MASTERS OF THE OUTWORLD

PART 5: HE-MAN MEETS RAYDEN

Prince Adam sat on the balcony of the Royal Palace of Eternia, looking over the busy city of Eternos below. The tall, elegant towers of Eternos gleamed in the bright sunlight. As Adam watched and admired the great city, he recited his favourite Eternian poems in his head. He’d heard them so often that he did not have to sit and read them. He knew the words off by heart. And he loved to spend time alone on the balcony, his own place of peace and luxury, and a break from the many times he had to save Eternia from danger as He-Man.
Suddenly Adam’s peace was interrupted by a noise from behind. Adam spun round on his heel. Was this an attack? There came a sudden burst of crackling electricity from out of nowhere. Crackling bolts circled through the air, before joining together and forming a human shape. Then the bolts died down, and the human shape formed colour and features, taking on the form of a man with long, flowing hair, wearing a strange pointed straw hat.
"Who are you?" Adam asked.
The strange man stepped forward, and shook Adam’s hand. "Greetings, Eternian." he said, "I am Rayden, God of thunder. I have come to you seeking help."
"Erm….. how can I help you?" Adam asked, confused.
"I spend my time patrolling realms- and one such realm has led me to become involved in a tournament called Mortal Kombat. Most of the warriors in the tournament come from the evil realm of Outworld- or from planet Earth."
"Earth!" exclaimed Adam. "The planet my mother comes from!"
"Indeed. In charge of the tournament is the evil emperor Shao Khan- but in recent years Khan has undergone defeat by the Earth warriors, and his rule of Outworld seems threatened. But, to help him win the next tournament, he has recruited some new fighters. And these new fighters, I believe, are familiar to you."
"Familiar?" said Adam. "Who are they?"
"Their names are Evil-Lyn, Ninjor, Saurod, Blade and….. Skeletor."
"Skeletor! So he’s been entered for the tournament!"
"Indeed so. The extra power added by the Eternian warriors is a possible threat to the Earth warriors’ safety. Not that I don’t think we could defeat them- they’re all very powerful- but we could do with some extra help. And I feel that you are just the person to provide that help!"
This is strange, thought Adam- why was Rayden talking to him as though he was He-Man? He must be mistaken, Adam thought. But he knew he could still provide help- he could change to He-Man after Rayden had gone.
"I’m sorry, my friend, but I think you’re mistaken. Much as I wish I could help, I’m no warrior. There are many good warriors on Eternia, but I am not one of them. I’m afraid I cannot help you."
"Ah, but if you change into He-Man you can!"
"But….. how do you know? Who told you I was He-Man?"
"When you patrol the universe, and watch so many people, you pick things up!" replied Rayden. "And I, together with my close friend Zodac, often watch the universe together. We both know your great secret- as do several other watchers of the universe- as we basically know everything. But don’t worry- we won’t reveal it to anyone. Now you must change- as we must get to the tournament before it’s too late!"
"Then I’m most glad to help." Adam said, and raised his sword of power.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL…..
I HAVE THE POWER!"
A flash of light emerged from the sword, surrounding the prince completely. Once the light and energy died down, he was transformed into He-Man, mightiest man in the universe.
"Just one thing before we leave, Rayden." He-Man said. "I must make sure you’re telling me the truth."
"You’re not saying you suspect me of trying to trick you?" asked Rayden.
"No," replied He-Man, "but I must make sure. The evil warriors on this planet can play many cunning tricks- so for all I know, you could be an evil warrior trying to trick me into leaving this planet. I will use my sword to ensure you speak the truth."
He-Man held his sword in front of Rayden, and the sword glowed bright white.
"If the glow turns red, it means you are trying to trick me." said He-Man, "so just repeat what you told me."
Rayden repeated what he had said about the tournament. The sword did not flash once.
"The sword tells me you are not evil. I will accompany you at once! But first we must go to Grayskull, to let the Sorceress know we’re leaving!"
He-Man quickly sought out Man-At-Arms, and informed him that he was leaving. Man-At-Arms said he would tell the other warriors. He-Man then called Extendar to his side, and then Rayden teleported himself and the two warriors to Grayskull, leaving Man-At-Arms in charge of the city’s defence.
They materialised inside Grayskull, where they were quickly greeted by the Sorceress.
"Greetings, my friends." she said. Then she turned to Rayden, and said "Please introduce yourself, stranger."
Stunned by her beauty, Rayden explained that he was the thunder God and had sought out He-Man to help him in Mortal Kombat, and that Shao Khan was using Skeletor as his champion.
"Then I wish you luck in the tournament." said the Sorceress. "And remember, if you need any extra help, I will be here."
"We’ll remember, Sorceress." said He-Man. "Now let’s make our way to Outworld. We have no time to waste."
"Not yet, my friend." replied Rayden. "I think it would be better if we went first to Earth. There you can meet the Earth warriors, whom you will be battling alongside. It will also give you time to prepare for battle."
"Then you may use the dimensional portal to reach Earth." said the Sorceress.
"We don’t need to-" said Rayden, "I can teleport us!" He spread his arms and the three of them were engulfed by electrical energy.
"Once more, I wish you luck!" said the Sorceress, and the two warriors and the thunder God were gone in a flash.

The Grayskull Library

Next

PART 6: THE ETERNIANS REACH EARTH

After their victory in the last Mortal Kombat tournament, most of the Earth warriors had returned to training. Sonya Blade, and her partner, Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs, had returned to hunting down dangerous criminals after they finally defeated Kano. Liu Kang spent most of his time training, accompanied by Princess Kitana, as the romantic relationship between the two became more serious. They now lived in an apartment, along with Kitana’s mother, Sindel, who was determined to defeat Shao Khan, the man who had brainwashed her before Kitana restored her memory.
Kurtis Stryker, who had beaten Ermac in the previous tournament, had returned to his job as a riot-stopping cop- and he was helped by none other than the mysterious Kabal, the disfigured ex-minion of Khan, who was still determined to wreak revenge on Khan and his forces. Sub Zero had bought a small apartment in Chicago which he shared with Smoke, the former ninja who had been trapped in a robot body in the previous tournament and been programmed to terminate Sub Zero. Zero had restored Smoke’s memory, and the two now lived together with Sub Zero helping Smoke to recall more of his lost past. However, it looked unlikely that Smoke could ever be human again- there seemed to be no way to release him from his robot body.
Nightwolf, the American Indian, had returned to his homeland, and although the other Earth warriors had heard nothing from him since the last tournament, they knew that the power of his shaman was always with them, and they could always call on him for help.
 
