Mortal Kombat - Familial Purge (Patreon)

The elder god threatening the world had been stopped. Trying to absorb Earth Realms life energy and becoming a manifestation of corruption, Shinnok was thought to be undefeatable. Though even if young and a bit careless at times, Cassandra (Cassie) Carlton Cage was able to stop the villain in his tracks. With Shinnok’s defeat came different problems to address. Cassie seemed to have gained some of the Elder Gods' power after defeating him. Though she was unsure how to use it fully, or unsure if it would grow, she simply took the change in stride. If she was given such power, she could use it to simply help more people, could she not?

Cassie walks the streets, common people walking past minding their own business. It was another day of seemingly pleasant peace. Most walking past her would never guess the five-foot-seven girl with her short blond hair and bright blue eyes would have just killed an elder god only a month ago. In a way, though Cassie did not mind that, if she got some sort of fame, she’d get it on her own by sharing pictures on social media. Even if she was a bit of a tomboy, she enjoyed showing off her selfies now and again. “To think I’d come this far along. I’ve only really just started getting used to my… powers though.” As Cassie walks, she looks at her hands now and again, shadowy green energy flickering off them. She had power already from her father, though combining it with the elder god power of darkness among other things seemed to have amplified it. “I wonder what I can do now anyway? I didn’t even get a chance to tell Mom about everything that happened. I bet she’d be surprised I gained more power, maybe she’ll let me have a promotion for once.”

“HELP!”

A scream in the distance. Cassie could only scoff under her breath. Someone was trying to be some sort of criminal in broad daylight? It was a man, of course, running with a purse in hand. As Cassie’s mother would usually say, scum like that is not worth it. “Someone else on the force will probably grab him, but…” Looking along the sidewalks Cassie does not see any nearby officers. The crook was so close too so she just had to jump in. Pressing her ankle boot against the ground Cassie's body glows a soft green hue and she suddenly lunges forward. Picking up dust and making people's clothes rustle and flare up as she passes them Cassie was right in front of the crook within less than a minute. “Gotcha.” With a smile on her face, she grabs the purse from the stunned man and balls her hand into a fist. “Soooo wanna try and explain yourself? Maybe beg for mercy? I can make a video of it if you want me to.”

The man was scared, his face covered in women's pantyhose to try and conceal himself. Taking a few cautious steps back he balls his hand to a fist just like Cassie. “Y-You!” His words stutter unsure what to say and he punches his fist forward hitting Cassie right in the abs. “Oooow!” The man cries in pain pulling back his now bloody hand, his knuckles were bleeding from being cracked. Cassie’s abs were far too strong for such a pathetic attack.

“Really?” Cassie sighs looking at the blood that had gotten on her nice white tank top shirt. “I just got this shirt a few days ago you know?” Setting the purse down at her side Cassie places her left hand on the man’s shoulder. “You really are kinda scummy you know that right? You could at least say you’re sorry.” With just a firm grip from Cassie’s hand, the man could no longer move from his position. The man's eyes fill with fear and he shakes his head trying to gasp out words with no success. “You’re going through the nutcracker, alright?” Cassie smiles and brings her right hand back; the man shakes his head again grabbing at Cassie’s left arm to try and get away. It was too late. Cassie’s fist slams into the man's crotch. At first, nothing happens like time had all but froze, then the man’s eyes start to bleed. Cassie blinks a few times surprised herself, she was just trying to teach him a lesson and give him some pain. The man though, his back cracks like his spine had snapped. Falling to the ground he convulses in pain till more blood dribbles out of his mouth and around his pants where he had been punched.

“M-My purse!’ The woman runs over beside Cassie and grabs the purse back into her hands. “Th-Thank you, thank you!”

Cassie looks back and forth not fully registering what had happened. Bending down she puts her finger to the man’s neck and sure enough, he was dead. “W-wait he’s dead?”

The woman at Cassie’s side spits on the man and kicks her heel against the dead meat. “Serves him right! Attacking a woman and then dies by a woman! Men like that shouldn’t be alive anyway! You’ve done a great service!”

Criminal or not the man was just a petty thief. Cassie stumbles back a little and starts to hear some police sirens ring. “I-I… I can explain what happened but.” Biting at her lip Cassie looks down at her body again. Her hand was still glowing with a green aura like she had used the power without meaning to. “I have to talk to Mom about this!” Pivoting on her boot Cassie goes full sprint away from the scene of the crime the woman still praising the deed.

Special Forces HQ

“You did what?!” Sonya slams her fist against a wooden table cracking it on impact. Sonya Blade is Cassie’s mother, the woman leading the special forces against any outsider threat that may plague the Earth Realm. Sonya looks a bit like her daughter; taking after each other quite a bit. Sonya has blond hair, but hers is a bit longer stopping at about her shoulder blades tied back in a braid. Her green eyes stand out to those who meet her, but her stern way of speaking and taking things seriously is usually what people are used to. “You not only come here late for our meeting. But you tell me you kill some random pickpocket because you absorbed the Elder Gods' power?!” Gritting her teeth Sonya grabs Cassie by the collar and lifts her into the air. “Give it up.”

Wincing her eye Cassie looks away from her mom’s direct gaze. “Wh-what? Give it up?”

Shaking Cassie back and forth Sonya’s teeth grit harder, the sound of her grinding teeth audible to Cassie. “Give. It. Up. Get rid of that power, right here and right now! Even if you could control it with time, it’s clearly too dangerous. We’ve already had to deal with enough scum and whack jobs for one lifetime. Your power was enough to take on an Elder God already, you don’t need anymore.”

Pushing herself from her mother’s grasp Cassie takes a few steps back rubbing at her neck. “Everyone keeps trying to ruin my shirt… tsk. Look, Sonya.” Cassie glares at her mother, her body already starting to glow with green energy again. “I think this power could be used to help people. That woman still thanked me, I helped her. That criminal… maybe they would have changed but that’s just a chance. I’m not going to go out of my way to kill someone… but I think the new powers I have will be helpful. What if people like Kronika come back again?! This power would be able to even top her if I train it!”

