Two months after claiming the Dragon Medallion and becoming the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, Kuai Liang found himself staring through the ornate bay window in his massive master bedchamber as he dressed for the recruiting tournament. Outside he saw nothing but a sea of white snow bathed in twilight. Now autumn, day and night balanced each other equally, but soon, he knew, darkness would envelop Arctika around the clock for months on end. He was curious to experience that phenomenon, but he had heard it sometimes drove people mad, so he hoped his warriors could tolerate it well. Anya too.

Speaking of which, where was she anyway? he wondered. She'd never seen him in his warrior's robes before – even while training the children and teenagers he'd rescued from the old Temple, he only wore regular workout clothes because he found them more practical – so she'd been particularly anxious for him to get dressed. But shortly after waking that morning, she mysteriously disappeared without so much as a word as to what she was doing.

Kuai Liang sulked at her absence. Early morning was their time. The rest of the day was devoted to his duties as the new Grandmaster, and her duties as the nurse overseeing the two Tibetan healers who'd been slaves to the Lin Kuei. She was also one of two women caring for the abundance of babies in the nursery, the other being Kamala. So during the day, their paths seldom crossed. That is why, when a monkey wrench was thrown into his set routine, at least where Anya was concerned, he grew decidedly grouchy. So today he huffed in growing irritation as he slid his gauntlets and braces over his wrists and fastened them into place.

"Well, look at you," Anya's voice suddenly said behind him. He turned and saw her standing just inside their doorway wearing a knee-length black qipao with a silver and blue dragon embroidered on the front, and tall, black boots up to her knees. She had swept her hair into a messy bun tucked just behind her left ear and accessorized with two black chopsticks. Her favorite silver studs sparkled from her earlobes. A carnal urge to throw her on the bed right then filled his groin. He quickly stifled it, however, because there was no time for such escapades now.

But as she walked towards him, gently swaying her hips as she balanced in her high heeled boots, his willpower progressively weakened. "You look beautiful," he praised her with all sincerity. "I want you."

Anya smiled and threaded her soft fingers between his. "I know, but there's no time," she teased. She stepped back, still holding his hands, and eyed him up and down. "So this is what you wear into battle?"

"Yes, why?" he asked a bit self-consciously.

Amused, she released his hands and stepped around him, examining every facet of his body. She traced her finger along his exposed biceps and triceps, sending pleasant shivers through his skin, and she then fingered the fabric of his blue tunic and black robes as she stood behind him. Suddenly, one of her chopsticks fell to the ground, bounced a short distance, and rolled to a stop directly in front of him.

"Oops! Will you get that for me?" she asked. He heard the devious grin in her voice, but he unwittingly obliged. He reached down to grab it for her and he heard her suck in her breath and sigh. "Very nice!" she complimented.

With a frown, he looked back at her, unsure of what she was referring to. He saw her grinning mischievously while staring at his backside. When she saw that she'd been caught, she giggled and shrugged. Kuai Liang stood up and handed her the chopstick, now also grinning. The woman was ornery to a fault.

"That was very sneaky of you," he mock admonished.

Anya patted his behind. "Hey, I can't help admiring a work of art," she said, wrapping her arms around him. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Do you think I look alright?" he asked her a moment later when she pulled away. "I have to make a good impression on these fighters or they won't take me seriously."

"I think you look hot," she smirked. "Then again, I'm pretty biased here. I do love a man in uniform."

"'Hot' isn't exactly what I was going for," he replied.

"I'm sorry," she quickly amended, her eyes bulging in alarm. "Not hot. Definitely cold. Very cold. Stone cold, even." She thought about it, smiled, and quickly shook her head. "No, I can't do it. You're hot, honey."

He heavily sighed. "Anya," he groaned and then rested his head on her forehead. "I don't think of myself that way."

She chuckled and pulled away. "Regardless, you are," she told him. "You should wear your mask though. It'll cover up your Adonis-like good looks so you don't have to worry about distracting these warriors."

"That's not funny," he admonished.

"It's a little funny," she argued with a smirk as she pinched her thumb and forefinger towards each other. "Don't worry so much. You're going to do great."

