CHAPTER VI: A NECESSARY EVIL
In hindsight, Sub-Zero should have realized that nothing in her life would ever be simple, not even escorting her apprentice to the rendezvous point. Of course she'd already accounted for the fact that her apprentice would likely be possessed, Quan Chi would send assassins to kill her and wild beasts would hinder their progress.
But never in a million years did she think she'd be forced into a situation like this.
After a long line of questioning and a lot of threatening, it was evident that the man—she refused to acknowledge him as Bi-Han—knew nothing after his death at the hands of Scorpion. He did, however, say that he remembered being tortured briefly, by a young boy.
"How young?" she asked, her dagger was still at his throat, unwilling to let him go just yet.
He shook his head as much as his strained position allowed him to. "I do not know. I could not see him, but his voice was an adolescent's."
She didn't want to believe but—"Well, you believe what you say, at least." Sub-zero stepped back and dropped her arm to her side, but didn't sheathe her weapon.
He looked at her warily when she let him go. "It is the truth."
"It's what you believe to be the truth," she corrected, still staring at him, unwilling to believe that her brother was in front of her, whole and human.
"You say you're Sub-Zero…how is it that you inherited my title?" he finally asked. It was a question Sub-Zero didn't know how to answer. She dropped her gaze to his uniform, the very same uniform she could remember Bi-Han wore during battles. How would he react if she told him the truth?
She should be honest with him, extend the same courtesy; he had been truthful the whole time.
"How do you think?" she said instead, meeting his eyes once more.
"Kuai Liang was supposed to inherit my title," he muttered. A flicker of horror and despair crossed his features. "He's not—? He couldn't be—?"
Sub-Zero shifted her gaze away from him once more, unable to answer him. He took her silence to be the answer he was looking for. Bi-Han dropped to his knees with a thud and grabbed his head with both his hands.
"This can't be—I—how could I let this happen?" he whispered.
To say Sub-Zero was surprised would be an understatement. She was floored by her brother's reaction. Bi-Han, the Bi-Han, the unmovable rock, the coldest man alive—quite literally, was breaking down in front of her because he thought his brother was dead.
Bi-Han was special to her; she had idolized him for as long as she could remember. He'd taught her how to control her powers, and train her in stealth and fight with daggers. But it was the tough-brotherly-love sort of relationship, with very few moments of tenderness between them. Sub-Zero was grateful for Bi-Han's training, and it was true that she loved him, but she didn't think her brother would feel the same. When it was just the two of them, Bi-Han was occasionally brotherly, but in front of others, especially their parents, he was as bitter and cold as the wind that blew in Arctika.
Which is why it came as a surprise that he would be affected this much by 'his' death.
In a way, she supposed, the Sub-Zero her brother knew was already dead. For one, he was a she now, secondly, she was a far cry from the relatively unblooded assassin she had been when he was still alive.
She had changed, everything had.
Sub-Zero knelt before her brother and put her hands on his shoulders. He lifted his head and met her eyes, and in them, she saw a whirlpool of despair.
Her heart ached for her brother. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bi-Han cut her off.
"I do not need your reassurances," he growled. "If you know of how he died, tell me the name of the bastard who took his life, so I may end his."
"You misunderstand—" she started, bent on telling him the truth, but Bi-Han cut her off.
"Don't," he said sharply. His eyes flickered to her dragon medallion and back to her face. "You are the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, am I correct?"
"You are."
"You know me or know of me at least, your attitude towards me betrays it."
"I do."
"Then you know that I am a skilled warrior. You have the power to reinstate me—"
"No," Sub-Zero said shortly. Just because he didn't remember anything he did as Noob Saibot, doesn't mean he didn't do them. Besides, the Lin Kuei he knew was very different from what it had been.
Anger flared in the pools of Bi-Han's eyes. "You dare—"
Sub-Zero stood and looked down at Bi-Han. "I do. You forget, I am the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Unless you wish to challenge me. But even then, there is no hope for you to defeat me." She spoke cuttingly. "Times have changed, Bi-Han. The Lin Kuei has changed. You, your attitude and your outdated knowledge of Lin Kuei protocol would not go unnoticed. And you would likely be thrown out of the stronghold faster than you can say 'Lin Kuei'."