Squeezing the bridge of her nose Sonya turns around looking away from the pathetic display. “I gave you an order solider. You’re expected to follow it. Kronika may be powerful, but she wasn’t as bad as her so called son… She wanted to create balance. If we don’t upset the balance, we have no reason to worry about her. Don’t you think having this power would be the thing that upsets it?”

Cassie could barely believe what she was hearing. “You can’t just start trying to act like my mom when it’s convenient for you! Giving an order, you’re giving a demand. This power could help the special forces too. I’m the one who has it, not some evil person that wants to destroy the world or timelines or whatever else!” Cassie turns right around and slams her charged fist into the metal wall of the operation room. Though instead of just indenting it the whole wall breaks apart leaving a gaping hole as the only remains. “I can control it! You’re just afraid because you don’t want me to outrank you right? I can lead just as well as you. I can do what dad does, I can do what you do. You’re just afraid that I’ll do everything better than you both!” Cassie leaps through the hole and leaves without another word. Only her echoing boots as they stomp against the ground are heard.

“Fool…” Sonya sits back in her command chair looking down at various documents about the different factions of the realms. “That power will get out of control. You’re just a ticking time bomb… How many of our people have turned evil? Raiden’s even changed into some dark form. If the same happens to her…” Biting at her lip to the point it bleeds Sonya stares at the documents. The one labeled god faction sticking out to her. “My Daughters no god… it’ll disturb the balance. She already seemed more emotional than normal. Do I have to take her out?” Picking up the folder Sonya starts flipping through some of the pages her eyes skimming it over. “I could probably get in contact with them if I really need to.” Setting the folder down she then picks up another labeled Outworld Faction. “She doesn’t understand how many people would either want this for themselves or simply would want her not to exist. It would be a favor to her to end this now… if I can’t stop her myself. If she doesn’t stop willingly.” Hesitantly Sonya even grabs the NetherRealm Faction folder into her arms and stands back up from her seat. “I’ll have to look over things and get in contact with people. I can only see what Cassie does next and decide from there.”

Several days later

Days had past and Cassie was beginning to understand her power. Training in abandoned buildings seemed like the best idea, so she would just move between them. Of course, blowing up some buildings on accident was making the Special Forces on her case. Luckily, she was able to keep avoiding them. No one was getting hurt and she was even getting stronger. Stopping street thugs was becoming easier too, no longer was she killing someone on accident. Though with the new control over her power was coming changes. She now could summon skeleton hands from some void and have them grab people. It also seemed like the command over her shadow power was different than before. The after image her green energy created was more tangible, and solid. Punching forward her shadow would then punch. It was like she had four arms and four legs all of the sudden. She could even use the power to better protect herself from behind. Something about it was all a little unnatural, though she could only assume it was because she had more powers over darkness. “This is amazing really.” A skeleton arm holding a cup for her Cassie shakes another skeleton arms hand. “I can make two at once and control them easily… I can make four that are just hands but not the arm…” Mumbling under her breath she grabs the cup from the other hand and chugs down the water within it. “I wonder how much power I can gain from this. I’ve already been able to shoot blasts like Dad. I never thought I’d be able to. But just a little training and it feels so easy now.” Pulling back her arms together Cassie quickly thrusts the palms forward and open; a green energy ball shooting right from her palms. Like a pitcher's fastball, it zooms through the air and indents itself into the warehouse pillar. “Heh. I guess these things cause more damage to people than objects.”

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Cassie’s phone rings yet again. Just looking at the ID, of course, it was her mother. “I’ve been ghosting her the last few days… do I actually pick it up? Maybe she’s heard about my good deeds?” Frowning right as she says the comment Cassie shakes her head. “No, she’ll probably say they were horrible… well… I guess I should pick up sooner or later. May as well bite the bullet now.” Pressing the answer button Cassie braces herself to hear a shout, but is instead greeted calmly.

“Cassie.” Sonya speaks nicely and slow to make sure she could be heard and understood. “Meet me at the abandoned factory tonight. You already know the one… It’s away from people. I want to talk to you face to face. Not just over the phone.”

Biting at her lip Cassie thinks it over. She expected rage, not whatever this was. “Alright… fine I’ll show up. I’ll head over there now.” With those words said Cassie hears the cellphone disconnect from the call. Her mom hung up without so much as a goodbye. “I guess if I’m going to go see her again anyway. Geez, just what is she thinking?”

CLICK

Jacqui Briggs a close friend of Cassie’s stands before Sonya, a concerned look on her face. Sonya was readying herself for battle by the looks of it. Plasma wrist straps on, battle vest, combat boots. Though even if concerned Jacqui speaks respectfully like a soldier. “Are you really going through with this Mam? I know what you’ve briefed me on but surely you understand my concerns.”

Tossing a pair of plasma gauntlets to Jacqui the ebony-skinned girl catches them. “Get yourself ready. I told you what the mission was, I gave you all the information. This is what needs to be done. She still has a way out.” Sonya looks sullenly toward her monitor with about eighteen different signals blipping from it like some sort of radar. “I don’t want to have to do this. But we all know what that power can do. Your fathers had to deal with corrupted power like that plenty.” Jacqui about to speak up is stopped by Sonya raising her hand. “I know, it’s not the same. It’s Cassie. But that power… I can tell it already changed her. The longer we wait the worse it gets.” Standing up Sonya walks to her door and beckons Jacqui to follow. “You may think everything I’ve prepared is excessive… we’ll just have to see what happens.”

