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The next
day, General White had announced that the portal for the Outerworld Investigation Agency has been completed. They had even
tested the portal to see if it's safe for those who enter the portal and that test passed.
Because Jax, Sonya,
and especially Cyrax were really drunk from the party, White waited another day to bring the team in.
"As you know,"
White said. "The portal for the OIA is completed, tested, and ready. Your team will be running the agency. One of you will
be chosen by Jax to go through the portal to Outworld to report any unusual activities."
"Um, General," said Sonya.
"Weird things always happen there."
"True, but it is believed that there is a threat in Outworld and that threat may
eventually reach our Earth."
"What kind of threat?" asked Alex.
"That we are not sure about. That is why Jax
is choosing one of you to go to Outworld and to report the activities."
"How long do you think this mission will take?"
asked Jax.
White was silent for a brief moment before speaking again. "It depends. It could be days, it could be weeks,
and it could be months."
The group became silent.
After a minute, White spoke again. "Jax, have you made your
decision on who will enter Outworld and investigate?"
"Yes, I have," Jax answered. "It took me a few days, but I have
chosen Cyrax to go on this mission."
"Yea!" cried Cyrax with joy. "This is my chance to pledge my loyalty to you all.
I feel so honored!"
"Good," said White. "Cyrax, be prepared because you are going through that portal tonight."
Kenshi
could sense Cyrax's excitement. He wished that Jax picked him so he could not only fell this way, but also could finally have
the chance to finally slay Shang Tsung. The feeling of disappointment and a little bit of anger filled his heart.
Alex
looked at Kenshi. She knew that he wanted to be the one to go to Outworld. 'But for what reason?' she thought. She
could sense a bit of disappointment within him. She decided to comfort him after the meeting is over.
General White
walked over to a cabinet. He opened it revealing two arm panels.
"These arm panels will help you keep in contact with
us. One of these will be placed on your left arm, Cyrax, for when you leave for Outworld tonight."
Within five more
minutes, the meeting was over. Kenshi immediately walked out of the room. Alex ran after him.
"Kenshi!" she cried out.
Kenshi
stopped on his tracks and slightly turned his head towards her. "Alex?"
"Is everything all right?" she asked.
Kenshi
frowned a little bit. In his heart, he wanted to tell her the truth badly. He has never really talked about what happened
ten years ago to anybody before, but he's still not sure if he's ready to tell Alex just yet.
Instead, he said, "Yeah,
everything's all right."
Alex sighed. Just by listening to his voice proved that whatever is in Kenshi's mind, it was
not all right. "It doesn't sound like it."
"Trust me," Kenshi answered. "I'm fine."
Alex slowly walked over
to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, it sounds like something is wrong. If you want to talk about it......"
"I
said I'm fine!" Kenshi cried out. The tone of his voice wasn't too harsh, but it was only harsh enough just to shut Alex up.
Then, he began to walk away. Alex watched him walk down the hallway until he made it to the end of the hall and made a left
turn. Alex let out a loud sigh.
Alex could sense someone from behind her. Thinking that it was Jax or Sonya, Alex turned
around. Then, he heart slightly skipped a beat in a bit of fear as she faced Hsu Hao.
For a brief moment, the two stared
at each other. Alex did her best to avoid his reddish eyes.
"Hello Alex," Hsu Hao said.
Alex swallowed hard.
"Um, hi. Eh, some meeting, huh?"
"Yes it was. This plan may become a success, but you never know what may happen on
this mission. Heh." Then, he passed Alex and walked away.
A shiver ran up her spine. 'Jax and Cyrax are right!
Hsu Hao IS up to something!'
***
Later when Alex met up with Jax and Sonya for dinner, she told them about
her 'brief meeting' with Hsu Hao.
"I knew it!!" Jax shouted. "Hsu Hao IS up to something!!"
"Calm down, Jax,"
said Sonya. "We don't know for sure. It's probably just the way he acts."
"Don't be so sure yourself," Jax replied.
"That motherf***** will get his ass kicked if my suspicions are right."
"Just talk to General White," Alex said. "Maybe
he'll write up a report and look into it more."
"I suppose." Jax looked down at his tray. "I could do it right now.
I think I pretty much lost my appetite after this conversation."
"All right," Alex answered.
As Jax got up,
Alex spotted Kenshi slowly walking around the cafeteria with a plate of food on his tray.
Sonya saw him as well. She
turned to Alex and smiled at her. "Um, maybe I should go with Jax." She got up taking her tray with her.
"Sonya!" Alex
cried but Sonya was already by the trashcans.
"Jax, wait!" Sonya cried as she caught up to her Special Forces partner.
Kenshi
used his senses to find someplace to sit and eat his dinner. He could smell the different senses of the people around him.
Then, he ended up smelling the familiar sweet aroma from someone nearby......
'Alex.'
Alex watched
as Kenshi made his way over to her table.
"Hey Alex," he said.
Alex's mouth dropped open a little. 'It's
like he's not blind at all!' "How did you..."
"Find you? Everyone has a different scent from others. You're scent
is so sweet, it's hard to describe."
Alex blushed a little feeling a bit flattered about Kenshi's comment. "Um, thank
you."
Then, Kenshi sighed. "Listen, I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh on you before."
