See Part One for Disclaimers
Chapter Two
The metallic one cocked her head to one side. "You drew me. You -- sacrificed -- life -- seed. Very potent," she said in a voice both vibrant and fey at the same time. "You do not belong here. Why did you call me?"
"I need to return to my own place, but neither of us has the sheer amount of power it takes, Lady. I wished to request a borrowing of power, but I also wished to gift the Lady with something in return. If I may?"
The metallic one nodded, watching her every move closely. She picked up a rawhide thong with a small bag attached to it that she had been wearing. She carefully spilled its contents into her hand. Among the other items were some flat black seeds. She chose two, carefully dug a hole in the moist dirt and tucked the seeds into it. She concentrated as he sat up to watch. After what seemed like a very long time, two slender tendrils of green poked up through the dirt and wended their way up the face of the boulder.
She looked around at the metallic one. "This world has been damaged," she said softly. "This is a beginning."
"I accept." She extended a glowing hand to the black haired woman. The two figures melded. Then she looked puzzled. She looked around at him, her eyes molten gold and green flame. "How?"
Unbidden the way to open a portal darted into his mind. She smiled, turned toward the open end of the chamber and gestured. The tortured, whirling, eye-hurting swirls of an open portal formed in the opening. The two figures parted. The black haired one stared at the opening. "Great, a stationary, temporary wormhole. I love it. She started to step forward, then turned back. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the boulder and through the portal before he could object.
It was still hot, but it was incredibly bright on the other side. The portal vanished without a sound. Sand, stubby bushes, cacti and a very startled lizard greeted them. He shielded his eyes. His companion looked around curiously. Well, it was a lot closer to home than the cavern had been.
"Oh, great. Where the hell --"
"You ask that a lot?" he commented as he wrapped himself in gray clothing again.
"Well, yeah," she agreed, squinting at the desert around them. "I don't suppose you bothered to grab our clothes -- on -- the -- way --" She stopped open mouthed. He was fully clothed and holding out a light weight robe for her. She took it and slid into it without a word. "Uhm -- shoes and a cell phone?"
He handed her a pair of sandals. He looked puzzled. "Cell phone?"
"Communication device?"
"Why?"
"So I could call a couple of friends who could give me a ride home. Well, you could tag along, of course."
"This isn't --" He gestured at the expanse of sand, etc.
"Close, but no."
"Think of it?"
"I am."
He took her hand, stepped forward and stepped onto the gravel driveway in front of her home. A large white barn stood to their left. In front of them was a long low adobe walled structure. She walked over to the door with a spring in her step, punched in the code to open the door and stepped into the cool interior of her home. He looked around. Trees, green trees. Grass. Sun. She looked out at him.
"Are you coming -- oh dear." She hurried back out as he gasped in pain, doubled over and fell heavily to the gravel. He curled into a ball, shaking against the spasms that radiated out from his belly and began to encompass his entire existence. He was vaguely aware of a voice, a woman's voice. Warm hands were touching him, pulling at him. "Come on. I can't pick you up, you're too heavy. Come on. We've got to get you inside. Goddess, you're cold. Come on."
She pulled and pulled until he uncurled enough to let her help him to his feet. He still hurt. She slid under his arm and helped him inside. She took him straight to the guest bath and sat him on the lid of the toilet while she started filling the nice, deep tub with warm water. He was icy to the touch and she surmised he needed to get warm, but not boiled. He was shivering now, and sweating. She peeled him out of his clothes again and slid him into the tub. She stayed next to him while the water level came up to cover him. Then she started the heater and the circulating pump. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in a frown. He muttered softly, words that made no sense to her. She made neutral, soothing noises until he stopped shivering.