Hours Later Within The Abandoned Factory

Cassie could not help feel off as she walked through the factory. The building was rather large, it was like a complex. The main factory floor was kind of like an arena in some ways. Some elevated platforms, chains you could swing off, pillars to knock people into. Maybe Cassie got too used to fighting with what was around her. The place even had broken glass in places and old fire bins filled with ash. “This place never really looks any better…” She had been waiting for some time. Her mother was not even around yet but something still felt off, like something was watching her the whole time. “She probably has camera’s around here is all.”

Clack, clack, clack

The thudding of boots against concrete, Cassie knew that sound all too well. Looking about thirty feet away Sonya was standing in one of the entrances to the factory. “Well looks like you decided to come.”

Scoffing Cassie starts to walk slowly toward her mother. “Hah, you made me wait a few hours you know. The most I had to do was some exercises, I shoulda put more games on my phone.”

Holding her hand in front of herself Sonya stands up straight and glares at Cassie. “Stop right there.”

Looking both ways Cassie notices nothing around here, looking at the ground nothing strange was under her as well. “What is it? You wanted to talk, didn’t you?”

Crossing her arms under her chest Sonya looks Cassie up and down. Just like on the phone, her usual rough voice was suddenly calm again. “Cassie. I asked you to come here to talk about that power of yours. This will be the last time I ask.” Biting at her lip for a moment Sonya’s eyes avert down for just a second but then sternly stare back at Cassie. “Get rid of that Elder God power. Do it for your own good. I know you think you’re helping people, but scaring people with skeleton hands… using powers of darkness to simply stop petty criminals? You’re acting like this power is a toy, even if you get better control over it, it’s changed you already. You’ll only be worse off the longer you keep it. So, give it up, right here and now. At least tell me you want to give it up and I’ll do what I can to help you.”

Cassie was unsure why but her mother seemed to have some sort of pained expression on her face, almost like she knew how Cassie would answer. “Look, I don’t say this often, but Mom. I’m not going to do that. This power is mine now. I have no reason to give it up. You may be afraid of it, but I know I can do amazing things with this. Instead of running away in fear, you should embrace this too. The power I can give to Earth Realm will make sure it stays protected.” Cassie pats her chest triumphantly. “And I already defeated an Elder God just with Dad’s power, so the power I got from birth and this power I have now. I’ll be able to stop all future threats. That’s what the special forces are for isn’t it?”

Gritting her teeth Sonya drags her left foot across the factory floor and brings her fists up. With just a flick of her wrist a purple energy laces over her fists. “Cassie. I have a job to protect our realm. If you won’t give up that power. I have to take care of you as a threat.”

Tilting her head confused Cassie did not understand why her own mother was holding a battle stance. “This… you can’t be serious right? I don’t have any reason to fight you. You have no reason to fight me either.”

Flicking her wrist Sonya glares at Cassie, a purple ring then sudden wizzes past Cassie grazing her cheek, it even draws a bit of blood. “I’m dead serious. If you don’t plan on defending yourself it makes this easy!” Sonya pushes her left foot against the ground and dashes herself forward. Running right up to Cassie she brings back her fist and punches right toward Cassie’s gut.

Luckily for Cassie her mother’s movements seemed so slow now. Holding up her palm she catches her Mom’s fist in her right hand. Then with her left hand, Cassie grabs her Mother's arm and quickly twists around on her heel. Back facing Sonya the daughter hurls her mom over her shoulder throwing Sonya into one of the old fire bins dumping the ash contents onto the ground. “Are you crazy?! I already told you I got powered up and you’re trying to attack me?” Shaking her head Cassie looks at her mom’s ankles as she tries to stand and two skeleton hands appear around them squeezing to keep them in place. “Why are you attacking me at all?! Just stop this now, I don’t wanna fight you!”

Sonya flicks her wrist again and two more purple energy rings shoot right against the hands breaking herself free from their grasp. Pressing her palms then against the ground she pushes herself up with her hands kicking upward to make herself flip in the air and land back on her feet. “No more talking!” Sonya grabs a pistol at her side and fires in her daughter’s direction.

Cassie’s body traces with a green outline. Her shadow energy begins to create after images of herself with just a small movement. Leaning slightly, she dodges the first bullet, then second, third, fourth. It really did seem she had become faster; she had not gotten to test her powers on a decent fighter yet. “Though if it’s this easy… heh, you stand no chance.” Cassie could tell by the way the bullets had fired; her mother was aiming for vital spots. Maybe it was intentional because she knew the power, or Sonya really wanted her dead. “No talking… I like to talk.” Running forward toward Sonya the green energy around Cassie shimmers and she turns sideways falling into a cartwheel. Spinning forward with the propelled momentum she ends the cartwheel with her left hand against the ground and her foot connecting right into Sonya’s upper chest. Sonya is yet again sent flying her body thudding against the ground a few times as she rolls over leaning up against a pillar. With just a few hits she was already spitting up some blood onto the floor. “Hah…” Cassie dusts herself off and cracks her neck as she now readies her fighting stance. “You can’t take me on by yourself. I can fight you all day.”

Getting up slowly Sonya wipes some blood from her lip and spits to her side. “You’re right. I can’t take you on by myself. Your powers too much now… but. Can you take on all of them by yourself?”

SNAP

As if a vile was lifted over the factory Cassie sees many warriors surrounding her. Some were on the higher platforms, some just behind pillars. She could sense them all now. The fighters all seemed to be comprised of people she had seen over the years. From the Special forces, Sonya was there but even Cassie’s friend Jacqui. It seemed many people from the Outworld factions were in the factory as well. Cassie could spot; Sindel, Kitana, Jade, Mileena, Tanya, Skarlet, Sheeva, Li Mei, Dvorah, Lin Kuei (frost), even Black Dragon (Kira). She never expected to see so many fighters around. “W-wait who was!?” Twisting herself around Cassie could barely believe it, even the Netherrelam had people here. Kia, Jataaka, Ashrah, Nitara, and Sareena, the Special Forces were willing to work with everyone else? “N-No way I don’t understand this at all.” Finally, she could spot another two; Kronika, and Cetrion. These last two were a bit more special; Two god-like creatures, or probably stronger than gods is the right word. The power Cassie had taken into herself came from their bloodline. “Y-You really brought all these fighters together just to deal with me?”