He looked at her with barely disguised irritation as she spoke. "Surely you could—"
"Surely you understand that while I know you, you do not know yourself."
"What do you—?"
"You remember nothing after battling with Scorpion in Mortal Kombat." She stated simply. "You remember nothing of what you've done. The horrors you've committed."
"The horrors I've committed? How dare you accuse me—," he stood up, obviously seething.
"I dare," she raised her voice, silencing Bi-Han. "Because I was there when you did them. I dare because I saw you ally yourself to the enemy. I dare because I saw you massacre dozens of Lin Kuei soldiers in an effort to get your brother to surrender and allow himself to be killed."
A stunned silence followed her words. A look of horror—but not disbelief, Sub-Zero noted—was plastered on Bi-Han's face.
"I would never do that to Kuai Liang." He said after a while.
"But you would kill Lin Kuei? Betray the clan?" as she spoke softly, she saw Bi-Han grit his teeth. She raised her arm, and in it, a long sword extended from her palms, the blade ending only right before his neck. "Choose your words carefully." Now was not the time for her emotions to cloud her judgment. By all means, she should have already sliced his throat for everything he'd done. But if there was one stark difference between her and the original Sub-Zero, it was her mercifulness.
Bi-Han inhaled sharply as the edge of her blade grazed his neck. "The system of the Lin Kuei has never fostered camaraderie or loyalty. It was always about power. The weak died early on, unable to handle the stress of being a Lin Kuei assassin. That's why the Dark Room existed. It was an example of what would happen to you if you questioned or disobeyed the ones in power. And those that came out of there were mostly beat into submission. The main lesson you would learn in Lin Kuei was to never trust anyone."
"And do you believe that? Did you never truly trust anyone during your years in the Lin Kuei?"
Exhaling heavily, Bi-Han struggled to answer her question. "Against my…better judgment, there was Tomas…and, well, Alexander."
"And what of your brother?"
"I think that goes without saying."
"It is in your best interest to remember that the Lin Kuei today no longer holds such archaic views. We operate as a family, and there is implicit trust among the council members and the rest of the clan." Sub-Zero lowered her blade and dissipated it with a flick of her wrist. "Very well. I am going to reinstate you."
Bi-Han glanced at her warily. "I am sensing there's more."
She inclined her head in assent. "Naturally." Bi-Han motioned for her to continue. "If I am to reinstate you, there will be…provisions.
"First, you are to follow everything I say. You may ask why, but there is no guarantee I will answer you. Just know that everything I say or do that pertains to you is for your benefit. As of now, you are considered an enemy of my faction." She started pacing, wondering what exactly to do with him. "So the second rule is that you are to follow everything anyone from our faction says. If you are ever to get back in their good graces, you must show them that you are willing to repent—"
"For crimes I do not even remember doing." He stated bitterly.
Sub-Zero stopped in her tracks and eyed him. "Oh believe me, everyone in the headquarters will remind you of what you've done. Some more than others." She grimaced as she thought of what Scorpion would say…or rather do. He was the type that would attack first then ask questions later.
The older Lin Kuei looked rather uncertain at her statement. "What happens when I start to remember?"
She looked at him coldly, "If you revert back, I will kill you myself."
Sub-Zero spent the rest of the night looking over Hanzo and explaining some of what had happened to Bi-Han in the last few years. He alternated between being horrified and being extremely horrified at the things he heard. She ended up admitting that she was indeed, Kuai Liang, ("What! You told me he died!" "No, I just didn't correct your assumptions.") and no, she didn't want to get into the specifics of her transformation.
When the sun started rising, Sub-Zero couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. The sooner they arrived at the rendezvous point, the better; she might even be able pass Bi-Han off to Raiden. The two spent their journey in silence, and Sub-Zero was not eager for it to be broken. It was bad enough that she had decided to bring him along, but she had no idea what exactly to do with him. She had lied when she told Bi-Han that everything she would tell him to do would be for his good; there was nothing she could do if the people at headquarters decided he needed to die.
