Author's notes I was too excited to get this in last time to post any commentary. This is my first attempt at any real writing so please help me grow by giving some constructive criticism. I'd also like to thank JCFighter and Blueindigo for reviewing and for pointing out my error in the spelling of Lin Kuei. Author's notes
Sub Zero had been waiting at the Special Forces headquarters for hours. He had heard rumors of Shang Stung trying to yet again claim Shao Khan's throne and having absorbed the Sloulnado it was only a matter of days before he succeeded. With that in mind he came to the Special Forces to seek help. The wait had been long and silent Sub Zero had been a little more than surprised to find Cyrax working with the Special Forces. While Sonya and Jax had explained how they had restored Cyrax's mind Sub Zero was still on edge being around the robot that had hunted for so long.
Sub Zero found his mind being drawn to memories of that night. He remembered being abducted from his own quarters, waking up to Sektor's screams, he remembered the fear in Cyrax's eyes as his fellow Lin Kuei was dragged of by their very own leader, he remembered the escape, him and Smoke running for their very souls, but most of all he remembered when Smoke was captured. Sub Zero tried to fight off the machines with all of his being, but in the end he had lost and Smoke was gone. A year later Sub Zero had heard his friend's voice among the crowds in a village and quickly spotted him.
Sub Zero had watched as the robot made work of questioning everyone in the village about his location until Smoke finally gave up and moved on. Sub Zero followed Smoke out of the village note even caring if the cyborg noticed, he was just glad to have found out his friend was still alive. Smoke finally stopped at a clearing outside of town only to turn to his former friend and without warning he launched a grenade right at Sub Zero. Sub Zero bent backwards trying to dodge the grenade, but the second it went past him it blew causing a fragment to slide across the right half of his face. Sub Zero had been bewildered Smoke had to still know him after all of the years, after all of the missions he just had to recognize him. Sub Zero then realized Smoke did recognize him not as a friend, not as a member of his clan, not even as a human, but as a target. The warrior who stood before him was not Smoke he was only a mere assassin. Sub Zero encased the cyborg in ice and ran.
He didn't run from his long time friend, he did not run away from his pursuer, he did not run to shelter or from danger, he ran from reality. He ran from the fact he had failed, he ran from the fact he had failed Smoke by letting them take him, he had failed his father by leaving the Lin Kuei, and he had failed his brother by sharing the same bloodline. Sub Zero had spent many hours studying that scar in the mirror after words as if preparing to retake that test. Cyrax sensing Sub Zero's sorrow said the only thing he could say, "It was not your fault." Sub Zero instantly snapped back to reality Sub Zero gave Cyrax a quizzical look 'did that thing just speak to me?' he mentally asked himself. Cyrax then continued, "Do you really think that you could have stood up to two cyberneticly enhanced arch assassins?" Sub Zero was ashamed not only did a machine pity him, but also the machine was right! Sub Zero stood up and with more than a hint of aggression "How the hell could you understand you are not even sentient!"
Cyrax's visor came up so that Sub Zero could know Cyrax meant what he said, "You are the one who does not understand! The only thing that allowed us to cling on to any shred of humanity or even gave a meaning to our existence was to try and become as strong as you! You were the one that tried to escape while we simply lie down and wait! You were the one who absolutely would not abandon his friends to overwhelming odds while we watched one another be operated on! I remember watching you battered and beaten and yet with an unbelievable measure of determination you continued trying to claw your way to the certain death held within the halls of the Lin Kuei headquarters just because some one needed you!"
Sub Zero had carefully contemplated everything the cyborg had just told him. Where he once thought that by all rights Smoke was dead and Sub Zero could not stand that the machine dare defile Smoke's name he now wondered if Smoke could be saved, after all it had worked for Cyrax. A lifeless voice with no particular owner rang to the room simply stating, "Now you die Sub Zero!" Sub Zero slowly craned his head up to find many cyborgs all clad in red armor standing all around the room. Sektor stepped forward and said, "We have waited far to long for this Sub Zero, I wanted to give you a present." The second those words escaped Sektor debris flew everywhere and an entire wall vanished. In its place however was a feminine looking cyborg with blue armor. Sektor then told the woman cyborg "Kill him, Frost."