Absolute Vertigo
Chapter 2
"Keep your friends close. And your enemies closer."
It was two months after Vertigo and Toxin's first date when Quinn's
aunt Circe was murdered. She was cornered in a village to the west by a
member of the Shan Li, a rival clan of the Lin Kuei to the north, raped,
beaten, and left for dead. Oniro, enraged by his sister's death, plotted the
ninja's capture and public execution, Lin Kuei style.
* * * * *
~Shan Li Headquarters~
Vertigo squated down on a tree branch above the stone wall
surroudning the Shan Li base. He survayed the landscape and concentrated.
His telepathic mind gave him the assurance he needed. The base was mostly
asleep this late at night. He smiled.
A familiar figure crouched next to him and looked down into the base.
"Quinn," he said. "I think we need to have a talk..."
Vertigo glared at him. "What is it this time, Sidney?" he sneered.
"About your mental stability, maybe?!" Sage hissed. "You know as
well as I do that this is insane!"
Quinn looked over at him and smiled. "Sage, we'll be fine," he
poked the side of his head. "Trust me."
Sage sighed, frustrated, and beside him, Mirage frowned.
"Besides, Sidney," he said. "Someone here killed my aunt Circe, and
when we find him, he's gonna wish he had never been born."
Vertigo turned to Sage and telepahticlly said.. "Exactly.." then
jumped down off the tree branch onto the concrete wall. Mirage immediately
jumped down next to his cousin, and with a frustrated sigh, Sage reluctantly
followed.
* * * * *
With an arrogant grin on his face, the Shan Li assassin exited his
master's quarters, carrying a large, bloody, hand-held sickle in his right
hand. For his acomplishment, assassinating the sister of the Lin Kuei
leader, he had been bumped up a rank in his clan, given a substantial amount
of pay, and pleased and satasfied looked from his leader.
He flipped the sickle around in his hand, snickering, as he examined
the now dried blood of the woman he had put to death. This sickle, formarily
belonging to the female assassin herself, was the very weapon that brought an
end to her life. And now, it was his proof to his head master that she was
truely dead, and by his hand.
He brought the sickle down to his side and headed back to his
quarters at a concieted trot. He smirked, as he thought back on the murder,
and how udderly brillant it had been. After having his way with her, of
course, he smiled as he cut her open with her own weapon and watched her
bleed to death, gasping, struggling, and screaming in agony as her intestines
rolled from her body. It was a brillant plan, and so wonderfully carried
out, why shouldn't he be proud of it?
Along a row of small huts, he rounded a corner that would lead him
right to his quarters. Turning the corner, he felt a poke on his thigh, and
before any reaction could register in his mind, he collasped to the ground,
the feeling in his legs completly cut off. He tried to move the lower part
of his body to get up again and find out what had happened, but he found he
couldn't move his lower half at all. A shadow encased itself over him in the
bright moonlight, and he looked up. A tall figure stood over him, a ninja, a
male, dressed in what he immediately recognized as Lin Kuei armor, this
uniform black with dark green shin guards, wrists guards, and mask. He
couldn't see the figure's eyes in the darkness, but he did notice a spark of
green where they would be. He moved his right hand, ready to slash at the
figure with the sickle, but before he could, the figure stepped forward
slightly and stepped on the blade, preventing him from doing so. Then, the
ninja reached down quickly and grabbed him by the throat, and that was when
he got a clear look at the figure's deep green eyes and, from what he could
see, American features.
The ninja reached down, never taking his eyes off his rival's face,
and grabbed the sickle, then yanked him to his feet by the throat, the
ninja's strong wrist the only thing keeping him from falling again. He
wanted to lash out at the figure, attack, try somehow to free himself from
his grip, but that was when he realized that the ninja had a pressure point
grip on his throat. He couldn't move at all, his entire body was limp, and
his limbs were completly out of his control. The green-eyed assassin stared
at him like he was the day's catch, his eyes playfull, and he could see a wry
smile cross the figure's face under his mask.
The figure then turned his head to the right, and another ninja came
up next to him. This ninja was dressed exactly like his counter-part, but
what was green on the one ninja was dark blue on the other. He saw a spark
in the blue-clad ninja's eyes as his green-eyed compainion handed him the
sickle.
"Well, well, well..." the blue-clad assassin said, stepping into the
moonlight. His eyes, as the Shan Li could finally see, were a deep blue, and
his features were strong, forgien, and handsome. He was masked, but the
ninja could see that a slight smile crossed his face.
"Whatda we have here, hmm?" he continued, bringing the blade of the
sickle across the Shan Li's chest, just enough not to draw blood. "This
looks like aunt Circe's weapon, doesn't it, Shane?" The ninja turned his
head, past the green-eyed ninja that was still holding him up in a pressure
point lock, to a third figure, one that the Shan Li hadn't noticed before.
