I do not own Mortal Kombat—that would be Ed Boon and the folks at Netherrealm Studios. I don't own Mortal Kombat Annihilation but have it on DVD.

Millenia of isolation had taken Syzoth down some pretty dark places—no scratch that, timelines of isolation had taken him to some pretty unbelievable places. In one he had been an obedient slave to Shao Khan and Shang Tsung before betraying them to Shinnok and Quan Chi, if what he'd learned of his pat iteration was right. At least in that timeline he got to become the Dragon King and unleash fury on all his enemies—or was that him or Onaga? The details were a little hazy there. Making Raiden—who had destroyed the original Saurian homeworld on Earth, Shang Tsung—who had enslaved him, and Quan Chi—who had lied to him, burn; feeling their bones crush under his heals would have had to be satisfying.

But, then if it was Onaga and not him, he was just a minion again. Syzoth let out a sigh. He was a perpetual looser. He'd never get a date with this reputation. He was already hurt in that department by being the last Zaterran in the timeline. If he was just the last Zaterran male that would be a different story, then he would be assured a romantic partner and a chance to continue his species, but despite all this talk about there being another Zaterran, he couldn't tell if that was in every timeline or if they were even female.

"No, man, Khameleon's a chick," he'd heard Johnny Cage say one time,

"No, I'm pretty sure Chameleon's a dude," Kenshi had replied.

Syzoth resigned himself to the fact that he was never going to get the girl in his timeline. Fortunately, ever since Kronika's latest shenanigans, the timelines had been bleeding over, one into another. Now Syzoth finally had the chance to make others share in his agony, by exploiting their most shameful personal secrets on intertemporal television. His show Kombat Chat was getting rave reviews from Earthrealm idiots like Johnny Cage, but that wasn't what satisfied Syzoth. Ratings were only important in that they could renew his show each year for a new season. No, the good part was inflicting crushing wounds on his opponents, er, guests with words that struck more deeply than any fist or fang.

Syzoth licked his fangs in anticipation. Tonight he would skewer his three biggest enemies in one interview, and would leave Shao Khan crying like a baby. Heck he'd probably get in some jabs at Shinnok's mom Kronika too, since she had not been attentive to everything her son had done in his time as an Elder God.

He swiveled his chair to address the audience. "Folks, we have a special guest tonight. One who has caused more pain and suffering to the realms than all Khans, sorcerers, cyborgs, Black or Red Dragons, or Chaos clerics put together. Please let's hear it for the Elder God of death, Shinnok!"

The audience cheered as a decrepit slender figure in red robes made his way to the couch next to Syzoth's desk.

"Long have I waited. Events are proceeding as I have foreseen." Shinnok said this with utter seriousness. No one noticed that he was giving a rather pathetic Emperor Palpatine impression.

"Yes," Syzoth hissed. "You've been around since before the first tournament in every timeline. Did you foresee all that would happen with your amulet?"

Shinnok cocked an eyebrow.

"You mean when Milleena stole it? Yes, she played right into Quan Chi's hands. We knew that Shao Khan's daughter would be desperate enough to overthrow Kotal that she would risk unleashing my wrath on the realms." Shinnok gave a very palpatinesque cackle.

"Yes it's important that you have that amulet."

"Quite."

"You are pretty pathetic without it. I mean even with it, Johnny Cage kicked your pasty skeletal butt and he's weaker than Cyrax."

"My power is absolute, Zaterran!"

Boos erupted from the audience. Shinnok paused for a minute as he recognized that these boos were directed at him.

"Keep telling yourself that, Shinnok. You're nothing without Quan Chi. Your plans to manipulate Shao Khan, that was Quan Chi. The revenants, Scorpion, the first Sub-Zero, that was all Quan Chi too. On your own all you managed to do was loose your Elder God status."

Syzoth had carefully set his trap and Shinnok took the bait.

"I destroyed your homeworld, Raptor!"

Syzoth didn't break down in tears or boil with rage. He just shrugged the comment off with a dismissive, "That was Raiden."

"I managed to turn Raiden dark, that's got to count for something," Shinnok huffed. He seriously did not consider himself weak. How could he? Title or no, he was, after all, an Elder God.

"Shinnok, let me tell you something about that amulet. It had powers but it wasn't as strong as your original."

"What?" The former Elder God was truly puzzled for the first time.

"The amulet that the First Sub-Zero stole for Quan Chi, your sorcerer kept that one for himself, in case you ever tried to betray him."

"So, Quan Chi—

"Was killed by Scorpion, not you."

Shinnok pale face grew pink as blood flow increased.

"Your point, Reptile?"

"My point is that we are both losers. I'm a looser henchman, and you're a looser boss. I've made peace with being a looser in Mortal Kombat, which is why I host this show now. You on the other hand can't get over this obsession with being the biggest bad. Wake up Shinnok! You are not Onaga!"

Shinnok was silent for a time. Then a smile formed on his lips.

"You think you know me, Reptile? Yes I wanted to be seen as the biggest bad, but that was only the means to an end not the end itself."

"And what was your real goal then?"

Shinnok cackled, again in a Palpatine voice, "Your piecing it together will be your undoing! I want, plain and simply, to merge all the realms and reverse what Mom and the other Titans did to Dad."

This interested Syzoth. He knew Kronika was Shinnok and Cetrion's mother, but who was their father?

"You have a father?" Syzoth asked a bit surprised.

"Yes, and I actually loved him before Mom and the other Titans sealed him away."

"Hmm," Syzoth gave a rattling purr. If Shinnok was going to spill his guts about a new Titan, Syzoth should do some fact checking. Fortunately, that's what his second guest was for.

"Well, Shinnok, I can't really help with your father, but we do have a special guest who's here just for you."

