Mortal Kombat - Smoke Ch. 02

Almost there...

"Tell you what," Stryker starts. "It'll be another three hours before we land in New York. You've had a rough day and you look like hell. Go back to sleep, Sara. We'll be fine."

I look at him and smile softly. "You sure? I can entertain Sub-Zero for a while."

He shakes his head. "It's fine. I'll keep him calm. I'll wake you up when we start to land."

I give him another thankful smile, then lean over and rest my head against the window. The plastic is smooth and cool against my skin, soothing my frayed nerves. Keeping an eye on the seats ahead of me, I reach down and rummage through my purse for my iPod again. I can see Smoke through the crack in the seats, but he never turns to face me. He does stiffen, as if he senses me becoming slightly closer, but he remains in his seat.

I let out a silent breath of relief and pull back, plugging into my music and losing myself again. It's a slow tempo to start, so my body responds quickly. My eyelids get heavy, my breathing becomes deeper, my heart beat slows down. As I drift into another welcomed episode of sleep, my music selection changes and I'm serenaded by Amy Lee's dark, sensuous voice as she and the rest of Evanescence perform 'Haunted" inside my head.

Watching me and wanting me

I can feel you pull me down

Fearing you, loving you

I won't let you pull me down.

This time, when I dream, I'm alone in my room. The graveyard is gone, Smoke's enenra isn't tormenting me and the gentle sounds of my neighbor's mockingbirds drifts through my open window. It's warmer and more comfortable here than the graveyard of my other dream. Despite the calm and quiet, however, I still feel like I'm being watched. It's like no matter what I do, no matter where I go, Smoke's dark, bewitching eyes are always on me, watching my every move even when I sleep.

* * *

I wake up just as the sun is rising on the horizon, staining the sky gold and violet. I stare out the window, watching the clouds pass as the plane makes its way across the sky. I smile a bit; this is the calm, quiet, peaceful moment to myself that I've been waiting for. A time when I can lose myself in my thoughts and find my own inner peace. Still smiling, I lean my head back against the seat and close my eyes, settling into the dark, silent world of my mind.

Once we find Raiden, he'll need to know about Scorpion and the Tarkatans. Keeping him in the dark about either of them won't help at all.

Indeed. The more Raiden knows, the better prepared we'll all be.

My eyes snap open. That second voice in my head belonged to Smoke, but I can't tell if it's really him or his enenra talking. I shift in my seat uncomfortably; despite how much I may be attracted to the man, knowing he can access my thoughts at will is a little disturbing. Knowing my luck, he'll sneak into my head at the precise moment when I'm having a fantasy about him.

Shaking off my surprise, I take a deep breath and close my eyes again, Stryker's still asleep, and I can hear Sub-Zero's heaving breath just ahead, so this voice and I are alone for the moment. We can discuss this in private without worrying that anyone else might be disturbed.

Just so I can prepare myself, which half would you be?

The half that you're slightly less afraid of.

I sigh a little in relief. Smoke himself, good. At least this half of his mind is rational and calm.

Where's your twin?

Locked away for now. I didn't need him running wild while our minds are connected. Besides, I doubt he'd have anything important to say, anyway.

Locked away where? Where in the hell do you put that thing to keep him under control?

Smoke's soft laughter echo through my mind for a moment, reminding me that he does have a sense of humor to go with that incredible mind and body of his. The man can laugh at himself. Thank the gods!

I have a few places in my mind he's can't escape from. He'll be fine, and we'll be alone until I decide he can come out.

I pause, a new thought passing through my head before my filter can get to it.

You're like brothers almost.

Smoke laughs again, the sound just as delicious as his smell.

I suppose we are in a way. Though Sub-Zero is the only person I truly consider to be a brother to me.

I can understand that. You two grew up together, and you have no memory of your original family. You had to bond with someone.

Yes, and thankfully I found Sub-Zero. I'm not sure of the other Lin Kuei warriors would be as accepting of me as he is. The others tend to find me too quiet to enjoy my company.

I scowl at this unconsciously. Leave it to humans to force the damaged and wounded into exile.