She breathed a sigh of relief as he relaxed in the warmth. He stopped muttering. His breathing evened out. He was asleep, propped up against the back of the tub. She let the water work for another quarter of an hour before she turned off the jets and let the water drain out. She turned the heater off when the water was almost gone. He was now a relatively normal body temperature to her way of thinking. She toweled him dry, then gently tried to get him to wake up enough to be put to bed. She wrapped him in a thick, warm terry cloth robe. It was white, pure, wonderful white. His sleepy glance took it in. He nodded his approval as he let her lead him into the bedroom. She put him to bed, pulled up the comforter over the thick acrylic blanket and made certain he was deeply, healthfully asleep before she left him to take care of her own clean up.
~*~*~*~
Sunlight. Warmth. Birdsong. Sunlight, warmth, birdsong? Surely he was dreaming again? He opened his eyes and looked around. Sunlight streamed in through the sheer curtains over the window. The warmth penetrated the soft sand colored comforter. And there were definitely birds outside that window singing. He looked around the unfamiliar room. He was lost. He didn't have a clue where he was or what he was doing wherever it was. But it was warm, and much, much friendlier than where he remembered being for -- centuries. He felt very, very old.
He heard -- voices? Female voices. Three female voices. He pulled his robes around him, still gray, and went to find out what was going on. He walked down a narrow, cool, tile floored hallway. He stopped in the doorway. A kitchen. He thought. It was bright, sunlit, shiny tile on the floor, the walls and the countertops. Three women sat around a central counter. One was the black haired woman who had -- rescued -- him. One was shorter, rounded, wavy brown hair with golden highlights framing a laughing, heart shaped face. The third almost made him withdraw, but she turned to face him before he could move.
Pale blue eyes under white eyebrows regarded him solemnly. Curls of pure white were drawn up to the top of her head to cascade down to her shoulders and on down her back. Her clothes were jewel toned, rich without ostentation. He could feel the power of a god within her. His eyes slid away from the direct confrontation. He nodded his acknowledgement of her, a short, choppy motion. He missed the look of concern that furrowed her smooth brow as she looked to the black haired one.
"Your guest?" Her voice was rich, low toned.
"Yeah. It's OK. They don't bite."
"Hey! I do, too," the brown haired one objected with a grin that turned into a merry welcoming smile. "But only people I really, really like," she assured him.
"Kim!" The word was half censure, half laughter.
"Well, it's true. Alex was always bitching about it --"
His rescuer rolled her eyes ceiling ward in reaction. "It really is safe to enter the kitchen. Just don't let her get you alone near a bed."
"Or a couch," the white haired one added.
"Or a thick carpet."
"Or --"
"Guyyyyyyyys!" Kim yelped. She broke up as the other two gave her incredibly innocent looks. She slid off the stool she was occupying and walked over to where he still stood in the doorway. She slid a hand around his arm and urged him forward, gently. "You look like you could use feeding. C'mon. They're annoying as anything, but Cheri's a really good cook."
"Is that saying that I'm not?"
Kim looked mischievous. "Depends -- on what we're cooking up." She led the bemused looking houseguest over to one of the stools while the black haired one, Cheri?, busied herself getting some food set out for him.
Cheri wondered what exactly her guest usually ate. The topic had not come up while they were in OutWorld and he had been asleep for the last 48 hours. She set plate and a tankard of cold water in front of him. He looked at the food. It was colorful. It smelled good. He picked up one enticing item and took a bite. The bread shell cracked, the stuffing inside fell into his mouth. Hot, fresh, the explosion of sensations was almost as overwhelming as she had been. He almost dropped the taco in his lap.
"Not too spicy?"
He shook his head in denial and concentrated on chewing. It didn't take that much, not like some of the things he had existed on in OutWorld. He took a long drink of water. It also tasted wonderful. He took about two more bites and vanished suddenly.
"Oh, shit!" came Cheri's response. She hoped he had just popped outside and not back to where they had arrived. She still had no idea where they had been when they left OutWorld. "Stay here. I'll see if I can find him."
She dashed outside and stopped. She closed her eyes and tried to see if she could feel him. There was something odd north of the house, in the woods. She walked around the house and carefully into the tree line. It took only a few minutes to locate him. He was just standing under the trees, his hands clenched in fists at his sides. He looked like he might be vibrating slightly. Clouds were starting to pile up in the sky overhead.