As the two reached the clearing, Sub-Zero spotted a white figure in the distance. Halfway towards the man, she stopped and faced Bi-Han. "Stay here while I speak with Raiden."
Bi-Han shifted Hanzo on his back and raised an eyebrow cockily.
"And lose the attitude," she said irritably as she started towards the Thunder God. As she approached, she noticed that there was confusion written on Raiden's face.
"Sub-Zero," he greeted her warmly.
"Raiden," she said curtly, and his smile faltered slightly. "I apologize for the delay. There was a… complication." She glanced at where Bi-Han was standing.
"Yes, I was wondering, is that young Hanzo on his back?"
The cryomancer waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes. But that's not important. I think you should focus on exactly who that person is."
Raiden squinted. "A Lin Kuei, I presume. He's wearing a rather outdated tunic."
"He's older than me, but he's also a cryomancer."
This surprised the God. "I thought that the only two that were left were you and Frost."
Sub-Zero sighed and decided that the bush had already been thoroughly beaten. "That's Bi-Han."
There was a moment of silence as Raiden absorbed that bit of information. Surprisingly, he took it very well. "And you are certain it is him?"
She nodded. "There is no doubt. But he doesn't remember anything he has done as Noob Saibot."
Raiden glanced at Bi-Han surreptitiously. "Why did you bring him with you?"
"I, well," she shifted uncomfortably. "I honestly did not know what to do with him. And I am…uncertain if my feelings are affecting my rationality." At Raiden's raised eyebrow, she added. "Well, he is my brother."
"Ah."
Pause.
"And you thought bringing him to the headquarters would be a good idea because…?"
"Because I think keeping him contained in an area full of seasoned warriors was better than keeping him in the Lin Kuei temple." She retorted. "Besides, I need to know what you and the rest of the Forces of Light wish to do with him. I do not want to have any part in it." Looking down, she mumbled, "And I could not bring myself to kill him myself."
Raiden awkwardly patted her in the back. "There, there. If it ever comes to that point, I think Scorpion would be more than happy to take over."
A hysterical laugh threatened to escape her but she clamped it down. "Yes, I believe that he would. I've already told Bi-Han that he would have to follow anything that we order him to do. He is under the impression that if he's on his best behavior, I'll reinstate him into the Lin Kuei."
"Underhanded tactics from you? Why, I never thought I'd see the day." A glare from Sub-Zero made Raiden raise his hands in a placating gesture. "Very well, bring your brother and protégée here so that we may make for Outworld. But I suggest he should be blindfolded."
With a nod, Sub-Zero gestured for Bi-Han to approach them. "I hope nobody kills me for this."
"I certainly hope Scorpion would not kill him before we get a chance to talk to him." He muttered. The Thunder God flipped open his comm. and dialed Sonya. "Yes hello, Sonya. Unfortunately there has been a complication…no, no, nothing so exotic, I'm afraid. Sub-Zero shall fill you in later, just prepare a room. He's not really a guest, more like someone we need to interrogate…yes, yes. Thank you." He cut off the comm. and faced the cryomancer as he approached. "Greetings, Bi-Han." He said more audibly.
"Lord Raiden," Bi-Han bowed—well, as much as he could with a boy on his back. Sub-Zero thrust a long piece of black cloth in his direction and he merely stared at it in confusion.
"Remember that 'Follow orders' conversation we had last night?" Sub-Zero reminded him.
"Yes, however, you have yet to tell me what to do with it." He retorted.
Raiden stepped forward and took the blindfold from Sub-Zero before she could use it to strangle her brother. "For security purposes, we would prefer it if you were blindfolded until we reach our headquarters. And before you ask," he raised a hand to prevent Bi-Han from interrupting. "No, I do not trust you. You must understand the kind of position you're putting us in, especially Sub-Zero. You are a known sympathizer to the ideals of the Dark, but we have agreed to bring you to our headquarters."
"And if I need to fight?"
Sub-Zero scoffed. "Raiden and I can take care of that."
There was a long silence before Bi-Han agreed. "I understand."
She gestured to him impatiently, and he handed the still-unconscious Hanzo to her while Raiden busied himself with blindfolding him.
