As Liu exited the Foundry, Kung leapt from the shadows and landed in front of him.
"Kung Lao? What are you doing here?" Liu let out surprised.
"Keeping an eye on you, Liu Kang." Kung said.
"What are you talking about?" Liu asked.
"I watched you talk to her. It seems you've got a little crush going."
"What? What are you talking about?" Liu replied, somewhat angrily.
"Well, I don't think it's a good idea for you to get too close to her, Liu. You know about your responsibilities?"
"Responsibilities? Don't we both have the same responsibility at the moment to defeat Shao Kahn and save Earth?" Liu replied, his anger growing.
"You forget that you are the Mortal Kombat Champion. You will never grow old until you lose the next tournament. You can't fall in love, it'll only tear you apart."
"I don't care!" Liu shouted. "Some stupid little tournament isn't going to stop me from living my life!"
"Regardless, how can you be falling in love with an assassin? You know, she might just be using this to get close to you and then when you least suspect it, she'll strike. I know how assassins work, Liu."
"She's not like that. If you heard her story…"
"How do you know it was true?" Kung yelled.
"I just know." Liu said, quickly.
"You just know? She could be lying, you know."
"I don't think so…" Liu said, trying to get ahead of Kung. He was suddenly walking faster.
"You can't be sure and besides like I said before, you have a responsibility…"
"My responsibility? As I recall, it was supposed to be yours."
"It never said it had to be mine, they just wanted it to be mine…"
"Yes. They did want you. But did you? No, you ran from it! Shang Tsung was right about one thing, you are a coward!" Liu shouted, he had lost his temper.
"What did you say?" Kung shouted. "At least, I was fighting to defend the Shaolin Temples, unlike you!"
"That wasn't my fault!" Liu shouted back.
"No, but it was your fault that the Temples were attacked in the first place. That is true."
"Shut up!" Liu shouted.
"You won at the tournament, but look at the price: our Shaolin Brothers are dead! You and I are the last members of the Order of Light."
Before Liu could answer, a flash of thunder in between them. "ENOUGH! Both of you stop this petty bickering, you have more important things to worry about!" Raiden shouted. Liu and Kung both fell silent. "For now, the two of you must return to your chambers, you must rest for the tournament tomorrow."
With a slight nod, both Liu Kang and Kung Lao headed back to the chambers.
O-O-O
And so the warriors rested for the night, wondering who they would be fighting.
Morning dawned in the realm of Outworld and the first to awake was Kitana, she got up from her bed. In her nighttime gown, she went to her drawers, where she took out her fighting outfit. As she changed, she grabbed her blue mask and tied it over her mouth.
"Well, look who's all ready for battle?" came a voice. Kitana turned and was somewhat annoyed to see Mileena standing in her doorway.
"Yes." Kitana replied, as she grabbed her two fans.
"I guess Daddy's favorite little girl has to look good and proud." Mileena said, angrily.
"Oh give it a rest." Kitana said, annoyed. She had long since grown tired of Mileena calling her "Father's favorite."
Mileena sighed annoyingly. "Well, their putting up the matches now. I can't wait to devour my opponent." Mileena chuckled to herself as she walked down the hallway. With a disgusted sigh, Kitana followed her.
The fighters approached the tournament chart: they each read the matches from left to right; they were listed as such:
Sub-Zero vs. Reptile
Scorpion vs. Mileena
Kung Lao vs. Shang Tsung
Jax vs. Kintaro
Johnny Cage vs. Baraka
Liu Kang vs. Kitana
After the matches were read, the fighters traveled into Shao Kahn's arena, who greeted them. "Good morning warriors. I trust you had a good rest." Sonya and Kano's pedestals rose from the ground once again as Kahn continued to speak. "Today the tournament begins. I trust you have prepared your skills for you will needing them today."
Liu turned around where he saw Raiden watching from the shadows as Kahn continued to speak.
"Our first match of the day is: Sub-Zero vs. Reptile. Very well, fighters your match will be held at the Pit 2. Please step through the portal and begin your match. I shall keep an eye on all matches as they progress. The rest of you should wait in the fighters rest area for your matches."
The fighters complied as Sub-Zero and Reptile stepped towards the portal in the center of the arena. They both jumped through the portal…
"Well, I hope the Lin Kuei wins this battle, I must kill him myself if my soul is to rest." Scorpion said to himself.
"So you believe that Sub-Zero is the same man who murdered you?" came Raiden from behind.
"What do you mean?" Scorpion said, confused.
"In order for you to understand Scorpion. You must be a spectator of this battle." Before Scorpion could say a word, he and Raiden had teleported.
O-O-O
The second Pit, very similar to the one on Shang Tsung's island. Unlike the one of old, this Pit had no spikes on the bottom, however it was a much bigger fall to the ground if you were to fall from the arena. In the background, two warriors battled with no relation to the Outworld Tournament. The fighter on the right burst into flame. Though this was quite natural to him for his name was Blaze, an elemental being of Outworld with the ability to control fire. Blaze had embarked on a mysterious quest, but yet he had run into a strange fighter, who was blindly attacking him. Blaze did not understand why, but he knew he had to defend himself.
"Who the hell are you? What the hell do you want with me?" Blaze shouted.
"You will serve a great purpose should you cooperate. For we need a warrior such as yourself for this task. Shao Kahn's time is coming! The Dragon King will return!" The warrior shouted.
Just as he said this, on the other bride, Reptile had crossed through the portal followed shortly by Sub-Zero.
