CHAPTER X: DAWNING REALIZATIONS

The following day, Sub-Zero wasn't surprise to have woken alone, but it did irk her somewhat. Why hadn't Scorpion woken her? Looking out the window confirmed her thoughts; it was already late in the morning. There was a moment of disorientation before the realization hit her.

Ryu! She thought as she jumped out of bed. The second dose was supposed to be given that morning. How could she have slept so soundly? She had just finished jamming her boots onto her feet when the door to their room opened.

Scorpion looked mildly surprised at her state, and Sub-Zero flattened her hair at his scrutiny.

"Ryu—"

"He is fine," he reassured. "He has already drunk that vile concoction."

"And you didn't wake me because…?" she asked in annoyance.

Scorpion scowled at her confrontational tone, but looked away before muttering. "You looked like you needed the sleep."

Sub-Zero blinked at his unexpected thoughtfulness.

"Thank you," she said trying to sound grateful. While she appreciated the thought, she would much prefer to oversee whatever was happening to her apprentice. "But I would rather be awake and by his side. I don't know how much longer I have with him…"

Scorpion looked pained at the idea, but shook his head. "He is strong," He said simply.

"That he is," she agreed and sat back down the bed. Silence permeated between them and Scorpion looked increasingly uncomfortable by every passing minute.

Sub-Zero eyed him for a moment. He was standing so rigidly that she was surprised he didn't turn to stone.

"Is something the matter?" she asked mildly, and Scorpion looked at her sharply.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Taken aback by the amount of suspicion in his tone, Sub-Zero could only raise her eyebrows.

"What?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

"So something did happen this morning."

"Nothing happened. Nothing," he growled.

"Of course, you're always this delightful every morning," she deadpanned.

Scorpion scowled at her but remained stubbornly silent.

Only one person could have caused that amount of suspicion. Sub-Zero sighed, and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"You spoke to Liu Kang, didn't you?"

Scorpion looked surprised that she had figured it out so quickly. "How did you…?"

"So what did he accuse me of this time? That I locked Kitana in her own dungeons and plan to deliver her to Shao Kahn in the dead of the night?" she said waspishly.

"No, that would be stupid."

"Ah, so it's just the good old fashioned 'she's conspiring with quan chi'?" Scorpion's silence was enough confirmation. "So he says I'm a traitor and you decide to believe him?" she asked coldly.

"Of course not," he denied, but there was a flash of guilt in his eyes that he couldn't hide.

"In case you have forgotten, I despise Quan Chi as much as you do, for the things he has done to me, to my clan, to my comrades, and especially to you." She replied, unable to hide her anger and hurt. "And for you to believe the word of that monk over mine…" she trailed off, shaking her head and reigning in her anger.

Scorpion at least had enough shame to look slightly embarrassed at her words.

"I did not truly believe Liu Kang's words," he said defensively. "But sometimes, these ideas have a way of latching to your mind without your wanting them to."

"If Liu Kang came to me and told me you were conspiring with Quan Chi, I would have kicked him all the way back to Netherrealm."

Scorpion's lips twitched in amusement at her statement.

"It's not possible for me to be an ally of Quan Chi's just as much as it is for you." She paused. "Liu Kang has never been this paranoid before; did something happen while you were searching for Quan Chi?"

The yellow-clad ninja stiffened, a sure sign that something did happen, but he shook his head. "We encountered nothing but wild beasts in those forests."

"The two of you became inseparable since then." She pressed. "In fact, he's been quite protective of you as of late."

"What?" he asked in bemusement.

Sub-Zero rolled her eyes and prayed that the Elder Gods grant her patience.

"Let's see, he votes to kill Bi-Han because 'you deserve it', he kept preventing me from talking to you after the Bi-Han incident, he mentioned that he didn't understand why you couldn't see I was evil…" she ticked off her fingers. Scorpion looked disturbed at her words. "So if you could shed some light on this newfound development, I would very much appreciate it."

He looked down for a moment, as if deliberating, and then he sighed.

"During one of our nights in the wilds, he asked me about my hatred for Quan Chi," he said quietly. "He asked me what it was that he did that I found the most unforgivable."