If they had lost all memories of their childhood and family, I doubt any of them would be very social.

Perhaps, but we are not trained to be compassionate. We are assassins and thieves, Sara. You know that. Besides Sub-Zero, myself and Cyrax, you should never mistake any Lin Kuei warrior of being the opposite.

My scowl fades to a deep frown. He's right, unfortunately. The Lin Kuei trains their fighters to be ruthless killers and thieves, and none of their leaders have given much thought to the lives of the people affected by their kill orders. Sadly, most of the warriors themselves become so hardened from warfare and death that they nearly lose all sense of morality and compassion for anyone other than their fellow fighters. We're lucky that we found Sub-Zero and Smoke when they were still able to care about those around them.

Alright then...What kind of welcoming party should I expect when we meet up with Raiden? None of your friends know me at all.

There's a slight pause as he thinks, allowing me barely enough time to inhale deeply and catch a tiny trance of his scent. It's delicious as ever, and my craving for him is sated just enough that I can refocus on our discussion.

I wouldn't expect the warmest greeting from the others, but Raiden should welcome you with open arms.

Anyone I should try to be super nice to?

Perhaps Sonya or Jade. Both of them are extremely protective of our group and very wary of outsiders. However, once they learn of your ancestry and your affiliation with Raiden, they should warm up to you.

Good.

I let out another relieved Sigh. Hopefully, my Necromancer bloodlines will help me be a little more welcomed into his group of warriors. Being an outsider, I don't have any outrageous expectations from his friends. I don't expect a shower of confetti or cake to be served once I arrive. I'll be sure to prepare myself for ten tons of suspicion coming from everyone beside Raiden.

As I mull over what my entrance into the new group will be like, a new curiosity pops into my head. I know Smoke as my unintended object of affection, Stryker as our loveable but foolish cop, and Sub-Zero as the quite one who keeps to himself. But I know almost nothing of the other Sub-Zero, the older brother who died and became a different man after Quan Chi got his hands on him. His younger brother spoke of him only briefly, and it was in a voice filled with regret and pain.

I don't mean to be rude or intrusive...what was Sub-Zero's brother like?

He was...different that Tundra.

My mental timeline clicks into gear. There's an older brother - the original Sub-Zero - and a younger brother named Tundra, who's friends with Smoke. Older Sub-Zero goes to the last Mortal Kombat tournament and dies, so younger brother Tundra takes up the name in his honor. New Sub-Zero remains friends with Smoke, and the older brother's soul is resurrected by Quan Chi and becomes corrupted. A little confusing, but I think I've got it.

How so?

He was far more impulsive that Tundra, more combative and aggressive. He was an excellent fighter, but his anger and pride would often get the best of him and he'd lose focus. He was a good man, a loyal one who'd die for his brother, but his emotions would get the better of his instincts.

I see...

Sub-Zero would often provoke another warrior or instigate a fight if he needed something to do. Tundra will avoid combat if he can, and only fights if he thinks it's necessary.

So is that why you bonded with Tundra rather than his brother? Because of his attitude?

Mainly. Tundra and I are considered the quiet ones of the current list of warriors. We stay very close to each other, and neither of us converses much with the others. We don't trust them.

Let me guess...the grandmaster has them wrapped around his finger.

I hear him sigh as I bring up his despised leader. However, what I know of Smoke makes this a slightly less touchy subject. He's already voiced his displeasure of the Grandmaster and his plans, so tearing the old man to shreds should be a bit more welcomed.

Some of the other warriors are so blinded by loyalty, they can barely think for themselves, which is exactly what the Grandmaster wants. Sub-Zero and I are part of a small group of warriors that can make rational decisions without the Master's help. Unfortunately, with the Cyber Initiative in place, the rest of us may eventually end up becoming like the mindless fighters we despise.

Look at me.

I break the connection, forcing his hand so he must face me to talk with me. My emotions, already going haywire from being so close to him, have reached a boiling point. I'm furious, aroused, hurt and confused beyond imagining, and I need to spit it out. What I have to say can't be communicated through telepathy. He needs to hear my voice for this one.