The Earth warriors soon found that their training had been worthwhile. Each of them awoke one morning to find a slip of card, depicting the familiar dragon logo, declaring the words:
YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO TAKE PART IN MORTAL KOMBAT.
And very soon, most of them were gathered aside the remains of the Shao Khan tower, Khan’s Earth base from the last tournament which had been blown up after Sub Zero programmed Sektor to self-destruct inside the tower.
There was no sign of Nightwolf, but the other warriors assembled to a heart-warming reunion. Liu Kang looked upon the small crowd of warriors with him, and thought of how so much had changed since the first Kombat he had taken part in. Kitana had been entered as part of Khan’s army first time- now she was his lover and closest battle partner since the death of Kung Lao. Sindel had been pure evil at the start of the last tournament, so had Sub Zero and Smoke before that. Kang had gained many new allies since he first entered Mortal Kombat, and with each tournament, they came a step closer to defeating Khan.
"I wonder what Khan will have in store for us this time?" he said.
"Probably a new champion." replied Sonya. "A Shokan, I should imagine, after the way that Motaro was killed by a Shokan in the last tournament. But no matter what he has in store, it’s not gonna be anything we can’t defeat. If I was in Khan’s position I’d have given up by now."
"At least we’re rid of that Tsung guy, thanks to Liu." said Jax, "I just wonder when Rayden’s gonna show up. He’ll know what’s happening, no doubt."
"In my opinion," said Stryker, "this tournament’s pretty pointless. Khan’s lost just about everything he had- those ninjas are no match for us, even that Baraka guy poses no threat. We’re gonna kick these guys’ butts when the tournament’s barely even started!"
"You never know." said Kitana. "Khan will never start a new tournament until he’s convinced he has a great chance of winning. I do not feel this tournament will be as easy as you think, Stryker. He must have some trick up his sleeve."
"Stop looking on the black side, babe." said Stryker. "I think we’re gonna kick ass- nothing Khan brings up is gonna be any match for us, with our strength."
"I’m afraid it might, Kurtis Stryker." came a voice from behind him.
Stryker spun around and saw the thunder God Rayden standing there, accompanied by two unfamiliar looking warriors- a tall, muscular man with blonde hair and a heavy tan and wearing very little. The other warrior, the fighters could not see that well- his face was entirely hidden by a mask and he was dressed entirely in shiny metal. He could be anything, thought Stryker.
"Rayden!" exclaimed all the warriors together, and Liu Kang stepped forward to greet the thunder God.
"Am I glad to see you!" he said. "But who are these new fighters you bring?"
"First of all," Rayden said, "I must warn you that this tournament is not going to be as easy as you think. Kitana is right to doubt its ease. Shao Khan has recruited new warriors."
"He recruits new warriors every time," said Jax, "but I always thrash ‘em!" he flexed his bionic muscles in egotism.
"Don’t think too big for your boots, Major Briggs." said Rayden, who had never appreciated Jax’s huge ego. "These new warriors are probably more powerful than the Shokan….. or the centaurs. They all come from the planet Eternia, a planet very far from our own. Khan has elected the leader, Skeletor, as his champion- and I must warn you that Skeletor is an extremely powerful sorcerer and is only the third most powerful being on Eternia itself. The warriors he brings are also extremely skilled. To make things more difficult- Shang Tsung lives again."
"But that’s impossible!" said Kang. "I killed him in the last tournament!"
"And if you remember, you killed him in the first tournament-" said Rayden, "Tsung never stays dead for long. Neither has he lost any power."
"Liu’s beaten Tsung before, he can beat him again!" said Stryker.
"Yes- but as for Skeletor, I am not sure, for it looks as though this being may actually be more powerful than Khan himself. So do not let your ego get the better of you. This could well be your hardest tournament yet."
"So who are these guys?" asked Liu Kang, eager to be introduced to the powerful-looking warriors.
Rayden held his arms out to introduce the new fighters. "My friends, let me introduce you to He-Man, the champion of Eternia, and Extendar, the tower of power!"
"Tower of power?" said Stryker. "What the hell do you mean there?"
"Show them, Extendar!" said Rayden.
Extendar spread out his arms, and his hands shot out from his wrists, then his waist shot up from his legs, then his head from his neck, then his feet from his legs. He grew even more, until he was towering above the rooftops! The warriors couldn’t believe their eyes. Now this was a powerful warrior- and they were glad he was on their side. He was no ordinary human being- he was a super-powerful cyborg.
The ordinary citizens looked up in amazement, seeing the unusual being towering way above the rooftops and skyscrapers of the city.
"I am Extendar, Tower of power!" boomed Extendar. "I was given my powers by an evil warrior, and was briefly turned evil- but I threw off that spell and now I fight for justice!" his powerful voice could be heard all over the city.
As the other warriors struggled to come to grips with this amazing being, Sonya was busy admiring He-Man’s muscular frame.
"I’d like to see He-Man’s powers." she said. "Will you show me some?"
"This guy sure looks tough." said Rayden, "and he’s even tougher than he looks. Show them, He-Man!"
"With pleasure!" said He-Man, and he raised his fist and smashed a brick wall, left standing amongst the remains of the Shao Khan tower, into pieces.
"With these guys on our side, we’re sure gonna win!" said Sindel. "Now we’ve just gotta wait for Khan to show up."
She couldn’t have spoken sooner- for that very moment, the sky clouded black as the night and a thunderstorm roared above. A sphere of light appeared in the sky, and beamed down on the crowd of warriors. Extendar shrunk to normal size as the sphere of light surrounded them.
"It’s starting….." said Rayden, "and we are ready!"
The warriors rose into the black sky, awaiting the dark regions of Outworld, muscles tensed, and ready to fight!

PART 7: MORTAL KOMBAT BEGINS

The barren land of Outworld was quickly overrun with powerful warriors. The gruesome minions of Shao Khan marched in hordes, the shadow ninjas leapt through the darkness, and the warriors from Earth followed behind, all strong and dignified fighters, accompanied by the thunder God Rayden, and the two powerful guardians of Grayskull.
"I shall leave you now." said Rayden to the other warriors. "Call me whenever you need me. May you fare well in this tournament."
And with that, he was consumed by electricity, and was gone.
"Where’s these new guys?" said Jax, eager to fight.
"I should think they’ll show up soon." replied He-Man. "Skeletor is always eager to make himself known at times of battle."
"What’s he like, this Skeletor?" Sonya asked, still fixed in admiration for He-Man.
"He’s powerful, and he’s cunning- but he can sometimes make mistakes. Just be prepared- his magical powers are always growing. It can often be harder when he has Evil-Lyn on his side- she is his Sorceress, and her powers are almost equal to his. If they combine their magical powers with this Shang Tsung who Rayden mentioned, they could definitely pose a challenge. But for a good fighter, no challenge is too much."
"Wise words, He-Man." said Sonya.
Kabal then spoke for the first time since the Eternians arrived. "What about the other evil fighters?" he asked. "Do they pose a challenge?"
"Blade does-" said He-Man, "he is one of the most skilled swordsmen on Eternia- and also one of the most dangerous psychopaths. You have to be very quick to avoid him. We know rather little of Saurod and Ninjor as yet- but they are known to be masters of stealth, so we must always be on the lookout."
"I’ll stomp on these guys," said Jax, "literally, that is." then he went over to Extendar and gave him a nudge. "You and I can do some good together. I learnt to morph to giant size in the last tournament. We’ll show ‘em."
Then Kitana suddenly said "Be prepared- we are approaching the Soul Chamber, one of Khan’s lairs. Khan is likely to declare Kombat in there."
He-Man drew his power sword. "Then we are ready!"
In the Soul Chamber, Khan waited for the Kombatants to arrive, with Tsung and Skeletor by his side. Ermac rushed toward his master.
"They are coming, my Lord. All the warriors of good and evil are on their way."
"Good." replied Khan. "And no doubt Princess Kitana and Sindel will be amongst them. They were stolen from me by those interfering warriors from Earth. Skeletor- tell your men that they must recapture Kitana and Sindel for me. Then Sindel can be my queen again- and Kitana my slave! I will show you them when they arrive in the hall."
"I will indeed, Khan." replied Skeletor. "I have longed for ages for some capture, torture and killing- without that interfering He-Man to stop me!"
Little did Skeletor know that his hated enemy was amongst the many warriors who burst into the hall a few seconds later. He-Man and Extendar caught sight of him on the balcony with two other warriors- one of huge stature, wearing an iron mask, the other a type of sorcerer, with a long cape and tied-back hair.
"Who are those warriors?" He-Man asked Liu Kang.
"They are Shao Khan and Shang Tsung." he replied. But his gaze was fixed on the even stranger-looking being with them- the figure draped in black, his face all decayed, with black, hollow eyes…..
"He’s Skeletor?" asked Kang.
He-Man nodded.
"And I thought the Outworld guys were strange looking."
Moments later, Shao Khan called for silence.
"If you dare- face my new champion- Skeletor!"
The huge crowd of warriors looked up at the hideously decayed being on the balcony. Some felt instant panic and terror, others were instantly struck with an eagerness to fight the decayed warlord.
"The warrior who defeats Skeletor has the right to face me!" declared Khan. "As usual- fight only the warriors from the opposite side until you feel you can face Skeletor!"
Skeletor laughed silently. None of those puny warriors would stand a chance against the Lord of Destruction. They probably wouldn’t even get past Beast Man, if he were with them. He would defeat them all- before challenging Khan himself and claiming rulership of Outworld. He felt further amusement at the thought of He-Man, back on Eternia, puzzled at Skeletor’s absence from the evil warriors, searching every corner of Eternia for him. He-Man had no chance of stopping this scheme, surely.
Khan spotted Kitana and Sindel in the crowd, and pointed them out to Skeletor. Skeletor called Blade to his side.
"Blade- make sure that you or any other of our warriors captures those two women before long. Khan wants them for his own- but I shall claim Sindel as my queen of Outworld once I have destroyed Khan. If you do well, I may let one of you have Kitana."
Blade liked the thought. Kitana was definitely very beautiful- she could be even better for him than money!
"Yes, master, I shall capture them." he said. "I know women- they’ll be no trouble for me."
"Then go now! Tell Saurod and the others!"
Khan gazed upon his former queen and adopted daughter. Soon they would belong to him again. If he’d had warriors like Skeletor and Blade all that time ago, he’d have recaptured Kitana before she could even escape. The tournament could now start- and the Earth warriors would all perish.
"Let Mortal Kombat begin!" he declared, and the entire hall rushed into battle.