Sub-Zero nodded for him to go on, but he wasn't looking at her—he was looking past her, as if remembering a distant memory

"I didn't answer him at first, but the man was persistent. Every night, he would ask me the same question, and I finally snapped."

"And what is it?" Sub-Zero asked. She already knew it had something to do with his wife and son; and though the topic made her feel a twinge of jealousy, she nodded at him encouragingly. Talks such as these were rare between them, and though she thought it was ridiculous to feel that way, she treasured such moments.

"Depriving me of a life with my wife and child. They didn't deserve the end they received. They didn't deserve to be tortured and killed by Quan Chi," he gritted his teeth.

"Kajsa," he said her name in such a mournful tone. "She had very few years of joy in her life before she was killed. She used to say," he took a deep breath. "She used to say that the only good memories she had were of me."

"Tell me about her," she said. A part of Sub-Zero wanted nothing more than to walk away from the conversation, but she knew how much this meant to Scorpion. It simply irritated her Liu Kang knew about it before her. "What was she like?"

"What was she like?" he repeated the question, closing his eyes as he lost himself in memories of her. "She was…kind, far too kind for the harshness of this world. It was refreshing, her simple nature. Being around her calmed me," he opened his eyes, and in it, Sub-Zero saw a deep well of melancholy that was not likely to go away any time soon.

"When I married her, I was disowned. She was a foreigner, and unworthy of a Hasashi…"

"Ryu told me about that," she said. "He told me he was given your name."

"They tried too hard to make him into me," he shook his head. "They couldn't understand that he was his own person. To my parents, I was the perfect son, and Ryu was the back-up plan."

Sub-Zero felt a sharp stab of guilt at that proclamation. Ryu was probably looking for love, affection and validation. Was that the reason for his ridiculous infatuation with her in their earlier months together?

"Father was very adamant that I did not join the Shirai Ryu." he continued. "He didn't particularly care if Ryu did or not. After they disowned me, I realized that none of my opinions mattered."

"And you joined the Shirai Ryu then?"

"It was something I did to spite my father further. And to make sure I could provide for Kajsa."

"Where did you meet her?" she asked curiously. Not many foreigners traversed the lands that the Shirai Ryu occupied.

Scorpion shifted uncomfortably. "Before being an assassin, I was…someone who liberated items of value for certain people."

At this, Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow. "Is that your fancy description for a thief?"

"I was someone hired to retrieve items for certain people. Whether or not what they say is the truth, that those things truly belonged to them, I never knew or cared."

"So you met her on one of these missions?"

"I was contracted to retrieve an artifact. I was unsure of its value or of its use, but I was instructed to kill its owner as well."

"I was merely seventeen at that time, I had never killed a person before. Especially one so heavily guarded. It was a fortress, their house. And when I finally managed to infiltrate it, I could not find the artifact, but I did see Kajsa." Scorpion ground his teeth as in obvious anger. "She was sitting on her bed, weeping and sporting bruises around her neck.

"I left before she could see me, but as the days went on, I grew bolder. I went inside her room and spoke to her. She asked if I was going to rescue her. I told her I was more likely going to be her executioner. I remember…she gave me a sad smile and said, 'It's the same thing for me.'"

"You let her see you?" Sub-Zero asked in bemusement.

"I was young and foolish," Scorpion gave her a wry smile. "I found the artifact the following day, but I pretended that I hadn't…because I had to justify to myself why I kept going back to her room, why I didn't just take the artifact and leave.

"Against my better judgment, we grew closer, until I realized that I couldn't leave her to this fate, not when I knew I had the power to save her." He paused. "And like the idiot that I was, I spent the night with her."

Sub-Zero was sure she had misheard. "What? In her room? In enemy territory? Are you mad?"

"Likely. That was singularly the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life. Her father caught us, and I was captured and tortured. I was sure that I would die in that cell."

"So what happened?" though Scorpion was there before her, healthy and well, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Her brother went into my cell and healed me. I'd never met a healer as skilled as that boy was."

What a stroke of good luck. Sub-Zero thought, she had her fair share of being captured, but she had never been saved by anyone behind enemy lines. "Did he say why?"

"He simply told me to save his sister and leave," he frowned. "So I killed their father, and took the artifact. On our way out, we saw the boy again, and Kajsa asked him to come with us."

"But he refused?"

