19 Sonya Blade

The scene cuts back to Earthrealm in the Special Forces Outworld refugee camp. General Sonya Blade, followed by a squad of armed soldiers, holds an interdimensional transmitter as she walks around the camp. After Cassie relays the news from Outworld, Sonya replies

"Thanks for the heads up, Sergeant. Stay with Kotal Kahn. Do whatever you can to recover Alex. Knowing him, he's still alive out there. We'll figure out our next steps once I've got Kano locked down."

"Yes ma'am. Cage out."

Sonya Blade hangs up the call as she and the other soldiers continue marching through the refugee camp. She stops to scan the area, filled with confused, distressed, and displaced Outworlders as they are helped however, they can by Special Forces members, muttering

"He's still here. I can feel it."

As she continues through the camp, she comes across two of her medics carrying a body bag on a stretcher.

"Report.

"One of the refugees. Found her near the north perimeter."

Sonya unzips the bag. It contains a young Outworld woman who looks far plainer than Li Mei. Further detracting from her looks is her slashed throat, and adding insult to injury, her tongue is sticking out through the open slit in her neck.

"That's one of Kano's "neckties"."

Her composure briefly drops, but she steels herself in short order and zips the body bag back up.

"Inform Li Mei. Tell her we're investigating."

The medics walk off with the body bag. Sonya pulls out a talisman that acts as a communicator. An image of Raiden is projected on it.

"Raiden, what'd you find?"

"Shinnok's Amulet has been stolen. Replaced by an exquisite duplicate."

"Damn it."

On the projection, Raiden looks to his left.

"Something is wrong. I will speak to you once I—"

The projection fizzles out.

"Raiden? Raiden!"

After a moment of contemplation, she puts the talisman in her back pocket while whirling around to address her soldiers.

"Lieutenant, I need you to take a team to Fort Charles. Check-in with Raiden and report back."

The soldiers march off. Johnny Cage chooses this moment to stroll up to Sonya.

"What's goin' on?"

"What's your update from Colonel Flagg?"

"He said, "Why're you bothering me?" and I said, "Because my ex-wife is a pain in the--""

She holds a hand up to stop Johnny and turns, walking away from him. Johnny is quick to follow and intercept her.

"Where are you goin'? You can't just walk away. I'm in this too."

"Not my decision. Thank your buddy, Secretary Blake."

"THIS is what split us up in the first place. You disappear in your work. Never time for me and Cassie."

"I had responsibilities. Sorry, you couldn't be the center of attention."

Johnny bites back his retort and delivers a carefully measured response.

"There was a time when you cared more about your family than your job... General."

He walks off. Sonya continues in the direction she was going. Her mind had been a muddled mess of confusion ever since she hit her head twenty years ago. Her memories were not quite the way she remembered them.

-Flashback-

Three young kids played happily under the summer sun. A brown-haired brown-eyed boy, a black-haired blue-eyed girl, and a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl. They seemed so happy as they played together. They were five years old at the time and the best of friends.

-Ten years later-

She was fifteen and so was he. He had a rugged look about him that she thought was dreamy. They sat in history class both not listening to the teacher as they just glanced at each other and passed notes. He, Kano, had written

'Shakes after school luv?'

She had replied

'Sure if you are buying.'

That meeting would not happen though her father Major Herman Blade had collected her right after school and Kano never saw her after that, nor did their friend Rena Darkov.

-Five years later-

Sonya Blade was working with her partner, one her father had assigned when she spotted Kano up ahead. She had to talk to him. So, she slipped away from her partner in order to meet him discreetly. She noticed that the years hadn't been kind to Kano. He looked miserable.

"Come to break a guy's heart even more, eh?"

Sonya looked down and said

"Kano I am so sorry about that."

Kano looked at her and said

"That's rich coming from you! Specialist Blade. Yeah, don't think I haven't been watching you from a distance."

"Kano, please. I do still care about you, but clearly, it won't work out for us. So, could we please part, on friendly terms?"

Kano looked at her, seeing honesty in her eyes and he said

"Alright, luv. I'll still be here if yah need me."

That would have been the end of it if her partner had not walked in on them and took Kano's comment as aggressive.

"Stay away from her Kano!"

"Damiano no!"

She jumped in the way but got knocked in the head by Damiano. When she came to Damiano was dead, she was in the hospital with amnesia, and her father had said

"Kano was going to kill you, but Damiano stepped in and sacrificed himself. He saved your life. Kano managed to knock you out when reinforcements were coming."

-End Flashbacks-

Sonya knew that it didn't sit right with her that Kano would back then. Nowadays though…she doubted there was a chance to get her best friend and ex-boyfriend back. Hate consumed him at this point. She thought she saw glimpses when dealing with him and Alex together, but maybe he was just acting. That his heart had rotted and there was no love for her or Alex either, given how easily he broke a promise to the poor kid who had given four years of his life to him in loyal service.

"Kano...can't believe you'd do this to one of your own. To hurt Alex...he didn't deserve this...this can't be right."

She mused to no one as her soldiers had given her space. She was at a crossroads now and did not know which path she should take. Regardless of which, the safety of the realms were at stake and General Sonya Blade had a job to do.