PART 8: SEARCHING FOR SKELETOR

He-Man fought through the crowd of warriors by swishing his mighty power sword. The many ninjas from the different realms were amazed at this muscular fighter’s skill. For each warrior who dodged out of the way of the power sword, He-Man would deliver a mighty punch, knocking the warrior to the ground unconscious. He-Man heard someone cry:
"I’m leaving this tournament! There’s no way I can defeat that muscle-bound hero- he’s worse than ten Shao Khans!"
"Except that I fight for justice!" He-Man called in reply. Very few of the warriors around him were brave enough to challenge He-Man, and those that were were lying on the floor in tremendous pain and agony within seconds.
"He’s magnificent!" said Sonya, admiring He-Man as he knocked the warriors aside.
"Let’s give him a hand disposing of those creeps!" said Jax, and flexing his mighty bionic muscles, he punched the ground with great intensity. The punch shook the whole room, scattering the enemies about like flies.
Liu Kang helped by using his amazing bicycle kick to propel himself through the air at the ninjas. Many of them were already fleeing in terror at the sight of the warrior monk, who had defeated the evil of Outworld so many times before. Kitana sliced through the heads of her opposition with her sharp fans, and Sindel pierced the air with her scream, paralysing the enemies so she could beat the crap out of them.
He-Man began to fire bolts from his mighty sword at his enemies, scattering more and more of them about. Then he found a door in the side of the wall. It was a heavy stone door- but the most powerful man in the universe had no trouble in heaving it aside. He called to his friends. "Quickly- through this door!"
The Earth warriors and Extendar followed him through the door, and into the dark caverns beyond.
The battle continued to rage in the hall, but Shao Khan’s caverns were silent. Strange sculptures were carved in the walls, and slime dripped from the ceiling.
"You’re not running away, are you He-Man?" asked Liu Kang. "I’ve never seen skill like that before- you were amazing in the way you scattered those warriors!"
"No, I never flee from anything!" replied He-Man. "It’s merely that I have no time to fight weak warriors like them. I must oppose Skeletor and put an end to this tournament as soon as possible. I can not waste my strength on such minor skills when I have the power to battle the tournament’s masters!"
"Too right." replied Stryker. "With you around, the Outworld warriors don’t stand a chance. We must find Skeletor and you can kick his butt while we take care of Tsung, Evil-Lyn and the others!"
"Who are all these fighters anyway?" asked Extendar.
"They come from many different realms." replied Kitana. "Many of them are on neither Khan’s side nor ours- they merely want to claim the tournament for themselves. But they are not experienced fighters, and pose little threat to us. We must deal with Khan."
"I’m eager to get to Skeletor!" said He-Man. "I don’t know how he can expect to win against the powers of good!"
"The best point is that he doesn’t know you’re here yet!" said Sindel.
As the fighters made their way through the dank, slimy corridors, He-Man suddenly stopped.
"I haven’t had a proper introduction to you all." he said. "Since this is about the only time we’re safe from harm, would you mind telling Extendar and I a little more?"
"Fine." said Liu Kang, and one by one the warriors introduced themselves to He-Man and Extendar. Smoke was the last to speak out.
"My reason for entering this tournament….." the robot said lowly, "is to find myself….. a new body. A….. human… body."
"You sound very humane for a robot." replied He-Man. "And somewhat tragic. Why is this?"
Sub Zero butted in. "We were both ninjas from the Lin Kuei who refused to be automised when they decided on turning their ninjas into robots. We tried to escape, but Smoke was recaptured and turned into a metal monster, sent out to destroy me. I managed to restore his memory, but couldn’t find a way of returning him to his old body. Chances are the Lin Kuei may have disposed of it. We must find a way in this tournament to give Smoke a new body!"
"Then I will help you," said He-Man, "I’m sure I can find a way to make you human again. The warrior Snout Spout on my planet has suffered torment by being trapped in a cyborg’s body with an elephant head, so you are not alone in the universe, Smoke."
"I was once human," said Extendar. "But I don’t mind this new body- it gives me so much power! Still, I appreciate your feelings, Smoke."
He-Man then turned to the masked Kabal. "I could help you, my friend." he told him. "You told me you were disfigured. Will you show me your face?"
"I would rather not." replied Kabal solemnly. "It is too hideously deformed. I must remain masked. The only person who has seen it is a ninja named Rain, whom I scared to death by showing him my face. So my face has become a weapon- I would prefer to stay deformed for now. If I can use it on Shao Khan or his extermination squads, it will prove that them scarring my face only did me good in the long term."
"I appreciate your views, Kabal. Now we must continue our search for Skeletor and his evil warriors."
Up on the balcony of the Soul Chamber, Skeletor gazed at the huge mess of blood and cadavers scattered around one area of the Soul Chamber. Many warriors were now battling elsewhere, but who had defeated all those warriors, lying on the ground either dead or in pain?
He pointed to the bloody mess. "What do you make of that, Khan?" he asked the emperor.
"I have never seen anything like it." the warlord replied. "Surely one person couldn’t have done all that!"
"I did not see what happened there….. I just hope the warrior who did it was on our side. After all, most of those warriors are merely ninjas from other realms, siding with neither us nor the Earth warriors."
He hoped dearly that the warrior who did it was on his side. Surely there could not be an Earth warrior with power that great….. power like….. He-Man?
But he must not think of that now. His main goal at the moment was the capture of the two women Khan wanted. He flicked on a walkie-talkie and punched in Saurod’s code.
"Saurod- have you seen any sign of the women yet?"
The hissing voice of the mutant reptile came crackling over the walkie-talkie.
"Not yet, Lord Skeletor. But Evil-Lyn’s magic has sensed them, and is leading us towards them."
"Good. Make sure you capture them- and you would be welcome to slaughter some of the Earth warriors as you do so. Over and out."
He-Man, Extendar and the Earth warriors were still making their way through Shao Khan’s murky caverns.
"I do not know of the way to reach the balcony." said Kitana. "I rarely went in here while I was on Outworld."
"As long as we reach it eventually, nothing matters!" said He-Man. "And Skeletor will pay for his many crimes!"
"I think we should split up." said Kang. "That way, we can attack from all sides. The evil warriors may stand more of a chance over us if we are all gathered together."
"You’re right." said He-Man. "We shall each go in twos- I will accompany Extendar."
"I’ll accompany Smoke." said Sub Zero. "Sonya can go with Jax, Kitana with Sindel, Stryker with Kabal. And Liu?"
"I go alone." said the warrior monk. "Do not worry about me- nothing will stand in my way."
"Then good luck." said He-Man. "Good journey."
The warriors split up, and each duo, and the lone Kang, took a different passage through the maze of tunnels. Little did Kitana and Sindel know that there was someone waiting for them at the end of their chosen passage…..

PART 9: THE CAPTURE

Kitana and Sindel made their way further along the dark tunnel. The only sound the warrior women heard was that of the moisture and slime dripping from the ceiling. Their only thought was to find a way to reach Khan and oppose him and Skeletor. Kitana already disliked Skeletor- he was definitely evil beyond belief from what she saw of him, and possibly more powerful than her former foster father. But even if he was more deadly than Khan, she could not hate him more than Khan. Khan was nothing but a sadistic tyrant who loved war and torture- at least Skeletor’s outward approach seemed vaguely more respectable, with his neat garments, his long, dark robe. She could easily love a man dressed like that- if his face wasn’t so hideously decayed and gruesome.
Evil-Lyn lurked with Saurod at the end of the tunnel. Evil-Lyn could not see the women approaching, but she could sense them with her magic powers. She held out her crystal ball, which was glowing steadily. The brighter the glow grew, the closer her captives were coming.
Saurod could see both women- he had good vision in the dark. The dimension he had come from had been permanently dark, and his people were specially adapted to see in the dark. These tunnels felt like home to him, like the caverns in which he had dwelled before he donned his mask and became a galactic mercenary. He held out his laser gun, ready to spring a surprise on the women when they came closer.
"I want to attack them, Evil-Lyn." he hissed in his low, reptilian voice.
"Not yet, Saurod." Evil-Lyn replied quietly. "We strike when they are close. We must not run towards them, or they stand a higher chance of escape. Unless we shock them, we have less chance of succeeding."
"If I had a spear like the ninja Scorpion I could pull them close." Saurod hissed.
"Be patient, Saurod. The women will come- and we will capture them."
 