"I realize it takes some getting used to, but a thunder storm might be a little excessive."'
He jumped at the sound of her voice, whirling to face her. His eyes were like plasma, streaks of lightning playing in the sockets. She could feel his -- fear? She held out a hand to him.
"Look, I know it was sudden. And I know telling you it's all right doesn't make it so. I don't know who you are, who you were or why you were stuck with that nutcase. But right here and now, there is nothing for you to fear. Neither I nor my friends will harm you, or try to harm you. And the nutcase probably doesn't even know you're gone."
The latter was an erroneous conclusion. Shao Kahn had felt the energy flow distortion produced by the opening of a portal. He had stormed through his realm seeking the source. He had bellowed in fury when he discovered his favorite whipping boy was gone. He was setting a number of hunters in motion to look for the missing possession even as they spoke.
"He knows." The words were soft, serious, full of sorrow and pain. "I -- I'm Rayden." He made no move to take her hand, but the lightning died out of his eyes leaving them dark, somber, haunted.
"Lunch too hot?"
"What? No. No. I --"
"Long tasteless diet?"
His eyes started to slide away from her direct look, but he forced himself to continue to meet that gaze. So much honesty, so much -- so like. He started to shake. He flinched as her arms went around him. She pulled his head down to her shoulder and stroked his hair. "It's OK. Let some of it go. You have to. Believe me, I know."
She also understood that this was not the time that would free him. It was only a beginning. She held him until the worst of the shaking was over. He was still stiff in her arms, his hands clenched and unclenched. A part of him wanted desperately to hold onto her, to respond to what she offered. The rest of him was jeering at his weakness, at his need. She loosened her hold and stepped back a little.
"Want to stay here for a while?" He knew she meant under the trees. He nodded. "OK. Still hungry?" Another nod. She smiled, a faintly lopsided smile. "I'll bring it out."
Inside, Kim was bubbling with questions. Who was he, where did he come from, what did he do, why was he --- Tam exchanged knowing looks with Cheri.
"Though I am curious. He is something very powerful. Not the usual sort of rescuee you bring home."
"Yeah, well, I told you about ---" She caught their looks. "I hadn't mentioned where I've been?"
"No."
"Oh." She gave them a short, pithy and to the point description of OutWorld and it's nutcase emperor.
"Euw. And I think I speak for all of us here when I say that."
Cheri looked at the other one. "Does she really live backwards or is it all an act?"
"Cheri! Tam! That's not fair!"
They both looked at her quizzically. "What has fair got to do with anything?" they asked almost in unison.
Kim broke up laughing. "Nothing. I know. I know. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it! Hey, I did not ask to get cloned, y'know."
Cheri and Tam exchanged bewildered looks. Cheri asked, "You didn't? I thought you --"
Tam shook her head, white curls bobbing. "Oh, no. You're not pinning this one on me. I did not --"
"Did, too."
"Did not --" She closed her mouth with a snap and scowled at the two grinning faces before smiling back at them. "I think the tacos are getting cold," she pointed out blandly.
Kim took the plate and tankard. "I'll take it out. I'll be cool. Honest. The two of you scare him," she fired a parting shot over her shoulder. She was almost out the door when she turned back to face them with an odd look on her face. "Wait a minute. Did you say 'OutWorld'?"
Cheri looked blank for a moment and nodded uncertainly. "Yes. What about it?"
"OutWorld," she repeated. "OutWorld! As in Shao Kahn and Liu Kang and Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage -- That Lord Rayden?"
Green eyes met hazel brown. Cheri was trying very hard to follow this burst from Kim and wasn't succeeding. She looked puzzled. "I'm lost here."
Kim made an exasperated noise. "Only you could rescue a character from a video game!" she explained, setting the plate and tankard down again. "Cheri -- how do you do this? It's nuts. He's crazy. Or you are. Or we are," she ended with a smile starting.
Cheri looked at her oddly for a long moment. "You know the name?"
