The next morning, Mousse was awake still wearing his clothes when he was abducted by the Lin Kuei. A commanding officer of the Lin Kuei was chosen to train Mousse. Sub-Zero was here to evaluate Mousse's training. Azurite, Mousse's new friend, was there for support.
"What am I supposed to do?" Mousse asked.
"You are to survive in the harshest of cold climates," the Lin Kuei officer stated. "Manage to survive at sunset and we will continue your training."
"You're kidding me!" Mousse cried. "Leaving me here all alone with the clothes on my back?!"
Without saying a word, the Lin Kuei vanished leaving Mousse to wander the arctic tundra by himself. Adjusting his glasses, Mousse tries to find his way around trying to find his way back to the Lin Kuei Temple. Observing Mousse from afar were Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei officer and Azurite.
"Grand Master, are you sure about this Mousse person?" asked the officer. "It is unlikely for someone of his personality to slaughter 4 members of the Red Dragon single-handed."
"Rest assured all will reveal itself soon," Sub-Zero responded. "Mousse's hidden talent might serve the Lin Kuei well during the battle for Earthrealm."
Mousse stumbled around trying to find a clear path through a powerful snowstorm. Unfortunately, Mousse managed by blind luck to stumble and fall into a hole in the ice. In front of the Lin Kuei's eyes, Mousse's Jusenkyo curse was exposed.
"Is it some Outworld magic," the officer questioned, "or did Mousse change into a duck?"
"Perhaps it must be his Animality," Sub-Zero noted. "I once physically morphed into a polar bear to channel my Animality."
"I think I know this magic," Azurite pointed out. "There's a training ground in Qinghai Province, China, that was abandoned by all martial artists."
"You know of such an odd place, Azurite?" the officer demanded.
"Yes," Azurite replied. "This training ground has cursed pools of water. Whatever drowned in a particular pool would change whoever falls into that pool next into that thing. I think it's called Zhou-Quan-Xiang."
"The Accursed Springs Village," Sub-Zero thought. "I think I remember that area."
"What happens now, Grand Master?" the officer reported. "Surely a mere duck would provide little for our cause."
"Patience," Sub-Zero spoke, "Let's see what Mousse can do in animal form before dismissing him."
Mousse began to quack frantically after stumbling into the frozen water through a hole in the ice. And as bad luck would have it, a polar bear is on the prowl looking for food, and managed to spot Mousse.
"Mousse! Hold on!" Azurite calls out as she attempted to help. However, Sub-Zero ordered his officer to restrain Azurite in ice. Azurite can only pout as she is chest deep in ice.
"This is a test, Azurite," Sub-Zero reminded her. "Mousse has to survive on his own without any assistance."
The polar bear tried to swing at Mousse with its paws, but Mousse managed to dodge them with some fancy flying. However, one lucky swipe knocks the duck down temporarily. A bit dizzy, Mousse managed to dart around the bear trying to paw him. A few swings manage to hit Mousse as he tried to escape. However, before the bear can close in, Mousse began to feel his Kombat Rage returning. Even as a duck, Mousse's Kombat Rage began to boil. He began to peck and snap at the polar bear at first. The polar bear swiped at Mousse again, but this time the duck unleashed his weapons. Chained kunai knives, bombs, shuriken and fireworks on the polar bear scaring it off.
"Unbelievable!" Azurite shouted.
"I never seen anything like this," the officer said in a voice of disbelief.
"It seems that even in animal form, our newest recruit is more formidable than when he was human," Sub-Zero observed.
Suddenly in a flash, Mousse slices the polar bear completely with a razor-thin steel wire that was unleashed like a whip. Afterwards, Mousse's Kombat Rage slowly began to subside.
"By the Elder Gods!" Azurite yelled out. "Mousse just hacked that bear to pieces!"
"Sir, what do you make of this recruit?" the officer asked.
"He is strange but strong," Sub-Zero concluded. "If he's a survivor of the Accursed Springs, he will need a hot bath to return him to human form. Free Azurite and relay him the news. I have business to attend to."
As Sub-Zero disappears, the Lin Kuei officer frees Azurite and both of them lured Mousse back to the temple. Upon returning, Mousse was thrown into a hot spring in the outskirts of the temple. When Mousse returned to normal, he was shocked and surprised to see his training officer and Azurite at the edge of the spring.
"What's going on? What happened here?" Mousse asked in a panic.
"I had doubts about you, recruit," the officer reported, "but in the clutch, and on your most unfortunate disadvantage ever, you surpassed your test faster than any Lin Kuei before you."
"In other words, Mousse," Azurite chimed, "you are officially a Lin Kuei! Congratulations!"
"Thanks, I guess," Mousse said with an unsure look on his face. As the other Lin Kuei leave Mousse to relax and recover, Mousse looked down into his own reflection in the water. He still cannot keep his Kombat Rage under control, even in his cursed form. A few tears began to roll down his face in despair on what has transpired in the last few days.
"Oh, Shampoo…" Mousse cried silently. "What am I becoming?"
Sub-Zero's business was visiting Tokyo since Sonya called him about Mousse's complete butchering of the Red Dragons.
"You and I go way back, Sub-Zero", Sonya inquired, "so inform me on why I shouldn't charge you with obstruction of this ongoing investigation."
"I know of the murders of the Red Dragons, and I understand your occupation requires resolve," Sub-Zero replied, "but my newest recruit is vital for our defense of Earthrealm against Shao Kahn and his forces."
"I understand about Armageddon closing in," Sonya nodded, "but an unstable individual still poses a threat to Earthrealm security. I'll let this slide for now, but you better promise me that he doesn't kill innocent bystanders. Any blood spilled by this man is on your hands, Sub-Zero!"
"I can assure you he will have complete control," Sub-Zero told Sonya.
Sonya decided to let Sub-Zero continue to train Mousse to control his Kombat Rage, but any further incidents will result in bringing him to justice. Elsewhere, one of the Red Dragon clan members was out on patrol in Tokyo and overheard the news about how his fellow members were slaughtered. He then radioed the Red Dragon stronghold to inform his superiors about Mousse's handiwork. One of those Red Dragons is Mavado, general of the Red Dragon Clan.
"So we have a rogue warrior loose in Earthrealm," Mavado thought. "This won't set well with Master Daegon."
Mavado then began to radio the entire stronghold. "Attention, Red Dragon Clan! This is Mavado! I'm offering a reward of 3 million Gold Koins plus 13% per month for the Red Dragon warrior who brings me the head of this mysterious new warrior!"
With that announcement, hundreds of Red Dragon Clan members stormed out of the mountains swarming like hornets and armed to the teeth. Their orders are to find Mousse and bring him back either dead or alive.