Unaware of the evil warriors awaiting them, Kitana and Sindel moved further down the tunnel, into the darkness of Khan’s caverns.
Suddenly, Sindel noticed a faint glowing light in their path. Could it be an enemy? She spun around to warn Kitana. But Kitana was nowhere to be seen.
"Kitana?" she called. "Where are you?"
"Right….. here….." came a quiet, hissing and terrifying voice from out of the shadows.
"What’s that? Who’s there?" Sindel looked around her, trying to see through the blackness. "Where are you?"
Suddenly there came an abrupt shower of sparks from out of the darkness. Sindel screamed and flinched back. Present in the cavern with Sindel was a deadly enemy.
But Sindel could not afford to feel fear. She was a warrior, and must face whatever was with her- even if she met her death trying. She let out a yell, and switched into fighting pose.
"Show yourself, whatever you are. I am Sindel and I am fearless!"
As if in answer, another shower of sparks roared from out of the blackness. The light from the sparks illuminated the figure from which they emitted, for a split second. Sindel saw a metal face, with evil, devil-like eyes and a strangely-shaped mouth, like a metal trap. It was like nothing she had seen before- it was way more terrifying than Khan’s ninjas.
More sparks shot through the air. Sindel was quick enough to avoid most, but several hit her, causing minor burns. But this was no drawback to her. She must find some way of tricking this creature!
Her power of flight could be just right. She soared into the air, and the sparks missed her, and made dents in the rocky wall.
Saurod was puzzled for a second. He seemed to have lost his prey. She had just seemed to disappear from view. He turned around, and looked around him for the woman he had been firing at. But there was nobody there.
Too bad he didn’t look up. Sindel swooped down on him from the air, grabbed his shoulders and knocked the reptilian warrior to the ground. He hit his head on the rocky wall, which stunned him for a few moments. But his helmet protected him from feeling much pain, and he got to his feet, and pursued Sindel into the caverns. She wouldn’t get far- Evil-Lyn was waiting, with her captive- Kitana.
Sindel glided along the cavern like an eagle, escaping from the strange spark-shooting creature. She had to find Kitana. As she flew around a bend she heard Kitana softly saying "Mother….. I am here….. you must help me."
Kitana must be in danger here if she needed help. Kitana had always been able to take care of herself. She flew towards the sound of the voice, and just made out a figure in the blackness, wearing a shiny gold helmet. She swooped down on this figure, and made out that it was a warrior woman, wearing a long cape, and clothes covered in jewellery. This must be Evil-Lyn, the sorceress who He-Man had told her about.
"Thanks, mother." came Kitana’s voice. "Evil-Lyn had paralysed me with a force field- but I’m free now. Now let’s kick her ass!"
"I’ll deal with Evil-Lyn- you fight the other warrior! There’s a creature coming down the corridor after us- you deal with him!"
"Right away!" said Kitana, and sped off down the cavern. But just as Sindel was about to turn on Evil-Lyn, the warrior sorceress managed to inflict her powers on Sindel instead! Sindel was trapped in Evil-Lyn’s force field, and unable to escape.
In the next cavern, Stryker and Kabal were exploring- but Stryker was convinced someone was in danger. "I heard someone scream before!" he told Kabal. "I’m sure there’s a fight going on in the next cavern."
"Should we help?" asked Kabal.
"I’ll go through and sort it out- you stay here so you can fight any evil warriors who might be lurking nearby!"
Stryker left Kabal in the cavern and, with his pistol and his Riot Klub at the ready, ran towards the next tunnel.
 
Kitana had run into Saurod, and the two were engaged in battle- Kitana was just managing to deflect some of Saurod’s sparks with her sharp fans. She would decapitate him once he was helpless.
"No use trying….." hissed the reptilian mercenary, "you are coming to Shao Khan with me!"
So that’s why he had come after her- he wanted to recapture her so Khan could have her again! And there was no way she was going back to him.
"I don’t think so!" she said, and threw a high kick at him, knocking him back against the wall.
Saurod got up again. "You have made me angry!" he cried. "You will pay for this!"
He fired a blast from his gun, stunning her and knocking her back. Then he turned his back to her, and reached out his long tail, and tied it around her, squeezing her tightly!
Kitana tried to escape from his clutches, but it was no use- she just couldn’t break out!
"I have you now!" hissed Saurod. "You can give up struggling! You are just lucky that I’m not going to kill you!"
"Drop her now!" came a voice from out of the darkness. This was a friendly voice- the voice belonging to Kurtis Stryker.
"You’ve got me to fight before you do anything with Kitana!" Stryker shouted, and fired a blast from his gun at Saurod. The blast hit Saurod in the chest and crackled across his torso. Saurod loosened his tail, and Kitana broke free.
"Now you’ve got two of us to deal with!" said Kitana, and reached out her fans.
"I will still capture you, woman!" hissed Saurod angrily, and charged forward at Kitana, attempting to seize her. But he was no match for her skill with fans. She spun the fans rapidly, and the breeze it generated lifted Saurod into the air and spirited him back into the cavern. Within a few seconds, he was running back towards them, but Stryker charged towards him with his Riot Klub and flung him across the cavern.
Saurod landed heavily. He was badly hurt- not unconscious, but too badly hurt to fight. Evil-Lyn came towards them, with Sindel trapped in her force field, almost completely paralysed!
"Let my mother go!" shouted Kitana.
"I don’t think so." replied Evil-Lyn. "But you two are most welcome to join her. I’m sure Khan will appreciate an extra prisoner!"
She held her hand out, ready to trap both Kitana and Stryker in her force field. The two warriors knew that Evil-Lyn’s power could be no match for them! She would never give in!
Then, suddenly there came a voice behind them.
"Stop!" it shouted, "In the name of Grayskull!"
Kitana and Stryker spun around to see He-Man, with Liu Kang and Extendar by his side. They had obviously all heard the sounds of battle.
"You’re no match for me, He-Man." said Evil-Lyn. "I don’t know how you got here, but it will not matter once I have you trapped!" She threw out a blast of power from her fingertips, but He-Man held out his power sword, which absorbed it all at once.
"Give up, Evil-Lyn." he declared. "You are no match for the power of Grayskull."
Evil-Lyn lowered her hand, and admitted defeat. "As yet, I cannot beat you, He-Man." she admitted. "But I have still won. You still have Kitana, but I have Sindel!"
Evil-Lyn teleported herself away, with Saurod- and Sindel, her captive.
"Khan will try to turn her evil again!" said Kitana. "We must find where they have taken her!"
"And we will find Evil-Lyn." said He-Man. "we must continue searching these caverns, and find a way to reach Skeletor- and he will pay for this!"
The five warriors split again, prepared to search the caverns. There was no way they would let the forces of evil win this tournament in a million years.

PART 10: THE WRATH OF SKELETOR

Skeletor sat aside Khan in Khan’s arena, watching the battles raging past. Several ninjas had been brave enough to challenge Skeletor, but he had beaten them to death after merely seconds, his fatalities impressing Khan, who claimed the soul of each dead warrior.
"Victory looks assured this time." Khan said. "You will have killed all the warriors before long, Skeletor- and their souls will increase my power. I shall then be able to take over Earth itself! And I will give you your own segments to rule, Skeletor. Horde Prime should reward us both greatly once the tournament is won."
Skeletor nodded in false agreement. He knew that he held more power than Khan. Once the last of the Earth warriors was wiped out, Skeletor would turn on Khan. For now, he must bide his time. And even if Khan proved a match for Skeletor, he would not be in the way for long- Skeletor would call his warriors to his side and they would dispose of Khan in no time.
"Soon Evil-Lyn will arrive with the women you want." Skeletor said. "They will stand no chance….. and Sindel will again be your queen."
He was only saying this so Khan would be tricked into thinking he was loyal to him. Sindel would end up as Skeletor’s queen, and he would wipe Khan from her memory altogether. How it would be good to suck He-Man’s memory dry….. but the power of his sword had always prevented him from doing that. But what was he thinking about He-Man for? That muscle-bound do-gooder was a thing of the past for Skeletor. Perhaps luckily He-Man was even perishing at that moment at the hands of Karg and the rest of the evil forces.
Just then, a bright light appeared in front of Skeletor and Khan, and Evil-Lyn and Saurod stepped out. In her clutches, Evil-Lyn held Sindel, who was clearly under Evil-Lyn’s paralysis spell, trapped inside a kind of force field.
"I have the former queen of Outworld in my possession." said Evil-Lyn. "You can do what you want with her."
"And the Princess?" asked Khan. "Why do you not have Kitana?"
"I am afraid," said Evil-Lyn, "that we failed in our attempt to capture Princess Kitana. We were stopped."
"Who by?" asked Skeletor. "Liu Kang?"
"No," replied Evil-Lyn, "Lord Skeletor, I am sorry to tell you this, but….. it was He-Man. He-Man stopped us."
Skeletor was struck dumb with anger and amazement. He arose from his seat, and his eyes lit up an angry red colour. Then he bellowed out angrily:
"Tell me you are not serious! Tell me my hated, cursed enemy has not pursued me here!"
Saurod shrank from his master’s anger, and Evil-Lyn said "I am sorry, my Lord. How he got to Outworld, I do not know. I tried to trap him in my force field, but his sword absorbed my power. I could not beat him." She lowered her head in partial shame.
Skeletor flew into a mad rage. "WHY?!!!!" he screamed. "Why does that cursed, interfering bastard have to show up wherever I go?!!!!!"
Even Evil-Lyn shrank from him this time- and so did Khan, although he did his best to hide it.
"I HATE HIM!!!!!!" screamed Skeletor. "Let that man perish in the fires of Infinita!" he held his hands up to the sky, as if calling upon a God. "Let him be torn apart by the fiercest creatures imaginable until he is nothing but a collection of flesh and blood! Let him be cast away- away to a place where he can never, never trouble my mind’s genius ever again!!!! Let him DIE!!!!!"
And with that, Skeletor charged into the arena, and threw a bolt of power from his fingertips at a huge crowd of warriors. The whole crowd was incinerated alive, and crumbled into bone on the ground. The remaining warriors now saw what a deadly enemy they were facing. They could never face a being with a wrath so strong! Several ninjas even fled from the arena in terror at the decayed warlord’s rage.
Evil-Lyn watched Skeletor with pity and sorrow. She saw exactly where he was coming from. Whenever he seemed just about to win, or had just enacted a brilliant plan, He-Man always seemed to show up out of the blue and stop him. It just wasn’t right that a man as evil as Skeletor, and with his talent, should have to put up with some interfering hero with not half the amount of brains.
Skeletor was in the greatest rage she’d ever seen him in, so she had to use her charm to soothe his anger. She walked over to him, laid her hand over his chest, and said "Fear not, my Lord. I still think we stand an excellent chance over He-Man. He and his Earth friends are on the wrong trail. They are searching the caverns surrounding the Soul Chamber, believing you are still on the balcony. You can still succeed- and maybe even find a way of trapping them there for eternity."
Skeletor looked down to face her. The blazing red light from his eyes dimmed down, and for a split second Evil-Lyn thought she saw the look of tragedy in the sunken eyes. It was the look of a man who had tried so hard, without giving up, but had never once succeeded.
Skeletor’s abominable wrath was soothed by his warrior goddess. "You are right….." he said lowly, "I have been mistreated….. by this man….. who follows me. Who foils my every plan. And he will pay. He will meet a gruesome death at my hands this time." he really was speaking from his heart.
Khan walked over to them, with Saurod boldly following. "Yes." he said. "I have not met this He-Man yet, but I already dislike him to extremes. We will destroy him by the end of this tournament."
For that moment, Skeletor was grateful that he had Khan on his side, even though Khan was a sadistic madman with no feeling in his heart. The man’s power and sadism would help Skeletor defeat He-Man at long last.
"You must help me, Khan. We must work as close allies. He-Man shall get what he always deserved. And I must find out just how in the universe he found out about this tournament."
"I suspect my hated enemy Rayden." said Khan. "He is the thunder God, and often gives messages and advice to anyone on the side of good. He will be responsible."
"Then if we come across him," said Skeletor, "we will destroy him too. Everyone on the side of good will suffer in some way."
Khan looked behind him at the captured Sindel, trapped in Evil-Lyn’s force field, unable to even struggle. "That girl was powerful." he said. "With her back on our side, we stand an even greater chance."
"Then let us brainwash her." hissed Saurod, and the four evil warriors stepped towards Sindel, ready to convert her once more to their side.
And Skeletor’s hatred of He-Man had increased even more. There was no way he was letting He-Man escape this time. This time, the man would perish. Skeletor’s newfound desire to rule Outworld and Earth as well as Eternia was now second to one thing in his mind: the death of He-Man.