The new assassin was as tall as the others, but shorter than the blue-clad
ninja, who was the tallest of the three. He had golden colored eyes that
seemed to constantly spark with emotion, similar, handsome features to the
blue-eyes ninja, and a very angry looking face.
"Yeah, Quinn, it is.." the golden eyed ninja sneered. "Now hand it
over so I can gut this fish." He held out his hand to Quinn, but didn't
get anything out of it.
"This one's mine, Shane." Vertigo snapped back, his smile fading to
a sneer.
"Either way..." the green-eyed ninja finally spoke, pulling a liquid
filled siring from his belt, but still holding the Shan Li tightly in his
grip. He stuck the needle in the assassin's arm, and inserted the liquid
into his veins. The ninja's vision began to grow blurry, and he picked up
some words from the needle bearing assassin before he passed out.
"It looks like Circe will get her death's revenge....."
* * * * *
~The Next Night~
"Wakey wakey, sunshine..." VooDoo chanted as she slipped into the
Lin Kuei prison, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She saw the captive Shan
Li squint as flashlight light hit his eyes. She smiled. Damn bastard, she
thought to herself. Next to her mother and Quinn, Circe was Vanessa's
mentor. And when she was murdered, it was as if someone had cut her open.
When Circe died, part of her died.
She walked up to the tiny cell that encased the prisoner, and opened
the barred door. He stared at her blankly.
She was a beautiful young girl, with chin length black hair and green
eyes. She was of average height, with a toned body and pretty, feminine
features. She wore the normal Lin Kuei uniform in dark red, but lower necked
and tight across the chest, showing some clevage. One would first assume of
her as a slut, but those who knew her better knew that it was very untrue.
She lifted her right hand, bent at the elbow, palm up, and an
invisible spell was cast on the prisoner, levitating him to his feet. She
then grabbed his chained wrists and yanked him out of the cell.
"Come on, you fucker." she growled, pulling him out of the prison.
For a second he thought that, even with his hands cuffed up, he would be able
to take out this small teen-aged girl, but then he didn't know how exactly
she had levatated him. He decided against it, ultimately, when she led him
outside and he saw a large crowd around what looked like a battle arena. In
the middle of this sand-filled arena was a large bonfire, used to light up
the dark night. On one side of the arena was a large throan, and on top was
the Lin Kuei leader himself. He sat arrogant and high in his seat, with
numerous other ninjas, male and female, at his side. He looked up. The
moon was full, and the leaves of the trees russled, making an eerie noise in
the clam breeze. He felt another sharp tug as VooDoo yanked him toward the
battle arena. He knew he was going to his execution, but why a battle arena?
She pulled him around the right side of the bonfire, toward the Lin Kuei
leader's throan. He recieved nasty looks and remarks from the Lin Kueis
surrounding the circle.
When VooDoo stopped pulling on him, he realized that he was in front
of the Lin Kuei leader's throan. Oniro glared at him hatefully through
slitted eyes. He looked around the throan. To his right was a woman, in a
smaller throan of her own, dressed in the typical Lin Kuei garb, but with the
overmantle in a very colorful chinese design. Next to her stood a tall male
ninja that he immediately recognized. He was the gold-clad ninja called
Shane from his capture from his base. Next to Shane stood a ninja dressed
in similar uniform, only the gold covered only his mask, shin, and wrist
guards. From what he had learned of the Lin Kueis and the position of these
assassins next to the leader's throan, he assumed them to be Oniro's wife and
sons. The ninja Shane gave him a gold-eyed stare that could easily cut
through stone. To the leader's left stood a tall male ninja dressed in Lin
Kuei armor with a light silver overmantle. He seemed very solem, sad really,
and not as full of as much hate as the others. Next to him stood a woman,
dressed in a similar garb to the female ninja holding him. As he looked
closer, he noticed that the woman next to the throan looked amazingly like
the young girl next to him. He assumed her to be her mother, and the man
next to her the girl's father.
Next to them was another tall man, who looked strikenly similar to
the other man on his side. He had the same facial expression as the other
man. He wore the regular Lin Kuei uniform with a black overmantle with
silver slashed down it. Next to him was a tall woman, dressed in the female
Lin Kuei garb with an orange overmantle. She was holding the hand of the man
next to her. Next to her stood two young teen-age ninjas, who looked exactly
alike. One of the twins was dressed in the Lin Kuei uniform with a black
overmantle, aside from blue trim on the sides. The shin and wrist guards and
the mask of his uniform were also blue. He had on his face a look similar to
the man next to him. His twin brother was dressed like him, except in green,
and without the colored trim. This ninja looked different, distant, and
vague. He seemed very grown up for his age.
