*backdated to Febuary 26-Lipton and eventually Scorpion*

[lt_blade]

The first thing Sonya noticed when she woke up was that the other side of the bed was cold. She wasn't really into snuggling, but some mornings she just found herself curled up close to Hanzo when she woke up. That wasn't the case now, and her heart nearly leapt out of her throat when he wasn't there. It was only when she fully opened her eyes that

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[lt_blade]

To Sonya, reaching Santuary was a not only a physical but visual relief as well, since (if Nightwolf's story was true-which looked to be the case) it remained shielded from Kahn's black magic. The fact that it was a reservation in New Mexico made no difference-just the fact that there were actual living plants and animals in the area proved it: it was no wonder this place was called 'Sanctuary.' It also meant that-for the time being-they were allowed a breather. The Shaman's tribe had set up a sort of (for lack of a better term) make-shift barracks for the 'remaining' Earth warriors, plus Sub-Zero and Kung Lao, two Earth warriors that Sonya had seen but not personally met at the Outworld tournament.

The last encounter they had with the Outworld warriors before the portal was-as she figured-was tougher. The worst of her injuries was a gash along her left forearm, but it was stitched up and frankly the least of her worries.

They'd lost Johnny. As much as the guy got on her nerves, she felt she couldn't but blame herself for not forcing the guy to have a proper weapon.

She was supposed to be resting up, but the adrenaline had yet to leave her system and was making her feel restless. So she took a weapon-more out of caution than anything-and took a step outside.

[niceofyoutoask]

Getting through the portal to Santuary was a welcome break, and a damned sight better than camping out on doorstops or foxholes. There was something both comforting and disconcerting about being on American soil through all of this, but what with all the magic flying around it couldn't be more clear that this wasn't his world, his America - which was disturbing enough in itself. He'd figured as much in his years on the island, but seeing it for himself was soemthing altogether.

It was too bad about Cage, but that was behind them now. You had to be able to do that as a soldier, even one who'd been a civilian just a few years ago like him.

Lipton was sitting outside, rifle on his lap, looking out over the reservation when Sonya opened the door and stepped out. He looked up at her, giving a nod and a half-smile. "Hey there, Lieutenant."

[lt_blade]

She figured as a sergeant he'd appoint himself having guard duty first.

She returned the nod. "Hey Sergeant. Enjoying the view?"

Sonya was only partially serious, after seeing what'd become of their realm, any small area that remained untouched was good for moral, but if they failed to stop the invasion in time-even this will be taken. They only had seven days to plan and find the bastard.

Eight fighters against an entire fucking army. Good god if they had any reserved luck, they would need more of it.

[niceofyoutoask]

Watch the line. The forever-repeated mantra of the Battle of the Bulge. He thought that maybe he would rather stare out at anything than the snowy trees of the Ardennes. An Indian reservation was decidedly a welcome change. "Yessir. Was the dead of winter in the war back home - things may be pretty tense here," an understatement, if there ever was one, "but at least there's no frostbite."

He'd long come to terms with the fact that he was often by default the voice of optimism, if only because he kept his mouth shut about everything else.

"How're you holding up, Sir?" He asked, looking up at her, old habits as First Sergeant dying hard. She knew Cage a damn sight more than he did.

[lt_blade]

There was a sort of irony in that statement: it was true that it wasn't 36 below with artillery, but the heat was out of place, even for New Mexico and they just had an entire army of hit squads on their ass.

Some of them will probably die on this mission: it was something she quickly had to accept.

"Don't have much of a choice otherwise." She said, completely honest: she was no good to anyone if she completely lost it. "I just need a moment."

"What about you? Now that you've a taste of what we're dealing with?" Oh, she knew he was competent as a soldier, she'd seen him in combat and other such situations-she just figured that when he signed up for the paratroopers, he never figured he'd eventually be fighting enemies from another fucking planet.

[niceofyoutoask]

He nodded, as that was a fair enough answer. A part of him wanted to wonder if a woman soldier would be more emotional with these things, but experience with Sonya caused him to put the thought out of his mind.

"Jumping out of planes suddenly seems so tame," he said dryly, a hint of a half-smile on his face. He shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine. Just wish I was more help."

He'd be lying if he said it hadn't given him a jolt to see the creatures that had been pursuing them for the first time, just as it had to see the cyborgs emerge on the spacestation. Just as it had the first time he'd seen a Kraut aim his weapon towards him, for that matter, or a tank on the approach. His time on the island had done wonders for his ability to accept without question the unimaginable. Still, it was a matter of fact that Sonya, Scorpion and Kang were far above his skill level when it came to hand to hand, experience, and knowledge of the enemy, and it grated at him that he might inadvertantly cause one of them to be hurt because of it.

