Chapter Twelve: Where There is Smoke….

Sub-zero sat on his bike as he sipped his milkshake and thought. It has been days since he left the ranch house, needing some serious time alone after being fooled by that Arianna woman. The Lin Kuei warrior was still mentally kicking himself over how he acted like a lovesick teenager.

The traffic whizzed by as he considered his options; he could stay at the ranch house and teach or continue wondering alone. The school would be a secure place to sleep knowing there were others around and did have comforts that the road just didn't have, but the danger of being in one place too long and there was the freedom of the open road which he had acquired a taste for. Sub-zero frowned as he tossed his empty glass into a parking lot trash bin as he had to admit that so far the only dangers he has experienced recently have been from Althea's and Rayden's past, not his and they were relatively easy fought off. As for the freedom of the road….there was nothing to prevent him from experiencing when he wanted or needed it if he stayed at the school.

Sub-zero started his bike and put on his helmet. With a few revs of the motor as he waited for an open space in the traffic and he then was off down the darkening highway. As he drove off, from behind the fast food restaurant a red and black sports bike pulled out whose rider seemed to be wearing specially designed red riding armor and helmet. The rider drove through the parking lot and down the highway to follow Sub-zero.

(Scene Change)

As he drove up the driveway, Sub-zero noticed that the ranch house was completely dark and both cars were gone. As he parked his bike, he finally saw a light from around the house. He walked around the building to see Althea sitting at the picnic table, wiping excess oil from one of her swords. Its mate was on the table already gleaming brightly with a slight sheen of fresh oil.

"Hey, Sub-zero, "Althea said without even looking away from her work, "In case you're wondering Sonya got called to what she called DC and the guys went to town pick up a few things."

Sub-zero nodded as he sat down at the table across from her to watch her tend to her gear in silence. After a few minutes, she placed the sword and rag on the table. Opening a jar of lanolin, picked up her leather harness and dipped a fresh rag into the jar. As she rubbed in the lanolin into the leather, she said, "You know how uncomfortable it is to be stared at while working?"

A sense of déjà vu came over Sub-zero and a brief thought of how similar the white haired woman was to Althea crossed his mind. A sudden fog clouded that thought to the point that he no longer even knew what he was thinking about. Sub-zero shook his head slightly in an attempt to clear his mind.

As the Lin Kuei tried to clear his thoughts, Althea suddenly turned to look into the direction of the wooded area. She then put down the harness and rag to pick up both her swords with a serious look on her face.

Seeing this, Sub-zero asked, "Something wrong?"

Althea nodded, "Someone is watching us from those trees. Someone who is not suppose to be here."

Not bothering to ask how she knew this, Sub-zero followed her lead as she headed towards the trees in a defensive manner. A slight layer a frost built up on his lower arms and hands as he prepared for combat. When they got about halfway to the trees a light flashed from among them and then a high pitch rumbling sound grew as two small missiles raced out from behind the trees. Sub-zero and Althea ran in opposite directions to avoid being hit but the both missiles followed Althea as she ran.

Recognizing what they were, Sub-Zero yelled, "They're heatseekers!"

Althea getting the idea, threw her swords into the ground blade first so that they stood up. She then sent a concentrated blast of light-blue flame straight to where the missiles originally came from. Both missiles followed the chi blast into the trees and detonated. The explosion shook the ground, as Sub-Zero fought to stay standing. Out of the flames, the red cyber walked unscathed.

"Sektor, "Sub-zero hissed as Althea reclaimed her swords from the ground.

"Friend of yours?" asked Althea.

"No."

A robotic voice spoke clearly over the roar of the flames, "Resistance is futile. You will be annihilated."

"Stay out of this, "Sub-zero said to Althea, "This is my fight."

Althea frowned and was about to say something along the lines of how crazy that sounded, but one look at Sub-zero's face made her change her mind. She of all people knew that sometimes one must fight their enemy alone. The battlemage stepped back, respecting the fact that this time it was Sub-zero that needed to fight.

As soon as she was far enough away, Sub-Zero sent a blast of ice to the red cyber, freezing it in its tracks. Not wasting any time, Sub-Zero then ran to the frozen cyborg and summoned his kori blade. He lifted his icy broadsword to slice through his frozen foe, but before the blow landed the cyber broke free of the ice with the sound of shattering glass. A red energy blade flew up to deflect the ice sword and a red, armored hand grabbed Sub-zero by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The Lin Kuei reached up with his free hand and froze Sektor's hand. He then placed his feet on the cyber's chest and kicked off, sliding out of the grasp and knocking the cyber over.

As Althea watched the fight, she sensed another disturbance in the light shield she placed around the property. She turned in the direction of the disturbance, just in time to see a flickering net flying straight towards her. Althea quickly brought up one of her swords straight up in front of her. The net was sliced into two pieces, each flew pass her harmlessly. A dark gray cyber stood in the smoke of the still burning trees. In a deeper robotic voice it said, "Godslayer Althea, you will come with us or die."

