Mortal Kombat: The Sorcerer's Slave

"Baby?" Chad echoed, confused and Quan Chi just rolled his eyes.

Chad walked into the inner chamber with Quan Chi and stopped dead. The giant two headed dog that his niece had been petting stopped and straitened suddenly, zoning in on the intruder. His growls echoed through the entire cavern and Chad did the only thing that came to mind. He put out his hands in front of him and started chanting. A blue glow bathed his hands and then surrounded him, forming an impenetrable bubble.

"Big Dog, no!" Mac said in a firm voice.

He whined and lowered his heads for her to pet him. His tail thumped when he realized that she wasn't mad at him. She obviously didn't want him to eat the intruder though.

"That's right who's a good boy? Who's a good dog? Mommy and Daddy brought you a treat!"

Quan Chi opened his mouth to make a comment and then remembered what Noob had said. He shut his mouth, waved a hand, and the large cow bones that they'd bought appeared. Quan Chi picked one up and handed it to Chad who had decided he didn't need his bubble any more. He took the other one and walked to Big Dog and held up the bone. One of the dog's head took the bone and started gnawing happily. The other head looked at Chad expectantly with big red eyes.

Chad took a deep breath and walked forward and gingerly held the bone out to the dog who reached out and took it.

"Uncle Chad this is Big Dog." Mac said patting the animal on the chest. "Big Dog this is Uncle Chad. He's going to be staying with us for a while so you're not allowed to eat him."

Big Dog wuffed knowingly and let Chad come forward and scratch him behind the ears. If his "mommy" liked this man then he guessed he shouldn't snack on him. Besides this man smelled very much like her.

"Now, these two big handsome fellows," Mac said pointing to the twins "are Killian and Kraven McTavish. They were Scottish warriors until they were killed in battle and Quan Chi took their souls."

"Why would you do that?" Chad asked.

"To serve me in the Neatherrealm of course." Quan Chi said as if Chad should already have known that.

"I call them Grays." Mac told Chad. "Because, well, they're gray. Guys this is Chad Tesla, my uncle."

He looked over at the twins who nodded respectfully. They were gray. Is this what's going to happen to me when I die? Chad's thoughts were starting to become turbulent but he didn't let it show. It would only put stress on Mac and by the looks of things around here she probably didn't need any.

000

"I can see the worry on your face, my friend." Quan Chi said to Chad as they stood watching Mac play with Big Dog. "She is safe with me. I care for her."

"I can see that but I still can't help but worry."

"Why?"

"You won't repeat this to her?"

Quan Chi shook his head.

"She's not my niece."

"She's your daughter." Quan Chi guessed.

"Yes. I got drunk when I was fifteen and I woke up in the morning next to my sister." Chad's gaze was tortured as he watched Mac. "I knew she'd been conceived but I couldn't bring myself to say anything to my sister. She'd broken up with the man that Mac calls her father. But they got back together and she told him Mac was his."

"And he was none the wiser?"

"No." He shook his head. "I stayed in the background."

"Not too in the background." Quan Chi said implying their closeness.

Chad shrugged. "I'm afraid I couldn't help but be part of her life. She is my daughter after all. I did my best to do right by her."

"You didn't do too bad." Quan Chi said looking down at Mac who was laughing and running from Big Dog. "You're lucky that the inbreeding didn't affect her."

"True. It probably helped that her mother and I are only half siblings."

"I swear she will always be taken care of here."

"And if you tire of her?"

"I won't. But if that day actually comes then I will ensure that she has a place to go and that she will be taken care of there."

"Good enough." Chad laughed. "You're going to teach me some sorcerery aren't you?"

"I've never taken an apprentice before."

"Why not?"

"I've always been too busy plotting my machinations."

"Well now is as good a time as any."

"You're not going to let this go are you?"

"Nope."

"We'll start tomorrow then."

"Excellent." Chad rubbed his hands then raised his eyebrow and smiled at a wicked thought. "I've never actually killed anyone with magic before."

"Blood thirsty." Quan Chi clapped him on the back. "I like that."

"You know, Mackenzie is definitely mine. She's known about my proclivities for years but she's never said one damn thing to me accept to give me a kiss and tell me not to get caught."

"She never interferes with my soul collecting either." Quan Chi said with a shrug. "She strives to make their lot better though."

"Jesus Christ! Enough of this maudlin talk. I'm getting hungry."

Quan Chi just laughed and led the way down to the kitchens.

