Coping

Alex tossed and turned in his sleep. The last few weeks were full of stress with planning the wedding, and out of tradition Alex and Cassie were separate from each other. Alex though was not taking it all very well. Doubt and fear plagued him despite his need to keep face with his friends and family. He had just collapsed from working himself with little sleep and barely enough to eat. Kano was worried about him as Karkas looked him over giving a good yet very grim prognosis. Alex's drive to distract himself from the psychosocial damage from these recent events.

Shinnok's return and almost successful take over of Earthrealm, and Kotal Kahn's blatant breach of the Reiko Accords had taken their toll on everyone. Li Mei and the other refugees were not keen on returning to Outworld and there was no room to accommodate five thousand refugees. Commander Ryker and his fellow guardsmen escaped Outworld and were hiding in Earthrealm after holding the line to save Alex and his team. Hanzo Hasashi had suffered disgrace for his role in killing Quan Chi thus freeing Shinnok. Johnny Cage was suffering because of D'Vorah, but the actor kept trying to shrug it off. Kano for his own part had done a small amount of time in a Special Forces Prison before being released on the account of helping Sonya out.

What of Alex and his team? Takeda was lucky that Jacqui was quick to clean the acid out of his eyes with water otherwise, he would have gone blind like his father, but for a few months had bandages around his eyes for good measure and he felt horrid. However, it allowed him to "see" through his father's eyes and view the world as he so often does. While his rift with his father is still there, the gap is closing. Jacqui was badly banged up by the Revenants and was suffering at night due to PTSD, which she was grateful to have her father there to hear her screaming.

Kung Jin had been disturbed by seeing Johnny Cage in a spider's cocoon for all intents and purposes. He was also quite disturbed watching Raiden slowly become influenced by Shinnok. The thunder god who had once been so wise and caring was slowly becoming callous and cold. Twisting his goal of protection into a skewed version of it.

Cassie had suffered the most. Alex had just vanished without a trace in Outworld, she and her team were taken prisoner, despite being reunited with Alex they had little time to catch their breath, her mother had been brutely beaten by Scorpion, her father kidnapped and almost killed by Shinnok, her team willing to give their lives for their home realm, and lastly kicking Shinnok's butt had been a lot for the young blonde who despite her own fears was still ever worried about Alex.

Alex…Alex was dealing with a lot of shit. Kano had flat out lied to him, and yet the two were trying to reconcile though Alex was having a hard time trusting Kano after that. Alex also had learned about his mother from his uncle, that despite being human she had won an Outworlder's heart and that he and his twin sister were the results of that. Alex mourned for the mother and sister he would never get to meet as they died the day he was born and that is how he came to live with the Black Dragon.

Alex woke up with a scream of terror escaping his lips as his eyes darted around his room in fear. He stopped, allowing his heart rate to calm. He breathed in and out focusing his breathing to calm himself down. He then tried to recall the dream.

The sand was what he could see around himself and everywhere. He couldn't figure it out. Why had he screamed? Oh yeah, that feeling of sinking into quicksand, and drowning as he couldn't breathe. He looked around his room as the sun's early rays crept in. Yeah, he was not getting back to sleep. He got up and went through his morning routine and made his way down to the main mess hall of the Black Dragon main base. He was lost in thought that he had not paid attention and bumped into someone.

"Sleep like the dead and you walk into people. Good to know."

Alex looked at the person he had bumped into, he saw Kabal.

"I am so sorry Kabal. I didn't mean it."

"It's ok kid. Relax. You ok? You seem zoned out."

Alex sighed and said

"Just a bad dream that's all."

"You sure about that? Your Uncle did say that your mother was an oracle you could have gotten her foresight."

Alex paused a moment looking at Kabal's masked face the lightweight chrome mask that covered the full of his burned face yet allowed him to breathe. It had been something Alex had been tinkering with. It was lightweight and the breathing apparatus was in the mask itself. It was clever really. Alex sighed and said

"I can not be sure about it honestly. But enough of that. How is the mask working for you?"

Kabal looked at him seeing that Alex wasn't in the mood to discuss it further. He said

"Your idea is amazing kid. Not that heavy clunky stuff from before."

Alex smiled and agreed to sit with Kabal as they enjoyed the breakfast this morning, which was pancakes, with all the different toppings in the world. Alex was eating like a child again which had Kano worried as he joined their table. Alex smiles as he finished eating and left the table as Karkas joined them. Karkas watched Alex walk away and said

"I am worried about him. He isn't sleeping well or eating well. How did he seem brother? You saw him first."

"Honestly brother, like a zombie. Bumped into me. He apologized but looked like he zoned out. I asked him if he was ok, he mentioned a nightmare but quickly changed the subject."

Kano looked down knowing that behavior from Alex, Karkas knew it too. Kano said

"Kabal, That behavior of his has only happened one other time…prior to the Reiko Accords."