Author's Notes: Good Lord, I actually updated. Imagine that. I've been busy working on my website I hope to polish this story off before Deception comes out though.

----

"I've found something!" announced a Private, running up to Evans. "Camera 2708, ma'am." The Private hastily tacked on a salute at the end of her announcement.

"Excellent," Evans pushed a few buttons on her display, and Sonya gasped in surprise.

"Where is that? Still on the east side?" Sonya demanded, anxious to help out her agents.

"Yes, east side," Evans nodded. "Ma'am?" The Lieutenant was a bit alarmed at the savage look on the Generals face, but Sonya was busy barking out orders over her trusty headset.

"Red alert! I repeat, red alert!" Sonya waited until she heard the acknowledgements of her agents. "There is a red cyber in the building. This is not a friendly cyber. Also, one female ninja, presumably friendly. All available units to the east side of the building immediately. Remain alert!"

There was a crackled of static, and then Cyrax's voice came over the air on a private channel. "Ma'am, if the cyber is of Lin Kuei design, it could be Sektor."

"Sektor?"

"Yes, one of the three of us sent to kill Sub-Zero. He may be following his original orders."

"Whatever his orders are, he's beating the shit out of Frost. As much as I'd like to see her pounded into the ground, I think Sub-Zero would prefer it if we returned her in one piece."

---

Frost was so worn down she was barely able to make an effort to block her cyber opponent's blows. 'I have to get out of here,' she thought dumbly, as another kick caught her in the stomach, knocking her back into the wall. There was no time to react before she felt a steel grip on her throat constricting. Instinct made her grasp futily at the chocking fingers, but they weren't budging. Time was rapidly running out as the edges of her vision were starting to darken.

There was a dull thudding in the distance, but it could have just been the blood pounding in her ears.

---

Jax led a squad of agents down hallway after hallway, following the dim clanking. Sonya had relayed Cyrax's warning to him, but he was hardly concerned. He had, after all, seen all that Cyrax could do.

The sounds were getting louder, and he thought he heard someone gasping for air and a dull thunk. He had barely turned the next corner when he heard the source or the commotion. Frost was being held aloft by the throat as she clawed feebly at the hand that held her. Judging by the alarming shad of blue shade was turning; the grip wasn't a loose one.

But before Jax had a chance to react, the scarlet armored cyborg snapped his head around. As soon as Jax saw those soulless eyes, he knew that this cyber was nothing like Cyrax.

All parties sized each other up silently for a moment. A few heartbeats later, the cyber made the first move, and tossed the now non-struggling Frost away like she weighed nothing, and she landed in a heap a few yards away. None of the agents had enough time to bring their weapons to the ready when the cyber's chest plate opened. No one knew exactly what was going to happen, but hey all knew it wasn't good.

"Get down!" Jax yelled as a missile fell into place in the cyborg's chest. He barely hit the ground himself when the cyber fired and the hallway was enveloped in a wave of fire and smoke. His steel plated arms protected his head and neck from the searing heat, but he doubted the rest of the squad fared as well.

The smoke was getting thicker, and Jax wondered what in the steel hall could burn, but then came the overwhelming and unmistakable smell of burning flesh. Coughing uncontrollably, he groped behind him, and was reward with a hand gripping his own. He tried to bark out an order, but it felt as if his throat was burning. Instead, he pulled the agent he was hanging on to forward and away from the fir, praying the survivors would follow suit.

The cyber, it seemed, had not stayed to finish them off, but there was no relief to be found, except for that which Jax found in unconsciousness.

---

Sonya could feel herself shaking though she fought to remain clam. The order had already gone out to put out the fire in the hallway, but she knew it was likely to late for the agents. Her mind was racing so quickly that is felt like the whole world was spinning, so she dropped heavily into the nearest empty seat.

Cyrax was saying something to her over the radio, but she didn't have the heart to answer. Jax had been her comrade in arms for more than a decade, and she just couldn't fathom him being gone. The best she could possibly hope for was severe injuries.

"Ma'am?" Evans was shaking her, and Sonya looked up to see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine," she answered, but she could hear the quivering in her own voice. "I'm fine," she said again, more to convince herself than the Private. "What's our status?" she said into her headset.

Cyrax's voice came over the air again. "The fire is out, ma'am. The medical team has also arrived, and they are assessing the situation. No information on survivors at this time."

"And the cyber?"

"Gone. It appears Frost disappeared with him."

"Not voluntarily, I presume."

"That doesn't seem likely, but we can't tell for sure yet."

"Keep me informed," sighing heavily, Sonya pulled off her headset and tossed it on the nearest desk. She knew all eyes in the room were on her, and for her agents' sakes she had to suck it up. "Tell me when something comes up," she ordered Evans. "I'll be back in the command post."

