Chapter Two: The Cyber Initiative
With a grunt, Tundra landed harshly on his back. Smoke had caught his friend off guard and swept the cryomancer off his feet. It was definitely a comical display to the gray ninja.
"Ha, ha, ha! I told you I would win, Kuai."
"Ha, ha. You may have won this time, but when we spar again, you will be the one lying on their back."
"Are you going to buy me dinner first?"
"Oh, shut UP."
Tomas continued to laugh and soon Kuai joined in. A moment later, Smoke offered his hand to help his comrade up and Tundra accepted it. As the two were making their way out of the dojo, they almost bumped into someone. The old man was the last person they expected to run into this early in the morning. The duo quickly placed their fists over their hearts in salute.
"Grandmaster," they said in unison.
The Grandmaster bowed his head in return and Smoke and Tundra lowered their hands.
"Smoke. Tundra. I see you two have started the day early. Your sparring match was quite entertaining."
Oniro had seen the fight? Just how long has the old man been watching them? Kuai was a bit surprised that he had not noticed the Grandmaster's presence, but Tomas was embarrassed because of the dinner comment. Friendship was looked down upon in the Lin Kuei, yet everyone knew the close relationship the two ninjas had with one another. Honestly, they could be mistaken for brothers. Bi-han suggested that it would not be a good idea to openly display their friendship in front of their comrades, though. It would be considered a weakness.
Which was why Smoke was surprised when the Grandmaster did not bring the comment up and instead changed the topic entirely.
"I have an important announcement I have to make in the Grand Hall later this afternoon. Everyone is required to attend this meeting, especially you two."
Tomas and Kuai shared a look of confusion, not that Oniro could see it behind their masks. What did the Grandmaster mean by "especially you two"?"
"Grandmaster, may we ask what this is about?"
"You will know when the assembly takes place."
With that, the Grandmaster took his leave. The two friends stood dumbfounded for a moment. The old man was being very...secretive lately. Not many people nowadays knew what was going through the Grandmaster's head and that worried Smoke.
"Did the Grandmaster seem off to you in any way, Kuai?"
The cryomancer shook his head.
"I am sure this announcement is for the benefit of the Lin Kuei. Maybe he is going to state the return of our brothers from the tournament."
"Yes..."
A small part of Smoke hated the way his friend would defend some of the Grandmaster's actions. His loyalty was something to admire, but silver-haired man felt that that would put Kuai in danger. If Oniro asked Tundra to jump off a cliff, the cryomancer probably would because of his belief that it will "benefit the Lin Kuei"." Tomas felt the Grandmaster was hiding something and he was going to figure out what that something is.
Speaking of hiding, Smoke's thoughts drifted to his sifu, a former Lin Kuei assassin named Hydro. He was a hydromancer who, on occasion, could blast beams of water that were cold enough to freeze someone. After Hydro disappearance about eighteen years ago, everyone assumed he was dead. Kuai, Bi-han, and Cyrax were all devasted by this, but not as much as Tomas. The hydromancer became a true father-figure to him and with Smoke not being able to remember his own parents, that means a lot to the ninja.
Flashback
Angrily, a fourteen-year old Tomas stomped out into the courtyard with clenched fists. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing a simple gray training uniform.
"Ten syn... příště ho budu muset praštit do hlavy!"
He slipped back and forth between Czech and Chinese, but no matter the language, you knew whatever the teen was saying was probably bad.
"Trouble in paradise?"
The boy had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he had not noticed someone was near. Turning around, he saw an older looking man, Hydro, walking up to him with his hands behind his back. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and baggy gray pants, which was an unusual sight for Tomas. It almost took his mind off his current situation.
"Paradise? If this is paradise, I'd rather be in the Netherrealm."
The hydromancer laughed at that. He then walked over to a stone bench and took a seat.
"Do you wish to talk about it?"
"...No."
"Well, we are going to talk about it anyway."
