Tap tap tap, the dull pounding of plastic keys on a keyboard filled the cluttered office space of one Sgt. Cassandra Cage, the tune throbbing tap, tap, click in the blonde's ear. A relatively speedy writer - albeit one who suffered more than the occasional typo from her haste - Cassie was chicken pecking more out of boredom than practice when three familiar faces crowded into limited floorspace the office allowed. Not nearly as burdened by paperwork as their C.O., the unlikely trio had so much more time on their hands to come up with pointless and annoying shenanigans. Cassie simply adored shenanigans, especially when they involved targeting other people.

Technically placed on stand-by since that whole ordeal with Shinnok, this could have been them summoning her for a new mission, but in all of the blonde's time in the military, never once had it taken the whole squad to call on their commanding officer. Besides, if anything their positions gave away the frivolous nature of this audience: hand-in-hand and still grinning like a bunch of idiots in love, Jacqueline Briggs and Takeda Takahashi stood a hairsbreadth behind the biggest asshole who ever became a shaolin monk, Kung Jin. In her mind, Jin was almost always irrelevant, or at the least up to no good.

In dire need of some entertainment, the general's daughter played coy and feigned a scowl that even her mother would have been proud of. If not thanks to her father being a famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) actor, all that extra time she was putting in acting as ambassador in Outworld was really paying off. At least she thought so. "Shouldn't you lousy lot be harassing the new recruits, or maybe training so the next time my dad makes us spar one of you can actually put up a decent fight?"

Smirking that trademark Cage smirk, her green eyes fell lastly on Kung Jin, who did not fail to notice the slight. Aside from sucking, the archer was really spectacular at sniffing out insults to his personal being, and admittedly dishing out snippy comebacks with some snap. "I can kick your ass any day of the week!" At least most of the time, Cassie thought to herself.

"Maybe any day that doesn't end in 'y'," Cassandra laughed at her own joke, unsurprised that the other two weren't taking any sides in the customary squabble. It was almost like a daily ritual between the two, and the day just wasn't quite right without a handful of witty banter.

Honestly, were it not for Jin's "controversial" interests and Cassie's relationship with the Kahn, Jacqui and Takeda might have suspected for a split second that there was some serious sexual tension between the two alphas. Maybe in another life, because in this one Cass was getting rather serious with Kotal from what everyone saw, and Jin was just completely apathetic to the boobs. Frankly Cassie and Jacqui both doubted that he ever even wanted to bother with their gender in the first place, but whatever, love was love, no matter what was between your legs.

Love was love. Grand as that sentiment was, words alone didn't make it any easier to face life and the lovely little issues that came with being in a relationship, long distance or otherwise. Finding a person that could stomach you and all your BS for regular intervals was impressive enough, but to successfully navigate through the choppy waters of political power plays and inter-dimensional guidelines that were being written as time went on... Urgh, it was a fucking nightmare, but for Cassie Ko'atal was worth putting up with all that crap. For now, at least.

It wasn't that the human was exactly eager to begin shopping around for a new paramour, but lately there just seemed to be more and more things that were coming up to test the couple, and given their positions it was difficult to work it all out. Like the whole centuries-wide age gap was a constant point of disapproval from her parents (which really did get exhausting), and just all of the cultural differences and restrictions they encountered were almost starting to feel like a third wheel...

"So Cass," Jin's voice cut through the fog of Cassie's thoughts like a meat cleaver through bone, "how are things with the Kahn going?". Not to be outdone in any arena, the archer's frown quickly shifted into his tattle-tale shit-eating grin as retribution came to him; Takeda didn't need his telepathy to know that this was going to get dirty in a hurry, nor did Jacqui need her boyfriend's worried look and gentle elbow-to-the-rib warning. Even Cassie could see it coming, but she wasn't too worried. As a woman that spoke her mind whenever a thought struck her, she was no stranger to backlash, although admittedly there was one personal concern pressing her mind, and not even Jacqui knew about it...

Jacqui, who knew literally everything there was to know about Cassie; Jacqui, who would help her face any problem head-on. Jacqui, who had her own life, her own relationship, her own issues to deal with. Still though, if Jacqui had been the one to ask that, the blonde popping her gum on the opposite side of the desk would have at least known that there was a genuine interest and disquiet in the question. Truthfully there were times she wished that Takeda would just read her mind and go to her best friend for advise or whatever, but damn him he was just too much of a gentleman to pry that far without express permission.

Testing the limits of just how far he could push the slightly younger woman before she snapped, Jin barreled on, oblivious to the thoughts swirling inside her head. If her best friend had no clue what was going on internally, there was absolutely no way that the guys would have a prayer of guessing. How can I tell any of them when I can't even say it to Ko'atal? "You still our sarge, or are we going to have to start calling you Empress Cassandra Cage, the bratty blonde queen of blowjobs soon?"

Stung by the accuracy of the comment, she took a considerable pause while pretending to finish typing out a heinously dull report that was due on the General's desk an hour ago, using the time to really just update her Friendships status: Anyone else ever have one of those days you just want to blow out the brains of your co-workers? Well, maybe not her whole squad, as Takeda was just kind of there with her at the moment, but most definitely Jin. But since when was that anything new? "If you're asking if he put a ring on it yet, do you see any new bling?" Cassie flipped the Shaolin monk the bird.

