Chapter 10 – Sub-Zero & Freezer

Amid the jungle with huge spiky rocks, and an empty Asian-styled, temple-like castle, Sub-Zero who was now a living being wandered about the place. A familiar voice gave him a heads up. He turned to see a Chinese girl in Lin Kuei outfit.

"Lisa?"

"Big brother?"

Both siblings hugged expressively

"I thought you were dead. How?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now." Sub-Zero assured.

"What of our brother?" asked Lisa who was also known as Freezer.

He nodded in negativity which meant one thing.

"No."

"I don't know what to say, but something terrible happened to him. Why are you in the Realm of Xaa?" asked Sub-Zero.

At that moment they heard the crackle of wings as they were menaced by fluttering giant hybrid horned beetles (hybrid of stag beetles and rhino beetles) very obviously possessed by dark powers. "Run!" shouted Sub-Zero, knocking the first attacker on its shell. Another pinged off his blade. He threw his younger sister forward.

"Go back to this palace," he commanded, "wait for me there. Go!"

Alone with space to manoeuvre, Sub-Zero whirled about, slashing and kicking back each hybrid horned beetle before it could dart in with its pointed horns. As he struck, each one evaporated into a cloud of fading dust, and with the fury of his attack they were soon gone. However, more of them swarmed down.

Sub-Zero froze them, sending them crashing to bits. He refreshed himself from a small pool at the end of the jungle and reflected on his encounter with the girl.

"I thought the Shirai Ryu massacred her. Now I remember. Since I was in the Netherrealm, I was with Smoke, but Free…"

"Big brother!" she called.

They noticed a yellow cyborg appearing.

"His reason being here is another form of treason."

"Chenjerai?" Freezer recognised.

"I am Cyrax. He has deserted the Lin Kuei so did you."

"Our honour has been stained." said Sub-Zero.

"It is you who stained it. The Grandmaster died, our ally died and now N26 was the one who started this Cyber Initiative." said Cyrax.

Behind him, a group of copper pearl cyborgs and red ones approached the siblings. They were similar colour to their leader, N26.

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"Deal with the others, Freezer!"

"Right away, big brother."

Freezer let out a massive ice vortex, freezing the cyborgs, leaving her brother and Cyrax.

"You should have joined allowed yourself to be cyborg."

"I've been one and I fell prey to Quan Chi and I'm not risking myself for another."

The battle was an intense display of martial arts and dirty tricks, but in the end Sub-Zero managed to emerge victorious.

"I will see to it the Lin Kuei regains its lost honour."

*Play as Freezer*

"I'll handle Cyrax."

"Anytime."

Sub-Zero slid on ice to tackle his foes. He froze some of them and took out his Kori Blade to break them down, leaving Freezer and Cyrax.

"Your actions will be deemed treason." said Cyrax.

"I'm forgiving Big brother no matter what he may have done in the past and I'm helping him make amends. I'm not becoming your bounty hunter."

This was Freezer's first fight. Although unprepared for an attack from a cyborg, Freezer's control over ice and her fighting skill allowed her to take it to Cyrax. After a brutal fight, Freezer emerged victorious.

"You forfeit your morals to N26 and Ruòfēi."

"Freezer, he's not Ruòfēi anymore, but took on a new name called Sektor." said Sub-Zero.

The siblings ran, heedless of the dangers of Xaa's jungle. As they came into view from the jungle, they stood before a 500 metres high rectangular tower with Shānxī architecture. It had no windows plus it had gargoyles which allowed anyone (at least three or four people) to sit on it.

"But, there's no entrance and certainly no windows." Sub-Zero observed.

"We don't need the door." said Freezer.

A white portal appeared on the rooftop. Freezer emerged with her brother.

"Here we are, right on the rooftops." as Freezer

"I can't believe how you attain such powers even higher than my calibre." Sub-Zero was in disbelief.

"Behind you!" she interrupted.

They looked at a Shirai Ryu female member with long black hair approaching them.

"Long time no see, Freezer."

"Peron?"

"I thought I killed you. How is it you're alive?"

The rooftops had a low building with Chinese rooftop. It also had some tall conical spires with spikes.

*Play as Freezer*

"I made a huge mistake. Now, let's not make it a second!" said Peron.

"I was scared of the Shirai Ryu. Not anymore."

Even with her speed and special abilities, Peron was no match for the skill and powers of Freezer. The Lin Kuei soon had the Shirai Ryu defeated on the floor.

"My fight is not with you."

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"You tried to kill my sister. This ends now." said Peron.

"I should have had your head and bring it to Scorpion."

"You failed once. You'll fail again."

Sub-Zero and Peron fought with each other in hand to hand combat. Fire and ice spilled across Xaa palace's rooftops. Sub-Zero defeated her.

