Shlna

Your blood staining the ground.

The deep gash along your side.

The pain etched across your face as you struggled to remain upright.

They had known.

He had told them. Again and again. He had begged them to wait, to let him handle it, to trust that there was another way.

They hadn’t bothered to listen.

Instead, they had used you as bait.

The air warped as another crack of red lightning slammed into the stone beside Johnny, close enough that the shockwave sent him sprawling across the courtyard. Kenshi hit the ground hard, breath torn from his lungs. Kung Lao barely managed to roll away in time, his hat skidding uselessly across the floor.

“Raiden!” Kung Lao shouted. “Stop! You’re gonna kill someone!”

'Good.'

The thought surfaced unbidden, sharp and horrifyingly easy.

Raiden’s hands trembled as his fingers dug into his amulet, lightning wrapping around his arms, crawling up his neck and across his face. His vision blurred at the edges as fury and fear collapsed into a single, crushing pressure in his chest.

They had almost killed you.

He had trusted them with you and they had nearly ended your life.

Another surge ripped free, uncontrolled. This one went wide, slamming into a pillar behind Kenshi. Stone exploded outward, debris raining down in every direction.

“Raiden, enough!” Liu Kang shouted, his voice edged with growing concern.

But Raiden couldn’t stop.

His anger and terror swallowed him whole, eroding his restraint piece by piece.

Kung Lao hissed in pain as stray lightning tore a deep gash along his arm, barely evading the strike head-on. Johnny shouted in alarm, voice strained as he yanked Kenshi to his feet just before a massive slab of stone crashed down where he’d been lying.

Liu Kang tensed, preparing to step forward, until a hand pressed weakly against his chest. He looked down to see you standing there, bloodied and unsteady, stopping him with a single touch.

“Let me,” you whispered.

Liu hesitated, eyes flicking over your injuries, but the decision had already been made.

You straightened and stepped past him.

“Raiden.”

He stilled at the sound of your voice, lightning still lashing violently around him.

“Don’t,” Kenshi rasped, struggling to remain upright. “You’ll get hurt.”

“Are you out of your mind?!” Johnny snapped.

You ignored them and took another step forward.

“Look at me,” you said firmly.

Slowly, Raiden’s gaze lifted to meet yours.

Lightning continued to crack and writhe in the air, but it faltered the moment he saw you properly—exhausted, bleeding, yet still standing.

Alive.

Your expression remained calm as you moved closer, eyes filled with concern.

“Raiden,” you said softly. “You need to stop.”

He said nothing, his gaze fixed on the blood soaking through your clothes from your gash.

Kung Lao flinched as stray lightning struck the ground dangerously close to you, his body tensing, ready to move. Liu Kang mirrored the reaction, golden eyes tracking your every movement along with his.

You didn’t flinch.

You kept walking until you stood directly in front of him. Slowly, you lifted your hand and cupped his jaw, forcing his gaze away from your wound and back to your eyes.

“Hey,” you murmured. “Look at me.”

His breath hitched, his voice dropping dangerously low. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know,” you said quietly. “But I am.”

The lightning surged again, curling and striking outward in a defensive arc, wild and furious, but never close enough to touch you.

“You have to stop, my love,” you murmured softly. “You’re going to hurt someone.”

Raiden’s expression hardened, anguish twisting his features. “They hurt you,” he said, voice cracking. “T-they didn’t listen, and you got hurt. I told them n-not to—” His teeth clenched as his power surged again, lightning flaring wildly around him.

“I know,” you said, cutting through it gently but firmly. “I know they messed up. They should have listened to you. You have every right to be angry. I am too.”

You stepped closer, close enough to bring his forehead down to rest against yours.

The storm around him stuttered.

“But not like this,” you whispered. “You’re not a monster, my love. Don’t let your feelings drown out your reason. Don’t let this turn into something you’ll regret.” Your voice trembled just slightly. “Please. Hear me.”

For a long moment, he didn’t move.

Then his eyes closed.