Jacqui is the first to step up to Cassie. “You knew this was coming Cas, I’m sorry… but we can’t let you use this power. It should stay gone forever, just like that other Elder God. No offense!”

Cetrion shrugs her shoulders and slowly swirls a ball of magma in her hand. “I cared not for my brother or his actions. I take no offense. Though Miss Cassandra shall not be allowed to have such a power. Mother has deemed it so.”

Cassie still was in shock, her friend, her mom, all these people that would fight each other for one reason or another just suddenly joined forces to fight her? “This… I’m not going to stand for this!”

Snorting into her mask Frost waves her hand toward Cassie’s feet and the ground under her becomes watery at first but then sheer ice. “Go ahead and try brat.”

Slipping on the ice Cassie blinks her eyes a skeleton hand then extends up from the ground and pushes her back up letting her leap over the crowd of fighters. If she was going to have to fight, she would put up a fight! “Alright fine let’s do this!” Even if she was strong dealing with all the fighters in a circle was a bad idea. Cassie needed to try and fight them in smaller groups. Using her new powers it would be simple enough to get around the factory.

Whoosh

The battle had started already though. Cassie watches flames circle in front of her and suddenly the ebony-skinned yellow leotard wearing Tanya appears before her. “Leaving so soon girl?” the woman smiles and punches her flamed cloak fist forward.

SLAM

Cassie grabs the fist with her palm, her green energy covering her hand leaving no marks or scuffs. Pushing Tanya’s hand back she jumps back quickly trying to keep making more distance. “Of course I had to get a group with a bunch of teleporters.” Stumbling into someone as she backs up Cassie feels a hand grip at her arm. Turning her head Cassie now sees the purple leotard of the group before her; Mileena. At the very least a lot of them were color-coated but she didn’t want to stumble into the other fire teleporting girl. “Yeah, hands-off alright? Purple isn’t my color.” Mileena snarls but Cassie swaps her leg under the woman’s legs making her stumble for a moment. Mileena being agile though backflips into a handstand and then pushes herself off the ground to land back on her feet. Twirling two sais in her hand Mileena then darts forward and thrusts the sai at Cassie’s chest.

Tear

Cassie's top slices open, a bit of blood dribbling from the open wound. Mileena barks out gloating her attack to the crowd of fighters. “There’s this many of you and you didn’t draw blood yet? Hah, of course, it’d take a warrior like me! Come on all of you, kill this pathetic girl playing God!”

A sharp fan zooms through the air past Mileena and against Cassie’s arm. Kitana, a woman in a blue leotard chuckles under her mask, another metal fan held closely at her side. “Dear sister, I’ll take the prize for myself if all you’re going to do is talk. I’m fine beating you again though.”

Holding at her side Cassie quickly punches the metal fan levitating beside her. It only grazed her arm but was still annoying. “The weird twins now too… uck. Come on take some out Cas.” Running through the factory Cassie runs right toward one of the pillars of the building and slams her feet against it running right up it to get to the higher floor. Though when she touches down on the floor she notices more blood around her than she was bleeding. Up from the puddle reaches out an arm, Skarlet pulls herself up from the blood pool and waves her fingers through the air. “Damn it!” Cassie tries to leap back but Skarlet pulls blood from Cassie’s open wound and creates a dagger right in front of them quickly shooting the dagger forward right into Cassie’s shoulder. “Tsk…” Cassie rips the dagger out and wiggles her fingers herself. Two skeleton hands then grab right at Skarlet’s legs and Cassie then brings back her green energy-charged fist and slams it forward right into Skarlet’s gut. Now the blood girl was coughing up blood herself, her body slamming against the cement factory floor. From the looks Cassie made the girl's head crack a little too. “Heh, don’t try and touch my blood jerk. Not putting up with all this aggro today.”

SCREEECH

Ears suddenly bleeding Cassie looks to her side. A few feet away was standing Sindel now, the ash grey-skinned woman was using her sonic power a bit too close for comfort. Cassie was not going to wait around for more screams though. Darting forward with blood running off her ears Cassie jumps into the air and dropkicks Sindel in the chest shooting the woman into the back wall. “Put a lid on the hate comments!” Grinning to herself Cassie pivots around and darts toward the edge of the second-floor section of the factory. Summoning another skeleton hand in front of her Cassie pushes her foot into the hand and makes it extend into an arm instantly. With the sudden thrust of momentum, she shoots herself across the building. Landing on the opposite side Cassie stares to the backs of most of the warriors that seemed to be out for her blood. Just glancing at her mom again she could barely believe she would do such a thing to her own family. “If only…” As much as Cassie wanted to just target her mother though, there were far too many fighters and more god-like creatures in the crowd. She would need to sweep up the lesser fighters and then target the gods by themselves somehow, or hope she could face them alone. “This really isn’t much of a fair fight, is it?”

Clack

Black heeled ankle boots clack against the floor behind Cassie. Turning to the source it was coming from a woman with wings on her back. Nitara, the vampire woman, Cassie was not aware of all the fighter's strengths and weaknesses that were present but all of them seemed to like to keep their style. “The fun of it doesn’t matter to me… just die already alright?” The woman’s black tied-up hair was neat even while looking aggressive, the eye patch on her eye made her seem seasoned. With a wave of her hand she too pulls blood from Cassie’s open wound, but she just sucks the orb of blood right between her lips. “You’re being a fighter, but even you should realize how hopeless you are, but it’s fun to watch you struggle.”

