We arrived at a burger joint called Oliver's Burgers. It somewhat reminded me of a burger joint that I actually visited back in California, before I was deployed to Afghanistan. From what my army brothers called the joint called Cookies. It was a simple burger and ice cream joint diner. The last food I ever had was a simple cheeseburger, side of fries, and a vanilla ice cream. Among them were the two brothers and a fellow soldier, whom we would share captivity together by the Taliban in the Afghan caves.

I came back to the present to find myself sitting down with both of my cousins, while we waited for Allison and Katie. Cole and Emily shared with me a tray of French Fries. "Have some fries."

Before picking one up, I salted them, picked one up, dipped it with ketchup, than took a bite. Before I know it, I repeated the same cycle of dipping fries into my dipping side and ate them one at a time. I never thought I would taste a French fry again. Emily giggled, as she was taking a bite of her ice cream, while watching me eat.

Behind her, Allison gave her daughter a hug and greeted her with a kiss. Katie came to me and gave me a hug and a kiss.

"Hi, Thomas! Allison bought me a new stuffed rabbit!" Katie smiled and showed me her new stuffed animal. "I named her Hyzenthlay."

I nodded my head and thought about her. "That's a good name and she does look like her too."

"We also got something for you too." Allison pulled out something from her purse.

"You didn't have to, Allison." I kindly spoke to her.

"Nonsense." she said.

Katie tapped me on the shoulder and whispered to my ear. "You'll like it. It reminds me of your animality."

Allison gave me a jewelry box. When I opened it... it was a rabbit necklace. The necklace was beautiful. Surprisingly, there was even a Celtic symbol around it's chest. "Is that a Celtic symbol?"

"I didn't have any idea what it was, but I know that Katie suggested the necklace, because it has a rabbit on it." Allison stated.

"Thank you Allison... and Katie." I thanked them and gave Katie a hug.

"Your welcome." Allison smiled. She than turned towards Cole. "Still in one piece." Cole came and hugged her. "How did it go?"

"He was this close to beating him." Emily answered.

"This close." Allison said to Cole, as he agrees. The two shared a kiss. She than had a concern from seeing her husband a bit down. "You sure you're okay?"

Cole simply smiled. "Standing."

"You still really did pull a good fight though." I commended Cole.

"Thank you, Thomas." he patted on my back. He than joined his wife to make the order for all of us. Katie went inside and joined with them, leaving me and Emily outside eating our side meals. I decided than to put on my necklace around my neck. It was a perfect fit.

"It looks good on you." Emily complimented me.

"Thank you." I thanked her. "I noticed the bracelet you made for your father, it's beautiful." She lightly smiled. "You do arts and crafts?"

"Sometimes, for recreational." she answered back. "About what your sister told me, is it true?"

"It's what true?" I asked her.

"About the place you two dreamed of, is it real?"

I wouldn't thought that she would asked me this. It was perhaps she got that idea, after Katie told her of our adventures at Watership Down. "In our eyes, yes. What about you?"

She simply shrugged. "I only heard about the warren through the novel that I heard about. As well as the movie and show on Netflix." I simply nodded and did not go any further. "Whatever it was real or not, you two sure felt like you haven't been back home for a long time."

I nodded. "That's true."


All of the sudden, I looked around to see small droplets of snow coming down. The weather was warm, but not dry. It was unusual to see snow fall during the heated season. Even Emily begins to notice about the snow falling too.

"What month is this?" I asked Emily.

"It's July." she answered, at the same time puzzled to see snow fall.

I stood up and peeked around to see if someone was doing this. Because I looked into the sky to see there were no clouds whatsoever. I began to realize that only one person I would know, who would do something like this... Sub-Zero.

Sub-Zero? I said to myself. A great, frozen wind blew upon us. Our table was beginning to freeze over. And before we know it, the tables, the chairs, even the food and condiments were becoming frozen.

"Emily, you may need to get inside with your father." I warned her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it, Emily. Something is not right and there's no cloud that would make snow fall and turn things frozen." I advised her. "Go quickly!" She got up from her chair and hurried inside, before the ice started to cover the windows.

A dark mist came upon the road. I looked to see a figure was emerging from the mist. The figure than made the snow to stop. He than rose the snowflakes into the air and transforming them into icicle shapes. The figure, who was doing this, was definitely Sub-Zero!

