Disclaimer: I do NOT own Mortal Kombat or anything related to it.


"Women always need other women to lean on. They become friends in order to hate each other better. The more they hate each other, the more inseparable they become."
— Herta Müller (The Land of Green Plums)

Chapter 27:Sareena II


"I wish I had been there."

The words were accompanied by a sigh from Sareena as she looked at the comatose Sub-Zero on the bed a few feet away. She sat on Frost's bed, hands folded in her lap as the younger woman tried to eat with her left hand due to her right arm being broken. Sareena's words caused her to pause in her task and let out a sigh of her own.

"It's actually a good thing you weren't there." Frost replied."I'll never forget the look on Raiden's face as he threatened to finish me off. Half the clan died right in front of me. There were two Lin Kuei in particular, a boy and a girl, who tried to help me get Sub-Zero to the door. Jarek knocked me down and I watched Tasia cut them both down before they realized she was there. That boy and girl were Tai Xin and Tai Xia."

Sareena gasped. Tai Xin and Tai Xia were twins whose parents had fallen during Shinnok's second invasion while driving Kotal Kahn's forces back to Outworld. Rather than allow their grief to consume them, the twins were determined to honor their parents' memory by becoming Lin Kuei warriors like them. And they had been slaughtered like animals a little more than a week later.

Frost closed her eyes and wiped away the single tear that ran down her cheek."Tai Xin always looked up to Sub-Zero and talked about how he wanted to be as strong and wise as him when he grew up. Tai Xia, on the other hand, wanted to be like me. She even tried to get me to personally train her, but I told her I was still learning myself and would help her as much as possible. She called me jiejie, the Chinese word for 'older sister'. Tell me, Sareena, what did I ever do to deserve to be the role model of a thirteen-year-old orphan?"

"You are one of the most powerful warriors in the clan, Frost." Sareena stated."Why would Tai Xia not wish to be as strong and powerful as you?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Why would it be a trick question?"

Frost rolled her eyes and scoffed."Oh, I don't know, maybe because I literally get ten lectures a day from the Grandmaster about how arrogant I am and the importance of learning humility."

"Everyone has a bit of arrogance within them." Sareena placed a hand on the other woman's shoulder."It is not as if you are the only member of the Lin Kuei who struggles with overconfidence."

"No, but I'm definitely the only one who gets so many lectures for it." Frost grumbled."I mean listen to me! I complain and grumble like a child! My conversations with Sub-Zero over the past five years have consisted solely of lectures, specifically regarding my behavior when he and Scorpion formed a truce between the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu. A part of me wants to scream at him 'I told you so' for trusting Scorpion who is just as guilty as Raiden and Kano for our clan's condition while another part of me wants to beg for forgiveness for all the shit I've caused both before and after I joined the Lin Kuei. But it doesn't matter what I do because I'll never be able to change the past. I can't undo the things I did when I was in the deathmatch fight club, bring back the lives I took, or change the enjoyment I felt in taking those lives. I don't deserve to be forgiven for what I've done."

Sareena frowned. Frost was not the only one with regrets. For the first two years after Noob Saibot freed her from the Netherrealm and helped her regain her human form mere hours before Nightwolf knocked him into the Soulnado, she chose to hide. It was not until the end of Shinnok's first invasion that she decided to seek redemption. Sonya Blade did not trust her at first, but she managed to prove herself as an ally and friend to everyone, including Jax, Johhny, Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, Jin, and Sonya herself.

Several years went by until she met Kuai Liang, who was in the process of rebuilding his clan as a force of good rather than a clan of assassins. The tournament had just ended with Frost as the winner. Upon hearing of Sareena's past with his brother, he offered her part time membership within the Lin Kuei so she could split her time between aiding Special Forces and working with the clan. Yet with all the good she'd done for the past two decades, she could not undo or forget the bad she'd done during her service to Quan Chi.

The demoness couldn't help but ponder the differences between the Frost she'd met all those years ago and the Frost sitting beside her now. That Frost had been arrogant, eager to learn, and easily annoyed. This Frost was stronger, wiser, and...more humble dare she say?

"Frost." Sareena said, squeezing the cryomancer's shoulder."It seems you have finally learned humility."

Frost's eyes widened. She thought about it for a minute, then gave a bitter laugh."And it only took half the clan dying and the Grandmaster slipping into a coma for me to do so."

"Why didn't you take Raiden's offer? You have made it no secret how badly you desire to be in charge."