Charging energy into her fist Cassie scoffs. She had enough power now, what was some vampire freak gonna do to her besides suck some blood? “I’m getting tired of all of you jerks!” Pulling her right hand back Cassie’s green energy shoots forth from her hand as she thrusts it forward. The orb of energy flies right into Nitara’s gut. The woman blocks some of the impact with her wings as a shield but she still stumbles a bit back. Plenty of time for Cassie to keep moving, her run and gun strategy seemed to be working well enough for her. “Guess I gotta start somewhere. Alright, who’s next!’ Dropping down from the upper ledge of the factory Cassie lands behind some girl in a green leotard. Once again charging energy into her fist Cassie shoots another orb out from her hand. Only this time it goes right through the girl in front of her and hits into Sheeva instead. To Cassie’s surprise, this seemed to affect neither of the women though. Jade is the first to spin around on her heeled boot. “They really left out all the guys huh, but gave me all the freaky girls. Come on, you want a piece too greenie?”

Spinning around with staff in her hand Jade chuckles behind her mask. She has dark skin but it almost seemed a dark green depending on how she stood. “Sneak attacks aren’t so great against me.” Twirling her staff between her fingers purple energy lace over it, though unlike what the special forces had this seemed like an actual magic power. Slamming the staff to Cassie’s side she manages to block it with her left arm. Jade however twists her hand and a sharp boomerang shoots out the back of the staff spinning around Jade without even needing to toss it. With just a flick of her eyes, the razor-rang flies across Cassie’s shirt tearing it open to expose the black sports bra underneath. “Not deep enough huh?” Flicking her eyes, the razor-rang swings back around going in again for an attack.

CLANG

Cassie grabs the razor rang right out of the air with her left hand and quickly leaps back away from Jade. The rest of the fighters still grouped were finally looking her way again too. Even if she dealt some blows to the group, having to worry about them ganging up Cassie did not get any confirmed downs on anyone. “Tsk… if you’re trying to kill me maybe I shouldn’t be so nice.”

Cassie seemed more ready than ever now, her power was cloaking over her body, skeleton hands were even coming from the ground under her. She was embracing more of her dark power mixing it with the power that she had been born with. Sheeva was not deterred though. Pushing Jade aside the four-armed dragon-skinned woman walks forward patting her chest with a grin. “Well. It is time. You die.” Lowering her head to make her four horns point toward Cassie the woman dashes forward ramming those horns right into Cassie.

SLAM

Gripping the horns tightly Cassie grunts and grits her teeth. “Arrgh!” Lifting Sheeva up to the air Cassie throws the dragon woman behind her and runs forward past Jade. “All these jerks keep getting in the way!” Taking out people was the only thought in Cassie’s mind, there needed to be fewer fighters. Sonya was still there in the crowd; she was a little beat up from minutes earlier but not in terrible shape. Cassie wanted to change that. Using her powers Cassie focuses her elder god power to summon more skeleton hands than she had before. Making the hands grip at the likes of Sareena, Ashrah, and Jataaka the crowd was broken up enough for Cassie to run right into Sonya. “Waiting to pick me up!?” Cassie grins and clothes-lines Sonya making her fall on her ass. With the wind knocked out of her Cassie grins and grabs Sonya’s collar lifting her into the air. “This party isn’t very fun, so it’d be nice if you could drive me home… heh, you wouldn’t bother with that though would ya?” Sonya snarls and spits blood to her side. Kicking her feet back she tries to get out of Cassie’s grip but Cassie punches Sonya right in the stomach making the woman’s body tense up. “Yeah not gonna deal with this!” Tossing Sonya back to the ground Cassie straddles herself right over her and charges her fists with green energy. “You really try to kill me just because I didn’t give up some power?!” Cassie’s fist hits into Sonya’s left cheek first, then the right. “You try to talk for a few minutes with half-baked threats and just think that’s good enough to say it’s okay to kill me?!” Punching more quickly now the other fighters watch from the sidelines, Sonya’s face getting more bruised and bloody each time Cassie punches. People like Jacqui could barely believe their eyes. Each time Sonya would try and raise her hand Cassie would just punch again. “That should teach you… I can’t believe you, saying I changed.” Cassie wipes her mothers’ blood from her face that had splashed on her and stands back up. The other fighters were slowly starting to gather again. “All of you! This is ridiculous! You’d never work with each other like this… for some, some greater good! Stop now or I’ll do the same to you that I did her!”

Whoosh

With just a blink Sonya was now in front of Cetrion and with a simple touch of her finger, it appeared Sonya’s face starts to mend and the blood covering her even sucks back into the open wounds. Of course, the worse people in the group had to interact. Cetrion stands back up and glares her eyes at Cassie. “Balance is what is desired, so it is what we will do. Mother and I will not show mercy to those disturbing this balance.”

Gritting her teeth Cassie lunges forward to try to get closer to Cetrion. Though before she can even take three steps the earth under her feet breaks and cracks shooting lava up. Cassie is lucky enough to avoid being splashed by the molten rock. “Damn it!” Jumping back more of the ground cracks and more lava shoots up. The earth though reforms around the spots that had opened and mends right away. It was clearly Cetrion’s doing. Her power over life seemed to be much more useful compared to her brother's power over something cliché like darkness. “That’s it I’m gonna—”

As Cassie pivots around to try and run toward Frost a larger hand grips at her wrist. The darkish gray skin that felt a bit rough made it clear enough who it was. The taller woman, the titian woman, Cetrion’s mom Kronika was gripping at Cassie not letting her go. “Now child, shall this be made quick, or would you rather suffer?”

Cassie’s arms glow with dark green energy like her aura was being filled with more of the dark elder god power. Ripping her wrist away from the titan Cassie twists herself around and tries to punch right at Kronika’s gut. Though right as the punch is about to connect Kronika appears behind Cassie. “Crap…” Cassie can only mutter as Kronika slaps Cassie away with a backhand to the face. Twirling around into the air Cassie slams into the wall of the factory and thuds onto the ground. Coughing up a little blood she wipes her lip and stands back up glaring at the other fighters that start to now surround her again. “Great… I can’t even face her head on…” Gritting her teeth more tightly Cassie raises her fists, five full skeleton hands even come up from the ground in pools of black-green aura. “Come on you jerks! This is what you want right?!”