Back

The Grayskull Library

Next

PART 11: SINDEL’S POSSESSION

PART 15: EVIL CHALLENGES EVIL

Skeletor and Shao Khan were atop the Black Tower, looking down on the raging battles which consumed Outworld. Ninjas fought ninjas, strange creatures fought stranger creatures, and good fought evil.
"Soon we win….." Khan said, his tones full of evil joy. "I cannot wait to see the whole Earth become like Outworld….. and you can rule it, Skeletor. You have done me great help."
"Quite so….." Skeletor replied lowly. Unknown to Khan, Skeletor was biding his time before his planned attack on him. If Khan ever saw the Earth become as desolate a place as Outworld, it would be as Skeletor’s slave….. for if by some slim chance Skeletor let him live, he would give him no better position than that. He was in some ways grateful to Khan for having helped him and stuck by his side….. but he would still kill him. Once good was defeated, it was between them.
Suddenly the two warlords were interrupted by Baraka, his nails dripping with blood from his last victim.
"My Lord, Evil-Lyn has just teleported inside the tower!" he said. "She has something for you….."
"Let us see her!" demanded Khan, and Baraka led him and Skeletor down the spiral staircase to Khan’s chamber.
Evil-Lyn stood there with He-Man’s power sword, and Sindel was at her side. Also with her were four captives- He-Man, Extendar, Kitana and Liu Kang- all trapped helplessly inside her force field. Kitana was also badly hurt- part of her neck was scarred black.
"The scar is from my fireball." said Sindel, pointing to the scar. "Just what she deserves, having turned against your great self, Khan."
"Excellent, Sindel." replied Khan. "I knew you would sought this lot out if they broke free. He-Man and Extendar- you are probably used to escaping on Eternia- but Outworld is a different matter- once a prisoner, you are always a prisoner! And you are in my clutches!"
Skeletor stepped forward to Evil-Lyn. "And well done on capturing He-Man!" he congratulated her, "I cannot speak of my joy at seeing this bastard helplessly imprisoned….. at last." Facing He-Man, he said "You have eluded me many times in the past, mortal….. but this time, the power of evil is too strong- even for your ‘powerful’ self! You will never escape- and best of all, you will die!"
He-Man was held back too much by Evil-Lyn’s force field, preventing him from answering back. Skeletor was more than glad- he always hated the way that He-Man had always contradicted him as if he were some hopeless fool. But He-Man would never see him that way again. Skeletor knew he could have killed He-Man at that precise moment- but he decided to spare him for the time being- he wanted his most hated enemy of all time to witness him becoming ruler of Outworld, Earth, and Eternia. Then he would kill He-Man, so that the man who had interfered so many times with Skeletor’s genius would die the painful and tortured death he deserved.
Skeletor knew that having Kang caught was an advantage too- now there was no way that the warrior monk could ever win another tournament. The victory of good in Mortal Kombat would become a thing of the past- as would Shao Khan…..
"We must announce our triumph, Khan." said Skeletor. "Evil-Lyn- keep guard of these fools. Make sure they witness the fall of their friends. Khan and myself will let Outworld know of our upcoming victory!"
They ascended the stairs until they were back atop the roof of the Black Tower. Skeletor fired a blast from his havoc staff at a rock on the ground- and the rock exploded with a loud bang, silencing the whole of the desolate land.
"People of Outworld-" he announced- "Our forces have won. The great Liu Kang is our prisoner- as is the so-called ‘saviour’ He-Man. Unless you wish to perish at my hands- I advise you to leave this place at once. Or come and kneel at my feet, pledging me your lifelong service!"
Khan was beginning now to become suspicious of his ally. Skeletor seemed to be speaking as though he was the ruler of Outworld- whereas he was only meant to be ruling Earth! Khan would have to make it clear to Skeletor that although he would hold a position of power, Khan would still be in full control. Skeletor was beginning to think too big for his boots, it seemed. But still, Khan would have to add to the announcement himself, and make it clear that he was still the real ruler.
"There is no-one on the side of good who you can count on to win this tournament now. I will torture all those who disobey me! The Earth will be reduced to a mere wreck, full of miserable, poverty-stricken fools! All at my hands! Once the last of the Earth warriors is wiped out- the rule of evil over Earth shall begin!"
Blade, Scorpion and the rest of the evil warriors watched their masters from down below. Blade turned to the others, and said "Let’s enable the rule of evil to begin as soon as possible. We must find the remaining Earth warriors and kill them all!"
"You’ve already found us." came a voice from behind. The warriors spun round to see Stryker, Smoke, Sub Zero and Kabal, ready for action.
"Alright then….." said Blade through gritted teeth, "get ready to die!"
"We’re ready to win!" replied Stryker, and the warriors took their positions, and sprung into battle.
Back in the Black Tower, Skeletor and Khan were gazing down on their four prisoners, whom Evil-Lyn’s magic was now holding captive in the main fighting hall of the tower. "This is where the final battles shall take place." said Skeletor, "and we knew that you wouldn’t want to miss seeing us win. Just watch your friends perish at my clutches!"
Then, he turned to Khan. Now that He-Man was watching, and the last Earth warriors would be dealt with in no time by the other evil warriors, it was time for the battle against Khan.
"Listen to me, Shao Khan." Skeletor announced, his eyes blazing red. "You have been my ally throughout this tournament. You have stuck by my side….. I will not deny my gratitude. But I have strived for a long time to rule the planet Eternia. And the only reason that I came to Outworld was so I could take my place as ruler of this realm- before returning to conquer Eternia! So now that we have ensured the victory of evil- it is between us to determine the true ruler of Outworld!"
Khan was shocked at Skeletor’s move, and slightly afraid- he had indeed almost frozen at Skeletor’s wrath when the warlord had discovered the presence of He-Man on Outworld. But he must not flinch from this fight. He had to hang on to his rule of Outworld- and battle this being to prove he was still the most powerful evil warrior on Outworld.
"You’re on, Skeletor." he said. "Let us fight!"
"Excellent, Skeletor….." whispered Evil-Lyn in admiration. "You shall rule the universe….."
Having overheard, Sindel spun round angrily. "What do you mean, sorceress? Khan is the definitive ruler of Outworld- how can you turn against him?!"
"I have been at Skeletor’s side for a long time with no intention of ever betraying him." she replied calmly.
"But anyone who turns against Khan is an enemy of mine!" said Sindel angrily, and threw herself forward at Evil-Lyn. But before she could hit her, Evil-Lyn threw out her force field, paralysing Sindel along with the heroic fighters.
"Alright, Khan." she said. "You have no chance now against Skeletor!"
The hall was filled with savage evil battle cries, as Khan and Skeletor became immersed with one another in Mortal Kombat.