"You are just like Frost."

They entered the building. They were at the top of a passage and there was only one way to go. Down. As they ran forward, the dirt passage gave way to richly decorated stone lit by a trail of golden lamps. Gossamer drapes caressed his face as they ran over shallow steps which began to spiral, as if they were descending a tower. They ran and ran, down and down, further with each step but no deviation in the soon dizzying spiral. The passage straightened at last and the siblings saw faint light through a doorway ahead. They emerged into a strange room.

The room was rectangular. The wall had three gargoyles facing the opposite which featured a stone dragon head. Water gushed forth from its mouth and into a deep pool.

They were beset by Wú Lái and the Tengu clan. They both subdued their rival ninja clan.

"You will not go any further." warned Wú Lái.

*Play as Freezer*

"Try find an entry!" urged Freezer.

Sub-Zero froze the water from its mouth and smashed it to bits.

Wú Lái and Freezer fought each other. Her powers helped her beat the Tengu leading figure to submission. Wú Lái raised his hands.

"There is no need for rivalry. I wish your clan and the Lin Kuei even Shirai Ryu worked together." said Freezer.

"You, girl, sure ask for the impossible." said Wú Lái.

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"Take care of this, my sister" said Sub-Zero.

"Whatever you say, Big brother." said Freezer.

The fight between Sub-Zero and Wú Lái was quite straightforward. It was a brutal, bloody affair, but Sub-Zero's strength and power sees him eventually triumphed against the Tengu leader. As Sub-Zero proceeded to beat him, Wú Lái raised his hands.

"Wait, stop! We don't need to take this any further."

"Is that so when you attacked us for several years?"

"I did not mean to attack. In fact, your sister wished no hostilities between us and the Shirai Ryu." said Wú Lái.

"Freezer would say anything so to save herself." said Sub-Zero.

Freezer looked at her brother with disdain.

"That can be arranged."

They saw a figure in a long black robe with red obi around the waist and a black hood which was pulled over a mask that covered his entire face. The figure approached Sub-Zero, Wú Lái, Freezer and the Tengu clan.

"Who are you?"

"I am Karasu. I am a ninja of Xaa. Sooner or later the Lin Kuei, Shirai Ryu and Tengu clan will become a great coalition."

Freezer was surprised to hear this revelation.

"Well, I…"

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"Help Wú Lái and the Tengu." said Sub-Zero.

Freezer left with the Tengu.

"Your sister has morals, but you disowned your brother."

The fight between Sub-Zero and Karasu took place. Ice powers clashed with the ninja specialised in metal powers and air powers. Unprepared for Sub-Zero's control over his namesake, Karasu found himself at a disadvantage and is overwhelmed by his attacks. The melee ends with him on his knees.

"He was dead to me any way."

*Play as Freezer*

"You've got some explanation to do when this is over." said Freezer.

"At least you had some morals unlike your brother who disowned your other brother."

The fight between Freezer and Karasu took place. Her ice powers were advanced. Freezer was amazed by Karasu's use of metals and air. She was wary of his spiritual metal powers too. She nonetheless defeated him.

"I wanted to propose a truth, yes. I wish there were means to save our brother from dark magic of the accursed realm." Freezer lamented.

"Freezer, what are you doing?"

"Are you mad? You disowned Bì Hán. Can't you see?" said Freezer.

"No, we can't afford any more delays." Sub-Zero walked away with his hand pressed against his weary head.

"Bì Hán is our brother. He is maybe lost in darkness. Yet you would leave him to suffer." Freezer insisted.

"That man ruined everything."

"Big brother, this is not what you want to be."

"Sounds like you're finding means to obfuscate the situation with your words. Bì Hán was corrupted long ago. I am free of it." said Sub-Zero.

"It's because you chose not make an effort in saving him." said Karasu.

"You heard your sister. Is that the type of grandmaster you wish to be for the Lin Kuei?" said Wú Lái.

"You stay out of this!"

"She is right. You can act all big, but you are losing yourself." said Karasu.

"If you're not helping our brother, then I will." vowed Freezer.

This led to a fight between Sub-Zero and Freezer. Wú Lái and Karasu cheered as the fight progressed. Freezer took advantage of his reluctance to fight. She beat him.

"Wú Lái and Karasu were right. You never listened. That's twice you disowned our brother and for what? I hate to disown my family. You seemed to have lost yourself."

They left the palace.

"How did you attain this newly developed power? Not even I could have mastered this?" asked Karasu.

"I was trained by Hydro before his death. Yong Park forfeited his powers and life so that I'd attain them." said Freezer.

"Why?"

Freezer recalled her time with a tall Korean man with short black hair in Xaa. He seemed to be in a sorry state.

