Chapter 10 - Playing Puppet Master

Nicholas found himself in the desert. Quan Chi was casting the spell needed to resurrect Sindel. Considering how simple it seemed, those not in the know would've questioned why Quan Chi hadn't done this before. Of course, Nicholas knew this whole thing was really an attempt to prolong the conflict between Earthrealm and Outworld.

Nicholas' attention was focused on what was happening. Over the course of one minute, Sindel's body was being reformed. First, the skeleton was rebuilt from the dust and sand, then the muscles and organs, and finally, the skin and hair. There she was as naked as a newborn, Sindel was struggling, obviously confused about what was happening.

Quan Chi simply took a step back, his way of saying, "After you." Nicholas stepped forward and knelt before Sindel, placing a hand on her face, gaining her attention. Sindel, with concern in her eyes, asked, "Who are you? What is happening?" Nicholas answered, "Don't worry, it will all be made clear, soon enough." Sindel wanted to say more, but a very thick black fog formed around her, and then she was enveloped. It dissipated, almost instantly leaving no trace that Sindel had ever been there.

Quan Chi looked at the scene with judgemental eyes. Then he said, "With that the deal is sealed, don't forget to uphold your end of the bargain." Then he immediately opened a portal and walked through. The veiled contempt was very noticeable to Nicholas, but he simply didn't care. With a wave of his hand, he returned back to everyone and got ready for the impending invasion.

...

Sheeva was standing in her traditional warrior garbs. Tarkatan warriors were attacking anyone they could find. Whether they were warriors or civilians, they didn't care they attacked any they came across. Motaro was engaged in combat with Raiden, and Kintaro was trying to regain his lost honor by fighting Johnny Cage.

Sheeva, however, was currently not fighting anyone. She was looking for someone specific. The individual called Nicholas, who held queen Sindel's soul. Sheeva felt responsible for not being able to safeguard Sindel before, and now she was furious that her queen was being kept by some random peon.

Sheeva figured if she could get him alone, then she might be able to force him to free her queen. Excitement filled her as she spotted him ducking into some store. It was a simple matter to follow him in. She found him fairly quickly. He seemed preoccupied looking through the shelves of this random book store.

She yelled, "You, I want you to free queen Sindel this instant, or I'll break you in half and torture you till you do!" Nicholas stopped searching the shelves and casually looked at Sheeva, then said, "Firstly, hurting me will not get your queen back, and secondly, even if it did, what good will it do? Quan Chi will kill her all over again if he thinks for a moment that Sindel will interfere with his grand scheme, and he'll kill you as well for the part you played."

Sheeva was taken back by what she had just heard. Then she asked, "What do you mean kill her all over again?" Nicholas gave a look that meant he just said something he shouldn't have. He took a breath, then said, "Sindel had no love for Shao Kahn, but she still tried to make the best of her situation. She tried to convince him to focus on ruling Outworld as save the conquering of the other realms for later." Sheeva immediately thought back to her queen's actions. She had spent her time helping the citizens, whether they were originally from Edina or not. Nicholas continued, "Quan Chi, who is solely loyal to Shinnok, felt that Sindel was swaying Shao Kahn to forgo the path he was meant to be on, so Quan Chi killed Sindel and used her death to drag things out between Outworld and Earthrealm for as long as possible, until both sides wipe each other out."

Sheeva, looking back at everything, couldn't deny anything she was told. After all, the Netherrealm was swearing their loyalty for the price of Earthrealm's fallen warriors. Then Nicholas said something that caught her off guard. He said, "If you want, I can make a wager that will all you to protect Sindel from any harm." Sheeva asked how. Nicholas said, "Right now, Sindel is a guest in my realm. She is unaware of anything that has happened. She is in no danger, but also no luxury. So, my deal is this, you perform a simple test of will and pass, and Sindel's stay in my realm will be one of comfort worthy of her status and you can choose when she returns. However, if you fail, you will stay by my side and become one of my guardians, now and forever." Sheeva eyed him cautiously and asked, "What is this test?" Nicholas answered, "A single kiss." Sheeva immediately said, "There has to be more to then that." Nicholas smiled and said, "There is, but it wouldn't be much of a test if I told you all that was required." Sheeva thought for a minute about her options. Part of her wanted to stick to her original plan, but the rest realized that if she didn't make the right choice, she could put her queen in even greater danger. Sheeva finally answered, "Fine, I'll take this test, but if you go back on your promise, I'll make you wish you never been born."