"It's okay. I'm the one who
should be sorry. I pushed you a little too hard to tell me what's wrong. I guess whatever it is, it's none of my business."
Kenshi
placed a hand on Alex's hand. Alex smirked a little enjoying the warmth of his hand on hers.
"After dinner," Kenshi
said. "We'll go to the lodge. There, I'll tell you everything."
Alex nodded. "Okay."
Fifteen minutes later,
Kenshi and Alex walked to the lodge area in one of the Special Forces buildings. They sat on one of the couches in front of
a fireplace, which was lit. No one else was in the lodge but them.
After a brief silence, Kenshi sighed. "I've told
you how much I wanted to go to Outworld, right?"
"Yes?"
Kenshi let out another sigh and shook a little. Alex
realized that this is something that's not going to be easy to talk about. She reached over to his hand and brought it into
her's. "It's okay, just take your time."
"Well, it's just that I've never told anybody about this before. Have you
ever heard about Shang Tsung?"
"Plenty of times," Alex replied. "Sonya and Jax have told me stories about them before."
Kenshi
continued. "Well, I sort of met up with him ten years ago in Japan after I won a duel. He was disguised as an old man named
Song and offered me a katana, but I had to go with him to China where the sword was located. It turned out that it was located
underneath House of Pekara, where my ancestors were buried. It was in a well covered by a rock and after I took it off, souls
flashed right out." He tugged his blindfold a little. "That left me permanently blinded. Shang took those souls, which are
the souls of my ancestors. He left me there to die, but the sword somehow guided me out."
"And Shang lives in Outworld!"
Alex replied. "That's why you're eager to go there!"
Kenshi nodded. "Since I became blind, I only have one goal.......to
redeem myself, slay Shang, and free my ancestors. All I had to do is find access to Outworld. When you, Jax, and Sonya came
along and told me about the OIA, I knew that this was my chance. But when Jax chose Cyrax to go to Outworld, I pretty much
lost all hope."
"Maybe you'll get another chance," Alex answered. "There are two arm panels available and if Cyrax
needs help, hopefully, Jax will send you out to help him."
"I hope so," Kenshi replied. "Don't forget, he has other
candidates too. You, Hsu Hao, Sonya, and even Jax himself."
"Hey there," Alex said. "I don't think Jax would send ME.
I'm still pretty new to everything. Hsu Hao is not exactly the most trustworthy person at the moment, even though he's one
of the Chinese Secret Military's best. Jax could make himself go, but he runs the agency and could stay to make sure everything
is under control. It is possible that Sonya would be sent to Outworld. She has been with Special Forces for years. I'd say
that you have a 50/50 chance of going. Just keep your hopes up, but not too much because you might not get picked."
Kenshi
squeezed her hand a little. "Thank you, Alex. You've given me more hope to reach my goals."
"No problem."
***
At
nine o'clock at night, Jax, Sonya, Kenshi, Alex, Hsu Hao, and General White meet in the underground chamber of the Special
Forces base. Tonight, Cyrax will be going through the portal to Outworld.
Jax placed the arm panel on Cyrax's left
arm. "The green button here will keep you in contact with us," he explained. "And when you need to return to Earth, press
this yellow button."
"Gotcha," said Cyrax.
"Do you have everything you need Cyrax?" asked Sonya.
Cyrax
pointed to his backpack. "Yup."
"I hate to do this," said General White. "But I need to search through the bag."
"Okay,"
Cyrax said handing White the backpack.
White opened the backpack and searched through it. "Okay, you have enough food
and water to survive for a month, flashlight, batteries, handgun, extra bullets, your Pulse Blade...a bottle of Heineken?!"
"Eh..."
Cyrax said. "It's for celebration time if this mission is a success."
"That can wait until you come back to Earth,"
Jax said taking the bottle away.
"NOOO!!!" Cyrax cried out.
Jax opened the bottle. "I'm thirsty any ways." He
chugged down the beer.
"JAX!!" Sonya cried out putting her hands on her hips and narrowed her blue eyes at Jax.
"What?!
I'm thirsty!"
"Well," said White. "Let's get this portal set up. Cyrax, are you sure that you are ready for this?"
"Ready
and waiting," Cyrax replied stepping into the portal chamber. The chamber could fit only one person with four corners made
out of metal with claw-like points pointing down towards the center. Next to it was a machine, which controls the portal.
After
Cyrax got in, Jax locked the glass door of the chamber and then he turned on the machine. Everyone could hear the humming
noise coming out of it.
Kenshi stood there and listened to the noise coming out of the chamber. Although he was still
disappointed about not receiving the opportunity to go to Outworld, he started to feel a bit confident about the upcoming
mission. He hoped that whatever is going on in Outworld will be taken care of soon.
Alex looked over at Kenshi. She
smirked as she saw a tiny smirk on his face. "You seem better now," she whispered to him.
Kenshi tilted his head towards
her. "What you said before gave me a bit of confident about this mission. Hopefully, we can take care of whatever's going
on."
"I hope so too," Alex replied.
The humming noise became louder and louder. Everyone jumped when a blue-
like energy began to surround Cyrax. No one could see him. When the energy disappeared, Cyrax disappeared with it.
"Let
the mission begin," Jax said out loud.
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