The crowd of fighters gives some snarls and glares but most of the women were rather quiet. Rather than hoot or holler they all just enclose on Cassie. She was right there now with a second floor above her and a wall behind her back she was blocked off from an easy escape. For whatever reason every time she tried to break the walls of the factory it seemed like it had been reinforced special. Cassie could only assume her Mom had selected the location because she probably had someone like Cetrion create harder than normal surfaces. Though with the crowd of fighters Cassie had little time to think over such things, it was hopeless enough as is. A fireball even slams against her side within seconds of the woman’s encirclement. Li Mei seemed to not be as refined as some of the fighters there but it seemed they were letting in any girls into this collective beat down. “Ha this girl won’t be a problem at all!”

It was comments like that Cassie could not stand. Rather than wait for the crowd to grow closer Cassie grabs right at Li Mei’s dumb baggy purple pants and lifts the girl into the air slamming her against the ground. “Don’t even try to attack me! Your power won’t even phase me!” Twisting around right after the drop Cassie flicks her fingers just a little and the Skeleton hands grab out toward the other woman. Grabbing at the weaker people was easy enough, folk like Kia, Sareena, and Jataaka. Holding them in place would at least keep them out of the way. “Now then!” Kicking her foot into Frost’s stomach Cassie grins at the girl as she forces her full weight down on her, slamming yet another woman to the ground. “Keep out of my way ice brat!”

Angry Frost phases into the ground only leaving ice under Cassie’s foot. Then she reappears right behind Cassie striking the girl in the side. “How about you fall and die already instead?!”

Cassie catches the fist in her palm but now found herself in an awkward position as the insect woman, if it could even be called that gets closer to her. She barely understood why some weird hive mind creature of bugs would even be allowed in on such a fight, just cause she had a humanoid form? “Stay back if you know what’s good for you Dvorah!”

Instead of backing away Dvorah inches closer and wraps her insectoid arm around Cassie’s waist. Then she grabs at Cassie’s face with her humanoid arm and licks at her lips. “You will be a perfect host for our kin, we were already told we can claim your torso.” The insectoid nears closer seeming to pucker her lips like she was going to try and kiss Cassie. Though Cassie could see the bugs falling off the creatures’ lips, what looked like eggs going with it. She wanted to make some sort of egg sack out of her.

Rather than be an egg sack Cassie twists Frost’s wrist and tugs the woman forward pushing her into Dvorah so they both knock each other over. “Not today freak!” Scoffing from the comment Tanya joins the battle again her magical aura making the area around her start to feel hotter. Only this time Mileena was right by her side, the two of them glancing to each other and then back to Cassie. “Oh great…” Cassie holds up her fists defensively watching both of the women teleport in a sea of flames and start to attack her from all sides. Blocking the attacks felt easy enough for Cassie. A kick to the side could be blocked with her leg, another punch could be blocked with her palm, a slice with the sai could be dodged, more fireballs could be blocked with her aura. Fighting two people working together though made it harder for her to counter-attack. “Come on this all ya got?!” Cassie could not help but taunt a bit she was holding out well even outnumbered.

Squeeze

That is till four arms grab onto her keeping her in place. Sheeva was back for more and this time she was gripping at full strength. Cassie was still dodging the two fiery girls but it was making it harder to do with Sheeva holding onto her so tightly. The dragon woman was grabbing Cassie’s arms so she was forced to dodge any blows coming at her or block with her legs. Dusting herself off Frost even joins in now mocking Cassie from the side as she starts to breathe snow from her hand. “A woman claiming to be an Elder god seems to be struggling so, want to beg your Mommy to stop this?”

Twirling her dragon daggers between her fingers Kira chimes in herself. “Go on Cassie, cry for us, maybe we’d take some mercy.” Stopping the twirl Kira backhandedly grips her dagger and slices at the side of Cassie’s waist making her legs quiver. Frost’s powdered snow seemed to be making her move slower too even with the two heaters trying to beat her.

“You are not the Cassie I know!” Jacqui runs right toward Cassie and leaps into the girl wrapping her legs around Cassie’s head. Throwing off the other fighters Jacqui makes Cassie land against the ground squeezing her thighs against Cassie’s cheeks to lock her in place. “No friend of mine would do that. If you really felt underserved of this treatment you shoulda just ran out of this building!” Grabbing at Cassie’s left arm Jacqui squeezes at Cassie harder and stretches her arm up trying to lock Cassie in place.

Kitana rolls her eyes and flicks her finger forward. “This is getting rather dull now. You’re weak Cassie, pathetic.” Kitana’s steel fans twirl in the air and zoom down right into Cassie’s legs stabbing into them. They are not able to get through the bone but Cassie’s legs are now finally bleeding too. “In a way it’s sad you have such a power in this case, isn’t it? Your death will be so much more painful.”

Jade joins her mistress in the taunt. With a flick of her wrist, her razor rang twirls around in the air and stabs into the side of Cassie’s stomach. With her head still in a chokehold, it was hard for her to even grunt out fro the pain. “You’re barely even worth enough to be cut by such weapons. You claim to have power but appear rather powerless.”