"Well then ninja. Sssshall we begin?" Reptile hissed as he took his fighting stance.
"All right, but I'm not a ninja. I am Lin Kuei!" Sub-Zero replied as he took his own fighting stance. Scorpion and Raiden arrived watching from the top of the door which led to the Pit 2.
Reptile started the fight off with a jump to the air and extending his leg out, but the Lin Kuei Warrior ducked under the attack. But Reptile had anticipated this and after he landed, he struck Sub-Zero in the back, causing him to stagger forward. Reptile came at Sub-Zero again, but this time then Liu Kuei Warrior fired ice onto the ground, causing Reptile to slip towards him. Reptile drew closer and closer until Sub-Zero punched Reptile in the chin causing him to fly back.
Reptile got back to his feet and came at the Lin Kuei Warrior as he slid across the ground, Sub-Zero did the same and they both collided which caused them to jump into the air upon contact. They both extended their legs and kicked each other in the chest.
Reptile leapt forward and punched Sub-Zero twice across the face, but Sub-Zero grabbed both of his arms and with a kick to the chest threw him to the other side of the arena.
Reptile hissed and formed a green ball of energy in his hands, Sub-Zero was struck by the attack and was strangely propelled forward into the air, but as the Lin Kuei Warrior landed, he prepared a ball of ice, as he rolled to his knees, a blast of ice went throw the air and froze Reptile in place. Sub-Zero leapt into the air and kicked Reptile in the chest, shattering the ice and knocking him to the ground. Reptile got to his feet and struck Sub-Zero across the face with his fist.
Sub-Zero leapt back and jumped forward, for a moment the two parried each other blows. But Sub-Zero kneed Reptile in the chin and struck him in the face with his leg. Reptile groaned and in a puff of smoke, Reptile vanished.
"What the…?" Sub-Zero said, but suddenly he felt something hit his stomach. Suddenly he felt something hit the back of his head and he fell to the ground, in a daze. He knew that somehow Reptile had made himself invisible. Sub-Zero swung blindly in the air, hoping to land a hit. Finally he realized a way to land a blow. He covered the entire ground in ice, he could hear Reptile slipping on the ground, he quickly made contact with his chest, causing him to stagger back and reappear.
Reptile growled and reached for the end of his mask. He pulled it off, but rather than reveal the human face behind, it instead revealed a reptilian face. Now Sub-Zero knew why he had the name "Reptile".
The creature's tongue came out of his mouth, but like a lizard it had a quite a reach to it. Sub-Zero was barely able to tilt his head in time to avoid it wrapping around his neck. Realizing what Reptile was trying to do, Sub-Zero prepared himself for a final defense attack. As the tongue came at him again, Sub-Zero jumped back as before him, an ice statue of himself appeared. When Reptile's tongue hit the copy, he was immediately frozen in place. Taking this moment, Sub-Zero slid towards the frozen Reptile, and with an uppercut, he ended the match, as Reptile was set free from the ice.
Reptile collapsed onto the ground. He tried to stand, he couldn't quit fighting yet, his people were depending on him… but he could only manage to get his knees. Sub-Zero walked forward, but did not attack.
"What are you waiting for? Jussst do it. Maybe, I can be with my people again, jussst do it now." Reptile hissed.
But yet Sub-Zero did not flinch, instead he merely walked past him. "My mission is not for your head." Before Reptile could reply, he fell to the ground and lost all consciousness.
As Sub-Zero walked away from his defeated opponent, Scorpion stood shocked. He couldn't believe his undead eyes. Sub-Zero, the man who killed him in cold blood, and many others without compassion, had just actually spared an opponent. This couldn't be real, his eyes had to be playing tricks on him.
"Raiden!" Scorpion said, turning sharply. "What was that about? Why did he spare him? He never showed mercy to anyone? Not even those who asked for it!"
That night, two years ago in the Shaolin Temples, two ninjas fought for possession of the Map of Elements, one of the Shirai Ryu and one of the Lin Kuei. The Shirai Ryu ninja lay on his knees defeated as the Lin Kuei advanced forward.
"Spare me." Said the Shirai Ryu.
The Lin Kuei ninja did not reply, aside from a cold look in his eyes and in one swift moment… he ended his life…
"I suppose you understand now Scorpion." Said Raiden. "I witnessed your retributive murder of Sub-Zero at the tournament. I thought you would know by now that he is dead."
"I did think so. But word reached me that he had returned and so did I."
"Well, I shall tell you then… that Sub-Zero is not the same one who killed you in cold blood, he is however related to him. He is his younger brother…"
"Younger brother?" Scorpion said, shocked.
"Yes." Raiden replied.
"I don't…. I… I…" Scorpion didn't know what to say, he was left speechless.
"It is time for your match against Mileena. You should go back." Raiden teleported the stunned ninja specter back to Shao Kahn's arena. But after he did so, he looked down and saw that Sub-Zero had been watching them…
O-O-O
In the Living Forest, the Lin Kuei Warrior Smoke wandered the forest, searching for his friend and fellow assassin Sub-Zero. That yellow ninja that came out of the ground, something was strange about him and he had to find Sub-Zero immediately and warn him.
However, suddenly a female warrior jumped forth from the trees, clad in green with a green mask over her face.
"You are trespassing, stranger. Leave now!" she warned.
"Sorry, but I can't. I have to find a friend of mine." Smoke replied.
"Very well then. I have no choice." Jade said, as she prepared her staff.