Steadying herself on the chair, she carefully stood up and faced the best rest of the Intelligence Squad. "Good work people," she praised them, trying but failing to fake a smile.

Nodding to no one in particular, she spun on one heel and fled the room.

---

Smoke's body language foretold of the bad news before Sub-Zero even spoke to the Special Forces. The Grandmaster was contemplating whether or not to truly move the headquarters when his friend rushed out in to the ice sculpture garden to collect him

"Sonya needs to talk to you. Now," the sense of urgency was evident even in the cyber's robotic tone.

"What happened?" Sub-Zero asked, rushing to catch up.

"She wouldn't say," Smoke spoke over his shoulder. "She's really shaken up."

"Oh." Sub-Zero picked up the pace. He didn't know what would cause Sonya to be upset, but knowing her normal attitude, it couldn't' be good. He followed Smoke into his office where the communication equipment was already up and running, and Sonya's harried face was visible on the video screen. One look at her expression and he felt his stomach drop.

"What happened?" he asked, and braced himself for an answer he doubted he wanted to hear.

"We...ran into another cyber," Sonya said. She looked like she was going to continue, but her eyes started to tear.

"Sektor," Smoke said quietly.

"That's what Cyrax thought. We didn't see him ourselves firsthand," Sonya confirmed.

"Did anyone?" Sub-Zero asked.

Sonya swallowed audibly. "Anyone who saw him firsthand is either dead or critically injured." There was a few moments paused as the general visibly stiffened. "He took out twenty agents in less than thirty seconds."

"That's not everything."

"No, its not. Jax was leading the team that found the cyber."

Sub-Zero shook his head in disbelief. Jax was a valuable ally to more than just the Lin Kuei. "I'm sorry," he said simply.

"It gets worse," Sonya appeared to struggle for words. "We lost Frost."

"You lost her?"

"We're still sorting through the carnage left in the hallway, but nothing seems to belong to her. She just vanished."

"She was never that good at stealth..."

"We think the cyber took her. She was in pretty bad shape when we spotted her. It seems she had a run in with a few Red Dragon members, not to mention Mileena."

"Mileena," Sub-Zero hadn't heard anything about the mutant in years. "I thought she was dad."

"She is now, looks like she bled to death. But Frost was fighting with the cyber when our agents confronted him. Well, actually she was being strangled."

"This is just getting better and better," Smoke said wryly.

Sonya nodded her agreement, but then said, "I don't have anything else to report, I believe."

"I think that's a good thing in this case," sighed Sub-Zero. "Thank you for telling me." Sonya nodded again and terminated the connection from her end, at which point Sub-Zero's head came to rest on his desk with a dull thud. "How can this possibly get worse? No wait, forget I said that." He turned to look at Smoke. "Do you really think its Sektor?"

"Who else could it be?"

"But what would the Tekunin want with Frost?"

"Sektor probably wants to get to you. I don't think he's lost his original programming. Besides, if they automate her, she'll be a major help to them."

Sub-Zero looked doubtful. "I doubt they'll let them automate her."

"I don't think she'll get a chance." Smoke looked down at his own armored torso, "No one should have to go through automation," he added quietly.

The Grand Master was staring out into the snow outside his window. A snowflake fell onto the glass; he watched it melt before replying. "The Lin Kuei were successful because all of our warriors were unique. What good would a mass produced clan do? And who would volunteer to be automated? The clan can't be as big as rumor says."

"What if they're not volunteers?" Smoke voiced the idea floating in the back of his friend's mind.

The thought of any of the Lin Kuei being forced into automation was enough to make Sub-Zero shudder. "We need to get her out of there, fast."

"We don't know where she is!" protested Smoke.

"I'm willing to bet she's been taken to the Tekunin's main plane," Sub-Zero rose from his seat, and reached for the power switch of the videophone.

"We don't know where that is!" Smoke shook his head as the Grandmaster placed a call to the White Lotus Society.

"Someone else might," Sub-Zero didn't turn from the video screen. "The White Lotus found what they thought was an ammunitions plant. They retreated after spotting what they reported were several figures in red armor.

"That doesn't strike me as enough information to go on," the cyber remained unconvinced.

"The plant in question was located in one of the clan's old satellite headquarters."

"Oh."

"As soon as I confirm the information, I'll prepare to leaver. You'll stay here and supervise the defense preparations."

Smoke sighed, "Why do I have to baby-sit?"

"Because I don't trust the other masters." Sub-zero turned to her friend and added, "There's no sense in us both going on a near suicide mission. The clan would fall apart if we both died."

The videophone beeped, indicating it connected and an Asian face appeared on the screen, interrupting the discussion. Smoke took the opportunity to slip out and make some plans for himself.