Why he's playing these mind games, I'll never know, but I don't enjoy it.

He smiles almost wistfully. "But, for now, you and I can have a little fun."

Grinning maliciously, he leans forward, using his weight to pin me to the ground. His free hand reaches up and cups my cheek, holding me steady as he leans closer. He hovers an inch from my face, hesitating just long enough to make me squirm before he presses his lips to mine. Before I can start to struggle, I'm overwhelmed by the taste of crisp wind, honey and campfire smoke. It's intoxicating, and I close my eyes and press harder against him, trying to taste more of him.

He obliges, opening his mouth to mine. I copy his motion, parting my lips so my mouth can be flooded with his essence. It works, and I'm swallowed up by a wave of desire and light-headedness. He's making me dizzy and weak, and I don't care enough to fight him. Instead, I let myself fall, surrounding myself in his laughter and taste as I spiral into a dark hole that I cannot – will not – climb out of.

* * *

The chime of the plane's intercom shocks me awake. I inhale sharply as I bolt upright in my seat, my heart pounding and my breathing uneven. I place my hand to my chest as I slowly come back to reality. I look around to see that most of the plan is empty. The gross business man from before is gone, and only the plane staff are moving around the cabin.

I breath a sigh of relief and turn to face the window. The plane is parked at a terminal, the extendable hallway still locked to the plane. It's dark out now, close to midnight, and the airport is almost deathly silent.

"Hey there, sleepy head."

I whip around to see Stryker smiling at me, his steel-blue eyes shining in the fluorescent overhead lights. He's laughing slightly, but it's calming and reassuring. The plane didn't crash while I slept and everyone is acting normal.

I exhale loudly. "Stryker."

He laughs again. "Bad dream, kiddo?"

Images from my dream flash through my mind – the enenra, that kiss – but I hold them back and nod my head slowly. "Yeah. It was a weird one."

Stryker puts his hand on my shoulder. "You alright?"

I smile and nod. "Fine. Just a little shaken."

He shakes his head and grins. "You were out, Sara."

I laugh. "I'll bet. Once that music starts, I'm gone."

His smile widens. "No offense, Sara, with you being a Necromancer and all, but you were dead to the world. We hit a nasty patch of turbulence halfway through the flight and you didn't even move."

That actually makes me laugh, and I'm finally able to sink back into my seat. "I don't mind turbulence. It's like an in-flight roller coaster. How bad was it?"

His smile turns sinful, and his eyes flick to the row ahead of us. "Bad enough that Sub-Zero nearly broke the armrest from holding it so tight."

"You never said anything about the plane almost dropping out of the sky!" Sub-Zero's deep voice snaps from the other side of the seat.

Stryker turns and faces the seat. "Relax. The plane did not drop from the sky. We hit a jet stream or a patch of air and we moved a bit."

"Idiot," Sub-Zero hisses before swearing under his breath.

I turn back to Stryker. "I take it we're in Chicago."

He turns back to me and nods. "Yep. We landed about ten minutes ago. I hope you don't mind, but I pulled out your iPod when we started going down. It's in your backpack."

I shake my head. "No, I don't. Thanks." I pause, looking around at the nearly empty plane. "How long until we leave?"

He shrugs. "They said they'll take about ten more minutes to clean the plane, then they have to get everyone else checked in and boarded." He stands up and steps into the aisle, stretched and cracking his back. "While we have the plane to ourselves, I'm going to run to the bathroom."

He walks down the hallway, leaving me sitting alone in our row. I hear a seat belt unbuckle and watch Sub-Zero stand and step out of his row, his eyes hazy and wide from panic. He takes a long breath, then turn and starts down the opposite direction of the aisle.

"I...need to take a walk." He says slowly, exhausted from his first flight.

I sit silently, completely alone except for Smoke one seat ahead of me. I remain silent, holding perfectly still and hoping he won't notice me. After my visit from his enenra, I'm not really in the mood to talk to its host. Honestly, I'd like things to remain more normal between us, not more awkward.

