"I-impossible…" Sub-Zero stammered.
"Go." The ninja commanded.
"What the?" Akane commented. The masked ninja's outfit was colored blue like Sub-Zero's. He was slightly taller and appeared older, probably into his mid-twenties.
"This is between me and Scorpion, now. Go."
"I'm not going to leave you… brother," Sub-Zero stood his ground. The others gasped in unison.
"B-brother?" Ranma blurted out.
"This is not a game, brother, go before someone unnecessarily gets killed." A black-gloved hand with a yellow gauntlet grabbed the elder Sub-Zero by the throat and pulled him inside.
"No!" Sub-Zero shouted out and raced into the kitchen. Ranma looked at Ryoga. With a wordless agreement, they followed the ice-ninja.
"Ranma!"
"Ryoga!"
Inside the charred kitchen, Scorpion, who remained unmasked, side-kicked the younger Sub-Zero on the chin. He flew backward into Ranma and Ryoga. Scorpion released the elder assassin and struck him with an open palm blow to the chest. The elder Sub-Zero stumbled backward. He regained his balance in time to see the undead ninja leap at him. Scorpion twisted mid-air and kicked forward with his right leg. Sub-Zero caught it in his grasp, but Scorpion bent his left ankle and hooked the back of his neck, sending Sub-Zero to the floor. Ryoga flipped to his feet and attacked the yellow-clad warrior. Scorpion easily blocked each blow, elbowed the youth across the jaw, and then gave him an uppercut, sending him sprawling. Scorpion performed a low roundhouse to trip Ranma then kicked him on the side of the face. The demon hissed and backhanded the younger ice-ninja off his feet.
Outside in the courtyard, Ukyo and Akane listened to the sounds of the battle within. Ryoga was suddenly sent to through the window. Shattered glass lay around his unconscious form and he bled from several cuts. They ran over and dragged him away from the fray.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Scorpion was going back and forth, trading blows with both Sub-Zeroes at the same time. Ranma leaned against a wall, breathing hard. He was amazed how the specter easily matched the brothers. He had never seen anyone this powerful… dead or alive. Scorpion's fleshless face snarled as the ice-ninjas began to overcome him. They moved as one, initiating an attack, then blocking the return blows from the other assassin. Scorpion jumped into the air and disappeared into the wall behind him.
"Ranma, watch out!" The younger Sub-Zero yelled in warning. Scorpion's booted foot kicked Ranma at the base of the spine through the wall, sending the youth to his knees with a cry. He fully emerged from the partition and planted a second kick in the center of Ranma' back. Ranma flipped several times and landed at the feet of the brothers. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his back wouldn't allow it. The elder ice ninja looked briefly at his sibling. Sub-Zero understood his older brother and they established a mental link, a unique talent taught among the Lin Kuei.
I have a plan, his brother thought.
I'm all ears, we can't seem to exhaust him.
That's because we can't. However, he looked at their adversary. This will work. Do you recall the training you endured to perfect your ice abilities?
Yeah, it's still fresh in my memory.
Good, I'm going to give you a quick lesson that they didn't instruct you. When you gather the moisture for your ice-blast, concentrate intently upon its shape. Don't create a regular ball as you were taught, form a mental image of a spike, a stalagmite or stalactite is an ideal image. When the opportunity arises, kill him with it, don't worry about me.
But-
Not buts. Being dead has taught me a thing or too, his brother's eyes seemed to smile. Confident in the plan, they broke the mental link and turned back to Scorpion. The eyeless sockets of the skull stared into them. Scorpion growled in a low tone. His eyes flashed bright orange again. Sub-Zero began gathering moisture. His brother stepped forward.
What is he doing? Trying to get himself killed a second time? Sub-Zero thought. He closed his eyes and focused on a picture of a stalagmite. The younger ice-ninja could feel it taking shape between his cupped hands. Scorpion's eyes flickered brighter. The spike had formed, and was now increasing in size. The demon's eyes turned blood red. The spike wasn't completed.
CONCENTRATE, his brother said mentally. Scorpion let loose a flow of flames. The elder Sub-Zero dived into them.
"NO!" Ranma shouted.
The elder ice-ninja reappeared behind Scorpion and grabbed the back of his skull. He craned Scorpion's neck backward and pushed forward on his spine with his other fist.
"If you so much as think to teleport, I'm snapping your head off before your body even begins to initiate the maneuver," he whispered to the demon, pulling back on his cranium to create a slight cracking sound. Suddenly, Sub-Zero hurled the ice spike forward. It flew across the room and plunged into Scorpion's torso. The elder Sub-Zero held him outward, to avoid the piercing end of the spike. He quickly let go and grabbed Ranma by the waist. "Out of the kitchen, NOW!" The two brothers sailed outside to where the others were.
"Everybody, get down!" Sub-Zero yelled. The demon ninja howled one last time and exploded in a hail of black ash. "Fatality," he said softly. Akane tended to the injured Ranma. Sub-Zero turned to Ukyo. "Hey."
"Hi."
"You seem… happy here."
"Yeah," she looked down.
"Perhaps it would be better if I rescind the pledge of marriage," he smiled weakly. "It's obvious neither one of us is ready for such a union."
"I guess so. What'll you do now, Zero, go back with your brother to China?" Ukyo inquired.
"Wait a second," he whirled around, his brother was gone. Sub-Zero turned back to Ukyo. "It seems I have something to do after all. I wish you the best with your future," he kissed her. She enjoyed the moment and did not resist. They parted. Sub-Zero replaced his mask, nodded toward his love, and headed off into the city after his sibling. Ukyo sighed as she watched him disappear into the sunset
"Go." The ninja commanded.