Raiden drew in a slow, shuddering breath. The red lightning faltered, dimmed, and gradually shifted, bleeding back into the familiar calming blue glow they all knew. The violent crackle softened to a low hum before fading entirely.

Your thumb brushed along his cheek, grounding him, anchoring him back to you. Slowly, the storm within him quieted, the chaos retreating under your steady presence.

A shaky exhale slipped from his lips.

“I almost…” he whispered, regret immediately flooding his voice. “I could’ve—”

“I know,” you whispered back. “But you didn’t.”

His hands trembled as they clutched at your clothes, his knees buckling as the weight of what nearly happened crashed down on him all at once. Another broken breath tore from his chest, raw and anguished, like someone who had just been pulled from deep water.

You caught him, pulling him closer, holding him as his body shook.

“I lost control,” he gasped. “I hurt them. I almost—”

“You stopped,” you said quietly, steady and reassuring. “That’s what matters.”

You stood there together in the middle of the ruined courtyard, broken stone and scorch marks all around, as you slowly helped him back upright from where he’d nearly collapsed.

The others remained silent, taking in the aftermath.

Kung Lao and Kenshi were badly injured, Lao’s gash still bleeding freely, Kenshi clutching his side with a sharp, pained wince.

Johnny leaned heavily against a fractured pillar, breathing hard after narrowly avoiding death more than once and dragging his teammate out of harm’s way.

Liu Kang stood a short distance away, alert but calmer now, golden eyes moving carefully over the scene as he assessed the damage done, concern etched deeply into his expression.

Johnny was the first to speak, voice tentative, edged with regret.

“Hey, man… we fucked up. Big time.” He winced, rubbing the back of his neck.

Raiden slowly lifted his head to look at him. His jaw was tight, lips pressed thin, expression heavy with everything he hadn’t said.

Kung Lao nodded in agreement, his own expression worn but sincere. “He’s right. We should’ve listened.” His gaze flicked briefly to you before returning to Raiden. “We shouldn’t have involved Y/N when you told us not to. That’s on us.”

Raiden’s eyes lingered on him for a moment, then shifted to the others nearby. Kenshi stood stiffly, remorse written plainly across his face. Liu Kang’s expression held the same weight, layered with understanding and guilt.

Liu Kang stepped forward, movements careful, and placed a steady hand on Raiden’s shoulder.

“I am sorry for what transpired,” he said gently. “I believed it to be the best course of action, but I was wrong. You warned us.” His grip tightened slightly, reassuring. “Please forgive us for our misjudgment.”

Raiden nodded once, slowly, gaze dropping to the shattered stone beneath his feet.

You reached up then, placing a hand over his chest, grounding him. When he looked at you, you smiled softly, affection unmistakable in your eyes.

“It’s okay, Raiden,” you murmured. “They understand what went wrong. And they forgive you for what happened.”

He glanced back at his teammates, taking in their expressions. Guilt. Regret. Accountability. None of them blamed him for the storm that had nearly consumed them all.

A deep breath left his chest.

Raiden lifted his gaze to Liu Kang and nodded again. Liu gave his shoulder a brief, reassuring squeeze before stepping back, his attention shifting to the others. Before moving away, he looked down at you, eyes filled with concern.

“Thank you, Y/N,” he said quietly. “I am sorry I allowed you to be put in harm’s way.”

You shook your head gently. “It’s okay,” you replied. “We’re all still standing. That’s what matters.”

He offered a faint smile before turning to check on the rest of the group.

When you turned back, you found Raiden watching you, expression softer now, vulnerable in a way few ever saw.

“I thought I’d lost myself,” he admitted quietly.

You slid your hands to his shoulders, drawing him into your embrace. “You didn’t,” you said. “You just needed someone to bring you back.”

He nodded, saying nothing more, simply resting there with you, breathing, existing.

The storm had passed, though the damage remained. And while darkness hadn’t won that day, it had come dangerously close.

For now, you were safe, alive.

No one had been lost.

That was all that mattered to him.