Once Sub-Zero had strapped the boy safely onto her back and Raiden had successfully covered Bi-Han's eyesight, the Thunder God stepped back and summoned the portal to Outworld. Bi-Han was the first through the portal, as Sub-Zero pushed him when he hesitated to step through. She entered next, and was followed closely by Raiden, who closed the portal behind them.
Outworld was just as Sub-Zero remembered it to be, humid and depressing. Their journey to the headquarters lasted only a day and a half, as opposed to the almost three days it had taken her and Scorpion the first time. The Lin Kuei Grandmaster fed her apprentice when he woke up, and supplied him a sleeping potion to keep him knocked out. Ryu, thankfully, did not argue with it and just downed it whenever she told him to.
The group stopped a few meters from the house, which had been fortified with enchantments and other safety features, courtesy of Raiden, Taven and the members of the Special Forces. She of course, had also added her own traps; the floor was rigged to freeze those who weren't formally known members of the base, or escorted prisoners.
The group stopped a few meters from the base and Sub-zero turned to the two of them.
"Raiden, I'll be going first. I think they'll be more comfortable if he's wearing power-inhibiting cuffs." She gestured to Bi-Han. The mention of cuffs made Bi-Han go rigid, but he didn't protest. "I'll go get one, and I'll explain the situation to Sonya. Stay with him for a moment."
"Wouldn't it be better if you stayed with him, and I grabbed the cuffs?" Raiden looked disgruntled at the prospect of being alone with Bi-Han. It was absolutely ridiculous to feel that way, Sub-Zero thought. Raiden could kill Bi-Han in a million ways before he could lift a finger. In truth, she didn't have a problem if the Thunder God wished to go instead of her, but after everything he had done, she grabbed every opportunity to make him uncomfortable.
Sub-Zero smiled sweetly at him, a little too sweetly perhaps, since he looked at her warily. "I wouldn't want to bother the Thunder God with such a task." She started walking towards the base but paused and glanced back. "Don't worry, Raiden, I'll tell everyone it was your idea to bring him."
The cryomancer grinned triumphantly as she heard Raiden sputter incoherently. Why, she never even knew Raiden could make such a noise. Climbing the steps, she idly noted that the base was next to invisible now, a combination of subtle camouflaging and invisibility shield generators. Once she reached the platform, she faced the stone arc embedded on the also-fake mountain wall. Such structures were common in Outworld; most would simply assume it was an old portal that no longer worked. It was strange to think that half a year ago, the arc had not existed, and in its place was a normal door to a relatively normal house.
Sub-Zero groped the side of the arc and pressed a small hidden button. A rectangular section of the wall shifted and extended towards her, and she dutifully shot a snowball at it. Of course, it had been Johnny's idea to use what he dubbed "special power analysis" instead of fingerprint scanning for those who had special abilities.
"Sub-Zero, my ice-man—er—girl, whatever!" a voice sounded from the panel and Sub-Zero rolled her eyes. Of course, since Johnny said it was his 'brilliant' idea, he should handle all the voice overs. And since it was Johnny, he made sure they were as ridiculous as possible. She slid Ryu off her back, took off his glove and pressed his fingers to the panel. After a few moments, Johnny's goofy voice spoke again. "Hanzo, Subbie's little mango and Scorpion's bro!"
"Mango?" Sub-Zero mouthed in amusement and shook her head. Another one of Johnny's ridiculous attempts at rhyming, no doubt. She hoisted the boy back onto her back and waited for the system to scan the area. It was one of those fail-safes, just in case someone tried to infiltrate them while invisible. This one detected if there were any more people apart from those that logged in, and subdued them there and then. After a few seconds, the inside of the arc glowed blue and Sub-Zero stepped in without hesitation.
Sonya was in the entrance hall, waiting for her to arrive and she jumped up when she appeared.
"Sub-Zero, there you are. What is this about a complication?"
"I'll explain in a moment. Do you know where Kenshi is?"
"He's in one of the empty rooms in the medical wing. He said he was preparing it." Sonya eyed the figure draped on Sub-Zero's back. "Is he all right?"
"He will be," Sub-Zero replied.
