A/N: Hello MKX fans! I do love that game. And I have a soft spot for ol' frosty undies himself, Sub-Zero. This is AU Kara. So Internal Conflict and Clouded Visions did not happen. Smoke and Nightwolf are revenants. How epic was unmasked Scorpion though? Well done to NetherRealm Studios, they outdid themselves. *claps* I do not own MK, nor the realms, nor the characters. Only my OC's, which are Kara aka Vixen, Jakal, and Tiama. This was originally a one shot, but it would have been around 20,000 words, which I was worried may bore some readers, so, it will be split into around three chapters now. Thanks for the love guys, it's much appreciated!

Frozen Butterfly

Chrysalis

Johnny, Takeda, Jacqui, Kung-Jin, Cassie, and Kara sat, in the helicopter, on their way to the Lin Quei temple.

Jacqui looked on the aerial map screen, and saw snow, falling quite heavily.

Cassie moved behind her. "Once we hit the drop point, we split up. Jacqui and I will come in from the south". She turned to Takeda and Kung-Jin. "You two from the west".

Jacqui pointed to a particular spot on the map. "Rendezvous here. The north entrance".

Jin spoke with cockiness. "Then what? A simple pickup and go?"

Cassie's eyebrow's raised and she smiled. "We bag him if he resists".

A huff was heard from further down the helicopter, and everyone looked, right at the Lin Quei member, who clearly wasn't very happy with being here. "Resists? He may well do. He's been acting odd lately, the old fool".

Johnny shook his head, and frowned. "Sub-Zero is no old fool, Kara".

But Takeda agreed with her, he could feel something was amiss. "Resistance might be more possible than you think...".

Cassie cut him off. "Don't sweat it. It comes to that, Sub-Zero won't know what hit him".

Kara smirked and chuckled at that. "Likely you, right in his groin. Yikes".

Everyone except the lady mentioned groaned at that.

And Johnny? Well, Johnny was one proud father. His daughter had come so far in her life, and accomplished so much.

Two acolytes ran up the steep stairwell, to their Grand-Master's chambers, where he sat, in the middle of the room.

The bowed in respect, before one spoke. "The forward defenses stand down as you command, Grand-Master".

The fellow beside him spoke next. "It is confirmed. Five intruders".

Sub's expression went from giving nothing away, to looking rather amused at the current situation. "It is time to entertain our guests". A diabolic smirk graced his mouth, and he stood up.

The team of five arrived, and moved around the side of the main building, as quietly as they could, keeping the sound of the crunching snow minimal, under their boots.

Cassie looked back, at her squad. "All right. I've got point". She looked at Takeda. "You, Jin, and Kara, that side". She pointed to the side opposite her, but the three seemed reluctant to move. "Move".

The three did so, as fast as they could. Cassie looked at Jacqui, whose look was determined. She smiled at that. "Ready?" Her friend nodded.

She ran forward, but had to stumble backwards, as the main doors opened, and Sub strolled out of the building, along with six men behind him.

They knelt down in front of a huge Buddhist monk statue. Jin shrugged and went to move, but Cassie mouthed 'don't'. He ignored her and she rolled her eyes.

"Dammit, Jin...".

Jin glared down the Lin Quei Grand-Master, as he strode toward him.

"You. I need t-".

Cassie yanked him back, and scowled.

Sub looked up, but did not turn their way. "You are not welcome here. State your intentions".

Johnny's daughter wasn't about to let the slightly aggravating Shaolin monk ruin their plans. "Grand-Master. We need you to come with us. My name is Sergeant-".

The six acolytes shot up, and several more appeared, all brandishing swords. They surrounded the group.

Sub-Zero stood up, and before he spoke, he saw Kara, behind this 'Sergeant', and his eyes narrowed. "You demand my cooperation. Yet you are cut off. Surrounded. What will you do?"

The five got into their fighting stances. None wanted the situation to go this way, but it seemed they had little choice but to fight.

"My father always spoke highly of you, Sub-Zero. He wants to talk". Cassie kept her tone polite, and respectful. It wasn't working however.

"Talking. Always his first choice".

Jin growled and wanted a fist fight, that much was obvious. He was done listening. "Okay...Let's try pummeling. Now!"

The group spaced out, to take on smaller groups of the acolytes. The buzz-cut hairstyle blond was really pissed off now. "Wait!"

Within seconds, everything erupted, and Cassie barely noticed Sub's fist, smashing towards her face. He kicked her in the stomach after she blocked his punch, so she retaliated by kicking him in the stomach, and he jumped back. He threw her onto the ground, and she rolled forward, before standing up.

"Cassandra Cage". The Grand-Master surveyed his surroundings, taking in the chaos. "You lead this group, but they do not follow. What would your mother do?"

He readied his fighting stance, and Cassie has heard enough. "Stop wasting time, and take you down".

The pair began fighting.

But Sub won, and Cassie had to sit there, in complete humiliation, licking her wounds.