It takes him a minute to respond – probably trying to reconnect out minds – before I hear him shift in his seat. We have another hour before we arrive in New York, and everyone else on the plane is unconscious. We have the place to ourselves, like we need it to be. He turns around and hauls himself over his chair, crossing his arms over the seat and staring down at me with those dark, incredible eyes. His breathing is slow and even, a perfect contrast to my unsteady breaths.

I take a shaky breath before I start spewing my guts to him. "Alright, I need to say this. I've barely known any of you for more than twelve hours, but I'll admit that I care about you. I have no idea who you are or what you want, but I care about all of you for some stupid reason. I can't control that."

He remains silent, his beautiful chocolate eyes emotionless and impassive.

I continue, my breathing becoming more unsteady by the second. "Despite the fact that I barely know you, that you're carrying an insatiable enenra with you that wants to devour me whole, and that you work under a man that my people absolutely despise, I care about you. Somehow, through all of this, I've become closer to you and your friends than I've been to anyone in a long time. I don't think, if anything happened to you, that I could take it."

I'm barely able to hold back tears at this moment, but it push through the last of my speech. "I need you to promise me...that if you ever find yourself in a situation where the people around you are trying to change you into something inhuman, something that you know in your heart you could never truly be...promise me that you will fight for your fucking life."

I say the last words through gritted teeth and I try not to cry. Tears stream down my cheeks, and I'm barely able to breathe. I've just spilled my soul to this mysterious, deliciously dark man, and all I can do now is hope he understands.

Smoke stays completely still for a moment, staring at me with his dark eyes. For barely an instant, I see a flash of sliver flick through his eyes, a sign that his enenra has been in on the conversation. His eyes then shift back to their usual deep chocolate color just as he reaches over the seat and takes my hand. His fingers wrap around mine, gentle but firm, never letting go.

"I swear to you... if such a circumstance were to ever take place, those people will have my humanity once they pry it straight from my heart. I will never allow them to make me into a monster I cannot possibly be, to force me to take actions I could not, in my heart, make on my own. They will not take my past, they will not take my soul, they will not take my future."

They will not take Sub-Zero from me, nor will they take you.

Those last few words, both spoken and thought, shake me to the core. He's basically proclaimed his devotion to his best friend and me, after knowing me less than a day and seeing the damage I am capable of. He's brushed all of that shit aside and promised to protect me however he could.

I hang my head, breaking eye contact with him as tears fall onto my arm. As much as I appreciate and revel in his newfound loyalty and concern for me, reality smacks me in the face like it always does. I am a Necromancer, a dealer of death and raiser of corpses. I am capable of monstrous actions and nightmarish thoughts. I will never be 'normal', nor will I be capable of showing the same level of control and understanding that he does. In the eyes of the world, I am a monster and a living nightmare.

I do not deserve this man.

Why would you protect me? I'm not as close to you as Sub-Zero, and I'm not powerful like Raiden. Why do you care about me?

He goes still for a moment, his eyes narrowing at me in confusion.

Do you not think yourself worthy of my protection?

A new batch of tears starts to stream down my cheeks, and my throat closes up as I try to breathe. All the pain and anger and fear that's been built up over the years starts to seep out, and I can't stop any of it from reaching him.

I raise the dead. I pull souls from living people. I can speak to ghosts and demons when no one else can. I'm the closest thing to a monster you can get. No one has ever offered to protect me... I think you can understand why.

His grip tightens around my fingers, his hands suddenly becoming as cold as ice, though his eyes remain the same dark coffee color. I still twitch slightly at his enenra's sudden appearance, unsure of what to do or say.

Those who will not protect you do not know you. They may call you a monster only because they fear your power. Had you ever saved any of them, their idea of you would be very different.

I shake my head, more unwelcome tears pouring from my eyes.

Some people will always hate my kind, no matter how many times we help them. It's a prejudice that spans generations in some cultures. They will never accept us.

Then they do not deserve you.

Those six simple words nearly cause my lungs to stop. I stare at him wide-eyed, my tears suddenly gone. This man-enenra has the incredible ability to confuse me endlessly. He can bring me to tears one minute, then make me want to pounce him the next. He makes no sense, yet I want him more then anything in the world.

