You were still out of breath after minutes of rest. Sweat covered your face and your breath was as heavy as it could be.

Small trails of blood ran down your (S/C) arms and chased away the icy cold that the magic in which Bi-Han had trapped you in.

Admittedly, your pride was more hurt than your body. Most of them were just small cuts, barely deeper than surface level.

But that was besides the point.

What made this situation so confusing was the fact that your attackers now seemed to be friendly. Or at least they weren't trying to kill you anymore.

Progress was progress, you shrugged and caught your breath. But you didn't rise from the ground yet. It was better to get as much rest as you could until reality struck once more.

"So, just that I get this right...", you raised a hand to make everyone shut up for a moment. "You are a god and these two are not here to turn me into an ice popsicle?"

You pointed at the men in blue and yellow and then at the one right in front of you. He was dressed in a simple, white cotton shirt that looked like it did not belong in the twenty first century.

His black hair fell over his shoulders, kept out of his sight by a bandana. Dragons wrapped their bodies of ink around each of his arms.

But the oddest thing about him were his eyes. Glowing white pearls. It made you feel uncomfortable to meet his gaze.

"Will I loose my memory if I look at him?", you asked, leaning into the direction of the man who had been introduced as Bi-Han's brother, Kuai Liang. "Gives me Men in Black vibes..."

Struck by that question, Kuai Liang frowned. He didn't look nearly as harsh as his brother and genuinely made you feel like he was confused rather than irritated.

"I don't know what that is.", he said in his low yet very patient voice and looked at his master. "But no. You will be fine."

Huffing gently, not entirely convinced yet, you dared to raise your eyes just high enough to be able to make out the shape of Liu Kang's face.

"We did not come to harm.", he said and did a gesture, one fist pressed against the palm of his outstretched hand. "I must apologies for the inconvenience."

"Inconvenience, ha!", you almost had to laugh but sucked in a sharp breath as pain stabbed your side. "Yeah, bruised ribs and a near death experience are definitely... inconvenient."

With your teeth clenched you made it to your feet. After this fight your body felt as sore as ever. Last time you had felt this way you had been a teenager, too proud to understand that jumping off a ten foot cliff wasn't cool or groovy but plain stupidity.

You had paid for that with a broken ankle.

"I hope you are not in much pain.", Liu Kang said with a glance at your bend physique. "It would be a shame to loose a champion so soon."

"Hold your horses. Champion?", you looked at the old man who stood next to the god as if nothing ever happened. "You knew about this?"

"Of course.", your master bend his head in respect to both Liu Kang and the Lin Kuei brothers. "I trained you for this moment. Just like I did your father and his mother before that."

Even more confused, you let your gaze jump from Liu Kang to Bi-Han and then to Kuai Liang. They all seemed to be of normal human descendant, perhaps in their early to mid thirties.

Just normal men. Well, besides the fact that one of them had glowing white eyes and the other two were build like it was nobodies business. But normal as far as the meaning of that word could be stretched.

"Wait... you trained my father, I can see that.", you gestured towards the old man. "But my gran? She was already ancient when I was born. Woman was so old she almost got put under monument protection."

"You dishonour your grandmother with your words.", Liu Kang said in a serious manner, obviously unable to pick up the point that you tried to make. "She was a great warrior. A fine champion who defended Earthrealm's honour without fail."

"Perhaps my judgement didn't deceive me.", Bi-Han growled. "This one isn't worthy."

Annoyed, you glared at him. Though offended by his plain in-your-face rudeness, you did not desire to break loose another fright with him.

That single hit he had landed on you still sat in your bones, eating away on your flesh with pain and goosebumps that refused to fade even though it was a pleasant spring day.

"Talkin' bout worthy, I almost had your ass, big guy.", you replied in a snippy manner.

"You were at my feet."

"Cause you pulled some magic trick on me! How the hell was I supposed to beat that? Do I look like Elsa to you? I can't just let it go."

Unable to process the words that left your mouth everyone just stared at you with a mixture of confusion and utter disbelief.

Only your master had to sigh. Over all these years he head gotten used to your way, for better or for worse. It was both a blessing and a curse but in the end he wouldn't be around for long anymore.

"(Y/N). There is nothing more that I could teach you.", with a serious expression he placed a hand on your shoulder. "Understand that there is more to this world than just this. Earth is just a part of a whole other universe. You will learn to see that. If you chose to go with Liu Kang new horizons will open to you."

For a moment you looked at him. He was old, so old that you almost felt sorry for all the years you had wasted his last nerve.

But he had been a good master and you understood that there was more that he would have been able to teach.

"You mean I finally get to leave this place and actually talk to people that aren't you or my family?", you asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Indeed, child of Reed.", it struck you by surprise that Liu Kang addressed you with the name of your father.

A smirk made its way to your lips.

"Shit, sign me up.", you huffed. "I'm sick and tired of this place anyways."