Kingdom Come

[Shang Tsung]

In silence, the two men traversed the white line—their eyes surveying the black and gray land that surrounded them.

“Have you explained what happened to you?” Shang muttered as the two men walked across the Void.

Atelos shook his head. “I was free of this place. I woke up in a barn and got caught up in the actions of these adventurers who sought to slay a mighty beast. We fought against it valiantly… but after that, it grows foggy.”

“Did you win?” The sorcerer inquired.

“Aye. It fell, but then we squabbled over a relic left behind by the creature. The next thing I know, I awoke on the battlefield in bruises, and then I was back here.” The Spartan put a hand on the side of his head. “Everything has been such a blurred whirlwind lately.”

His associated nodded his head. “I understand,” he spoke as he reached into the bag hanging from his belt. He dug down passed the metal-encased vial and retrieved the strange object left behind by the Spartan. “You left this… thing behind.” He handed the skull to the Spartan, who seemed to liven up just a little at the sight of his garish item.

“Thank you,” Atelos remarked as he stowed the object away.

Up ahead, Shang noticed something on the horizon—a large gate, much like the ones in the Nexus. “Look,” he said, prompting his friend to lift up his head. Without needing another remark, the two jogged over to the gate, and while neither paid attention to it, the white path upon which they’d been traveling led right up to the portal.

“Where do you think it leads?” The Spartan inquired as Shang stepped forward and gingerly passed his hand through the portal. He pulled it out a moment later to confirm that they wouldn’t be stepping into a volcano or anything hazardous to their health.

“Let’s find out,” the sorcerer replied as he stepped through the gate.

On the other side, Shang Tsung was immediately assaulted by the stark difference in lighting. They’d left behind the grayscale nothingness and walked into a verse filled with sunshine and clouds. A glance down to his boots revealed that he was actually standing on a cloud.

“What is this?” Atelos declared after stepping through the Gate and glancing out across the serene landscape of clouds, sunshine, and pillars. In the far distance, they could spy what seemed to be a city.

“I’m not sure, but that,” Shang answered, pointing toward the city. “Is where we need to go.”

[Atelos]

“Do you think that is where…” The Spartan was silenced by the pure amazement he had of this entire place. His eyes looked up at the number of winged people smiled and waved at the two arrivals. A smile creeped on his face and hope in his heart grew as he felt that he would get to meet Omni…

“Only one way to see Spartan.” The sorcerer tried to remain cynical but he couldn’t hide his enthusiasm about meeting the Omnipotent one. “Let us hurry and reach the City.” He turned to look for the Spartan but he nothing.

“Weeeeeeeee!” To his surprise the Spartan was gleefully cheering as he lept inhumanely from one cloud to the next reaching closer and closer to the Golden City. He couldn’t contain himself. All those years of brutal training and war and bloodshed and at the end he was prancing around like a little girl. Maybe it was the head injury...maybe it was the fact that he was hurting so much inside but he couldn’t act more like a child. Maybe it was the place itself…

Each time he landed on a fluffy cloud it seemed to wobble underneath his weight slightly and rebalance himself onto the the pillowy cloud. As the Spartan finally took hold of his weight he glanced up to see the shiny palace before him that felt so nostalgic but so...amazing.

His inner child had calmed down and he was at the foot of the palace of God. Breathing heavily, he glanced to Shang who had finally caught up to the Spartan. A giant grin was on his face as the doors seemed to open by themselves.

“You’re wait is over Omni.”

[Shang Tsung]

The gates of the city swung inward, revealing one of the strangest metropolises Shang Tsung had witnessed in nearly a millennium of existence. While the entire place had a reoccurring theme of white, silver, and gold, the architectural style was unlike anything else in all the realms. Even from the entrance, the sorcerer could see an amalgam of designs that ranged from art deco to something he could only label ‘future chic.’ Tall buildings made of white brick and accented with golden window sills stood alongside gleaming ivory skyscrapers of steel inlaid with glittering silver. In some strange manner, the fact that they didn’t match made sense.

Through the gates, the pair of primes found themselves staring down a giant thoroughfare that led toward what had to be a palace. In the sky above the two warriors, they spotted winged creatures lazily floating around. The various angels glanced over and took note of Shang and Atelos but none of them bothered to speak with the new arrivals.

“They’re not speaking with us,” the Spartan muttered as the pair continued down the wide path. A glance at the ground below them revealed that they were standing on what seemed to be clouds shaped like… cobblestone? “Are they not surprised to see new arrivals?”