"I regretted for what I've done. I was granted the powers by Kuraokami. I was also involved in the massacre of the Shirai Ryu, I betrayed the Lin Kuei because I wanted to act on my own. I wanted to test my powers. Then the thrill overtook me and turned me into a serial killer. I didn't see what I've become. I killed everyone. So, to atone for my atrocities, I will sacrifice myself."

"Park, it doesn't have to be that way." Freezer protested.

"This is the only easy way out of it, Freezer."

As Yong Park clutched his hands together, white light glowed around him. Ice powers were transferred into Freezer. He now looked like a regular human.

"I delivered all to you. I hope you don't repeat the same mistakes as I did."

Back to the present, Sub-Zero reiterated.

"So, you're telling me that Yong Park betrayed us just because of his newfound powers?"

"Yes."

"Such a shame that this happened. I could have forgiven him." said Sub-Zero.

"But, you can't forgive our brother." said Freezer.

Sub-Zero, Freezer, Wú Lái and Karasu noticed the arrival of Scorpion who was still driven by revenge.

"The Lin Kuei is responsible for the massacre of the Shirai Ryu, Sub-Zero."

"Scorpion? It does not have to be that way." Sub-Zero protested.

"It was and will always be." said Scorpion.

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"I will tell you why I've left our brother behind." said Sub-Zero.

"You were in the Netherrealm too, just like your brother. Now, you're alive."

"I did not want this to be between us and I certainly don't want bad blood between me and my family."

Once again the rivalry between Sub-Zero and Scorpion resumed. The battle was truly an epic one, with both combatants equally matched in strength and fighting skill. In the end, Sub-Zero's fury got the better of Scorpion and he was beaten into submission.

"I'm trying to tell you. We can call it a truce, even momentarily."

*Play as Freezer*

"Out of my way!" said Freezer.

"You should have been killed the moment Peron turned up."

"And then become like my brother who died?"

This was her first time fighting a Shirai Ryu. The battle was even more primitive and blood-spattered than when Sub-Zero fought Scorpion. Unprepared for the amplified power of the younger's combined ice-heat attacks, the hell-spawned wraith found himself at the disadvantage and Freezer hard-heartedly pressed the attack. After a hard fought battle, Freezer finally knocked Scorpion to the ground.

"For our brother!"

"INCOMING!" shouted Wú Lái.

They turned to see the one who schemed the Cyber Initiative projected – N26.

"You, four, should have been suitable for being my bounty hunters." said N26.

"And then what? Serve Shao Kahn?" asked Wú Lái.

"It suits my purpose. My master, Shao Kahn could use those like you."

N26 was joined by Sektor.

*Play as Sub-Zero*

"You turned the Lin Kuei into cyborgs?!" said Sub-Zero.

"I don't know why you rejected this gift which you once accepted. With this done, the Lin Kuei will be mine and ultimately to my master, Shao Kahn."

"Your actions dishonour the Lin Kuei, Sub-Zero." said Sektor.

Fighting Sektor alone would be a challenge, let alone Sektor and N26 at once, but it was a challenge Sub-Zero more than stepped up to. Using all of the fighting skill and his ice powers at his disposal, he put up an amazing battle and, against all the odds, emerges victorious against the two bounty hunters.

"I think I'll pass."

*Play as Freezer*

"So young, so innocent. My master, Shao Kahn will gain you for this."

"You're better than your brother. Join us!" said Sektor.

Both Sektor and N26 were formidable cyborgs with plenty of weapons and technology to fight with, but Sub-Zero's unnatural strength and powers still gave him the edge in combat. Sektor was down.

N26 was nearly on the same level as Shao Kahn for being every bit the mighty bounty hunter he claimed to be, with control of his triple-bladed chainsaw, technology and superhuman strength at his disposal. But Freezer, dedication to save Noob from the corruption, took it to the emperor's enforcer and dished out an absolutely brutal beating. Finally, after an epic battle, N26 was knocked to the floor.

The Red Dragon soldiers and N26's cyborgs gathered and surrounded Freezer, Wú Lái, Karasu and Sub-Zero. Freezer created a tower of ice spikes that impaled her victims on them.

They felt hopelessly outnumbered. She slapped her hand onto the ground, causing the very earth beneath her opponents to form a volcano. This shocked the enemies. Even Sub-Zero, Wú Lái, Karasu and the Tengu were shocked to see his Freezer attaining this newly developed power. Snow, hail, icicles and large blocks of ice erupted out of the crater, severely damaging her opponents and laying waste to the surroundings.

Light engulfed Sub-Zero and his allies.

"What is this light?" asked Wú Lái.

"I don't know." said Freezer.

This caused them to disappear.