But, he had to admit, she was tough. Better than he thought. More like her mother than she realised.

"You are more like your mother than you think".

Kara stared down her Grand-Master, furious at him, for attacking Cassie's team. What the in the realms was he playing at? They were there to liaison, not be beaten to a pulp. He even seemed to be smirking too, which made the young woman seethe, power flowed through her veins, aching to be let loose, but she had to bite her tongue. Bide her time...

The young woman was fuming. How could he turn on them? They were in enough shit as it was, and yet now, one of their biggest allies was screwing them over. Her cynicism had gotten the better of her, and she no longer held her tongue.

Sub-Zero then turned on Takeda, and when he was was finished battering him, he struggled to get back up again. Jacqui ran over to him, and her look to the cryomancer was venomous. She walked away from her injured friend, and got into her stance.

Jacqui fought well, she out in some powerful hits, but, she still fell, and sighed out her pain. However, before Sub walked away, she got up, and kicked up in the face. That stunned him, and he groaned.

Jin ran over to his friends, and got out his bow. He angrily attacked Sub, who was still out of it, so the monk effectively beat him down. But, he wasn't about to lose. He summoned up all of his strength, and disappeared, in a haze of ice cold smoke. Jin looked around confused, and was picked up and smashed into the ground, face first. He howled in pain, and his nose began streaming blood. He waved his hands, then placed one under his nose.

Kara finished fighting with her fellow clansmen, walked over to Takeda, and a lilac light came from her hands. He started to feel a little less fragile, and his wounds were healing. She then began to heal Cassie and Jacqui.

The young woman turned to her Grand-Master, and threw a telepathic blast at him, which knocked all the wind out of him.

"Oh and, Grand-Master? You forgot little old me. Seems you really have lost it". She turned to her friends, and put her arms out, either side of her. "See? What did I tell you? An old, beaten, run down fool".

The four were rounded up, but not Kara. She kept on throwing any of the men who tried to grab her away.

They were put in a line, with the acolytes behind them, in case they tried anything. Takeda tried to make light of the situation, but it fell on deaf ears.

"So, any ideas?"

Cassie didn't want to beg, or plead with the cryromancer, but she had a feeling she'd have too. "Sub-Zero...Let's talk".

He didn't listen, again. "That opportunity has passed".

Jin's nose had stopped bleeding, and all he felt was rage. "Got a new plan, Cage?"

Jacqui spat back. "You could'a followed the old one Jin".

Cassie rolled her eyes, and decided on a new approach...

...Threaten.

"You're gonna catch hell if you kill us...".

Sub-Zero's scar twitched, as his face moved. "Yes, I suppose so. Chuo! Dangjin!" A man stepped forward, and cut the groups bonds.

The four, and Kara were visibly confused. "That worked?"

A whistle made them all frown...

...Johnny.

Kara stared down Sub, and growled at him. "Oh, for fuck's sake. This was a setup? How cruel! Fucking...".

Her father, General Jakal, appearing from the doorway of the main building made her bite back her vicious torrent of words. "Kara! Stop. I understand your frustration. But, a test was needed".

Kara walked past him, into the temple, not even bothering to look his way. "Whatever. Screw you, you ice cold bastard. I'm not doing this anymore".

Jakal cringed at his daughter's words, and shook his head in apology to his leader. He followed Kara, but kept quite far back from her.

She was mortified, he knew why. But she'd come to understand...

...Right?

Cassie looked at her dad, and stood up. "So, this was all a...".

Sub finished her sentence. "A training exercise".

The sergeant shook her head, in shame. "Damn, I shoulda seen it".

Sub seemed to show a little compassion. "You and your friends show promise, Cassandra Cage. But until you function as one, you will fall short".

The four bowed to him, he returned the bow, and walked away.

"WHAT? You're leaving? Why Kara?"

Kara was stuffing her belongings haphazardly, into a bag, in her room. "This little 'stunt' just reaffirmed for me that I don't want to be in this madhouse any longer. Dad, I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. It's stressing me out. You should know I don't deal well with stress".

Jakal laughed. "Well, you do have my temperament. But". He turned her to face him. "Why? Really, why leave?"

Kara looked at him, dropped her bag, and sat down on the bed. "I just, I can't listen to Sub a minute longer. He's a terrible leader. He's either not strong enough, or just goes for it, brute force. There's no in-between. I remember when he wasn't like that. He considered all the possibilities. Not just nothing, or violence. Resorting to attacking isn't the way the clan used to be, is it?"

Jakal moved aside his daughter's second bag, and sat down next to her. "Times have changed Kara. Sub's having to make really tough decisions. It can't be easy for him. I know you disagree, but".

Kara stopped him. "It's not that I disagree. There's no way it can be easy, to make decisions, that determine the outcome, of extremely dangerous, and volatile situations. Gonna talk me out of leaving?"