"Well, duh!" She picked up the plate and tankard again. "The poor guy needs this. Behave," she shot back over her shoulder.
The remaining two stared at each other for a moment, then laughed.
Actually, Kim did not disturb him nearly as much as the other two did. He was still trying to figure out how EarthRealm had survived Shao Kahn in such good order; and why Cheri had brought him with her. He took the plate and tankard with a nod of thanks and started eating again. Kim sat down on the pine needle littered ground a little way away from him. She tried very hard to observe the trees, the sky, the house, the rest of the world, but her gaze kept drifting back to Rayden.
"Yes?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. You just -- didn't look like you really wanted to be alone, but you don't look like you want to talk, either."
"I'm sorry." The apology sprang to his lips automatically.
"Don't be. I'm the one who's being a nuisance. I'm not sure Cheri managed the intros. I'm Kim Elkins."
"Rayden."
"Nice name. Solo, Cheri dragged you home with her, huh?"
"Rescued me," he corrected her. Rescued. Wonderful word that. Yet he kept expecting to wake up back in Shao Kahn's throne room, having dozed off in the middle of one of the Emperor's tirades. Or in the mines, stiff from having fallen asleep on the cold stone floor.
"She's good at that," Kim said seriously. "She seems to spend most of her life rescuing someone or other." Was there an implication that he'd better be worth it? He frowned at her, trying to read the youthful face. She gave him a quick grin for his trouble. "I wasn't criticizing. I've been on the receiving end of a rescue or two or three dozen myself. Hell, I'd have been dead a dozen times over if it wasn't for Cheri. Permanently, at least once." She noticed that he was beginning to look overloaded.
"You and she -- "
"No. Cheri's -- immortal ---for want of a better word. I'm -- well, I kinda ceased to exist at sixty-something, woke up seventy-something in a body that looks twenty-something. I'm missing about six years, but aside from that it's not too bad. Finished?" she offered to take the plate and tankard.
Rayden gestured and they vanished. Kim looked around at the house. "Yes. I put them back."
"Good. She'll appreciate that." She stood up and dusted off her jeans. "So. Cheri found you in OutWorld."
Something in her voice cut through his self imposed numbness. He looked at her oddly. "OutWorld," he repeated.
"As in OutWorld?" Rayden wasn't certain he liked the tone of her question. "As in Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung the soul sucking sorcerer and Liu Kang and Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, etc., etc., etc.?" The first two names hit, although the latter three seemed to bewilder him. She gave a short laugh. "Great. I was right, only Cheri could rescue a god from a video game. I don't know how she does it. But it's better than the 150,000 year buried energy sucking alien she came up with a couple of years ago." She frowned at him. "Is this another one of Cheri's attempts to convince me of alternate reality theory?" she asked suspiciously.
Rayden scowled at her. "You know of OutWorld?" His eyes searched her face.
"OutWorld? As in Mortal Kombat?" she asked brightly. She really focused on his face now, as it was only a few inches away from her own. "As in Lord Rayden. Thunder God. Protector of the EarthRealm, Mentor of the champions of -- This is an exercise in alternate reality theory isn't it?" she ended softly and seriously. Then her eyes unfocussed. She was listening intently. "Incoming." She turned back toward the house.
He grabbed her arm and swung her back around to face him. "What?" His voice was cold and dangerous.
"Incoming. Two 'copters. One Huey and one Apache. Probably not military in this area, so probably looking for me." It suddenly dawned on her that he didn't have a clue here. "Oh. You haven't the faintest idea what I'm talking about, have you? Look, stay up here. They're machines that fly. They could be pretty unsettling if you're already off balance and the people flying them get very upset when they can't locate me. So, could you let go before you leave bruises? Please?"
Rayden glanced down at his hand. He released her. He was surprised when her fingertips brushed his face gently, as though in understanding and forgiveness. Then she was running back to the house and the large clearing in front of it where one helicopter was landing while the other quartered the area keeping an eye out for trouble.
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