Despite the AC thrumming gently behind Cassie's head keeping the rest of the compound comfortable, someone just brought gasoline to this powder keg. It was true that living through her parent's divorce had jaded her to the thought of marriage, yet that didn't mean that the blonde was completely opposed to the idea of a committed monogamist relationship with the right person. Not that Ko'atal was necessarily that person, but it would have been nice if he was open to the discussion. Then again, it might have helped if she actually broached the topic... Either way, it was so not cool of Jin to bring it up.

Author's Notes:

First and foremost, I'd like to request that you take the time to review. I'd prefer it if your comments were constructive criticism, but honestly I'd be more than grateful for even a simple 'I like it, when's the next chapter?'. On the subject of reviews, if you do, I will try to get back to you ASAP if there's anything worth saying in reply, and I will thank you in the next chapter, so if you don't want that acknowledgment, please just let me know and I will refrain.

In terms of chapter updates, my style is to typically hit them out bam-bam-bam while I'm caught up in it all, but I inevitably slow down, at which point there is no guarantee when (or even if) I'll continue. Considering how much I love MK, I will probably at least end this. Technically I have not ended my last MK fic as it still requires a sequel, but as this is a reboot of my initial story (largely growth, time, and MK X made this happen), I feel semi-justified.

*this section may contain Mortal Kombat X spoilers from story mode*

Speaking of MK X (not that I want to get into this tangent, but I really have to vent somewhere), I have to admit that I personally haven't played it yet as I'm still on the older gen systems for one, and for two I'm holding out for the hopeful Komplete Edition. Originally (when I had this whole separate take on everything written back just after MKX came out), I had a few things to nitpick over, but now that time and understanding have settled (relatively speaking), I do have one issue I can't put to bed. That's the "deaths" of Mileena and Quan Chi. Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased, but really? Really? They're going to do Quan Chi like that? He's way too cunning and not nearly so loyal as to just die like that! And I know I can't be the only one that's incapable of seeing a future MK title without Mileena in it! Well maybe yes I am on the last one, but still.

Arcade ending aside, maybe it's reaching, but I have theories on how they could make it into the next game (assuming that there is one. Lol, of course there will be). Mileena was offed by D'Vorah, who we see is loyal to Shinnok (am I the only one that was truly shocked by that?). Shinnok and Quan Chi are known for raising the dead. So maybe it'll be as revenant, but it's technically not impossible. As for Quan Chi, I think that he is still alive. Maybe he had a clone fake everyone out the entire time, or maybe it was just closer to the end, but think about it - both he and Shinnok were decapitated. And it's not exactly like you see what went down when ol' Fishface himself lost his head... I'm just saying, Quan Chi's too slippery to just die like that. Get his butt kicked, fine, but not die.

Actually I do have less pressing issues with the whole come-on-i-ness of Sub-Zero's and Mileena's interactions, but that's really neither here nor there as I don't mind the implied relationship, I'd just like to know when/how business brought the Empress and the mind-slave together. Because to me it would have made the most sense for them to interact while he was under Quan Chi's control. Anyways!

*spoiler/rant end*

As a warning, I can be forgetful, which will largely show itself more in my notes than in the actual story. That's probably irrelevant information, but sometimes I forget to note something or if there's a time gap between updates, I might just lose why I chose to take the story in a certain direction if I don't promptly apply the info.

Now to explain the chapter itself! Well this once the title, but then the story! My first thought - after Oh, shit! I have no idea what to name this story - was to go with Wrecking Ball. Yes, after the Miley Cyrus song. It was a really close call actually, but thankfully there was a part of me that didn't feel it was the right fit, so I opted to find a more relevant title. I think I found it too! Seriously, if you haven't heard Skylar Grey's I Know You, you really should give it a listen! Ok yes, it was on a certain album, but screw it, I'm not promoting that movie, just recommending a really great song! And then as I was about to post the chapter, I thought about it some more, and I realized that I should just go with my gut.

Ok, and now the chapter itself! Man, can I put any more exclamation marks in the notes section? Sorry, my tired mind wanders. Hemhem, so without further ado, the notes for this chapter! Kung Jin - I feel as if I know very little about him, so that kinda jaded my opinion of him initially. Thanks in large to reading other people's takes on him, my view has softened, but I still wish that we could get to see/know more about him. Oh well. And just so we're all clear, my dislike of Jin came before it was pointed out to me that he was gay (actually that whole bit about sexual tension was my first reaction to him and Cassie's relationship). Speaking of Cassie and Jin, I realize that they probably started to butt-heads a bit less after the game (although I doubt that it will ever stop completely between them), but I decided to go in a rougher direction for their feelings towards the other. And I think it's about time that there was an open character in MK, and I find it even cooler that he's a monk.

There was probably more I wanted to address about this story... Damn. Well I guess that you should be forewarned that there will be more than one OC x Cannon relationship in this story. So yeah.

Yeesh, that was a lot to get off my chest, but hopefully it'll be the last time that the notes sections is longer than the actual chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat nor any of their characters. They are the intellectual property of NetherRealm Studios, Ed Boon, and John Tobias. Any OCs and lesser non-MK characters are mine. Any possible depictions of explicit violence/gore, nudity/sexual situations, racism/discrimination, and/or whatever else that's crazy/bad are not to be taken as a reflection of my own person and are simply tools/devices/forms of plot/entertainment and should not be taken seriously. I say live and let live - I'm not here to tell anyone how to be or who to love or anything of the sort. This is all purely for entertainment and the love I have for writing, as well as these characters.