Back

The Grayskull Library

Next

Skeletor’s Havoc staff met Khan’s heavy green fireball as the battle between the two evil warlords raged through the hall of the Black Tower. Evil-Lyn watched in admiration as her master fired bolt after bolt at Khan from his staff, eyes, and fingertips. Sindel watched, paralysed in the force field, silently yearning for Khan to win. And He-Man, Extendar, Kitana and Kang watched from their paralysis, praying that the two warriors would destroy one another, and set Outworld free.
"You’ll never win!" shouted Khan as he advanced on Skeletor with his super-fast dash. But Skeletor blocked the move, and uppercutted Khan across the room before he could recover.
"Don’t make me laugh!" sneered Khan as he arose, and he took out his huge mallet, and ran towards Skeletor, with the mallet raised high above his head.
"I will crush your skull!" he shouted, and swung the mallet down to smash Skeletor on the skull! But Skeletor quickly aimed his havoc staff at Khan’s waist and blasted him, causing the warlord to drop his mallet and fall to the ground.
"I win." said Skeletor triumphantly as he looked down on Khan’s fallen body. "Now it shall be I who rules Outworld. You, Khan, will be but a mere memory. And as Outworld kneels at my feet, Horde Prime will grant me enough power to crush Eternia with one blow! Then Outworld, Eternia and Earth will all bow at my feet- and I shall brainwash Sindel into becoming loyal to me- so she can rule at my side!"
"Rule at your side? Sindel?!!!" cried Evil-Lyn in alarm, rushing towards Skeletor. "What did you always tell me on Eternia? You promised me that I could rule at your side once you conquered the planet! And now you choose Sindel?!!!"
Skeletor stopped, turned to her, and lowered his havoc staff. "Yes….." he said slowly as he recalled the promise he had made. "You were always my first choice to rule beside me….." but Sindel had helped him capture He-Man- and she was so powerful- she had to rule Outworld at least with him!
"Sindel will rule Outworld with me….. I will still let you rule Eternia!"
But Evil-Lyn was not satisfied. She felt betrayed.
"I want to rule the universe with you, Skeletor!" she cried out loud. "How could you betray me like this?! After the so many years we have fought together? After how closely we have been allied? How could you betray me?!"
"I have not betrayed you! Sindel is just so powerful….."
"And you’ve barely known her five minutes! Forget about Sindel! I shall rule beside you- no-one else is fit enough to aid you, Skeletor! I should rule at your side!"
But Skeletor could not accept this. He must have Sindel. Her outstanding beauty and evil charisma was almost equal to Evil-Lyn’s. He must have her to rule Outworld with.
Sympathetically, he laid his hands gently on Evil-Lyn’s shoulders. "I am afraid that Sindel is my queen of Outworld. You will still rule Eternia….."
"That’s not good enough- as I said before, you and I should rule the universe together. I am so much better than Sindel. She can never be your queen- not on Outworld, not Eternia, not anywhere!"
"She must be my queen on Outworld!" cried Skeletor, and rushed towards the paralysed Sindel.
But Evil-Lyn fired a bolt of power at Sindel from her fingertips, releasing Sindel from the force field and the spell. "Then try taking a good woman for your queen!" she laughed.
"I would never be your queen, Skeletor-" said Sindel, "Or Khan’s for that matter. You bastards brainwashed me! Twice! But never again- I will make sure that neither of you win!"
She turned to the four captives. "I must free them!" she declared.
"What have you done, Evil-Lyn?" shouted Skeletor. "Her memory is restored! Get her back to my side!"
"I will fight her," said Evil-Lyn, "but I will kill her. I am not letting the bitch rule at your side anywhere!"
"Get her back!" roared Khan, getting to his feet as he recovered from Skeletor’s blasts. "You traitors! You come here to help me and then you turn against me and release my queen! You will get her back- and get her back to my side, not yours!"
"No chance, Khan." said Skeletor. "I’d rather she were dead than ruling by you. You are a pathetic, pitiful warrior. You have no mind- whereas I am the greatest thinker in the universe! You shall not rule!"
"How can you speak about a great fighter like myself in those words?! You traitor, Skeletor. YOU SHALL PERISH!!!!!"
He fired another great green fireball from his helmet, which Skeletor backfired with his havoc staff. The fight was on again.
Evil-Lyn, still feeling betrayed by Skeletor wanting Sindel as his queen, watched her master as he began to fight with Khan again. This was her chance. While they were distracted, she would kill Sindel. Then there would be no way that Skeletor could ever have that weak bitch as his queen. Sindel was trying desperately to find a way to release He-Man and the others from Evil-Lyn’s spell. She would never succeed- only Evil-Lyn herself could break the spell. So she would attack Sindel herself.
"Care to face me, bitch?" she said aggressively. "You can never have Skeletor!"
"I don’t want Skeletor, you lunatic. I will never again join the side of evil! Now free these people at once- you cannot win!"
"Oh can I not?" sneered Evil-Lyn. "Then feel this!"
She shot a powerful bolt from her fingertips at Sindel- and Sindel was surrounded by a glowing bright flame. She writhed against it, tried to escape- but she was trapped- and it was draining her energy fast.
"This is the end for you!!!!!" laughed Evil-Lyn, watching Sindel struggle for her life against the flame. She would not survive! All hope for her was lost!
"Stop right now, Evil-Lyn!" came a voice from behind. Evil-Lyn turned on her heel, losing concentration and freeing Sindel.
She was now face to face with the Sorceress, who had teleported inside the tower, her wings spread wide.
"When my friends need help," she said, "I give it! Now release them from the spell at once, Evil-Lyn!"
"No chance!" replied the warrior goddess. "You coming here was no use! I will not free them- and I am the only person who can!"
"No you’re not, I’m afraid." replied the Sorceress, and fired an energy beam from her palm at the trapped heroic warriors, releasing them at once.
"By God, I can move at last!" said Liu Kang, relieved to be free from the spell.
"Thank you very much, Sorceress." said He-Man. "Now let’s deal with these evil cretins!"
The heroic warriors all launched into battle pose and faced Evil-Lyn. Skeletor and Khan stopped fighting and spun round.
"He-Man!" shrieked Skeletor. "You’re free! But not for long. Let us fight to the death!"
He raised his havoc staff. The Sorceress grabbed the power sword from Evil-Lyn and tossed it to He-Man. He-Man raised the power sword, and the heroic warriors charged at their enemies, ready for the battle of their life. 