Then she stood on her tiptoes again, kissing him once more, but this kiss wasn't a simple peck. She draped her arms around his neck and gently nibbled and sucked on his lips until she stole his breath away, and he panted as he wrapped his arms around the small of her back, lifting her up and pushing her against the Chinese mahogany cabinet behind them. He leaned into her as he kissed her back, his excitement rising as she curled one of her long legs around his back as if to invite him in. Just as he touched her silky skin and ran his hand beneath her dress, he heard a throat clearing and a digital voice say, "Excuse me, Grandmaster."

In frustration, Kuai Liang instantly pushed himself away from Anya and whirled around to see Cyrax standing at attention by the main door. "Why didn't you knock?" he asked curtly, trying to catch his breath.

"I did, Grandmaster," he replied. "I assumed you had heard me."

A wolfish grin spread across Anya's face. "He was a little distracted," she told Cyrax as she crossed her arms.

The Cryomancer glanced at her in exasperation, but said nothing as she quietly chuckled at him. Then he looked back to his lieutenant. "What do you want?" he growled, more than a little embarrassed to have been caught in such a compromising position. It was enough that Cyrax knew that Anya was an integral part of his personal life. He didn't need to know any aspects of their physical relationship too.

But if Cyrax had any thoughts or compunctions about it, he kept them hidden well. "It is time to begin," the cyber-ninja, now his second-in-command, announced dispassionately. "The combatants are waiting for you."

"I'm coming," he replied in annoyance, grabbing his mask and cowl from his bed where he laid them earlier.

Because Cyrax was still watching, and she wanted to make this moment even more hilarious for herself, Anya leaned over and whispered directly in his ear, "One more thing." The ornery grin had returned.

"What's that?" he whispered back.

"I'm going commando." She snickered as he raised an eyebrow. She had taught him several months ago what that particular colloquialism meant, and the raging fire in his groin worsened when he thought of her walking around in that form-fitting dress with nothing on beneath it.

"That's very unkind of you," Kuai Liang told her.

"Then I guess you're just gonna have to teach me a lesson in manners later," she teased as she kissed his cheek and stood up straight.

"Don't tempt me," he said as he slid on his cowl and mask. Then he led her out of their bedchamber.

As they passed the cyber-ninja, he heard Anya say, "Don't worry, Cyrax. It's way more fun than it looks." The Cryomancer looked back at them in time to see her wink at his stunned lieutenant. Then she glanced forward once more, saw him staring at her in disbelief, and laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," he observed, amused, as she walked beside him. Cyrax followed in silence.

She had been in a remarkably good mood since the moment she first set foot in the new Temple. Himavat whisked them here through a portal, and although she wasn't fond of that part of the journey – he couldn't blame her because the first time he'd walked through a portal he felt impossibly drunk – she was stunned silent at the sight of her new home. It was even bigger than the old Temple, and much more modern. But even still, it had an old-world quality to it that made it feel ancient and sacred.

"Oh my God," Anya had muttered in awe, and Kuai Liang felt similarly.

With her by his side, he saw the massive marble pillars and shiny granite floors, toured through several large barracks as well as a nursery for the babies he'd rescued, walked through the state-of-the-art kitchens, and stopped in his new bedchamber. He'd never had such a room in his life. In the old Temple, it had been spartan, devoid of any luxuries, including a bed. He'd grown up sleeping on a mat with a blanket made from an old rucksack. Additionally, his room wasn't solely his. He shared it with Bi-han and Tomas. But his new room put that one to shame, with sprawling Persian rugs scattered across the floor around the king-sized bed. A gigantic stone fireplace that roared with orange flames warmed the room. A huge bay window that could open onto its own balcony revealed the vast expanse of snowy wilderness around them.

"What's wrong?" Himavat had asked him when he saw his descendant's jaw drop to the floor.

"Are you sure this is all for me?" he asked in disbelief. The Elder God merely chuckled at that, and clapped him on the back.

They began the arduous moving process shortly thereafter. Jax, whose team of elite engineers had designed portal technology based on Raiden's specifications, installed a portal gateway and the appropriate computer and satellite technology in a large empty room seemingly designed to accommodate it. The gateway itself was one massive ring made of a copper and aluminum alloy, and was colored almost greenish-gray.

The first time Anya saw the portal she laughed and said, "If it had another ring and a bunch of Egyptian hieroglyphics, it would look exactly like the Stargate."

Jax snorted at that, smiling in amusement, but Kuai Liang didn't understand. "What's a Stargate?" he'd asked, prompting the Major to laugh once more, and even Anya chuckled a bit at his expense.

