Post-VT PSL, Trunks

[nutkrusher]

It's been a year since they left the train. She's missed him a lot - and everyone close to her damn well knows it. But she hasn't just sit around pining for him in the intervening months. She's trained to further master the use of her new gifts - and to pass as many of them onto others as she can. Earthrealm will continue to need defenders, after all, both in the Special Forces and outside of them.

Mind, the debriefing after her return was a bitch and a half. They had a hard enough time accepting the whole being-able-to-fly-just-by-learning-how bit.

But things had gotten a lot better after that. She'd made Commander, for one. She'd also led a mission to take out the Great Cathedral of the Netherrealm without suffering a single casualty. Meanwhile, Jacqui and her fine band of misfits and nerds in the Tech Unit claimed to be making progress in the field of interrealm communication and transport.

She should've figured the peace wouldn't last. Turns out Kronika had a problem with how unbalanced things had gotten. And when the Mistress of Time has a problem, everyone has a problem. Now past and present have collided, old folks are running into their younger selves, and old baddies who should've stayed dead are back alive again.

It's easy for the being who sculpted the sands of time to stay one step ahead of her enemies. But Cassie's newfound power hadn't been part of her design. The fight has been long, and not without losses, but they've gutted it out - victory is in sight. Kronika is now cornered, surrounded within her Hourglass Chamber by the realms' greatest heroes, who now have her all-important crown in their possession. But Kronika and her daughter Cetrion are not beaten yet - and defeating the former is more easily talked about than accomplished.

Cassie's body erupts with green light as she looses a Shadow Kick against the corrupted nature goddess. It's now or never - this one's for all the realms.

Comments

[nutkrusher]

Cassie smirks. "Guess that means we'll have a little more catching up to do once we've sorted this mess out."

Her smile fades slightly as she continues.

"'Cause a mess is exactly what you've walked into. The bitch you just wasted is called Kronika. She's basically the Mistress of Time, and a huge control freak. She's got this obsession with making sure Good and Evil stay in balance, and Evil had been getting its ass kicked way too hard for her liking. So she decided to scrap the whole timeline and start over - which she's apparently done a whole shitload of times before.

"But before she did that, she took the past and mashed it up forward into the present for...reasons. Basically because she was looking for people that the future went badly for who'd help her gather the energy she needed to reset all of time. I dunno, seems a little extra to me - I'd have just put out an ad on Craigslist, but that's why I've got two daddies right now."

The younger Johnny Cage waves from the back of the room.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks blinked, then blinked again. "SO is this more, or less confusing than the train-situation?" With a little grin.

[nutkrusher]

"Might be a bit of a push. But we didn't have to unfuck the entirety of time after we left the train."

She turns toward the rest of the assembled warriors.

"Which is something we're gonna have to discuss right about now, I think. We've got an important job to do, and we want to make sure things get set the right way."

[light_of_willpower]

"I'm the newcomer here, so I think I'll stay out of this conversation." Assuming Cassie was letting him pull apart so he could retire to the edges of the area. Albeit he wasn't pulling apart without briefly leaning forward to kiss her forehead in greeting.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie nods. "You've done more than enough for us already."

Liu Kang bows. "All the realms are now in your debt."

With this, the discussion begins. The leaders still left outside - Queen Sheeva, Empress Kitana, Baraka, and General Blade (who reacts to Trunks with her usual restraint but is clearly pleased to see him) - are all brought in to say their piece.

A consensus eventually emerges. The timeline as it was had resulted in a great victory for the forces of Good, so they should leave as many events intact as possible. To that end, the manner of Earthrealm's victory in Shao Kahn's invasion remained the same. Crucially, however, the magic which bound the deceased Earthrealmers as revenants changed. When Quan Chi died, they would revert to their human selves with no memory of their time in the Netherrealm.

Outworld, meanwhile, insisted on honoring the promises which were made during the struggle against the resurrected Shao Kahn. The Tarkatans would be destroyed, and the Shokan would retain their dignity and rights.

The crown and the shaping of the sands would be handed over to Raiden. Only those who remained in the chamber would remember what had occurred. Once they were finished, they would return to their rightful places.

As the final agreement is being reached, Cassie makes her way to the back of the chamber where Trunks is waiting. There's a clear look of intent in her eyes - after all, she hasn't really kissed him yet.