PART 17: THE FINAL BATTLE BEGINS

Skeletor charged at He-Man with determination. There was no way he could lose this time! The fight was made harder for him by the way that Khan was now completely against him and could strike him dead at any time. And even worse, Evil-Lyn was feeling betrayed by Skeletor….. but surely she wouldn’t harm him?
Still, Skeletor knew he had to fight on and face any difficulties if he was ever going to rule Outworld. His havoc staff crashed against He-Man’s power sword for the millionth time in the two enemies’ long history of fighting.
Evil-Lyn and the Sorceress were engulfed in Kombat, their magical powers clashing together. And Liu Kang was flinging himself through the air at Shao Khan.
"Give up, Skeletor." said the Sorceress, after a blast knocked Evil-Lyn to the ground. "You have no chance against us now. Your evil warriors have already failed back on Eternia. Even Karg’s leadership failed to destroy Eternos. The heroic warriors dealt with them in no time. You should surrender now!"
"The great Skeletor will never surrender!" he roared, and turned away from He-Man, and lifted his havoc staff, ready to blast her. Then he remembered the kicking he’d got off the Sorceress in the battle where he’d unleashed the magic of the Tower of Terror on He-Man, and backed off to return to the fight with his long-hated foe.
As the battle raged on, Kitana, Sindel and Extendar recovered their strength, and launched into battle pose.
"You’ve no chance, Skeletor." said Kitana, "You are outnumbered. We’re gonna kick your ass in no time!"
Before Skeletor could reply, there came a voice in answer. It said "Outnumbered? I don’t think so!"
Kitana looked up to see Shang Tsung entering the hall, with Baraka, Ermac and Chameleon. "You haven’t won yet!" he said, and the three evil warriors dashed towards their enemies.
Down below, outside the Black Tower, Stryker was battling furiously against Blade’s swords, Smoke against Saurod’s sparks, Sub Zero against Ninjor’s high kicks and Kabal against Scorpion’s spear.
Kabal hit Scorpion with his fireball, then he quickly dashed at the ninja, spinning him round rapidly. Then he called on all his inner power to call up the wheels of death- which rose up from the ground and caught Scorpion up in a whirl of spikes, tearing the flesh from his skin. His blood spilled all around, and Scorpion collapsed to the floor.
"Now I can finish you, ninja!" said Kabal, and he stepped towards Scorpion, and removed his mask.
He revealed the hideously deformed face which had frightened Rain to death in the previous tournament. The face was scarred badly, wizened and discoloured….. one eye higher than the other, the nose and mouth a mere fleshy mess, and a huge, black scar across one side.
Scorpion shrank from Kabal, and pulled his hood over his eyes. "No!" he screamed. "I will not meet the same fate as Rain! I must not see that face! I must not!"
And he jumped to his feet and ran screaming into the distance, until he was lost from sight.
Kabal covered his face again with the metal mask. Sub Zero froze Ninjor with an ice blast, then went over to Kabal.
"You poor man." he said solemnly. "I never knew your disfigurement was that bad….."
"No need to apologise." said Kabal. "It is not your fault I look like a freak. And it has done me good- that is the second ninja whom I have defeated by exposing my face. My face strikes terror into the hearts of the evil….. but the good are unaffected. Because, despite my hideous appearance, my body contains only justice."
"Then let’s use your face to further effect!" said Sub Zero. Then he turned back to Ninjor as he broke free from the ice that surrounded him.
"I am not fighting!" screamed Ninjor, pulling his hood over his eyes. "Not with that face around!" and he fled off into the distance.
"Two beaten!" exclaimed Sub Zero. "Now let’s help Liu and He-Man in the tower- they’ll need our help! I’m sure Stryker and Smoke can deal with Saurod and Blade in no time!"
They ran into the Black Tower, and straight to the hall. They saw the battle raging furiously between the heroic and evil warriors.
"Excellent!" said Sub Zero. "He-Man and the others are free! Now to give them a hand!" He fired an ice blast at Ermac, froze him completely, then he ran towards him, lifted him above his head and ripped him in half, sending ice and blood showering around the room.
"We strike for justice!" he declared.
"And us too!" came the voice of Jax. The crowd of warriors looked around to see Jax entering the room with Sonya at his side. Her chest was still bloody, but she was obviously now strong enough to resist the pain and fight. It amazed Sub Zero what strength that girl had.
At the sight of Jax and Sonya, He-Man said "We outnumber you now, Skeletor! Especially now that ninja’s just a mess of ice and blood! You may as well surrender!"
"How many times have I told you?!" roared Skeletor angrily. "Skeletor will never surrender to weak, heroic fools! We will fight until one of us falls, He-Man!"
"Even against guys who can grow big?" said Jax, and tapped Extendar on the back. The two fighters began to morph to their giant sizes, until they towered above the other warriors, and became as tall as the room!
"Let’s see you win now, Skeletor!" boomed Extendar. "When we can crush you with the heels of our boots!"
All the evil warriors stepped back in terror at the sight of the two giants. Could they possibly win now? Even though the chances were looking slim- they were warriors and they must try even if it meant their death!
"Okay, Skeletor." said Khan. "We shall work together one last time to defeat these fools!"
"Yes….." hissed Skeletor angrily, embracing his havoc staff. He held it high above his head, and craned his neck. His eyes, blazing bright red with anger, stared into the courageous eyes of the two giants, along with the demonic eyes of the havoc staff. Below the giants, He-Man, Liu Kang and the rest stood at the ready.
Skeletor summoned all his strength, all his courage, all his anger and blood thirst, and called "Let this battle be the decider!"