Before I could even consider of doing a greeting to him, he than showered the icicles down upon everyone and everything thing outside. One person was even struck by one and was killed. It was becoming a meteor snow shower. Quickly, I took cover underneath the frozen table. I advised Cole and the rest of the family to stay inside and stay away from the windows. A car honked from nearby. I looked to see a speeding Expedition was pulling up towards my side. I stood up to see Jax.

"Jax?!"

"Get your family inside the car! NOW!"

Without hesitation, I hurried to get Cole and family out of the diner. We quickly, and safely, got inside the vehicle that Jax was driving.

"WAIT, HYZENTHLAY!" Katie cried.

I hurried to pick up her stuff animal, before getting back into the car and handing her stuffed animal. When everyone else got inside vehicle, I took the front seat. In our view, we saw Sub-Zero was about to summon more ice to stop us. Jax pulled his car into a fast and furious reverse, while the snow stormed upon us. He than turned the vehicle around and switched it to drive. He than pulled the power on the pedal and drove.

"Blade, I got them!" Jax was talking through an earpiece.

"Blade? Sonya Blade?!" I questioned him.

He nodded, while hearing back on the earpiece. "I'll see you at base at 2300."


"What the hell is that thing?!" Cole shouted.

"Funny. It didn't sound much like thanks for saving my ass." Jax rebuttal.

"That was Sub-Zero!" I answered.

"Who?!" Cole questioned me.

"He's a ninja from the Lin Kuei. They're a clan of assassins. He and other ninjas used cryomancer abilities. To use and control ice powers."

"You mean like Elsa?!" Emily asked.

"No, Emily! This is not Frozen!" I exclaimed and took a few breaths to calm myself. "From my last encountered of them, they were turned into cyborgs. They would even hunt their former ninjas, who oppose the Cyborg Initiative. However, from what I'm seeing... it didn't even happened yet."

"Well, whatever that was back there..." Jax than showed us his marking on his side. "... it's after the three of us. Or four of us including Katie."

"You have a marking too?" Katie questioned him.

"I do."

"That's, that's impossible." Cole couldn't believe it.

"Well, you may have to believe it now, cousin!" I exclaimed. "It may appear to be birthmark, but it's not. From what I've been told in my dream and Nightwolf. And whoever has those markings... we're chosen."

"Chosen, for what?"

"To fight." Jax answered.

"A tournament?" I questioned.

"Yes."

"You got the wrong person, alright? I'm not the fighter that I used to be, okay."

"No shit. But they don't have the marking. So, like it or not Cole, you're the guy." Jax than turned to me and Katie. "Both of you as well."

"Perhaps with me, but my sister has no part of this! She killed someone by mistake, not intentional!" I protest.

"It doesn't matter!" Jax exclaimed. "As long as you three have the marking, they're coming for you. And they will kill whoever they have to, to get to you."

"Just like the ones, who murdered Hazel and the others." I spoke.

Jax looked back at me and nodded. "Yes. And I'm sorry for you and Katie." He than made a right turn to see we're being blocked by a road of ice. Ahead of us, was Sub-Zero in the mist. "Now, Thomas, it's up to you! Take the truck." He unbuckled his seatbelt and exited the car. I done the same and was preparing to go to the front seat. "No matter what you do, get your family to safety."

I nodded and obeyed. As I was about to take the driver's seat, Cole got out of the car. "You three need to get to Gary, Indiana. Find Sonya Blade, 806 West Washington Blvd."

"Are you sure? We can take him out together?" Cole suggested.

"Cole, you would not be able to defeat him!" I disagreed, as Jax pulled out his weapon from the trunk. "Sub-Zero is too powerful for you to combat."

"Your cousin is right." Jax agreed. "Or unless you want your family on a fucking slab in the morgue?" Cole remain silent, as I got him back into the car. I looked back at Jax. "Now, get out here, kid."

"Be careful, Jax." I warned him, as he cocked his weapon and went off to combat with Sub-Zero. When I got back in the car, everyone was buckled, I reversed the vehicle and than started to drive back to Cole's home. I only looked back one more time to see Jax was still proceeding on to battle against Sub-Zero.