"Then why did you ask me!?"
Hydro shrugged. Tomas threw his hands up in exasperation and sat down next to his sifu.
"Now, tell me what is bothering you."
"...Sektor."
Hydro sighed. He should have known that was the problem. Those two never seem to get along, but that was not his student's fault, of course. Sektor is, to put it plainly, a brat.
"What did he do?"
"Well, it started when I was helping one of the kids with a move they have been struggling with. You remember Jun, right?"
"Yes, I do. A good young man and always eager to learn. Unlike some people."
Tomas rolled his eyes, but Hydro managed to get a smile out of him.
"I'm kidding. So, what does your encounter with Jun have to do with the Grandmaster's son?"
"In the end, with a lot of practice, Jun finally accomplished his goal and did the move. He wanted to give me something as a thank you. The only thing he had on him was a locket that was given to him by his mother before she died. It's the only possession he has to remember her by."
"Tomas, Jun knows that he cannot keep anything like that..."
"I know. I know. We shouldn't have any possessions related to our time before the Lin Kuei. It's seen as a weakness, but that's something you can't just get rid of, you know? Besides, he had it hidden under his shirt."
"...You're right. Continue."
"I told the kid that I didn't want to take it, because his mother would want HIM to have it, not me. And, out of nowhere, Sektor takes it away from Jun and throws it against the wall, breaking it! For no absolute reason!"
"He broke it?"
"Yeah! Then, the jerk had the nerve to start laughing while Jun cried. The poor kid just ran out of there. It really pissed me off, so... I punched Sektor right in the face. It left a pretty big bruise, I'll tell you that."
"You did WHAT!? How many times have I told you to control your anger? You cannot let people like Sektor get the better of you."
Tomas nodded and put his head in his hands. He felt bad for his behavior earlier, but he did not regret the reason for it. Jun did not deserve that. A second later, the teen felt a hand on his back. He looked over and saw Hydro softly smiling down at him.
"Did he cry?"
At first, Smoke was confused, but then realized his sifu was talking Sektor. He laughed.
"No, he didn't cry, sifu. Sorry."
"Aw, that would have made the story ten times better."
Now both of them were laughing. That was Hydro for you. Never failing at putting a smile on anyone's face.
End of Flashback
Hydro was the one who taught him right and wrong and he was always there whenever someone needed. Whenever Tomas needed him. When his sifu vanished, Smoke made a promise to himself that he would be there for others just like the hydromancer had been. Just like he promised Sub-zero that he would look after Kuai while he was at the tournament. He would never make a promise that he could not keep.
Time had passed by quickly and now it was time for the meeting the Grandmaster had told Smoke and Tundra about. While they were making their way to the Grand Hall, they passed by a room where the duo saw three boys, one sitting on the floor and the other two in the middle of a sparring match of their own. They were no older than eight or nine, Smoke thought, and as soon as the boy sitting on the floor sighted the gray ninja, he smiled and waved. Smoke immediately recognized the kid and waved back. The two had met in the library one day while the boy was looking for a book about mythology. The child had not expected Tomas to share in interest in mythical tales and that struck up a conversation.
As intimidating as the ninja may look, Tomas is a sucker for kids. There has not been a child that Smoke could not get along with and Tundra sometimes teased him about it. It was mostly because even though Smoke had the body of a man, he definitely had the spirit of a kid. Kuai hated, yet envied, that about his best friend. He would be annoyed when Tomas did not take certain things seriously, but if it were not for his playful personality, the two probably would have never been friends. Opposites do attract each other.
By the time the two assassins reached their destination, the hall was flooded with people. Smoke and Tundra knew most of the people there, but some were complete strangers. Two men had caught sight of the gray and blue ninjas and waved them over. It was the guards who found the Grandmaster's son outside the temple. Tomas and Kuai jogged to the guards and greeted them.
"Xiao, Ling, it is good to see you. How is guard duty?"