PART 18: THE DECIDER

The huge heels of Jax and Extendar scattered the evil warriors about. Shang Tsung and Evil-Lyn fled to the other side of the room from the giants.
"Give in, Skeletor!" Evil-Lyn called to her master. "There is no way we can defeat those giants- especially when they fight alongside He-Man!"
"Are you going out of your mind, Evil-Lyn?" snapped Skeletor in reply. "How many times do I have to say that the Lord of Destruction never gives in?"
"Why keep fighting when you can live to destroy them another day?" she answered.
Skeletor stopped fighting for a second, backed away from He-Man and lowered his havoc staff. She was right. He had to admit it himself- there was no way he could defeat He-Man when he was backed with two giants, a powerful martial arts champion, a fearless warrior princess and the former queen of Outworld! He would meet his death amongst them. So he had to escape- he could still live to destroy them- but maybe sooner than another day…..
He turned his back on the heroic warriors and made for the door.
"Follow me, evil warriors!" he called. "It is unwise to continue to fight against enemies we cannot defeat!"
"Are you mad, Skeletor?" growled Khan. "Why should we give in against such fools?"
"You cannot win, Khan." replied Skeletor. "You have lost against Liu Kang before, you will lose again- and you have no chance against He-Man. Why continue fighting when your defeat is ensured?"
Khan stopped and turned to face Skeletor, who was standing by the door.
"Yes- you’re right, Skeletor!" he called to his companions. "Tsung- Chameleon- follow me!"
Tsung, Chameleon, and then Evil-Lyn, turned to follow their masters out of the hall.
"We did it!" cried out Liu Kang, throwing his arms in the air. "Another Mortal Kombat won- and this time they gave in!"
"Do not rejoice yet, Liu." said Kitana. "I fear there is more than this than meets the eye."
"You are right, Kitana." said the Sorceress. "Skeletor doesn’t give in that easily….."
The evil warriors ascended the staircase.
"Have we given in?" asked Chameleon. "Are you going back to your homeworld?"
"Do you take me for a fool, ninja?" replied Skeletor. "We can still destroy those warriors- by combining our powers."
"I will do so, Skeletor." said Khan, "but remember- you will be dead soon after we have destroyed them!"
"Or WE shall be fighting." replied Skeletor. "But that is of no importance just now. We need to think of some trick we can use to destroy them….."
"I can turn invisible!" cried Chameleon. "Virtually invisible, I can blend in with the background!"
"Then we shall use that for our trick!" said Khan. "I think they may follow us- so we must act quickly….."
"I think maybe we should follow them." said Sindel to He-Man, back in the hall. "You never know what trick they may be hatching….."
"You are right," said He-Man, and brandished the sword of power. "I will go after them. You can accompany me, Liu Kang."
"I will, He-Man." replied Liu. "Sonya- Sub Zero- you guard the entrance to this hall! Jax and Extendar can stay inside to stomp on anyone if they get past you!"
"The rest of us should accompany you." said Kabal. "You may need us for backup."
"Then you follow behind- but only strike if we need you!" said He-Man.
So He-Man, Kang, the Sorceress, Kitana, Sindel and Kabal ascended the staircase. It was the only place the evil warriors could have gone. Eventually they reached a dark room, resembling the caverns they’d been in before- lit up by a strange, glowing green fungus.
"We’ll investigate this room." said He-Man. "You four can continue up the stairs and we’ll shout if we need you."
"Good luck, He-Man." said the Sorceress, and she continued up the stairs with the other warriors.
He-Man and Extendar stepped into the dark room. There was no sign of any evil warriors. They explored the room for a few minutes, and noticed that there was a large drop down into a pit full of strange reptilian creatures. But nowhere was there any sign of their enemies.
"It doesn’t seem like they’re in here." said He-Man.
"Yes," replied Kang- "Seems we picked the wrong room. Let’s go up and join the others….."
Just then, Kang felt an unseen force tug at his arm. Before he could react, it flung him over the edge, spiralling towards the pit below.
"Liu!" shouted He-Man, thinking Kang had merely slipped off. "Do not fear- I’ll rescue you!"
"Then get down there to save him!" came a sinister voice from out of nowhere, and He-Man was pushed off the ledge and down into the pit.
Up above, the Sorceress and the others were exploring another room where human bones lay scattered about. They had not yet seen any sign of the evil warriors.
But all of a sudden, He-Man emerged from the blackness. "Thank goodness you’re all safe!" he said.
"He-Man!" she cried in astonishment. "How did you get here? We left you down there….."
"I found a secret passage leading up here!" said He-Man. "Skeletor and his evil companions were hiding in there, and Liu and I defeated them in no time! We’ve won now!"
"Where’s Liu?" asked Kitana.
"Just cleaning away Shao Khan’s remains!" replied He-Man. "He’ll be with you soon- but we can be on our way home." He stepped forward to shake her hand- at the same time paralysing her completely. He picked up her body, and threw her into a steel net!
Then his body began to change form- and he turned into the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung! "Who’s next?" Tsung said evilly.
"They’re all next!" came the voice of Evil-Lyn. She appeared behind the warriors, spread out her arms and trapped them in her force field. Tsung threw them one by one into the net, then used his magic to open up the floor, sending them plummeting down, all caught up in the net! He grasped the net tightly and looked down below at He-Man and Liu Kang in the reptile pit!
As he and Liu Kang battled to get free from the savage, poisonous reptiles, He-Man looked up and saw Shang Tsung gripping a steel net- with his friends caught inside it! Up on the ledge, Chameleon appeared out of nowhere. It must have been him that pushed He-Man and Kang off the ledge!
But surely not all was lost- the Sorceress should be able to use her power to escape!
"Sorceress-" he called, "can you not escape?"
"Not while she is trapped in my paralysis field!" came the voice of Evil-Lyn. Then the gruesome forms of Skeletor and Shao Khan came out of a hidden doorway in the wall. Their figures stood upon the ledge, and looked down at He-Man, like two gods of evil looking down on their inferiors.
"So, He-Man." said Skeletor triumphantly. "You still lose. Those reptiles will make a meal of you and Kang!"
"And evil wins Mortal Kombat again!" laughed Khan. "Once the reptiles have destroyed you, your friends shall all meet their fate at my hands!"
He-Man struggled against the powerful, deadly reptiles, which slithered around his body, squeezing him tight and biting through his muscular flesh. Was all really lost? He looked over at Kang, whose throat was about to be torn out by a snake-like creature…..
He had to struggle his hardest- or all was lost for Outworld, Earth- and if Skeletor defeated Khan, Eternia. And He-Man could not let that happen. He just managed to wrench his arm free of the reptile’s clutches, and he reached behind his back and drew his power sword. He had to call for extra power from the elders to break free.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" he called. There followed a blinding burst of light, which scattered the reptiles in terror. Feeling more powerful than ever, He-Man swished his power sword through the air, and sliced one of the snake-creatures in half!
"I HAVE THE POWER!" he called as parts from the reptile’s body flew to opposite sides of the pit. Then he went over to Kang, and cut through the body of the reptile crouched over him! Kang was safe, and the reptiles fled from the two warriors, frightened by the burst of light and He-Man’s power.
Kang and He-Man looked up to their enemies. "Care to try any more tricks?" asked Kang, sarcastically.
Khan laughed in mockery. "You are weak, Kang." he said. "And as for you, He-Man, you have caused me too much trouble. How can Skeletor put up with you on Eternia?! I will make sure you bother neither of us ever again!"
He threw a huge fireball at He-Man from his helmet- but He-Man dodged aside and it burnt away some reptiles instead. Then he used his powerful legs to propel him upwards- and with one blow of the mighty power sword, he knocked Khan over the edge into the pit of reptiles! Khan gave a loud scream, landed heavily, and his large body was covered up by the slimy reptiles.
Free from the reptiles, Kang used a bicycle kick to propel him upwards and join He-Man on the ledge. Now only Skeletor stood in their way. They knew that Tsung, Evil-Lyn and Scorpion posed no real threat.
"Care to face us, Skeletor?" said Kang. "I hope you do- because I challenge you to a fight!"
"You fool….." hissed Skeletor, "you may have beaten Khan before- but I am more powerful. I will be the cause of your destruction!"
Skeletor brandished his havoc staff, and charged at Kang like a raging animal. But Kang was too quick for him- he ducked and threw a low fireball at Skeletor, blowing the warlord straight across the room! Skeletor hit his skull on the rocky wall, and collapsed to the ground, motionless.
He-Man patted Kang on the back. "Well done, Liu." he congratulated him.
"You haven’t won yet….." came Tsung’s voice. "We still have your friends- and they will meet their doom amongst the reptiles!" He let go of the steel net, which plummeted towards the reptile pit!
But that was no problem for He-Man. He leapt towards the falling net, caught it, then embedded his sword in the rocky wall to keep him from falling. He reached out the net, Liu grabbed hold of it, and laid it on the ledge. Then He-Man leapt back to join Liu on the ledge.
"They’re still under Evil-Lyn’s spell!" said Liu.
"I’ll change that!" said He-Man. "My power sword can undo that spell!" he fired a blast from his power sword at Evil-Lyn, and she fell back, losing her concentration, and releasing the warriors from her spell. With a burst of heroic might, they smashed themselves out of the steel net, setting themselves free.
"You’ve still got me to deal with!" said Tsung.
"And me!" added Chameleon, appearing beside Tsung.
"Against all of us?" asked the Sorceress. "I wouldn’t say you stood much chance….."
"And against us!" added Sonya, entering the room with Sub Zero and Jax and Extendar, now back to normal size.
Tsung and Chameleon backed off. They had no chance. The Mortal Kombat tournament was over- and won by good again.
Tsung spread his arms, said "I declare Mortal Kombat- over!" and he and Chameleon and Evil-Lyn vanished into thin air.
In came Stryker and Smoke, in one piece. "Blade and Saurod have had it!" said Stryker. "They’re out there collapsed on the rocks- exhausted!"
"Then we’ve won!" cried Liu Kang. "Victory is ours- again!"
"It is indeed!" said Rayden, teleporting inside. "I knew you would not fail."
"You….. spoilt my plans….. again." said Skeletor, groggily, rising to his feet, dazed and battered. "He-Man….. I… curse you….. you follow me… everywhere……" then he took a deep breath, and shouted "BUT I WILL DESTROY YOU IN THE END!"
"I’m amazed you haven’t surrendered." said He-Man. "You should know by now that you can never defeat the power of good!"
Skeletor turned away. "Someday, He-Man….. someday….." he flicked on his wrist- radio. "Comtech….. teleport us back….. to Eternia….."
The dimensional door opened within seconds, swallowing up Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, then spreading out to consume the other defeated Eternian warriors.
Rayden spread his arms across He-Man’s and Kang’s shoulders.
"I really am proud of you two." he said.
"And so am I." said Sonya to He-Man, in admiration. "Well done- you really are amazing."
"Now let’s go home!"
The heroic warriors emerged on Earth, in the streets of Chicago, by the remains of what was once the Shao Khan tower. They looked strange amongst the normal people of Earth- but they were truly victorious.
"Well done, He-Man." congratulated Kang. "You’ve got us one step closer to defeating the evil of Outworld!"
"And you’ve got us one step closer to defeating Skeletor!" he shook Liu’s hand.
"You warriors of Earth have helped us greatly." said the Sorceress, "and you deserve some rewards!" She spread her arms around Smoke, and his robot form vanished, replaced by a new, handsome human form.
"Thank you very much!" he said, and shook her hand. "You’ve done the best thing anyone’s ever done for me!"
Sub Zero slung his arm round the all-new Smoke’s shoulders. "Now we can be normal again!" he said.
Liu Kang and Kitana embraced one another passionately, pleased to be free again from evil. Sindel joined them, and said "We can go home now- and I’m never joining Khan’s side again!"
"And we can go back to stopping riots!" said Stryker, patting Kabal on the back.
"Would you like me to restore your face?" the Sorceress asked Kabal.
"No thanks," the warrior replied- "I quite like this face now! It’s the best weapon I’ve ever had- and it can defeat evil in seconds!"
"You are a true warrior." said the Sorceress- "You all are, and if we ever need your help- we’ll call for you!"
"We’re always at your service!" said Kang. "I’d like to see this Eternia someday!"
"Then I look forward to meeting you again!" said He-Man.
"Eternia’s a nice place, Liu." said Rayden- "and I’d better be going there now- I’m sure I can celebrate with He-Man back on his homeworld!"
"We shall be going back now-" said He-Man, "but maybe I will return here someday- it’s been interesting to see some of my mother’s planet! I’m sure we will meet again!"
"I’ll look forward to it!" said Sonya.
"Goodbye, Eternians!" said Liu.
"Good journey, my friends!" replied He-Man. "May the first be with you!"
The Sorceress spread her arms, and her and He-Man and Extendar, along with Rayden, were engulfed by a bright light, waving goodbye to their new-found allies as they teleported back to Eternia, leaving the Earth warriors in peace and harmony, to celebrate their supreme victory over evil. For the moment, the greatest evil forces in the universe were defeated, and the universe blossomed with peace as the forces of good reigned supremely over all that was evil.

THE EPILOGUE
Deep down in the reptile pit, the reptiles slithered over the slimy ground….. a mess of green, slithering creatures….. evil as could be. Suddenly the ground shook, and a hand emerged from the sea of reptiles. It grabbed at the wall, and a whole, powerful body wearing an iron mask rose up from the pit, greeted on a ledge above by a powerful sorcerer.
"Shang Tsung….." spoke the great figure, "Mortal Kombat continues….. we must win….."
"We continue……" replied the sorcerer….. "we stand undefeated."
The figure stood tall and strong, aside the sorcerer on the ledge. "Tsung….. " it spoke, "the tournament starts soon….."

Back

The Grayskull Library