Forest Battle pt.1

The scene cuts to Team S-F at the cockpit of their plane, currently in the air and heading towards the Sky Temple. Jacqui and Takeda are in the pilot's seats, with Cassie and Jin at the computer screens just behind them. Alex is seated just a bit back from them glaring as he chose his most comfortable attire, arming himself to the teeth with weapons as any sane Black Dragon would do. He was focused with steely determination, as Cassie spoke he tuned his ears to listen

"We land in fifteen minutes. We'll enter the Sky Temple from the terrestrial entrance."

Takeda questioned puzzled and Kung Jin answered

"Why not go straight there?"

"It exists in a different quantum state, slightly out of phase from our reality. It can't be reached by conventional means."

Takeda breaths out a heavy sigh, which Jacqui notices she asks

"What?"

"It's just us five. No one's coming to help. We either pull this off or--"

Cassie interrupted his dark thoughts

"We WILL get it done."

Warning buzzers sound off through the plane. Before the plane looms the clouds that have been corrupted by the Jinsei. Cassie and Jin get out of their seats for a closer look, Alex who can see fine from where he sits feels dread and hears Kung Jin start

"By the... what is that?!"

Takeda gulps

"Dunno. But it's headed right for us."

"Elder Gods have mercy."

As the cloud looms closer, it produces turbulence that rocks the plane, which jolts everyone a bit, and Jacqui orders

"Buckle up, people! I gotta put her down."

Cassie and Jin race back to their seats. The scene cuts to the forest near the temple. Jacqui has landed the plane without crashing, and Team S-F have exited without issue. The corrupted light from the clouds above them has given the forest a distinctly red hue. Alex's ever-watchful gaze is on high alert, Jacqui says

"Looks like the temple entrance is fifteen clicks that way."

She points off to the distance, Takeda smiles a moment saying

"A moonlight walk in the woods. Another time, it'd be relaxing."

"I wouldn't have pegged you for outdoorsy."

"My mother and I lived near a forest a lot like this. Really takes me back."

Jacqui smiles at this - it's quite clear she's warming up to Takeda's charm she says

"After we wrap this up, we should go."

He looks at her and smiles back. They spend a moment staring warmly at one another, before looking over to Cassie and Jin standing on one of the plane wings, repairing the motor. Cassie slams down her tools in frustration. Alex smirks as he hears

"Fuck me! We're grounded. That shockwave fried the leads."

Jacqui sighs

"Then let's get going. We're almost outta time."

"Um we are out of time"

Alex points out as a portal opens behind them. Kotal Kahn emerges, flanked by Erron Black, Ermac, Ferra/Torr, Reptile, and several of his soldiers. Kung Jin asks

"What are they doing here?"

"Looking for the amulet, I bet."

"We must tell them about Shinnok. Call a truce."

Kotal spots Team S-F and does not look happy to see them, also noting this time Alex is with them. The young Black Dragon's face surprises him as he realizes who stands with these traitors. Of course, the lost heir of Outworld. He points in their direction with his macuahuitl and addresses his soldiers.

"Bring them to me!"

His soldiers roar out battle cries and charge forward which causes the team to react

"Or not."

"The woods! C'mon!"

They flee. The scene cuts to Kotal's forces walking through the woods, searching for their prey. Cassie and Jacqui hide behind two large trees as the search party walks past. Alex watching from the trees having pulled this plan out of his rear end on the drop of a hat, he hears Ferra speak

"They are quiet. Sneaky."

Kotal nods and asks

"Ermac?"

"We sense them. But the forest teems with souls."

Reptile speaks after the soul construct did

"Yes... So close."

Explosions suddenly rock the forest around Kotal's forces, throwing them into disarray. Two trees fall, crushing several soldiers beneath them. Cassie chucks some grenades at the trees, Kung Jin shoots their bases with arrows and Jacqui uses her gauntlets to shoot plasma blasts at the tree bases, while Alex and Takeda watch and observe using the nature around them to pick off stragglers. The result is the trees continuing to fall on Kotal's forces.

One of Cassie's grenades lands at Reptile's feet. He notices and leaps up into the air, just narrowly avoiding the explosion. The fallen trees catch fire, giving Kotal's forces more issues to contend with. Ferra shrieks in fear at the flames. Kotal impressed only briefly says

"Divine fire and earth!"

He looks over the battlefield and spots Kung Jin shooting off arrows. Meanwhile, Reptile scurries high up a tree and spots Jacqui. She has her back to him and continues to shoot plasma bolts at Kotal's forces. Reptile smirks and says

"I see you…"

Takeda runs up to Jacqui and spots Reptile he says

"Jacqui, look out!"

His warning comes too late. Reptile leaps from the tree and lands on Jacqui, pinning her to the ground. Takeda charges towards him, but Reptile notices and spits a glob of acid onto his face. Takeda screams in agony and clasps his face in his hands as the acid burns into it, Alex growls but is preoccupied as a few bullets are shot at him. He sees Erron shooting at him

"The hell Erron, yah gon mad?"

"Ain't nothin' personal kid."

"Fucken feels personal"

The two square off in a tough fight for Alex but he gives everything he's got to put the gunslinger on his back before he has to fight off more soldiers

Reptile turns back to Jacqui, who is still struggling in his grip. He raises one claw to smash her face in, but Jacqui rallies and punches him in the chest. She follows up with a headbutt and throws Reptile off her. They both rise to their feet.

"You hurt him, you answer to me!"

They fight. While the Zaterrean's speed and fighting abilities are not trivial threats, Jacqui fights with a rage that he is unable to overcome. Utilizing her specialized gauntlets to their full potential, she unleashes a beatdown on Reptile that does not stop until he is unconscious at her feet.

"Go crawl back under your rock, Reptile."

With Reptile down, Jacqui rushes back to Takeda, who's still trying to wipe his face with his hands.

"Stop! You need water."

She produces an emergency hip flask.

"Lean your head back."

He does so and she pours the water onto his face. It does the job of clearing his eyes.

"Can you see?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's fuzzy, but--"

She pours more water on his face.

"Better?"

The scene switches to show from Takeda's perspective. The blurry visage clears up quickly into a close up of Jacqui's face.

"Beautiful."

He paused a moment before quickly adding

"I can see the appeal of falling in love in the heat of battle, like Cass and Alex."

Jacqui giggled at him

"Indeed."