"Like hell I am, "she said and sent a blast of chi through her sword straight at the new enemy. He just stood there as the light blue flames hit him, without leaving a mark. Smoke then returned fire with an energized net. Apparently, not expecting her chi blast to fail, Althea was unable to escape the net a second time. She fell to the ground with a small sound of pain escaping her throat. Smoke walked over to his captured prey only to be met with a good two feet of steel cutting into his chest. Althea looked up from her 'prison' of electrified netting holding the sword as she twisted it in the metal of his chest. Oil started spurting as the cyber began to stumble slightly backwards more in confusion than pain, Althea's sword sliding out as he did so.

Althea pulled off the net and said, "You really don't know much about me, do you?"

She twirled both her swords once and then went on the attack. Smoke, even with his cybernetic speed, was hard press to dodge the twin, chi enhanced blade, blurred attacks of Althea's swords. A slice appeared on his right upper arm and then another on his left thigh. He knew if given a chance, those strange blades could literally slice him into pieces. A split second opening appeared in Althea's ongoing attack, the one in which he was patiently waiting for. He lifted his arm and from his wrist, sent a blast a black smoke directly into the woman's face. Althea dropped both her swords and with one hand to her throat fell to knees with her other hand holding herself up as she struggled to breath. Smoke aimed his arm at her again, preparing to send another blast of the smoke when something struck him from behind, going completely through him and hooked him in front at the hole in his chest. With a loud, "Get over here!" he was pulled backwards away from Althea.

'Damn!' Sub-zero thought when he saw Althea fighting the other cyber, but had his own hands full with Sektor. After seeing how Althea was nearly slicing Smoke piece by piece, he figured she could handle the gray cyber on her own. It wasn't until he heard the "Get over here!" did he turn to see Althea struggling to breath. That one second of distraction nearly enabled Sektor to slice of Sub-zero's head with his red energy blade. Fortunately, Sub-zero heard the sizzle-hiss of the blade as he sliced through the air and ducked in time. He then counter with his own blade straight into Sektor's midriff and before the cyber could even move, Sub-zero drove his sword sideways out of the cyborg's body leaving behind a gaping hole. Sektor then started to stumble as Sub-zero in one fluid motion spinned and sliced into the other side of Sektor's midriff completing cutting the cyborg in two. The two pieces fell to the ground and squirted oil as Sub-zero ran to Althea's aid.

The battlemage was just starting to recover from smoke when she felt Sub-zero gently holder her arm asking her if she could stand. Still feeling week, she clumsily stood up, leaving her swords on the ground. The sound of metal cutting through metal rung through the air as both Sub-zero and Althea turned to see Smoke fall to the ground revealing the yellow clad specter holding a sword parallel to the ground. "You both need more practice, "was all that Scorpion said as he then vanished in a puff of smoke filled fire.

(Scene Change)

Kahn's fist hit the wall leaving a cracked crater. The Lin Kuei Master bowed in respect to the Emperor's anger. "There is no forgiveness in the failure of the warriors we sent after the traitor and godslayer, "the Master said, "They will be severely disciplined."

Shao Kahn turned and growled, "I suggest you leave." Once again the Master bowed and quickly left the room. Reiko stepped forward and asked, "Master, why did you hire the Lin Kuei?"

Kahn's mood suddenly changed from rage to that of great satisfaction, "They were a mere test. I had to see if the so-called 'godslayer' was as good as the reports stated. There is no point in stealing a weak weapon."

Quan Chi's voice entered the Emperor's private chambers, "Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

Both Kahn and Reiko turned to see Quan Chi confidently walk into the room. "For a price, I am able to tell you ALL you need to know about that particular weapon."

(Scene Change)

Shinnok laughed slightly over, in his opinion, humorous report of the attack. Seems that his youngest son had his own plans in regards to Earthrealm's warriors, it would do his heart proud…if he had one. The humor left the fallen Elder God's face as he finished reading the report. It wasn't what was in the report that made him lose his humor, but what was missing. Where was Rayden when his soulmate was attacked and in obvious distress? Past reports of his over protectiveness of the woman, dictated that the thundergod should have appeared at the first hint of danger to his beloved.

"Noob!" Shinnok yelled and his highest ranked shadow warrior appeared before him. The shadowy specter kneeled before his master with gray eyes that glowed with more cold intellect than others of his kind. "Find out where Rayden is and follow him, "ordered Shinnok, "Do not attack, only observe for now."

As Shinnok gave his orders, what appeared to be a Shadow Priest walked past the wide doors of the throne room. The priest floated down the hallway in a fast but unhurried pace, with the hood of its robe preventing anyone from seeing who he was. As he turned the corner a sudden flare up of one of the touches caused by a bit of contamination in the oil revealed Rayden's worried lined face.

The End….

Next Time on MK: Echoes of the Past…

With a dragon's roar, the red medallion shattered...