Scorpion nodded. "He said he didn't want to appear guilty of aiding us. Eventually though, he left their home and went to search for a place where he could train."

"And did he?"

"I do not know. His correspondence with Kajsa ended abruptly, and I think she believed him dead."

Sub-Zero felt a twinge of regret at the loss of such talent. From how Scorpion described the boy, he must've had the Healing Touch. She was sure Alexander would go bananas over getting another potential Master Healer in the clan.

"It took me a year to get back to my family. I was gone for more than two years, and they thought I was dead."

"It must have been a shock to them," Sub-Zero said, thinking of Bi-Han's surprising reappearance.

"Not as much as they were to hear of my wife."

"Married her in secret, did you? Why I had never know you to be such a hopeless romantic!" she teased.

Scorpion growled in embarrassment and Sub-Zero grinned at his discomfort.

"So what happened after that?" she prompted.

"Kajsa was already heavily pregnant with our child, and after I was cast out, I decided to join the Shirai Ryu. They gave us a place to stay, and food to eat. Our healers also helped Kajsa deliver our baby. Sokaku, we named him, after Sokaku Takeda, the Great Founder of the Shirai Ryu."

"And the Great Traitor of the Lin Kuei," Sub-Zero mumbled, and Scorpion shot her a dark look. "I only speak the truth."

"If not for the Shirai Ryu, I would not be here."

"It seems we're at an impasse; I would not be here if it weren't for the Lin Kuei."

Scorpion glared at her.

"Can we just agree to disagree?" she offered.

"Whatever," he muttered in obvious annoyance.

"Do you miss her?" she asked suddenly, and Scorpion looked thrown at the change of topic.

"I—yes. Of course." He replied. "All the time." He added more quietly.

Sub-Zero was hit by a wave of jealousy and sadness. She knew she would never measure up to his wife, the woman to whom he would be devoted for the rest of his life.

Scorpion must have seen something in her expression because he approached her cupped her face with a tenderness one wouldn't normally associate with the man.

"I have…never been the best at words," he admitted. "But we…I…" he sighed in frustration as he proved just how bad he was at voicing his feelings. Sub-Zero smiled at him and pulled him into a desperate hug. Scorpion pressed a light kiss to her forehead and hugged her tightly.

They remained that way for quite some time, both communicating more that their words ever could.


Eventually, Scorpion had left to watch over Ryu, and Sub-Zero decided to give him some time with his brother.

The ritual was set to happen in less than an hour and Sub-Zero' anxiety was slowly building. What if something happened during the ritual and it affected not only Ryu but others in the room with him? What if something happened to her as well? She would be leaving the Lin Kuei leaderless, and nobody would know what happened to them.

Making up her mind, she dialed the comm she lent Alexander and waited for him to pick up.

"You're still alive, I see?" was his greeting.

"You aren't going to get rid of me that easily," she retorted.

Alexander laughed. "It is good to finally hear from you."

"And you. How's the clan?"

"They're fine. Nothing exciting happened since you left. It seems whoever was trying to kill us is lying low."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"It's not. I've already mobilized a team to lead the investigation, but all they've found is the poison Saadia used." He gave a frustrated sigh.

"I think we can all agree that Saadia was framed."

He brushed her comment aside. "Semantics. But enough about us, how are things on your end?"

Sub-Zero steeled herself. "Alexander, what I'm going to say may come as a shock to you."

"That you didn't really go there to be briefed of Quan Chi's plans?"

"Not exactly. Listen, what I'm about to tell you is extremely important. If something happens to either me or Hanzo, I want you to share this information to the rest of the council."

"Kuai Liang…what happened?"

"It's Hanzo…" she trailed off, not knowing how to continue.

"Is he all right?" the worry was evident in Alexander's voice.

"No, very far from it. We…we discovered that he's being possessed by someone."

"What?!"

"He tried to attack me more than once, and we found a dragon artifact in his possession. A willbender."

"This is bad, Kuai Liang. Who slipped him that thing?"

"I don't know," she said. "But when I find out…"

"Wait," Alexander said suddenly. "I need you to check whatever the boy has in his pack."

"We already have. There's nothing in there except his clothes, a few weapons and the medicine you prescribed to him."