“They might have orders just to watch?” Shang guessed as they made their way up toward the doors of the palace. Before the sorcerer could reach for the giant ring, the oversized doors swung inward of their own accord.

The Spartan and the Sorcerer made their way through the entranceway until they found themselves standing before a large throne. Beneath them, the ground shifted, displaying what seemed to be various scenes unfolding across the entire scope of the Omniverse. For a moment, it lingered on a panoramic shot of Darkshire, which seemed to be a little more melancholy than usual. While the shifting images was more than enough to entertain anyone, what truly captured the attention of the pair of primes was the white figure seated upon the throne.

Omni.

[Omni]

Were the walls of stone, gold, or something else altogether? The opulence went beyond mortal measure; this was something that no human hand could build. And why would it ever? The ceiling stretched far into the … sky? Aether? Space? All to hold one man. One figure.

He shimmered before Shang and Atelos, just as bright as he’d been in the blackness of the void from whence they had been summoned, all that time ago. Somehow, his presence brought all the light in the room towards him, and reflected it. He was the room. And, the pair of travellers somehow felt, a great deal more than that.

“Sup?” he said.

[Atelos]

Atelos was in awe of the mighty God that lay before him. He felt Hades presence fill his mind and words would fly by in his mind. Power, kill, destroy, take.

Silence. Atelos dropped to a knee and looked down onto the floor. Omni spoke but he could not stop himself from abruptly asking.

"Is it true…that Hades…" The last words seemed forced out especially in front of Shang. Sweat trailed down his forehead and he looked up. "That Hades is the real prime?"

[Omni]

Omni drew a thumb and forefinger across his chin as if thinking, still grinning; was the gesture sincere, or was he mocking the gladiator? Atelos grit his teeth.

“In a sense, I suppose. In a sense you both are. Hades has no vessel without you … no body … at least for now.” Omni giggled.

[Shang Tsung]

They had met this realm's god and the Spartan was concerned about his madness? The same Grecian warrior who just a few minutes ago had been hopping around like an over-sized child? Not to mention the Spartan's madness when Shang had found him shackled in the basement mumbling about dragons...

The sorcerer cleared his throat and tried to get to the meat and potatoes.

"Did you create this place? Or are you just some... personification of it?"

[Omni]

“Hm?” Omni’s hand covered his mouth. “Well, that’s a loaded question. Are you sure you want to ask it?”

[Shang Tsung]

"Yes."

[Omni]

“No hesitation.” Omni removed his hand from his mouth, revealing that glittering smile once more. “Well … I created this world, of course … and everything in it.”

He paused, and then added, as an aside: “Interesting that you think that would preclude me from being its personification. Why can’t I be both?” He threw his head back and laughed long and hard.

[Atelos]

Atelos waited for the being to simmer down. His heartbeat could be heard throughout the room by just speaking to him.

"How are our home worlds doing…?" Something dawned upon him. "Have we actually even been taken from our home worlds?! "

[Omni]

Omni actually bit his bottom lip. “Depends how you mean it. But I suppose not in the strictest definition. Your home worlds are doing just fine. You’re doing just fine, in your home worlds.”

[Atelos]

His eyes went wide open. "I'm…still in my home world?…Am I even Atelos? What…what am I?" He stared at his hands questioning their own existence.

[Omni]

“Why can’t you be both?” Omni tittered. “Honestly, you people with the mutual exclusivity.”

[Shang Tsung]

Another crisis for the Spartan.

Shang held back a laugh. "If I exist here in your realm and I still exist in Outworld, could I," Shang pointed at his chest to emphasis he was talking about this version of himself. "Ever truly leave this place?"

[Omni]

Omni munched on a golden fruit. “I dunno,” he said, slurping the juice. “You got omnilium?”

[Shang Tsung]

"For what?"

[Omni]

Omni stopped slurping. Suddenly the fruit was no longer there. He grinned sincerely at Shang. “Try summoning a portal out of here. Go ahead, try it. If that’s what you want, anyway.”

[Shang Tsung]

"I no desire to do that." Shang replied, aware that any alternate version of himself still in Outworld would be at the mercy of Shao Kahn. "If we were created for this place, why would anyone believe we'd exist beyond this reality?"

[Omni]

Omni leaned forward, his arms sliding over his crossed legs. “So why believe this reality exists at all? Why believe I could see into your worlds and pluck a perfect replica of you out into this reality?” Omni had no eyes but gave the impression he was staring at Shang.