000

"You look like you want to tell me something." Mac said to Quan Chi when they were in the shower. He'd scrubbed her hair five times already and she'd decided that enough was enough.

"I've given my word that I wouldn't say anything." He finally said after a minute, hoping that she wouldn't get angry.

"So he told you about being my father, did he?"

"How do you know? He said he never told you."

"My mother told me."

"Bitch!"

"Oh, I agree. This time though she was drunk and didn't remember it in the morning."

"But you did."

"Oh yes. I was starting to wonder anyway. The man who I called father loved me but I was nothing like him and everything like Chad. We've always had so much more of a connection than everyone else in the family."

"You should tell him that you know."

"I feel that it's up to him. I've been ready for a long time but he has to be ready too and I know that he's not."

"You are sure?"

"Oh yes. He'll let me know when he feels the time is right."

"You're so amazing. So accepting."

"Accepting of the things that I can't change. I can't stop you from stealing souls and I can stop Chad from killing those he deems evil. But I can love you both freely."

000

"How in the nine hells did you get a hold of her?!" Drahmin asked Moloch who had Mac draped over his very large shoulder.

"She saw me."

"And?"

"And I went to investigate." Mac said wiggling until Moloch finally set her down. "Thank you."

"Well that was easy." Drahmin said with a smile.

Mac walked right up to him, hands on hips, and glared daggers at him.

"When Quan Chi finishes with you, you're going to wish that your mom had killed you as a child."

Drahmin flicked up his kabuki mask, giving Mac a good look at his skeletal face, and narrowed his white eyes at the girl. She didn't even take a step back. He lifted a hand to smack the impudent girl but Moloch's large hand stopped him.

"No hit girl." Moloch told him with a shake of his head. "Make Quan Chi crazy."

Drahmin stopped and thought about Moloch words. He was actually right. If he damaged the girl then that would make Quan Chi way too unpredictable. Especially if he was actually in love. He took a deep breath, pulled his arm out of Moloch's grip, and flipped down his Kabuki mask.

"Oh, sweet boy. Thank you for defending me." Mac reached up and patted Moloch's chest.

"Come on." Drahmin said shaking his head and walking away.

Drahmin led the way to a cave that wasn't too far away and Mac realized they weren't planning on ransoming her or anything. They were more than likely planning on attacking Quan Chi. It would probably take at least a few hours for anyone to realize that she was missing though. She was supposed to be having a nap, while Quan Chi taught magic to Chad, but she had decided to explore some of the upper caverns. Quan Chi had stopped having her constantly guarded some time ago because she had met all of the inhabitants of the volcano and of course they all loved her. Of course that was the biggest part of her magic. She could calm just about anyone and make them love her. Almost anyone.

"Drink." Moloch said thrusting a water skin at her once she was settled into the cave on the floor.

"Oh. Thank you, dear." She took a delicate sip of the tepid water and looked up at him with shining black eyes. "Mmmm. It's very kind of you too think of me."

"I see you magic." Moloch said closing his lower eyes and looking around with a smile. "I like it. So pretty."

"Oh."

"Food." He said and tried to hand he some dried Trukeen meat.

"Oh, no thank you dear." She rubber her stomach and let her magic float around some more considering he seemed to like it. "My tummy is a bit upset."

"Oh." He said sympathetically. "Feel better."

"Gods!" Drahmin threw up his hands angrily. "Get away from her stupid."

"Don't talk to him that way you jerk!" Mac said jumping to her feet. "What's your beef with Quan Chi anyway?"

"We helped him." Drahmin said pointing to himself and Moloch. "He promised to take us with him when he got out of the Neatherrealm. He didn't though. He left without us when we were fighting his enemy."

"And?"

"He betrayed us."

"Big deal. I'm pretty sure you would have done the same thing too."

Drahmin opened his mouth to dispute her and then thought better of it. He ground his teeth in anger but didn't raise a hand to the girl. Then she smiled at him. A sweetly sickening smile. It would be a few hours before she was missed probably.

000

"Is it bird? No. Is it plane? No. Oh my gosh it's mighty mouse!"

Quan Chi and Chad stopped when they heard Mac's voice coming out of the large cave.

"Black Lodge Singers." Chad said absently.

"I don't understand." Quan Chi said with confusion.

"Mighty Mouse is a kids pow wow song by the Black Lodge Singers." Chad said with a shake of his head. "She used to sing it to annoy other people when she little."

Drahmin was outside the cave banging his head on the rock.

"Hmm, hmm." Quan Chi cleared his throat and Drahmin swung around.