A strange pain suddunly shot up to his brain, and his eyes
reflexivly looked more to his left. He met the piercing stare of the same
blue-clad ninja that had held that sickle to his heart back at the Shan Li
base. He remembered the ninja being called Quinn. The dancing flames of the
bonfire illuminated Quinn's face, giving him a good look at the ninja. There
was something strange about him. Mystical. He felt the assassin reading his
thoughts, probing his mind.
As he was caught in the stare of the blue-clad ninja, VooDoo whipped
out her closest leg and kicked him in back of the knees, knocking him to the
sandy ground. He looked up at Oniro as the ninja master stood.
"YOU!!" he shrieked. "Have been found guilty of crimes against the
Lin Kuei: the murder of a Lin Kuei noble, my sister. Your punishment; a
fight to the death, with a warrior of my choosing. Should you defeat this
warrior and put them to death, you shall live and be set free. Should you
lose, then my warrior shall put you to death and I will hang your pathetic
head over the enterence to this clan, letting that be a reminder to any Shan
Li that tried to defy me again."
The ninja reached down to his right and picked up a large sword. He
threw in down onto the sand in front of the captive.
"This is your weapon. You've been kept in decent health for the
purpose of this fight. And that is the only reason I haven't had you
tourtured."
Oniro then sat down and put his chin in his right palm. He was
obviously trying to decide upon a warrior to fight his prisoner.
The captive suddunly felt a ray of hope. He had taken out the Lin
Kuei leader's own sister easily. If he could accomplish that, then he could
easily take out any warrior Oniro threw at him.
Mirage stepped up to the side of his father's throan and knelt next
to it.
"Father," he said. "Please, let me go out there and kill that son
of a bitch. I wanna cut him open and watch him bleed. Please." The young
ninja spoke through clenched teeth.
"I'm sorry Shane," Oniro replied simply. "I have no doubt in my
mind that you could do that, but I need more than just a fight and an
execution. I need a spectical. A show. And there's just one person in this
whole damned family that can give that to me."
Sighing, and knowing full well what his father meant, Mirage turned
and walked back to his mother's side.
Oniro stood up once more.
"My fellow Lin Kueis!" he started. "The time for our revenge has
come. I have chosen my nephew Vertigo to fight this murderer and bring him
to justice. Let the Kombat begin!"
The crowd around the bonfire enrupted in cheers. From the crowd,
Toxin looked up at the throan at Vertigo. In the short time she had known
him, she felt extreamly close to him, and now that he was fighting the man
that murdered Circe in Mortal Kombat, she was worried for his safety. She
saw him looking at her, and he read her thoughts. He smiled at her, and sent
her a telepathic message not to worry.
Toxin bit her lower lip and then headed through the crowd to VooDoo,
who had left the arena to join her mother and father on the throan. She
grabbed the girl's arm before she could go up the throan's steps. VooDoo
turned abruptly to her, but smiled when she saw Olivia.
"Vanessa," Toxin said. "What is Oniro doing, sending Quinn out
there like this?"
VooDoo's grin faded. "He wants a show of this execution, and he
knows that Quinn is capable of giving him just that. A entertaining show
along with the execution."
Toxin sighed deeply. She could feel her heart pounding inside her
chest. VooDoo smiled again, seeing the distress in Toxin's face. She
reached over and grabbed Olivia's wrist, leading her up to the throan and
next to Vertigo's parents, brother, and twin nephews.
"Don't worry, Olivia," Vanessa said, grinning. "Quinn'll be fine."
"I hope your right, Vanessa." Toxin replied, then taking her
standing position next to VooDoo's family on the throan. By this time, Quinn
had left his place next to them, exchanged words with Oniro next to the ninja
master's throan, and stepped down into the arena. Toxin peered down into the
sandy arena, her nervousness obvious to Quinn's parents. Vertigo's mother,
Nira, giggled at the jittery woman, took her hand, and smiled. Toxin forced
a grin. Her and Nira had grown very close since she had met Quinn two months
before.
"You don't have to be so worried about our son, Olivia." Vertigo's
father replied. "He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."
"I know, Kain," Toxin replied, facing him. "But I'm still a little
worried. I don't want him hurt... or killed."
"Olivia.." Nira objected. "This is an execution. If by some
strange circumstance Quinn does lose, there's no way Oniro will let that
bastard actually finish his nephew. Now, settle down. You have nothing to
worry about."
"Besides,we'll be too busy enjoying ourselves with this bloody,
wonderful spectical to be worried about dear old Uncle Quinn, now won't we?"
Eric, code-named Sigma, added, smiling devilishly.
Toxin nodded absently, looking down into the arena. Vertigo looked
up at her, saw the restlessness in her face, and winked at her, sending her
the telepathic message that everything was going to turn out fine.
End of Chapter 2
**Questions, Comments, and if you wanna risk it; complaints, can be sent to
me here: EddieMoe@prodigy.net.**
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