She patted his arm. "Someday, honey, I'll have to show you."

After the portal had been installed, moving had been relatively simple. Himavat had already furnished the Temple, so there were only small things like foodstuff, computer supplies, and training equipment to contend with. Kuai Liang and the cyber-ninjas dealt with that stuff while Anya, along with Kamala, ushered the children and teenagers through and got them settled into their new home. He had been pleased that the boys, deprived of any real semblance of family since they first arrived in the Lin Kuei, automatically took to her like a mother, and she happily reciprocated.

Now, as they walked towards Everest Hall, the largest training room in the Temple and the one Kuai Liang had named after the massive mountain standing tall above his childhood home, he looked at her. "So where did you run off to this morning?" he asked.

Anya gasped. "Oops, I almost forgot. Got a bit distracted." She glanced at him with a knowing grin, and then reached around her neck to undo a necklace he hadn't noticed because it was concealed beneath her collar. In a second, she stopped and revealed a shiny, teardrop shaped black pendant that was smaller than a jellybean set in a copper face. "This is for you," she told him. "Had to run to my dad's house to get it."

"What is it?"

"Shungite." She wrapped the twine cord around his neck and fastened it. "You can only find it in Russia. It's the only stone in the world that has nearly all the natural elements in it, and for that reason, people believe it has healing powers." She smiled as she patted it. "Mamulya gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday, right after she got back from a trip to Moscow."

Kuai Liang automatically reached around to take it off. "I can't accept this," he replied. "Not if your mother gave it to you."

She raised an eyebrow and then clamped down on his hands to stop him. "It's okay. I want you to have it. Call it a good luck charm."

"I don't need luck," he replied. "I make my own."

Anya snorted with laughter. "I make my own," she repeated in a mocking voice. "My name is Kuai Liang and I'm a big, tough, walking cliche." Behind them, Cyrax chuckled behind his helmet until Kuai Liang gave him an evil look.

Then he stared at Annalise once again. "Are you done?" he asked sternly.

She snickered. "Not remotely."

"Stop it anyway," he ordered, his feathers a tad ruffled to be teased in front of the cyber-ninja. "I can't have you acting like that in front of everyone at the tournament."

"Aye aye, Captain," she said as she saluted, and then resumed walking. "And you're welcome, by the way."

He looked down at the pendant. "Oh, yes. Thank you," he told her.

They reached Everest Hall in a few minutes, immediately noting Sonya and Jax standing outside the ceiling-high double-doors. Kuai Liang knew they were going to be there to help him judge the competitors. He held his fist to his heart and bowed slightly in the Lin Kuei sign of respect, prompting Cyrax to follow suit. Anya, however, put her hands on her hips as her happy expression darkened to a scowl.

"Sonya...I dreamed of you last night," she said evilly. "I can't say for certain, but I was having my skin ripped from my bones by a cross-eyed Arctic seal. That was you, right?"

Sonya's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "So...I see the pimp gave you the day off, huh, Anya?"

"Yeah, and he replaced me with your mom," she shot back.

Immediately, Sonya broke into a grin and laughed. "Good one," she replied as the smile returned to Anya's face.

Kuai Liang shook his head and then looked at Jax. "I'll never understand this," he said, and it was true. The two women had become decent friends since their first meeting over a year prior, yet both adamantly insisted on greeting each other with the rudest insults they could conjure.

"Me neither," the Major replied. "They can be just as sweet as pie to anyone else, but to each other they're total bitches."

"Is this an American custom I've yet to learn? Why are they like that?" he wanted to know.

Anya looked at him pointedly. "Why? Because we're sugar and spice, and everything nice. So bite me." Sonya chuckled as the Cryomancer narrowed his eyes in annoyance, and Anya opened the door to let everyone in. Kuai Liang filed through first, followed by Cyrax, Sonya, Jax, and lastly her.

The Hall was packed. On the north side of the room, right up to the roped-off boxing ring, the boys stood in perfect rows in front of the cyber-ninjas. Anya and Kamala had made sure all of them looked presentable in their black training robes, ensuring their hair was clean and combed and that their tabi boots were free of dirt. When there were no guests in the Temple, he tended to be more laid back about the boys' appearance, worried infinitely more about honing their skill-sets and knowledge than how neat their hair was at any given moment. But for today Sub-Zero had specifically demanded perfection from the young warriors; they represented the Temple – and by extension him – and he wanted them to appear as professional as possible in front of these strangers.