I don't get my wish. Once Sub-Zero is out of sight, I hear another click from the seat ahead of me. An instant later, Smoke has turned around and has hauled himself up to the top of his seat. He folds his arms across the top edge and stars down at me, his dark eyes clouded and unreadable. I stare back, my heart racing and my blood slowly going cold.

"You spoke with him." His voice is soft, not accusatory or angry like I'd expected.

I swallow and force myself to nod. "Yeah. How did you..."

A tiny light flickers in his eyes. "He came back happier than usual. For him, that could only mean he did something with you."

A tight smile crosses my lips. "Did he...tell you what happened?"

He shakes his head. "No, but I could see it in his thoughts. Apparently, the two of you had quite and talk." His eyes narrow at me, not in anger, but in curiosity and interest.

Super fuck!

Every drop of my blood is poured into my cheeks and I turn away. This is my nightmare come true. I was hoping that somehow, that damn enenra would be able to keep our very private meeting secret. But, nope. He had to let his memories loose and let Smoke know the entire thing. Damn that creature.

"Apparently, the two of you got very close." His voice is slower, almost calculating.

Someone shoot me!

I desperately want to curl up into a ball and fall through the floor, but physics and logic won't allow me to do that. Instead, I'm trapped in an oversized sardine can, forced into the world's most uncomfortable conversation with the man I can't stop drooling over. How the god's despise me today. They must be really bored.

Taking a deep breath, turn to face him, my eyes emotionless and horrified at once. "Yes. My actions with your other half weren't on purpose, but I won't deny anything. What he's said is most likely true, but it's not exactly what I had planned on dreaming about."

He's still for a moment, then nods. "I can understand that. He's a crafty one."

I smile at that. "I'll give you that. He's certainly a character."

His eyes go soft again, almost apologetic. "Forgive his intrusion. He's far more impulsive than I am. I hope he wasn't too forceful."

"No more than I'd expected. It's fine. I've had weirder dreams." Before my brain can intercept, my mouth decides to speak for itself. "He's not the one I wanted to dream about."

The instant the words leave my mouth, I clamp my jaw shut and bury my face in my hands. That was the worst possible thing I could have said at that moment, and yet my heart chose to speak before my brain could filter anything out. Damn my emotions! They never listen to word I say!

Thankfully, Smoke is silent, but I can feel his eyes on me. They bore into me, almost reaching my soul yet beholding back. He doesn't want to know everything; perhaps he's thinking that a little bit of mystery is more appealing. Or maybe he thinks that some truths are just too hard to face.

I gather up the scraps of my courage and face him one more time. This round, I'm shaky and beyond nervous; if I were to attempt to stand, I'd crumple to the ground. But I still manage to meet his gaze with my own, holding it there for seconds, hours, maybe days. We stare each other down and measure each other up, seeing the other both as a possible target and a possible conquest.

The soft sound of Stryker's whistling snaps us out of our staring contest. I'm able to breathe again, and I relish the luxury of a deep breath of air. There are several things between Smoke and I that need to be discussed, but I'd prefer Sub-Zero and Stryker weren't a part of it.

I meet Smoke's delicious eyes again, pleading for mercy with my own. "Not now."

His eyes break away from mine for an instant, watching Stryker making his way back towards us. He refocuses on me and nods, turning and disappearing behind his seat again. I'm alone again, and I fight the simultaneous urges to cry and scream. I've just confessed to kissing his enenra and wanting to dream about him. How amazing. The rest of this flight should be just fucking awesome.

Stryker takes his seat next to me, stretching his neck and cracking his fingers. He smiles at me, though his grin quickly fades to a concerned frown. He reaches out and places and hand on my shoulder, his eyes dark with worry.

"Hey...you don't look so good."

I snap my head around to face him and offer a tight smile. "Just a little woozy. I'll be fine."

The plane's intercom clicks on again, signaling the new round of passengers about to board. I'm relieved now, since this means we're one step closer to New York. All we have is one more flight - and possibly one more panic attack from Sub-Zero – and then we can find Raiden.