The people who will chastise you and despise you are not worthy of your help. If they will not care for you, then do not care for them.

I am now speechless, rendered mute by his words and my emotions. He cares for me, more that I thought he did...more than I thought he could. Something in my head goes off, an alarm bell warning me to keep my distance from him. He's too gentle, too kind-hearted to be real.

You're going to make me cry...stop.

His eyes widen as he pulls back an inch, looking almost hurt. I can feel his mind start to pull away, breaking the link we share.

My apologies...I meant no harm.

I snap my head up to look at him, frantically clawing at the fragile connection that links our minds. I don't want him to leave; I want - I need­ – him to stay connected to me. The tiny bond we have in our minds is all I have to keep him close enough to admire, yet far enough not to wound.

NO! Don't go!

He freezes, his dark eyes locked on mine. The thread between our minds is frayed, yet still strong. We're linked, but not as closely as before. I crave that connection, that closeness, but my logic overrules my emotions. I cannot be close to this man, no matter how deep my craving. The enenra within him and the Necromancer blood in me will devour each other if we get too close.

Knowing that I have his mind still locked to mine, I can breathe again. I close my eyes for an instant, centering myself and calming my rampaging emotions before looking at him again. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my growing joy and hopefulness under control.

I'm sorry, I'm just not used to people treating me as you are. Most people despise my kind, or they're so afraid of us that they avoid my clan altogether. I've been on the receiving end of their hatred several times, so we're taught as kids to keep contact with other culture to a minimum. Your kindness is foreign to me.

He's silent again, but his grip on my hands relaxes a bit. He leans forward again, reaching out with his mind and strengthening the bond that links our minds. He knows the truth of my panic now, the reasons behind why I tend to push people away. His kindness and honesty are something I don't deal with on a daily basis. As far as society is concerned with my people, he's the odd one out.

That's disappointing...I had expected more for a race of people with such power and prestige.

I shrug and smile weakly.

People are strange creatures.

Strange like me?

His question catches me off-guard. I swallow sharply, unsure of how to respond to him. He's part enenra, part tortured soul. No living person is anything close to his uniqueness. And yet, he's more human and loving than almost anyone I've ever met. He's got a cleaner soul then any I've ever scanned, and his mind is sharper then most of the population. He's mystifying, fascinating, terrifying and beautiful all at once.

He's the one thing I am unprepared to fight.

"I wouldn't call you strange," I whisper, breaking away for our silent conversation. "Perhaps unique is a better word for you."

He barks out a soft laugh. "Sara, don't play naive. I am an assassin with no memory of his past, carrying around an enenra within my soul and taking part in winner-kills-all tournaments that most don't even know exist. I am not unique, Sara. Don't sugar-coat this."

I blush and bite my lip, embarrassed by my simple mistake. "Sorry."

His eyes soften as if he's smiling. "It's fine. I know you well enough that you were trying to take some of the indignity and pain away. I appreciate the gesture, but some scars will never fade, Sara, even with a Necromancer's help."

I nod and look away, embarrassed to the core. Of course he wouldn't consider himself unique. He sees himself as a monster, a fusion of two beings that should never be paired together. I see him as beautiful, powerful, forbidden. Something I should never touch but am hopelessly drawn to. He is impossible to resist, yet far too dangerous to become attached to.

Warm fingers touch my chin, sending a small bolt of lightening down my spine. I inhale sharply and turn back to face him, staring into those gorgeous dark eyes.

"You're not in trouble, Sara," he chides teasingly. "Just know that I am not as civilized and understanding as you are. Neither of us pays much attention to society's rules or expectations, so don't be surprised if we seem more hostile and defensive than you might be."

I smile weakly, knowing exactly what he's talking about. As an assassin-enenra mix, Smoke has no use for the laws of man or physics. If he wants to kill a man by twisting his spine around, then dissipate into a mist cloud and move through walls to escape, he can. If Einstein or Newton had ever met Smoke, he would have lost his mind.