The muscles in Shinnok's face instinctively tensed before the word, "Who?" escaped his lips, but by now Reptile was already looking at the audience.

"Let's welcome Shinnok's mom, the Titan of time, Kronika."

Cheers erupted as the bald woman floated gracefully to the couch without her feet touching the ground once. She smiled at Shinnok.

"Hello, Shinnok. Mommy's back."

"How could you do this to me—on interrealm television!?" The former Elder God of death whined.

"Everything I've done," she said as she glided onto the couch, finally letting her feat rest on the studio floor, "has been to keep the realms in balance. You and your sister must be locked in a dance that never ends. It is the only thing—"

"Keeping the realms from remerging and Dad from returning?" Shinnok said like a surely child.

Syzoth was stunned to hear this.

"You mean your father is the One Being?"

"You don't know him like I know him," Shinnok said.

"I was the host of his vessel Onaga in a few timlines," Syzoth retorted.

"Neither of you know him like I know him," Kronika said.

"Thank the Elder Gods," Syzoth said.

"Ugh," Kronika groaned in exasperation. "No! I mean you don't know what he tried to do to the other Titans. Cthulhu was clear that the Norbert could not replace him."

"Norbert?" Syzoth asked.

"That's the One Being's name. Cthulhu is the eldest of us. He has enormous tentacles and a giant maw. Sonya Blade kills him and takes his powers in one timeline."

Syzoth frowned. "So why didn't he have you wipe Sonya from the timeline."

"No one foresaw a timeline in which I lost to Sonya. I've since learned that there were as many divergent timelines as there were Kombatants. I was focused only on Raiden and Liu Kang."

"Tunnel vision, anyone?" Syzoth said before shifting his weight in the chair and leaning forward.

"So what would happen if there were no realms, and this was just a simple power struggle between Cthulhu and," Syzoth giggled, "Norbert?'

"Oh, nothing much I expect. But considering the realms, they would all be destroyed."

"Which I for the record would be fine with if I got Dad back," Shinnok said.

Syzoth looked at Shinnok's decrepit visage again, seeing for the first time someone he could relate to. Not a power hungry being wanting to dominate, but a sad child.

"This is just so ironic, considering what you did to your own children."

"What are you talking about?" The former Elder God asked.

"Remember the Elder Goddess of thunder and the protectress of Outworld?"

"Youthful flings," Shinnok said trying to dismiss the matter.

Kronika grasped what Reptile was aiming for.

"I have long given thought to whether or not Shinnok is father to Raiden and Shao Khan," Kronika said.

"You don't know?" Syzoth said a little schocked.

"There were a lot of short term pairings between us Elder Gods. Any of the next generation could have any one of us males as a father. I'm surprised you haven't thrown Fujin at me."

Syzoth took a deep breath before calmly saying, "Shinnok, Shinnok, Shinnok, look at the worst timeline. Look at Annihilation!"

Kronika quickly silenced Reptile.

"How can you call that one the worst? You're not the last Zaterran there."

"If its extinction or having to listen to everyone having over the top cheesy dialogue, I pick extinction. If were just Johnny Cage I could deal with it, but not when its coming from Shao Khan, Sindel, and pretty much everyone."

"I'm not familiar with this timeline," Shinnok said.

"Basically, you're Raiden and Shao Khan's dad. And you have a Swiss accent."

"Argh!" Shinnok cried. "Of all Earthrealm I hate Sweden the most!"

"O…K…" Syzoth said trying to figure out what Shinnok was getting at.

"I don't sound Swedish in any other timeline, do I?"

"I said 'Swiss.'" Syzoth repeated.

"Same thing," Shinnok replied.

"Anyway I hate that timeline, but you'd love it. You actually are the credible bigger bad behind Shao Khan there."

"I thought I was in all timelines."

"No, no! Remember what I told you about Quan Chi using your amulet behind your back. He's the intelligent big bad after Shao Khan. You are just the one who distracts us from Quan Chi's plans."

Shinnok's face grew pink with rage once more.

"I am Quan Chi's master!"

"Darling, maybe the Zaterran has a point. You have always been too trusting of Quan Chi. And then D'Vorah."

"D'Vorah retrieved my amulet—

"You're fake amulet," Syzoth said

—from Milleena."

"And planned to lay eggs inside you while you transformed into your corrupted self so that the Kytinn hive could absorb your power and eat you."

Shinnok lifted his hand and a portal materialized behind Syzoth's chair. A giant skeletal hand grasped Reptile.

"I am Shinnok, Elder God of death. I am no one's pawn."

"Funny," Syzoth rasped, "Your son said the same thing about the same guy."

"Raiden may or may not be my son, but he has certainly never been Quan Chi's pawn."

"I meant your other one," Syzoth wheezed

"Shao Khan was my pawn! Quan Chi was just the middleman."

"Think of the way Quan Chi talked to you, and the way he talked to Shao Khan."

Shinnok took Syzoth at his word and thought. The skeletal hand stopped squeezing, and Syzoth breathed in deep lungfulls of oxygen. The hand dropped him and disappeared back through the portal.

"Quan Chi! I will tear out his liver!"

"My son, I am proud of you," Kronika said.

Shinnok spun to face her, "Quiet, Mom! You and Cetrion picked Cthulhu over Dad. The realms will only find their true balance when I merge them all and unleash him."

"You really should consider joining your son then. Merging the realms is kinda what he's been trying to do for eons."

"Very well! I shall go to Outworld. Shao Khan and I will be the deadly alliance, and we shall cause all realms to cower before the wrath of Norbert!"

Shinnok teleported away.

Kronika stared at Syzoth.

"I hope your happy with what you have just unleashed."