"But what if it's not the medicine I gave to him? What if it's been switched?""

Sub-Zero sat up straighter. "What are you saying?"

"It might have been something to make him more susceptible to the willbender."

The next thing Sub-Zero knew, she was barging into Ryu's room, grabbing the potions from his pack, and shoving them into Ermac's hands.

"Hey—what—"

"Test it."

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"I need to know what it is.:

"All right, just calm down, okay?" Ermac brought it over to where he and Kitana were working.

"Kuai? Are you there?" she heard Alexander say loudly over the line.

"I'm here," she said tightly. Her nerves were already frayed. If it turned out to be something other than sleeping potion…

"It's a mind-weakening poison," Ermac confirmed.

"I can't believe it…" she heard Alexander say in shock.

"Find her," Sub-Zero said stonily.

"Kuai, I know what this seems like, but she could have been giving it to him to make him more open to her advances," he said hastily. "This doesn't implicate her in any way—,"

"I don't care what her reasons are!" she roared, and she saw Ermac and Scorpion look at her in worry. "She will answer for what she's done." She added more calmly.

"Please…Kuai Liang, she is my apprentice…" he pleaded.

"It was not a request, Master Kunz." She added coldly.

There was silence over the line before Alexander spoke in resignation.

"Of course, Grandmaster."

Sub-Zero turned off her comm and shifted her gaze to the curious two in the room.

"Well?" Scorpion asked.

"Well what?" she said with so much venom that the two visibly recoiled.

"Calm down, Sub-Zero," Ermac said soothingly.

Sub-Zero started pacing. "How can I be calm when I just received word that someone's been feeding my apprentice a susceptibility poison?"

"Who is it?" Scorpion looked like he was ready to murder someone.

"It's the Master Healer's apprentice. She's the one who brings Hanzo his potions."

"It could not have been anyone else?" Ermac said, and Sub-Zero shook her head, adamant in her belief.

"The potions are brewed by the Master Healer then handed to her for delivery."

"And it could not have been this Master Healer of yours?" Scorpion said suspiciously.

Sub-Zero turned her icy gaze towards him. "I trust Alexander with my life."

"And where would his apprentice have gotten the means to brew a poison as potent as this?"

"That is what I would like to know." Was she also the one who handed the artifact to Ryu? But that wouldn't make sense; the two had met just recently.

"We can worry about this later, but for now, we must prepare for the ritual." Ermac spoke, snapping Sub-Zero out of her reverie.

It was only then that Sub-Zero noticed that Ryu's room had been rearranged. Most of the furniture had been moved out, leaving only his bed at the far end, and a few tables where Ermac was holding the potions. There was a chair in the middle of a ritual circle where he supposed Ryu would be seated.

"How many minutes until we give him the final dose?" she asked Ermac, who was approaching Ryu's bed, swishing the potion around in a flask.

"Not long now, we are just waiting for him to wake up, and for Kenshi to come and assist him with his memories."

As if on cue, the door opened and admitted Kenshi and Taven.

"I believe I heard my name," he said with a grin. Sub-Zero was dismayed to see him wearing his blindfold once more, and when he turned to the side, she also caught a glimpse of his earplugs.

"How is the boy?" Taven asked.

"He will wake in a few minutes' time, the last dose is ready." He held up the flask he was holding. The god nodded at him and puttered around the room, muttering to himself and waving his hands about.

A moan came from the bed as Ryu woke up. "My head."

Scorpion was at his side in a flash. "How are you feeling?"

"Hanzo?"

Sub-Zero also made her way to her apprentice's bedside. "And me as well."

"Grandmaster," he said more definitively as he sat up.

Sub-Zero gripped his shoulder firmly. "Are you ready?"

Ryu looked pale, but otherwise determined. "Yes."

Sub-Zero nodded at Ermac, who approached them with the steaming flask.

"Survive," Scorpion said simply as Ryu took the flask.

The boy set his jaw. "I will," he said as he quickly tipped the bottle into his mouth and swallowed hastily.

Ryu started to convulse, and neither Sub-Zero nor Scorpion knew what to do. Thankfully, Taven took control of the situation.

He pushed both of them away from the boy and ordered them both to stay away. Kenshi and Ermac approached Ryu, who by then, had stopped his spasms and fell into a dead faint.