Skarlet and Nitara both give a quick nod at each other and suddenly the blood from Cassie’s wounds pull out of her, making her be thrown into a daze from blood loss. Everything happening so quickly she barely had any time to react. “D-D-am” Coughing in the chokehold Cassie grits her teeth and focuses her energy finally pushing the cybernetically enhanced leg away from her. Knocking Jacqui back Cassie jumps right to her feet and stumbles a bit, more blood dripping off her onto the ground. “It’s just blood! I have plenty… I won’t… I won’t let you beat me!” Cassie’s voice was starting to follow into her daze, hazy, distant. She stumbles in place a bit like she was drunk, if she was a normal person she’d be dead already. “Come on! I still have fight left!” Charging more power than normal into her fist Cassie slams it into the pool of blood under her making the ground send a shockwave around the group of women encircling her. Some are pushed back but many are not even phased. People like Skarlet for example were leaning back casually making daggers of blood from Cassie’s pool starting to circle her. “Wh-why you…”

Sindel now snickers herself and twirls her staff between her fingers quickly striking a blow at Cassie’s knees to knock her back down again. “Please, that sound was pathetic.” Quickly grabbing at Cassie’s collar Sindel once again screams with her sonic voice blasting Cassie right in the face. Blood runs out of her ears as her eardrums pop. Sound rings and things become muted yet loud at the same time. Sindel then tosses Cassie away to the group of girls she had been trying to hold back.

Kia is the first to start by lifting Cassie and punching her in the face. Jataaka then catches her and uses a blue energy bolt to burn Cassie’s arms and throw her back into Sareena’s range. The demon girl with black and white hair sweeps her leg through the air slamming her foot into Cassie’s upper torso sending her hurling once again through the air. Though before she can land on the ground Ashrah catches her and smiles. “Well then, it seems you found me now. If you think yourself so good, why is it my holy powers work against you?” Cassie tries to blink weakly but Ashrah grits her teeth making her body become surrounded in holy white energy. Just being in contact Cassie feels her skin start to burn more like her very beginning was being purged.

SNAP

With a snap, Cassie falls in front of Kronika a beaten and bloody mess. Certion at her side both of the god-like beings stare down at Cassie with disgust. “Someone like you should never have hold of such power.” Kronika closes her eyes for a moment and starts to focus her power.

Squatting down to Cassie’s side Certion brushes her hand gently against Cassie’s cheek. “You need to understand what punishment should be given.” With the stroke of her hand the weapons that were stabbed into Cassie drops out of her body. It seemed her open wounds had closed, though the blood drenching her and the cuts in her outfit were still there. “Such a mess aren’t you.”

Sonya now was also by Cassie’s side, her head shaking back and forth as she looked down at her would-be daughter. “All you had to do was give up the power, what are you trying to do still holding onto it? At least give it up now, make this easier on yourself.”

The dizzy feeling was starting to fade from Cassie, did Certion make her produce more blood or something? She was unsure why she would bother with something like that. Pushing her elbow against the ground Cassie sits up a bit and glares at her mother. “After everything that’s happened now, you’re still trying to tell me to give it up? I don’t know what’s wrong with everyone here! But you all look like the people being controlled, not me!”

Sonya shakes her head and grabs Cassie by the collar tossing her back to the other fighters. “Fine if that’s how you feel. Deal with things yourself. Cassie.”

Cassie’s butt thuds on the floor surrounded in a full circle this time by all the woman fighters. “D-Damn it…” Standing up slowly it did seem like she was healed a bit, but being surrounded would not exactly make it matter much, it seemed like it was just a joke to make her suffer more. “I’m not just gonna roll over! Come on bring it on!”

Before Cassie even gets to throw a punch Sheeva wraps herself around Cassie once again but this time in a big hug at her back. It was like a full nelson since Sheeva had four arms so it made it hard for Cassie to just wiggle out of the grasp. “Yes, Perfect. This is what we need.” Dvorah grins now her insect wings whipping a bit to carry her a little closer. The other warriors seemed fine with this development like they had planned it out. “Now then… open up.” Dvorah’s insect hands grab at Cassie’s mouth and force it open wide. Dvorah then grabs Cassie’s cheeks with her humanoid hands and pushes her mouth to Cassie’s own. It could be seen as a more open-mouthed kiss, but Dvorah’s throat begins to pour bugs into Cassie’s own. She tries to gag, and her legs squirm trying to kick at Sheeva to let her go. She could not escape though. The insects crawl down her throat, her insides squirm as the bugs begin to set up their nest within her stomach. Dvorah was using her as an egg sack for real now. Filling Cassie up with maggots, bugs, and said eggs to make plenty of room within her. After all her flesh would be perfect for the children to grown.

“U-urgh!”

Cassie tries to spit up or gag as soon as Dvorah takes a step back but nothing was coming out of her mouth. Her squirming belly seemed like it had grown as well like she was a few months pregnant. There had to be a way to still live even with that though. Cassie grits at her teeth and makes her aura surround her whole body this time. Ripping her hands finally away from Sheeva she punches at Dvorah but the woman just turns into a swarm of insects and flies past the others. “D-damn… a-agh… I-I’ll kill you; I’ll kill you all for this! Y-You won’t get away!” Dropping to her knees Cassie holds at her side feeling a pain in her stomach but even as she tries to force herself to vomit only a green goo spits out of her mouth. “N-ngh… I-I…. I’ll do it!” Spit running off her chin Cassie Stands back up quickly and punches at Sheeva. Again and again, she punches, right, then left, but Sheeva keeps blocking each time even with Cassie’s aura fuming off her at full power. “D-Damn it! I can do it! I can!” Sheeva does start to push back but Skarlet flexes her fingers making all the daggers she had made just minutes earlier shoot into Cassie’s back. Falling back to the ground and bleeding more again Cassie drags her hands up and stands once again not ready to give up. “I said I can! I can damn it!”

Some of the fighters look a little impressed, some just give a sad glance at the pathetic attack. Then, they all finally attack together. The crowd mobs forward surrounding Cassie, punching at her, kicking at her, letting their blades zoom by, fire grazes her skin, ice freezes her body. Impacted bruises from Sheeva, burns from Tanya, Mileena, Li Mei, frostbite at her fingers, and toes from Frost hitting her more and more with cold. Her blood being spilled from her body by the girls stabbing and slashing at her. Cassie had become a bloody and bruised mess. Even though she was blocking some attacks she had no time to even counter-attack with everyone attacking her at once. Wobbling she is about to fall back to her knees but Jacqui grabs her by the collar instead. “This is what you deserve now don’t you get it? From now on we don’t need you anymore… you brought all of this on yourself.”