On the south side of the room, the competitors stood haphazardly, clearly indifferent to any sense of formality, and that annoyed him. His eyes fluttered over them all. He mostly saw men milling around in their various warriors' uniforms, indicating what school of martial arts they'd studied or where in the world they'd come from. But the person who really caught his attention was the only woman in the bunch, a young Caucasian woman with hair as white as Arctic snow cascading just past her shoulders. While the others talked quietly amongst themselves, she stood alone near the back wall with arms crossed and a bored expression on her face. Kuai Liang slightly shook his head; he doubted she'd win the tournament given how dainty she looked next to the taller, more muscular men, but if she wanted to test her luck he'd allow it.

As he and the others marched into the Hall, the room immediately quieted. Pleased, he noted how the boys held their fists to their hearts and bowed to him all at once, looking like a well-oiled machine working together for a change, proving to him that they could indeed work together if they put their minds to it. He bowed back, and then rigidly stood in front of his throne. He hated the idea of having a throne and would've been perfectly happy with a regular chair, but Cyrax had insisted upon it because it was tradition for the Grandmaster to sit exalted above the others, and the other cyber-ninjas agreed, so he'd lost that argument. Now, his second-in-command stood to his left, Anya to his right, and Jax and Sonya beside her, all of them waiting for him to speak to the waiting crowd.

"Welcome," he greeted solemnly, staring at the competitors with the iciest stare he could muster, his voice strangely loud in his ears. "You're all here to participate in a tournament unlike any you've competed in before. I will not be judging you on style or how pretty your form is, and I certainly will not be counting points. You will be fighting each other as if your lives depended on it, and at the end of the day the prize is not money, or a trophy, or even glory. The warrior who wins my competition, the person who is clearly the greatest warrior among you, will be invited to join my clan. But be forewarned. Should you win, your life in the Lin Kuei will be difficult, full of intense training, solitude, and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. If you do not think you can handle my high expectations – and they are high – then you will leave now. If you stay, I will assume you understand what you're getting into, so no indecision on your part will be tolerated by me."

Kuai Liang paused, feeling slightly odd at sounding like such an authority figure. Up until recently, he'd be nothing more than a subordinate, and so it was times like these when being the Grandmaster felt the strangest to him. Part of him still felt like the student who always managed to get into trouble with Tomas.

"Is there anyone here who wishes to leave?" he demanded to know. To his surprise, no one stepped forward. He waited for a minute to see if anyone changed their mind, but when no one did, he looked at the boys and said, "Sit, xuéshēng." His students obeyed, again as one, and they sat on their knees as he'd taught them to do during training demonstrations. Then Kuai Liang nodded at Cyrax before taking his seat. Anya, Jax, and Sonya followed suit, sitting in their smaller wooden thrones beside his. He silently scoffed at himself; they looked more like a royal court from the middle ages than they did a nurse and 21st century soldiers. He really disliked all this pomp, and especially because it was just for one stupid tournament.

The cyber-ninja stepped forward. "These are the rules that you will be expected to follow," he began. "When your name is called, you will enter the ring and fight using full contact force, though you may not use kill-moves against your opponents. You may not leave until someone has won the match or you forfeit. If you forfeit your match, you will be disqualified from the tournament and escorted from the Temple. If you lose a match, you will be escorted from the Temple. Do you all understand these rules?" Everyone either nodded or said yes in response, and when he was satisfied with their answer, Cyrax bowed to Sub-Zero. "Grandmaster?" he asked, waiting for the Cryomancer's order.

"Begin," he told his lieutenant.

The cyber-ninja faced the competitors once again as he studied the tiny computer screen built into his forearm. "The first fighter is Solomon Teke from Turkey," he announced as a tall man with dark caramel-colored skin stepped forward and climbed through the ring's ropes. "He will be fighting..." Cyrax paused as if he'd encountered a mistake in the data on his screen.

"Cyrax?" he prompted.

"He will be fighting Frost from Japan," the other declared.

Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow as he scanned the crowd to identify this Frost, knowing that had to be a code-name. Cyrax had clearly been startled by the lack of a surname, which was why he'd stumbled over it. But as the cyber-ninja lowered his arm and also looked around, Kuai Liang felt startled himself. The woman with the white hair started walking towards the ring with an arrogant smirk on her face.