Although the Temple of Fire was full of monks, your fingertips were already itching to meet the newcomers for the first time.

It wasn't as if you were lonely, you had quickly learnt that the temple was full of life either because of the many monks, Liu Kang and his followers the Lin Kuei or wild animals.

Cats seemed to be particularly fond of the old walls high up in the mountains. Perhaps because of the sun, which shone for longer so high up. Or it was simply because of the birds.

You didn't care what the answer was, you had made friends with all of them. Or at least a neutral relationship.

Again you had to think of Sub-Zero and his dark face. It was as if you could feel his icy fists on your body.

"Brrr...", you shook yourself which made Liu Kang gift you a glance from the corner of his eyes.

It seemed he was beginning to wonder how wise it had been to choose you and not someone else. Now that you knew the full extent of your family history, the burden was all the heavier on your shoulders.

Your father had always had high expectations of you, after all you were the only child in the family and would carry on the name.

But he had never mentioned that you were descended from a line of proud warriors who had successfully competed in Mortal Kombat for Earthrealm on more than one occasion.

Now it was your time to prove yourself worthy.

However, you were not behaving like a champion. And that seemed to worry the god of fire.

Not that he ever seemed uneasy. Liu Kang always had a blank expression on his face, neither angry nor friendly. He seemed like a white sheet of paper that no one was allowed to write on. Emotions were not a part of him. At least not any more.

That was your theory.

But who knew the truth?

It wasn't as if he would ever talk about himself. That was another thing that threw you for a loop. He hardly acted human and didn't say anything about himself.

Usually your jokes and bad jibes always got a reaction, whether good or angry. A reaction was a reaction. That's what made people human. The only response you ever got from him was a slight roll of the eyes.

So it was out of question that you were excited to meet new faces. Maybe they'd cater to your urge to make people react a little more.

At this point you were so desperate you would have accepted anything, really. Even a thug who was out for fights.

As if the universe had read your mind, the portal of fire opened right at the edge of the mountain. Liu Kang's arms caught flames.

Blue and orange intertwined, the black ink on his skin turned white for a moment. Like a whirlpool in water, the fire spiralled with his movements. There was a crackling in the air, but it didn't get any warmer.

Only a pleasant feeling spread through your limbs and chased away the feeling of discomfort. A contented sigh escaped your lips. You close your eyes for a second to savour it.

Then there were steps.

They were three people, men, all of heavier weight. While one of them was stepping very roughly on the ground, another had such a soft way of moving that you would hardly have recognised him.

Then there was the third. He was something between them all, neither particularly loud nor quiet.

Satisfied that your senses had been sharpened by the training, you smirked. But once again you were too quick to judge.

The smell of cologne only hit you when the fourth was already standing right in front of you.

You frowned in confusion.

No one you knew thought it necessary to make themselves so noticeable. One could usually smell something of the person under the layer of perfume or deodorant. Sweat or the shampoo they used.

But not this one. It was like a cloud of odour, so thick that it almost made you nauseous.

But only almost. You had to admit it was a pleasant choice, musky and a hint of masculinity.

"I welcome you, champions of Earthrealm.", Liu Kang's voice made you wake up from your thoughts. "The temple of fire wants to welcome you with open arms."

Your eyes opened and you were surprised to realise that the four men had little in common with your idea of a champion.

One of them was unmistakably Japanese. Not only his dark, short-cropped hair gave that away, but also the hard expression on his face. He had an angular jaw and a darkness in his brown eyes that could only come from the burden of duty.

You liked him straight away. He looked the way you felt.

The two men to his left looked much more welcoming, one with a glint of pride in his eyes, the other with a face that couldn't be friendlier.

You greeted them all as was customary among the monks of the temple, with a bow and your fist pressed against your outstretched palm.

They all bowed as well. All except the fourth.

Irritated, you glanced at him out of the corner of your eye. He was staring at you. You could feel his gaze on your skin. But it wasn't a rude kind of stare.

Was that admiration on his face?

For the first time, you tilted your head to inspect him directly.

Why did he look so familiar?

He was a man like any other, brown, short hair neatly combed. There was this look of self-confidence on his face. A flicker of a smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. It was he who smelled so much of perfume

Or was it deodorant after all?

Whatever it was, he was using too much of it.

"Wow!", he suddenly pulled a mobile phone out of his trouser pocket and held it up to your face. "Talk about a first impression. My fans will love the introduction!"

Confused, you pulled your head in and looked him up and down. He was wearing suit trousers and a purple shirt that looked a little extravagant and yet cheap at the same time.

Suddenly something stirred in the back of your mind.

"Johnny Cage?!", you asked.