Cassie’s eyes start to tear up slowly, her head spinning from blood loss and being hit so many times. “P-please…” Spitting up some blood onto Jacqui’s clothes Cassie could barely form a sentence as her words gargle out, it looked like some of her teeth were chipped or about ready to fall out as well.

Jacqui wipes a little blood from Cassie’s lips and rolls her eyes. “Please?” Gripping at Cassie’s collar a little tighter Jacqui laughs in her once friend's face. “Hahaha, you wanna try and say please now? You tried to beat your mother to death in front of all of us and try and say we’re the strange ones? The Cassie I know wouldn’t go around threatening to kill a bunch of people. I was worried about this mission at first. Though now I understand. You’re really just not worth anything anymore, are you? You lost Cassie, you lost everything.”

Jacqui tosses Cassie back to the ground and shakes her head at the sniveling crying mess of flesh before her. Cassie tries to reach her hand out but she could barely even tell who to reach it to. It felt like her left arm had broken from being punched at so many times as well. “W-w-wa…wai-“ Cassie’s voice quivers as she drags her bloody and beaten body along the ground. The fighters all watch the sad slug slither and don’t even bother to hit or mock her, just look away from the sight of the pathetic creature under them. “P-please… wi-wait… I-I… n-no… I-I don’t wanna d-die… p-please… p-please I-I don’t.” From gargled out blood to tears making her hyperventilate, Cassie could barely squeeze out the words but she managed something. Of course, trying to ask for mercy now seemed to not make any of the fighters around her even react. “I-I…” Snorting back snot Cassie coughs up more blood onto the ground, maggots and other insects wiggling out from the blood spill. “N-no…” Pushing her fist against the ground Cassie forces herself back to her knees. Then shaking she manages to stand, her legs had not been broken, it was just her left arm, she could still do something even if her whole body was pulsing in pain. It felt like she was bleeding on the inside, and probably had some broken ribs too. Charging the energy at her feet she does what she had done when the so-called fight had started. Skeleton hands push her up and she leaps off them jumping right over the crowd of fighters. She had to run away, she had to find a doctor to pump her stomach of the infestation, she had to live somehow.

PUNCH

Sonya glares at her daughter and pulls back her fist filling it with purple energy. “This is what you get Cas. Find peace somewhere else.” Cassie wanted to do something, anything but her body was too weak to react. The fist punches her right in the jaw cracking it but also sending Cassie straight up into the air. Her powers were probably the only thing keeping her alive at this point. Though Kronika was done preparing her magic.

Appearing in the air Cretion and Kronika hover both their hands held back. Then as Cassie comes into range both of the women slam their palms into Cassie’s face the dark energy from Cassie’s aura leaving her instantly and going into Kronika instead.

BOOM

Cassie’s body impacts into the ground in a small crater of concrete. Her body twitches for just a moment, but then nothing. The impact on her skull made her brain turn to mush. The blood dripping from her ears and nose was far too much now. Without the extra power blood just pools around her. The cuts on her don’t even try to force close, her skin starts to even become a bit cold. With already having lost so much blood. Cassandra Carlton Cage, was dead, her body devoid of life beyond the insects now festering inside of her torso.

Finally, the mission had been completed, Sonya watches the fighters gather around the body, some chatting casually over the corpse. “Tsk… guess now comes payment.” Walking over to the group Sonya puts a hand on her hip and raises an arm to the air. “Hey, all of you! You know what you signed up for taking this mission! I don’t know your reasonings but you may take your payment now. Then, leave. You signed up as factions so take the prize as factions. Get to it.”

Kitana steps up first representing her group she lets her fan spin around her side the other joining in to do the same. “We shall take then.” The fans spin like saws and shoot down right into Cassie’s shoulders. Churring up flesh the fans rip right through the bones till the arms are completely cut from the body. Nodding toward Sheeva, the woman picks up the served arms and wraps them into a cloth walking away without further comment. Nodding a few times to some folk in the crowd Kitana and the other outworlders all take their leave making the crowded factory a bit more empty. Dvorah however stays behind waiting.

Next up Ashrah stands before the corpse and gives a little bow. “Maybe your soul will be cleansed at some point.” Sighing Ashrah then grips the hilt of her holy sword tightly and quickly slams it against Cassie’s upper thigh. The cut is clean and serves Cassie’s right leg easily, Ashrah then chops the left leg off as well. This time Nitara wraps up the served limbs into a cloth and her wings expand. With a chuckle, she gestures to the others of her faction and starts walking off.

Finally, then Dvorah steps back up to the corpse, her insect fingers twirling around each other. Not being clean about the process at all she lets bugs slide out of her mouth and start ripping at the flesh around Cassie’s neck. Skin, muscle, flesh, and bone are ripped apart quickly till Cassie’s head rolls against the blood pool she was circled in. “Finally… a proper nest.” Hoisting up the torso for herself Dvorah bows toward Sonya and her wings then open up. She flies away with the torso in her arms a new nest for her young to keep the hive alive.

“Well. I believe we are done here. Come Cetrion.” Kronika turns away from the bloody mess and teleports away without anything else to add.

Cetrion lingers for a moment looking to the body and then toward Sonya. “Well then, the balance has been restored again.” With that earth encases Cetrion and she vanishes as well.

The warehouse now was quiet, only Jacqui and Sonya were left there. Sonya slowly walks up to the served head of Cassie and picks it up into her arms. Watching the blood drip from the neck she flexes her wrist a little to make her purple energy sear the flesh together. “It’s done now the Cassie.” Kissing the top of Cassie’s forehead Sonya pulls out a cloth herself and wraps it around Cassie’s head. “Well, Jacqui. Let’s go.”