"Carry him onto his chair and seat him upright. Sub-Zero," he said as he turned to her, "To prevent him from lashing out, harming himself or attempting to leave the circle, we will need to bind him the chair."

Without waiting for her nod, Kenshi and Ermac shackled him to the chair and stepped away from him. The two sat down on the floor at either side of Ryu, just outside of the circle.

"Kenshi and Ermac will help bind the child, should he free himself of his confinement." Taven answered her unasked question. "It is imperative that I am not disturbed during the ritual to lessen the chances of anything going wrong."

"Save him," Sub-Zero said somewhat desperately as she stepped away from him and stood at one corner of the room, near Kenshi. Scorpion gave Taven his best 'you-had-better-know-what-you're-doing look' before following her example and stationing himself at the opposite corner.

Taven nodded at all of them before closing his eyes and bowing.

He was readying himself for the ritual, Sub-Zero realized as the god muttered, "Father give me strength,"

Sub-Zero's stared at her apprentice's limp form, her insides squirming with worry. It was pointless to be anxious about these things, but it was all that she could think about.

"He will survive this," Kitana said to her as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" she whispered, hating how weak her voice sounded.

"He is strong. Good genes." She nodded at Scorpion's direction. "And good training," she smiled at Sub-Zero.

A loud gasp brought her attention back to her apprentice as he jolted awake.

His eyes were wide open in shock, and disbelief was evident in his expression.

"Sareena!" he cried out, whipping his head around. Was he hallucinating already?

"Sareena's not here, Hanzo," Sub-Zero said in worry.

Ryu shook his head and pulled at his chains hysterically.

"Ryu, calm yourself!" Scorpion said firmly, but Sub-Zero noticed that the boy's hysteria alarmed the ninja too.

"Sareena!" he called again.

"Sareena isn't here!" Sub-Zero repeated, but the boy shook his head.

"No!" he sobbed, pulling at his chains. "Why? Why did you do it Sareena?"

"What is happening?" she asked Kitana desperately.

"Emotional instability," the Princess replied quietly. "It is one of the side effects of the potion. Although I do not know why he keeps on calling for Sareena."

Taven started chanting, and the air around them grew heavier.

"Ryu! Ryu, look at me!" Sub-Zero used her best authoritative tone.

With great effort, Ryu opened his tear filled eyes and looked over at her. "Grandmaster?" he whimpered.

"Yes, you can do this," she said. "Pull yourself together."

"It…it was Sareena," he sniffed.

"What do you mean? Sareena was what?" she asked in confusion. Across the room Scorpion stiffened.

"I am going to kill that bitch," Scorpion growled in fury.

"What?" Sub-Zero asked again.

Beside her, Kitana touched her shoulder lightly. "Sub-Zero," she spoke gently, as if Sub-Zero were a fragile child.

"I told you she couldn't be trusted!" Scorpion shouted accusingly at her from across the room.

"What?" she asked for the third time, still not understanding.

"Hush you!" she barked at Scorpion, who backed down immediately, caught by surprise at Kitana's tone. "Sub-Zero," she said more calmly. "Ryu is saying that Sareena…how should we say this…"

The realization hit her with such force that her knees buckled and she leaned on the wall for support.

No, it couldn't be. Sareena couldn't have done this. She couldn't have taken advantage of Ryu like that, not when the boy was so smitten with her. She couldn't have gone behind her back and planted that weapon in her stronghold. Not after she had taken the demoness into her home, not after everything they had gone through. Sub-Zero kept her breathing in control, and she forced the tears in her eyes not to fall.

The air shifted again, as Taven's chanting grew louder. Sub-Zero was reminded that her apprentice was in the middle of a ritual that could very well end his life. For him, yes, for him she would be strong. Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders.

"Are you all right?" Kitana asked.

"No," she said shortly. She felt a little guilty for snapping at Kitana, but the obvious question irked her. Scorpion was glaring at her from across the room, but she paid him no heed, focusing solely on the boy in front of her.

Yes, Sareena would die. But she'd be damned if she let Scorpion do the honors.

A/N: Hola! How are you guys? I've been really busy with work, so I haven't updated much. Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I liked writing it. As usual, love it or hate it, leave a review!