Her father shook his head. "No. You are a grown woman, you aren't my little cub anymore. You make your own choices in life. You must speak with Sub-Zero though. Shall I tell your friend's to wait, or leave without you? We could always create a portal back to Sonya's base of operations later".

Kara hugged him, and smiled. "Thanks Dad. Tell them to go on without me. I have some apologising and explaining to do".

Jakal nodded, stood up, and left her room.

Cassie pushed past Jin, who looked at her, discontent written all over his face.

Johnny followed his daughter, who was putting away her things.

She sighed. "The Lin Quei shredded us".

Jin hit back at her. "You, maybe".

Jacqui snapped back. "I see plenty of frozen boot-prints on your ass, too".

Johnny tried to rally the troops. Albeit in his own, comical, and slightly annoying way. "C'mon now...You're all winner in my book".

The foursome all sulked, until Johnny's phone buzzed.

"New orders. From General Blade. Priority One: Outworlders. Here in Earthrealm".

Takeda chimed in. "An invasion?"

Jacqui shook her head. "Couldn't be".

Johnny was silent, and that made Jin laugh. "You're not afraid, are you, Mister Cage?"

"Outworlders, I can handle. Is Kara coming with us?"

A loud knocking was heard on the helicopter door.

"That'd be a no. She has a ton of explaining to do. Look, I want to say sorry. She came here with an agenda, and that should not have happened. She should have kept personal matters just that, personal, to herself".

Jin snickered, only stopping after reciving a sharp glare from the General. "Personal? As in...oh, ah. Well now, that is personal, isn't it?"

Jakal growled and smacked the ceiling. "No! Not like that. Urgh, kids today, always assuming everything is way more than it actually is. Sorry Johnny. I'm Jakal, Jin, but since there's already a Jin here, Jakal will do. Kara will join you all later".

The pair shook hands, and Jakal left the helicopter.

The team set off, headed to Outworld.

"You're leaving".

Kara didn't bother looking at her mentor. She just waved a hand behind her, a gesture that annoyed him. "Stop being petulant Kara. You're acting like a child".

Kara bit her inner cheek and growled. "And you are acting like a leader, when clearly, you aren't one. You lost the ability to lead a long time ago. You're a lone wolf, and that is not what the clan needs".

Sub-Zero bit back a potentially nasty retort. "And what might it need then? Someone clearly better than I. But whom? Other than you, and, since you are leaving, that leaves only your Father. Is he better than I? A more capable leader?"

Now Kara chose to look at him, but what she saw frightened her. Sub had a way, of using his icy blue eyes to make you shiver. He didn't need to freeze you, in order to make you squirm. All he needed was that look.

"Grand-Master, look...".

The cryomancer waved her off. "No point in calling me that anymore".

"Sub?" She paused. Did she really want to piss him off further?

The young woman decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, she was leaving tonight.

"Kuai?"

She swore she saw Sub flinch, and he virtually stomped away from her, and slammed her dormitory style room door shut.

All I am good at here is pissing people off. No point in staying. The clan is done for anyway. That's for certain.

Father, do forgive me. I know you want me to stay here, and support you, but...Earthrealm needs more people to help with their plight. And I want to, no, need too help. And being here, with a dysfunctional clan, and a leader, who fails miserably at his role.

As Kara left the building, Sub's voice stopped her. She turned to him, but only saw thin wisps of ice, drifting in the air, and gleaming aquamarine eyes.

"Kara. You wish to know why I am failing as a leader?"

That question confused the young woman. She wasn't sure whether to nod, shake her head, or ignore him.

He answered his own question, before she could do any of those things. "Hanzo still believes that the Lin Quei are responsible for the Shirai Ryu's demise. He refuses to grant me even a minute, to prove to him that it wasn't us responsible. That it wasn't my brother who murdered his wife and child. I have proof Kara, he just won't listen to me. The infighting, the threat of war on Earth, everything is getting on top of me. And I have no one to turn too. I am a leader Kara. I don't get to bare my soul to anyone, I don't get to feel anything, other than rage, and bitterness. That is my role, and one I do not wish for anymore. All I carry is shame. You are right. The Lin Quei deserve someone that can lead them, guide them to a better place, a better mindset. To become better warriors. A broken warrior can never be a pillar of strength, someone to look up too".

Kara felt sadness creep into her brain. Sub-Zero was right. He truly had no one. He wasn't allowed to talk, seek help. That would be seen as weakness.

"I cannot help someone who cannot help themselves".

Sub looked away, and the ice crystals around him shattered. "Your father said that to me once. You really are his child".

The young woman huffed. "I am not a child".

The older man disappeared, but a mere whisper could be heard before he did.

It sounded like he said, I'm sorry.

And Kara felt her eyes well up. She still wanted to leave, but she felt that she needed to help her former master. After all, he'd always helped her. And no matter how surly he could be, he helped her when she stumbled, or forget her katas.

Gruff exterior or not, he deserved a degree of sympathy.