[lt_blade]

For the most part, she felt strangely numb and angry at the sametime. Angry, because they'd lost a man so close in action, and numb-it was just becoming too common a sight. Maybe she'll feel something later, maybe in a few days after they wake up-if they wake up-she'll start having the nightmares and sadness that would usually accompany such loss, but not now. Now, she just had to focus on the task at hand.

Sonya nodded, though in all honesty, she wasn't sure if he was talking about their team as a whole, or more help with what they were dealing with.

She turned and took a seat next to him. "If you have any questions, now's the time to ask." She doubted they'd have another moment of peace like this, and she felt that such discussions would include mentioning their life on the island.

[niceofyoutoask]

If he asked everything he'd wondered about since getting here, they'd be occupied for a week. He settled for the most pressing. "Is Scorpion on our side for the long haul?" He'd always favoured bluntness, in the end.

[lt_blade]

It was surprisingly a fairly good, but easy question for a first round.

"He is. Honor's a big thing for him." Though she's not entirely sure if his and Lipton's 'honor' meant the same. "He vowed that he would watch over myself and Sub Zero, and since both of us are in this for the long hall, it means he will be too. He was already recruited by the enemy at the start of the invasion, but as soon as he found that Sub-Zero was one of our allies he changed sides."

Sonya went on, deciding it was only fair to give some back story.

"Remember when we were fixing the roof of the boarding house? I told you that the man who killed him and had a hand in his family's death showed up at the tournament?" She pointed back towards the building. "That man was Sub-Zero's elder brother. Once he suceeded in killing the Elder one in the Mortal Kombat tournament, he went back to the neather realm only to find out that Sub-Zero was back in the Outworld tournament. Thinking that his enemy returned the same as he did, he entered the tourny to finish the job. Well, both of us saw this ninja spare an opponent, something the Elder would've never done. Turns out that the guy was Sub-Zero's younger brother, and Scorpion appointed himself gaurdian over the guy to atone for killing his brother."

She lifted the chain around her neck, where her wedding ring was looped. "Our marriage isn't valid here, but he told me he would still honor what he had-also told him that if we get stuck here, I'd help him find whoever ordered the deaths of his clan and family."

She was in the army, she knew how to pull a few strings and suceed in that. And if nothing else, she could ask/bug Raiden about it.

"In any case, he has two reasons to fight for us, and no reason to fight for the enemy-coming from someone like him, it's as close as he's going to get to actually having a 'side'."

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton's strong sense of loyalty rebelled against any sort of switching sides, but he supposed that if Hanzo could transcend death, then battle lines couldn't be too far off. "What happens if Junior doesn't make it?" He asked seriously, referring to Sub-Zero the younger. Scorpion's pupil-less eyes weren't easy to forget, and Lipton suspected he wasn't all there. "Will Scorpion still stick around for your help?" He wasn't trying to be skeptical, just to get a complete understanding of the situation.

[lt_blade]

Sonya would've felt the same, but then..Scorpion's home was the nether realm, and even so it was originally Earth-either way, had to take them when they could. It also helped that Scorpion was never 'for' Kahn in the first place, otherwise, she would be a lot more doubtful.

"He vowed to watch both of us, even if one of us gets offed that doesn't nullify the vow he made." She mimicked his half smile. "Not that I really need a bodyguard, but we need all the warriors we can get, and Scorpion is as strong and as skilled as they come. Besides, in the time I've known him, both on the island and during the tournaments, he's never gone back on a promise. He considers such backstabbing as dishonorable and a trait of the Lin Kuei."

[niceofyoutoask]

Lipton nodded, because he could understand that kind of honour even if he still had to work against his own preconceptions against Asians. He wasn't alone - after Pearl Harbour, the reson he'd joined the military in the first place, there'd been a flood of news articles, radio shows and public sentiment reinforcing how genuinely malicious a people the Japs were, and everyone in that part of the world for that matter.

"You can handle yourself just fine," Lipton freely acknowledged with a slight chuckle, because that, too, he was still struggling to fully come to terms with. And it couldn't be more obvious, evertime he saw her fight. "And if you can trust him, then I'd be a smart guy to follow."

[get_over_here]

[lt_blade]

She was almost glad when he appeared. Almost because she had to remind herself that this was only 'part' of the Scorpion she married, but they had to talk and atleast now they had some sort of privacy.

"Scorpion." She acknowledged, remembered all too well that it was him and not Hanzo.

[get_over_here]

[lt_blade]

She nodded. "You're human self, I remember. And by that, I take it you've some memory of the place as well."

Sonya sighted and looked out a moment before turning back to him. "We're not really 'home',Scorpion." She said. "Something like this happened last year as well. We think we're home, but this is really just some elaborate dream from the island. Lipton's arrival should be a big enough clue."

Dreams where they could still get hurt.

"It should only last a few days, we just have to survive that long." Well, her and Lipton-she wasn't sure if Scorpion could really die.