Nicholas simply nodded. Sheeva approached, and she leaned down, and they kissed. The second their lips connected, Sheeva knew she had failed.

...

Baraka was on the hunt. Many of his fellow Tarkatan warriors were looking for victims who would prove to be both easy prey and a fulfilling meal. Baraka, however, wasn't interested in any of that. He was looking for some big game.

Baraka knew the Shokan were on their way out, and his Tarkatans were gaining Shao Kahn's favor. He figured if he could deliver the heads of either Liu Kang or Kitana, then he would be in a good position to have Mileena. After all, despite her official title, an immortal doesn't need an heir.

He had spotted Sheeva earlier. She was clearly hunting someone down, and if she leads him to someone strong, all the better. However, Baraka had lost track of her, which is what has led to what he was currently doing. Sneaking around an ally where he lost sight of her. Baraka began to think it was a lost cause until when a certain scent wafted his nose. It was that of a Shokan, covered sweat, and something else that was causing his blood to boil.

He followed it to a broken window. That was when he saw Sheeva. She was naked, on her back, and moaning like a bitch in heat. Baraka couldn't see who was dominating Sheeva in such a matter, but who he did see was Shang Tsung on the other side of the building. It was clear that Shang Tsung's eyes were glued to Sheeva's body. It was clear to Baraka that Shang Tsung intended to blackmail Sheeva. Maybe as his personal toy or maybe as a disposable tool.

That didn't matter to Baraka. What did, however, was what he heard Sheeva say. She said, "I, Sheeva *ah* pledge myself to you. I give everything that I am to you. *Oh* Whether it's to protect that which is yours or to use my body to slate your desires. For now and forever."

The speech left Baraka speechless, Sheeva had essentially just betrayed Shao Kahn. Baraka looked at Shang Tsung to see his reaction, only not to see him. The only sign that anyone was there was a stain of blood on the window. Before he could react, Baraka heard a familiar male voice say, "My romp with Jade was interrupted before I could test her limits, so I'll test those limits with you." Baraka knew he had to get out of there and report what he found out. As he turned around, a small motor that had been idling suddenly roared to life, and Baraka found a chainsaw chopping it way up his body. It started at his groin and slowly worked it way up, and Baraka felt every inch. As the blood sprayed everywhere, Baraka's last thought, 'How the hell did they sneak up in me.'

...

Nicholas sat there on the floor, his back leaning against a shelf. Sheeva was passed out right next to him. The revelation of Sheeva's plan and the post-nut clarity made Nicholas realize he had glossed over some very important information when he just arrived.

First, Sheeva's plan of beating him until he returned Sindel would've worked. Evidently, if he was damaged to a certain point, every soul he had collected but had yet to bind would have been immediately returned. Second, and this was the bigger one. For him to return back to his realm and keep his spoils, he had to find the anchoring artifact.

The artifact in question could be anywhere he had access to, so to put it in perspective. The artifact could be anywhere in Earthrealm, Outworld, Netherrealm, the Realm of Order, or the Realm of Chaos. This would change some of his plans, especially since, while he didn't know where it was or what it looked like, he would know it when he sees it.

The concerning part is that in order to leave leave, he simply had to break it. The problem is that anyone can do it. So, if he is not careful, someone else can end his fun at any moment.

Nicholas thought hard about this new development. 'If someone were to walk in right now and destroy me, then all I'll have is Sheeva and Jade. On the inverse, if someone were to find and break the anchor, then I'll be able to keep Sindel as well. I thought the elder gods were my only threat, but really, anyone can take me out.'

Nicholas let out a sigh, got dressed, and started considering his options. His first plan was to do something a kin to a smash and grab and make his exit as soon as he got everyone that he wanted. Now, though, he had to add a scavenger hunt. A thought had just crossed his mind if he told Raiden after the big fight about the anchor, then he could use that as an excuse for traveling the other realms and collecting anyone who caught his fancy.

The new plan was taking shape in his mind, and as he noticed the fighting had subsided, he figured he should start making his way to the agreed upon rally point. Sheeva, who had awakened and was getting dressed, was told to lay low, and he would be back to get her in the morning. Sheeva was loathe to leave her new master's side but still agreed.

If his current plan still holds, then Kitana will be a new addition for his harem by morning. The biggest thing to decide right now, however, was where to start looking for the artifact known as the anchor.