Frost sighed."I won't lie; it was a tempting offer. Shortly before Raiden's attack, I was having trouble sleeping because I couldn't stop thinking about the past and how I disagreed with our truce with the Shirai Ryu. I told myself that none of the consequences the Lin Kuei faced for our previous leaders' stupidity would have happened if I was in charge, but then I stopped myself. Yeah, I'm overconfident and tend to brag about how great I am, but even I can't deny that I've still got a lot left to learn. When Raiden offered me the Dragon Medallion in exchange for joining his forces, I thought about how many things I could do differently with that kind of power and knowledge before asking myself if I was ready for it...if I would ever be ready for it." She clenched her fist."Then I remembered my time at the deathmatch fight club, how arrogant I was in having killed so many people until Cassie Cage beat me and how disgusted I am with myself now. I wasn't a person to the audience in that club or the bastards running it; I was a source of entertainment, a killing and money machine...and I'd rather die than let myself turn into that again."

"I...understand the feeling." Sareena nodded."I have had my share of dark thoughts ever since I 'left' Quan Chi's service. But Frost, the fact that you and I overcame our dark thoughts and strived to become better, that is what separates us from the villains. Yes I am a demoness, but I have chosen not to follow the typical path of my kind and I was even able to inspire Ashrah, a fellow demoness, into taking a stand as well. I believe the same can be said for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Can you honestly tell me you are the only one of our fellow Lin Kuei who disagrees with the Grandmaster on certain topics?"

"Well no." Frost admitted."There are several others who tend to argue with him. But none of them turned against him during Raiden's attack. We all stood together to take down the Black Dragon and Shirai Ryu and would've won if Raiden hadn't come back and electrocuted us."

"And the reason why everyone stood together was because they followed your example. You, the one who is more at odds with Sub-Zero than anyone else, took a stand by refusing Raiden's offer and not giving into temptation. It is because of you that the clan remained united during that fight." She took Frost's hand in her own two hands and gave it a firm squeeze."I know Sub-Zero would be proud."

The female cryomancer narrowed her eyes."I've still done a lot of horrible things."

"And I have not?" Sareena retorted.

"There's a difference between you and me, Sareena; you didn't enjoy the things you did for Quan Chi like I did in the fight club."

"Do you still enjoy the things you did?"

"No, I don't."

"Then you should not sell yourself so short nor allow yourself to bask in overconfidence. You are better than that."

"I guess I've changed a lot for the better since I joined the Lin Kuei."

"Indeed. For example, you no longer speak in that ridiculous accent."

Frost scowled."Ridiculous, eh?" She asked, trying to make it sound like her old accent."I can go back to using that accent anytime I want, ya know."

"Please don't." Sareena groaned."It is more irritating than Johnny Cage's movies."

Frost smirked."Nothing is more irritating than Johnny Cage's movies." She shook her head."I can endure Time Smashers and Every Dog Has Its Day, but Ninja Mime was just plain insulting! I know Lin Kuei aren't ninjas, but even I felt offended by that movie."

Sareena grimaced."I am still trying to understand why anyone would assume that combining ninjas and mimes was a good idea."

The two looked at each other for a minute before bursting into laughter. Frost quickly stopped, however, and grasped her chest."Ow, my ribs! Ow, ow, ow!" She leaned her head against the wall."I'm not gonna be able to laugh for awhile without feeling pain." She changed the subject."Is that Triborg thing destroyed?"

"Its body is, yes." Sareena shuddered at the memory of Triborg electrocuting her into unconsciousness."We have saved the data and if we do activate it again, there will be a failsafe to prevent it from attacking us a second time. I doubt we will activate it again, however. It is best not to take any more unnecessary risks."

"At least it wasn't aware of Sub-Zero's presence in the building. Otherwise, things would've gone far worse."

"Yes, I suppose so."

They fell into silence, allowing themselves to get lost in their thoughts. Sareena was especially worried about the success of the rescue mission for Cassie. Jacqui, Jin, and Takeda had expressed their guilt for leaving her behind in the Netherrealm as well as Cassie's own obvious guilt. They need not feel guilty; she did not regret letting herself get captured by the revenants so they could escape and would gladly do so again.

Suddenly, the walkie talkie on the table near Frost's bed burst to life with a familiar frantic voice speaking,"Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me?" Gunshots and yelling in the background made it difficult to hear what the person was saying, but Sareena recognized the speaker with ease.

Sareena grabbed the walkie talkie."Li Mei? What is it?"

"Kotal Kahn's palace is under attack!"

"By whom?!"

"The Red Dragon Clan."

"Look out!" Erron Black's voice cried, followed by the sound of a crash and Li Mei yelping.

"Li Mei, can you hear me? Li Mei, Answer me!" Silence was the only answer she received.

A groan snapped both hers and Frost's attention from the walkie talkie to the bed a few feet away. As soon as they looked up, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped at what they saw.

Sub-Zero had awoken.


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Next up: Chapter 28:Li Mei