"What the?" Akane commented. The masked ninja's outfit was colored blue like Sub-Zero's. He was slightly taller and appeared older, probably into his mid-twenties.
"This is between me and Scorpion, now. Go."
"I'm not going to leave you… brother," Sub-Zero stood his ground. The others gasped in unison.
"B-brother?" Ranma blurted out.
"This is not a game, brother, go before someone unnecessarily gets killed." A black-gloved hand with a yellow gauntlet grabbed the elder Sub-Zero by the throat and pulled him inside.
"No!" Sub-Zero shouted out and raced into the kitchen. Ranma looked at Ryoga. With a wordless agreement, they followed the ice-ninja.
"Ranma!"
"Ryoga!"
Inside the charred kitchen, Scorpion, who remained unmasked, side-kicked the younger Sub-Zero on the chin. He flew backward into Ranma and Ryoga. Scorpion released the elder assassin and struck him with an open palm blow to the chest. The elder Sub-Zero stumbled backward. He regained his balance in time to see the undead ninja leap at him. Scorpion twisted mid-air and kicked forward with his right leg. Sub-Zero caught it in his grasp, but Scorpion bent his left ankle and hooked the back of his neck, sending Sub-Zero to the floor. Ryoga flipped to his feet and attacked the yellow-clad warrior. Scorpion easily blocked each blow, elbowed the youth across the jaw, and then gave him an uppercut, sending him sprawling. Scorpion performed a low roundhouse to trip Ranma then kicked him on the side of the face. The demon hissed and backhanded the younger ice-ninja off his feet.
Outside in the courtyard, Ukyo and Akane listened to the sounds of the battle within. Ryoga was suddenly sent to through the window. Shattered glass lay around his unconscious form and he bled from several cuts. They ran over and dragged him away from the fray.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Scorpion was going back and forth, trading blows with both Sub-Zeroes at the same time. Ranma leaned against a wall, breathing hard. He was amazed how the specter easily matched the brothers. He had never seen anyone this powerful… dead or alive. Scorpion's fleshless face snarled as the ice-ninjas began to overcome him. They moved as one, initiating an attack, then blocking the return blows from the other assassin. Scorpion jumped into the air and disappeared into the wall behind him.
"Ranma, watch out!" The younger Sub-Zero yelled in warning. Scorpion's booted foot kicked Ranma at the base of the spine through the wall, sending the youth to his knees with a cry. He fully emerged from the partition and planted a second kick in the center of Ranma' back. Ranma flipped several times and landed at the feet of the brothers. He tried to sit up, but the pain in his back wouldn't allow it. The elder ice ninja looked briefly at his sibling. Sub-Zero understood his older brother and they established a mental link, a unique talent taught among the Lin Kuei.
I have a plan, his brother thought.
I'm all ears, we can't seem to exhaust him.
That's because we can't. However, he looked at their adversary. This will work. Do you recall the training you endured to perfect your ice abilities?
Yeah, it's still fresh in my memory.
Good, I'm going to give you a quick lesson that they didn't instruct you. When you gather the moisture for your ice-blast, concentrate intently upon its shape. Don't create a regular ball as you were taught, form a mental image of a spike, a stalagmite or stalactite is an ideal image. When the opportunity arises, kill him with it, don't worry about me.
But-
Not buts. Being dead has taught me a thing or too, his brother's eyes seemed to smile. Confident in the plan, they broke the mental link and turned back to Scorpion. The eyeless sockets of the skull stared into them. Scorpion growled in a low tone. His eyes flashed bright orange again. Sub-Zero began gathering moisture. His brother stepped forward.
What is he doing? Trying to get himself killed a second time? Sub-Zero thought. He closed his eyes and focused on a picture of a stalagmite. The younger ice-ninja could feel it taking shape between his cupped hands. Scorpion's eyes flickered brighter. The spike had formed, and was now increasing in size. The demon's eyes turned blood red. The spike wasn't completed.
CONCENTRATE, his brother said mentally. Scorpion let loose a flow of flames. The elder Sub-Zero dived into them.
"NO!" Ranma shouted.
The elder ice-ninja reappeared behind Scorpion and grabbed the back of his skull. He craned Scorpion's neck backward and pushed forward on his spine with his other fist.
"If you so much as think to teleport, I'm snapping your head off before your body even begins to initiate the maneuver," he whispered to the demon, pulling back on his cranium to create a slight cracking sound. Suddenly, Sub-Zero hurled the ice spike forward. It flew across the room and plunged into Scorpion's torso. The elder Sub-Zero held him outward, to avoid the piercing end of the spike. He quickly let go and grabbed Ranma by the waist. "Out of the kitchen, NOW!" The two brothers sailed outside to where the others were.
"Everybody, get down!" Sub-Zero yelled. The demon ninja howled one last time and exploded in a hail of black ash. "Fatality," he said softly. Akane tended to the injured Ranma. Sub-Zero turned to Ukyo. "Hey."
"Hi."
"You seem… happy here."
"Yeah," she looked down.
"Perhaps it would be better if I rescind the pledge of marriage," he smiled weakly. "It's obvious neither one of us is ready for such a union."
"I guess so. What'll you do now, Zero, go back with your brother to China?" Ukyo inquired.
"Wait a second," he whirled around, his brother was gone. Sub-Zero turned back to Ukyo. "It seems I have something to do after all. I wish you the best with your future," he kissed her. She enjoyed the moment and did not resist. They parted. Sub-Zero replaced his mask, nodded toward his love, and headed off into the city after his sibling. Ukyo sighed as she watched him disappear into the sunset