"Oh thank the Gods you're here!" Drahmin said turning to look at them and fell to his knees. "Please take her back!"

"How long has she been singing?" Chad asked the strange meat looking guy in the kabuki mask.

"Hours!" Drahmin stood up and covered his ears.

The singing stopped and Mac walked out of the cave leading Moloch by the hand. He was following her like a puppy.

"Look what I found!" She told Quan Chi pointing to Moloch. "Can we keep him?"

Quan Chi was seriously speechless for a few moments. Then he remembered how she'd managed to charm all of his servants.

"Moloch is not like Big Dog." Quan Chi said with a smile.

"Oh I know. He can talk. Can we keep him?"

"I go home." Moloch said to Mac.

"No." She started pouting.

"Yes. I go home." He patted her cheek gently. Something that Quan Chi never thought to see in his life time. "Quan Chi know where I live. You come visit."

"Okay." She hugged him and he walked off with a wave.

"This is completely ridiculous!" Drahmin told Quan Chi. "I'm going home. I've got a headache."

Drahmin started walking away and Chad started laughing.

"Drahmin!" Quan Chi called but Drahmin didn't stop.

"No! As long as you have that girl around I'm done with you." He told Quan Chi. "I'm going home and getting a blow job and some sleep."

Quan Chi smiled and Chad was rolling on the ground laughing.

"That's my girl." Chad said when he finally managed to start breathing again.

"He's the one who taught me to do that." Mac said to Quan Chi with a smile.

"You were supposed to be sleeping." Quan Chi said to her seriously.

"I wasn't tired."

"I see." He took her in his arms and kissed her. "I'm putting the guards back on you."

"What?!" She pulled away from him. "This was a fluke."

Quan Chi shrugged. "Whatever it was it can't happen again."

"I agree." Chad said.

"You don't want to put guards on me." She told Quan Chi, looking up at him with big black eyes. She pushed with her magic just a bit. Quan Chi didn't respond.

"Holy God!" Chad said looking at her with a troubled gaze. "You have magic."

"No I don't." she denied.

"Yes you do. I could feel it just a moment ago."

"Ok. You're right I do." She went and kissed him on the cheek. "It comes from my father."

"You know?"

"Mom told me."

"That bitch!"

"She was drunk and I was asking some awkward questions."

"You don't hate me for not telling you?"

"Of course I don't. I could never hate you."

"I wanted to tell you so badly." He hugged her to him so tightly he was nearly cutting off her air.

"Air!"

"Sorry." He let her go. "I don't expect you to call me dad or anything."

"How about Chad? I'll just drop the uncle."

"Good enough for me."

Quan Chi had propped himself up against the cave rock and was rolling his eyes. He didn't want this to happen again. Most of his enemies wouldn't have actually come into his home though. Leave it to Drahmin to pull a stunt like that. He knew that she was going to chafe at being guarded though and he really did like her to be happy.

"Chad and I are going to teach you to defend yourself." Quan Chi said breaking up the father daughter moment that was making him want to puke.

"We don't-" Chad said. "Hey wait a minute. How come you didn't use your magic on the slavers?"

"How come you didn't use your logic and not kill that guy in the bar fight."

"I was seeing red. You know I have a temper."

"I do too."

"I've never seen it."

"I stabbed a guy in the eye."

"Oh yeah." He smiled. "I was so proud."

"Proud? I stabbed someone in the eye!"

"You fret too much about it." Quan Chi said drawing her attention. "The last fight I got in I ripped my opponent's leg off and caved his head in with it."

"You just have to be a story topper don't you?" She stomped her foot.

He righted himself from the wall and took her in his arms. "I have so many to tell though."

"As I was saying," Chad interrupted their moment. "We don't actually need to teach her to defend herself."

"Really?" Quan Chi asked sarcastically. "She didn't just get kidnapped by two of my enemies?"

"Moloch is almost the size of Big Dog." Mac said shaking her head. "There was no way in this realm that I was going to try to fight him. And it took a bit for my magic to really start affecting him. And there was something about Drahmin that warned me that he would kick my ass."

"Drahmin is very good. If I were to be honest he's probably close to being mine and Noob's skill level." He shrugged. "Your fighting style?"

"Hapkido." She said, pulling away to look up at him with a smile. "Chad taught me growing up. Remember I told you I broke the guard's nose that bruised my ribs?"

"Ah yes." He'd assumed that she'd broken it in a struggle with the man. Not on purpose.

"I really don't like to hurt others though." She smiled and hugged Quan Chi. "Let's go home please."