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks shook his head, hands up almost pleadingly. "Thank you, but I really just...it was the right thing to do." Still modest, apparently, considering he was blushing again a bit.

Finding a corner of the room out of the main conversations, he pulled off the sword-and-scabbard. Laying it on the ground beside him as he sat, one knee brought up and an arm leaning on it casually. Listening to it all, even if he wasn't understanding much. He smiles when Cassie heads over though, and gets to his feet.

About to speak even, before she's against him and her mouth is against his. Blue eyes widened for a moment, and he blushed hard. But his arms still went around her, holding her just as closely.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie fully intends to put everything she's got into it and make it a kiss worth waiting three years for. Not that it ever takes much effort at all to make a kiss between them feel special.

After a long while she finally pulls her lips away.

"Mmmm. So worth the wait."

She plants another, shorter kiss on his lips.

"Missed you."

Her hand drifts upward, leaving her fingers to drift through his now-shorter hair.

"Think I could get used to this new haircut, too."

[light_of_willpower]

Oh he can tell. Might even be a bit breathless when she does pull back. One of his hands had come up to cup her nape while they'd kissed. Keeping her close, and hopefully making it clear he'd missed her as well.

"Missed you too Cassie." Before he's nuzzling her nose softly. Affectionately.

"It's actually what my hair was like before it grew out. I just...never bothered to cut it on the train." Tapping a finger against her ponytail, from where his hand was at her nape, he grinned. "Besides, now I get to play with your hair for a change.

[nutkrusher]

Cassie chuckles softly. "I was hoping you'd like it."

She nuzzles his nose again.

"I've been hoping a lot for the past year."

She raises her eyes to meet his, her expression soft and warm.

"Were you able to get what you hoped for? For your Earth?"

[light_of_willpower]

"For now. That's part of why I'm here." That hand at her nape was moving. Coming around to cup her cheek, thumb caressing her jaw. "I'm not sure when or where the next threat will show up, but they're gone. All of the androids."

[nutkrusher]

Cassie smiles to hear him say it.

"So you've saved the day. Just like I always knew you would."

She brings her own hand to his cheek and leans forward to kiss him again.

"And now you've got the girl."

[light_of_willpower]

"It's not a fairytale Cass." He was grinning into the kiss as he spoke though. She could likely feel the low chuckle in his chest too.

When they pull away again, he leans his forehead against hers. "Besides, I always kind of thought that was unfair to the girl. She should get a choice too, not be some prize." Definitely not someone who wanted a passive woman.

[nutkrusher]

"Might just be the Hollywood in me."

She grins as she shuts her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her forehead on his.

"If it makes you feel better, maybe it's my story and you're my happy ending. I did do most of the work getting to this chamber, after all."

[light_of_willpower]

He snorted in amusement, sounding remarkably close to his father of all people. "Why don't we see about getting everyone home then." Nuzzling her nose again before pulling back some. "I am prepared with my own housing if I need it, assuming I can take up part of your back garden."

[nutkrusher]

Cassie chuckles. "You know there'll be room for you at my place. I'll get it set up for you when we get there."

A voice pipes in from a comfortable-but-not-too-comfortable distance.

"She means 'we'll see.'"

She turns back. "Dad, I've got my own place!"

"Yeah, and do you think it's your soldier's salary that pays for it?"

[light_of_willpower]

Leaning around Cassie slightly, Trunks nods at the elder Mr. Cage. "I did come prepared to not presume anything, Mr. Cage." Before squeezing Cassie once more, then letting go. The pick up his sword and sling the scabbard back over his shoulder and back.

"Besides, I have to get used to your world. Not sure how social I'll be outside of you and your father for a bit."

[nutkrusher]

"Well, you can relax, loverboy," Johnny says. "I'm just yankin' your chain. Bein' a dad. Lucky for you, you've made a good first impression. You can stay as long as you want."

Cassie finds a distant star she finds particularly interesting to divert her gaze for a moment before looking back at Trunks.

"Honestly, I can't wait to show you around town. I've already got a few places in mind."

[light_of_willpower]

Trunks blushes with the teasing, predictably, and ducks his head slightly. His gloved hand reaches out for Cassie's, and squeezes. "Give me a day or two first, alright?"

[nutkrusher]

Cassie smiles. "Of course. We've got all the time we need now."