"I can bring him to Kenshi if you like. I understand you have to deal with someone who needs to be interrogated?"
"Thank you, Sonya. Do you have a—that's the one." Sub-Zero said as she took the handcuffs Sonya had procured from her jacket. The cryomancer slid the boy off her back and passed him to Sonya, who grabbed him and draped him over her shoulders.
"I owe you one, Sonya." She said, and the blonde waved her off.
"Don't mention it. Just explain the 'complication' later, all right?" and with that, Sonya turned around and stalked to the medical wing.
Sub-Zero made her way back to the pair waiting at the outskirts of the base and smirked as she noted the rather disgruntled look on Raiden's face.
Once she had secured Bi-Han's wrists with the inhibiting cuffs, the two of them led him to the entrance of the base. Sub-Zero repeated the procedure and announced to the comm. that they were escorting a prisoner. After Johnny's voice acknowledged their presence with "Sub-Zero, my ice-man—er—girl, whatever!"; "Lord Raiden, Thunder God, bad-ass extraordinaire!"; and "Prisoner scumbag!", they stepped into the arc and exited into the entrance hall.
Sonya entered the room as soon as they stepped through. She looked at Bi-Han critically, and then at Sub-Zero.
"Is he a Lin Kuei?" she asked in surprise.
"In a way," Sub-Zero replied cryptically. "Let's get him to a room, and I'll explain everything."
The three dragged Bi-Han to the upper level, where their quarters were. Sonya brought them to the room at the very end of the long corridor. Upon entering, Sub-Zero guided Bi-Han to the chair and seated him, taking off the blindfold once she'd done so. Her brother blinked at the sudden brightness and scowled at her once they'd adjusted. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sonya's gasp stopped him. The blonde woman turned to Sub-Zero and gave her a disbelieving look.
"Is that..." she trailed off, seemingly lost for words.
"It is. I suppose you understand now how…delicate this situation is, Sonya." Raiden said.
"I apologize for this. I decided to bring him here instead of the Lin Kuei Stronghold." Sub-Zero explained. "I could not risk taking him there—"
"But you would risk bringing him here? To our base?!" Sonya's voice was rising and his tone turned angrier by the minute.
"I believe bringing him to a place full of seasoned warriors was my best choice." Sub-Zero answered as calmly as she could.
"That was your best choice?! I could think of the greatest choice ever, and you know what that is?! Killing that bastard!"
"I brought him here to face justice." Sub-Zero's replies were clipped and cool. "If the rest of the Forces of Light decide to—"
"You liar." Bi-Han spoke in a low tone. When she turned back to face him, she saw him looking down, his expression set in stone. "You said that I would be reinstated to the Lin Kuei."
Sub-Zero straightened and gave her brother the frostiest look she was capable of. "If they decide you would live, I would bring you to the Lin Kuei after I have ascertained that you would not be a threat to them. And frankly, brother, trust such as that which you had broken, takes time to repair."
Bi-Han glanced up and met her gaze; his eyes were cold and unfeeling. However, Sub-Zero knew her brother enough to know that behind that façade, he was seething with rage. "And you would just let me die?"
Sub-Zero was silent for a moment before speaking coldly. "You would have done the same." The room's temperature dropped a few degrees as the two continued to glare at each other. After a few moments, she turned to Sonya and said, "I leave him in your capable hands, Sonya." And she started for the door.
"You are not the Kuai Liang I remember." Her brother's words made her stop at the doorway.
"Indeed. And be thankful that you are not the Bi-Han I remember." She replied.
"So whatever happened to family loyalty? The ones the 'great' Kuai Liang used to espouse? I am your brother!"
Sub-Zero looked straight ahead as she spoke. "The Lin Kuei are my family. And thus, my first loyalty is to them. As for my brother..." she glanced back at him and held his gaze as she spoke. "As far as I'm concerned, my brother is dead. And I am merely honoring his memory by showing you this small mercy. So be silent and thankful that we do not operate under the same brand of justice. If we did, I would have slain you where you stood." And with that, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster turned from him and stalked out the room, leaving a trail of frost in her wake.
A/N: So they're back in the base. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Once again, like it or hate it, please leave a review!