Xiao and Ling both groaned in response, causing Smoke and Tundra to laugh.
"I rather be working in the kitchen. Cutting onions brings more action then guarding, right Ling?"
"Yes. If someone were to try and raid the temple, that would be a blessing. I did not complete my training just to not be able to use it."
"I know, but a raid seems a bit extreme, does it not?"
"I was only kidding, Kuai. You do not have to be so uptight."
Tomas shook his head as his three friends conversated. As they talked, the gray ninja suddenly had a piercing headache and he put his hand on his forehead. Where did that come from all of a sudden?
"Tomas..."
A voice whispered his name. Was it inside his head? Before he knew, the headache was gone and so was the voice. Smoke looked around trying to find whoever had spoken to him.
"Smoke?"
Smoke turned towards Tundra, who had called his name. He, Xiao, and Ling all looked at Tomas with concern in their eyes.
"It is nothing. Really. I was just thinking about something, that's all."
Maybe he should have taken that time to sleep this morning. Tomas' sleep deprivation was starting to take its toll on him.
"Greetings, my fellow Lin Kuei."
The Grandmaster's voice pulled Smoke out of his thoughts and he, along with his brethren, bowed to Oniro. The Grandmaster bowed in return.
"Now, I know many questions have risen ever since you were told to gather here at this time. The subject of this meeting concerns the Mortal Kombat tournament."
Tomas looked over at Kuai who was looking back with an "I told you so" look in his eyes. Smoke rolled his eyes back, but he was smiling as he did.
"As you know, three of our warriors were sent to participate in this competition. Sektor, Cyrax, and Sub-zero."
As the Grandmaster said those names, his son appeared beside him. If he was here, where were the others, Smoke thought. He was starting to get worried and he could tell Tundra was confused as well.
"Unfortunately, only one has returned to us, as you can see. One of our own has gone rogue, but as I speak, scouts have been sent after Cyrax to capture for judgement."
What!? Now Smoke was really confused. Cyrax would never betray the Lin Kuei, not without good reason. Knowing that, he hoped the Botswanan would be able to escape the scouts.
"As for Sub-zero..."
Kuai held his breath and hoped for the best, but Tomas knew better. Bi-han would never go against the clan, so something had to had happened to him for him not to be here right now. If anything, he would have shown up so he could let his brother know that he was alright.
"I am sad to say that our most powerful warrior was defeated in combat. Murdered in the tournament."
There were gasps and murmurs among the crowd. Again, Smoke looked over at Tundra. It pained him to see the tears starting to form in his friend's eyes. Kuai quickly turned away when he saw the look on Tomas' face. That only made the pain worse. Under his mask, the gray ninja clenched together angrily. Why did you have to go and get yourself killed, Bi-han?
But, we will not allow this stop us. The Lin Kuei is still the most feared clan of assassins in the world. And now... we have the tools to make us even better."
The Grandmaster stopped and turned his attention to the gray and blue ninjas.
"Smoke, Tundra, would you please step forward?"
Oh gods. If there was one thing the duo hated, it was being in the spotlight. Their clanmates watched as the two slowly made their way to the Grandmaster. Smoke caught a glance at Tundra and saw that the cryomancer had held back his tears and now his eyes were emotionless. Tomas knew he was just doing that so the Grandmaster would not see his grief and call it a weakness. If he had not known better, Smoke could have confused Tundra for his brother.
"Before his unfortunate resignation, Cyrax had perfected a project I had assigned him to that would strengthen us. Both mentally and physically. With this initiative, no one will dare challenge us."
Initiative? Cyrax had never told Tomas or Kuai about any initiative. Why would he keep that a secret from them?
"Originally, was going to be one of the first to be transformed, along with Sub-zero. Now, that honor falls to you three."
He gestured to his son, Smoke, and Tundra.
"You shall become the first cyber ninjas to have ever been created! You will be the stepping stones to a new era. An era where technology will reign superior!"