Amilee and Sub-Zero had just arrived in Seido, it was about noon. The whole realm seemed to be floating on air, and there were more guard towers than houses. There were people however, but they didn't seem interested in one another. They stared straight ahead, walking briskly.

"What's up with these people?" Amilee asked.

"This is the Realm of Order," Sub-Zero replied, "The people here must adhere to strict laws. We should head over to the main guard tower."

It didn't take long to find, the main guard tower was built of polished white marble, and located in the center square of whatever city they were in. Inside, they found none other than Jax and Sonya, speaking with a tall, white haired man. Jax turned, hearing them enter.

"Hey," he said, "Wasn't expecting you here."

"What's the matter?" Sonya asked, noticing their worried expressions.

"Earthrealm is under attack," Sub-Zero replied.

Jax and Sonya didn't need to ask who was responsible for the attacks.

"Come on," Amilee said after a while, "We have to get back."

Once back in New York City, they realized things were getting worse by the minute. Most of the city was no longer recognizable. Things were burning...buildings were crumbling. The sky was now a deep shade of purple. The remaining people, the ones who had survived the first attack, were now taking shelter in and under anything they could find. Cars, abandoned buildings, anything.

"God..." Amilee whispered.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Quan Chi stood facing a select group of his soldiers.

"We have slaughtered many of the people here," said one of his generals, "There is not much left. We are sending more of our forces out, away from this city."

The sorcerer nodded.

"Good," he said, "And what of Raiden's fighters? How many have you slain?"

The general shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"None...We have yet to locate them sir," he replied.

Strangely, the sorcerer didn't seem angry.

"When you do find them," he continued, "Bring me the woman. You know which one. I want to make sure she witnesses the death of everything she has ever cared for. I want to see the look on her face...If you find the children, do not harm them."

The group departed, all except one. Noob Saibot stood alone, facing his master.

"I have brought you back from beyond death for one reason," Quan Chi told him.

"Yes Master?"

"Locate your brother...kill him," the sorcerer replied, "And for the God's sake please get rid of Amilee for me. She is bound to be with him."

Noob nodded, "With pleasure."

Noob left, following his brother's essence. He jogged around the side of a burning building, leaping over countless bodies, until finally he spotted his brother. He crouched behind a flipped car, waiting for the right moment.

Ashlynn and Scorpion had arrived back in Earthrealm, finally locating the others.

"Ashlynn," Raiden said, "I'm glad you found him so quickly."

Ashlynn eyed Scorpion, "It wasn't as easy as you might think..."

Sarah, more devastated by the carnage than any one of them, spoke up.

"There are so many soldiers," she said, "There's no way we can take them all."

"We won't have to," Maria replied, "Not if we take out their leader first."

"I have to find my daughters," Ashlynn said, completely ignoring Sarah.

"Plus I cant get a hold of Cherin," Sarah said.

"I say we split up," Maria suggested, pulling her dark hair back into a ponytail, a stern look on her face. Amilee and Sub-Zero had been whispering quietly to one another.

"Ashlynn should go look for Jay and the girls," Amilee told him, "But I think it's a good idea for Jax to go with her."

"And we must keep Quan Chi from finding Ashlynn," Sub-Zero added, "No more of his lies."

"Seriously," Amilee agreed, "She has this thing about believing him..."

"Well I'm going to go check out Cher's apartment," Sonya said,

Raiden nodded, "Good luck."

And then, as always, he vanished. Leaving them to their own devices.

"Come on Jax," Ashlynn said, turning to him.

Maria headed off in the direction of Times Square with Sarah.

"What do you need me to do?" Scorpion asked, the first time he'd spoken since his arrival.

Amilee snorted, "We need you to fight."

His eyes narrowed.

"Well this isn't the time for dumb questions you know?" she retorted, following Sub-Zero.

To Sonya's surprise, Cherin's door was unlocked. Inside, the television was on, playing a rerun of The Real World. There was no sign of anyone, so she crept down the short hallway, stopping in front of the slightly open bedroom door. She could make out two shadowy figures inside, one of which was Cherin.

"What do you think of my realm?" asked a man's voice.

"Actually," Cherin replied, "It was fascinating. I've never had a chance to travel to another realm just for the heck of it, you know what I mean?"

"No," the man said, "I have never thought about that."

"Well I'm always fighting for something," Cherin continued, "I never seem to get a break."

"Ah, I see," the man said.

"You know," Cherin said, "It's been so long since I've really had a connection with someone."

Sonya rolled her eyes, sick of listening to the conversation, and headed back down the hallway. So Cherin had a thing with some man who had access to the realms...What harm could that do?

Jay Yung stood in the corner of an alleyway, near France's Steakhouse, where he and his daughters had been eating out. The sign had been destroyed, and it now read

FRAN S TEA HO SE. Now he waited, crouched behind an overturned dumpster.

"Father," Rhapsody whispered, "It smells..."

He pulled both girls back just in time to avoid the taxi that sped into the alley. He sighed when Jax stepped out of the driver's seat.

"Well damn," he said, "I ain't driven like that since I saw The Fast and the Furious."

Ashlynn crawled out of the passenger's side, looking nauseous.

"Next time I drive," she growled.

"Mother!" both girls squealed, running to her.

"Ashlynn," Jay said, "What's going on?"

"Earthrealm is under attack," she replied, jostling her daughters into the back of the taxi. Jay followed, while Ashlynn buckled up the girls.

"We don't have time for this..." Jay complained. She shot him a look that would've made anyone take a step back.

"I'm just making sure they're safe," she said.

"Well they got a better chance of dying with you behind the wheel than on the streets," Jax chuckled.

"Shut it Jax," Ashlynn said, "And buckle your seatbelt."

She pressed her foot down hard, sending the car speeding forward out of the alleyway.

"Damn!" Jax gasped.

"Please don't curse in front of my daughters," Ashlynn told him, using her practiced motherly voice, "You're setting a bad example."

She smiled, turning her attention back to the road...just in time to avoid the group of ninja's blocking their path.

"Shit!"

Rhapsody glanced at her sister, who shrugged.

Sub-Zero finished off the last of Quan Chi's forces, then turned to Amilee and Scorpion.

"These guys suck," Amilee said, kicking at the body of a fallen fighter, "It's like they've never fought in their lives."

"That's because they haven't," Scorpion said.

She seemed confused, "What?"

"Quan Chi raided Outworld," the ninja specter continued, "And forced many of its citizens to join his army. They have had a limited amount of training."

"At least that's good news," Sub-Zero said.

He bent down to make sure the last ninja was really dead, when a black shape tackled him. It moved so fast it was almost impossible to see. The Lin Kuei ninja tried to stand, only to be thrown into the side of a car. Amilee ran forward, but was yanked back roughly by Scorpion.

"We have to help him!" she screeched, kicking at him.

He held tight, "No, you must not interfere!"

The shadow man had finally stopped moving. He removed his mask, and Sub-Zero's jaw went slack.

"It...can't be," he muttered.

"I have finally found you brother," Noob said, "Now I will give you what you deserve."

Amilee pulled away from Scorpion, leaping onto the black ninja's back. It took him only a moment to throw her to the ground.

"How dare you," he said, "Who do you think you are?"

She glared at him from the ground, "Who are you?"

"He is...my brother," Sub-Zero explained.

Suddenly, Amilee was pinned to the ground by some strange black net. Noob turned his attention back to his brother.

"Now Sub-Zero," he said, "It is time to die."

He aimed another fireball, but Sub-Zero rolled, coming up behind him. He swept Noob's feet out from under him, freezing his legs to the ground. Then suddenly, he stopped, staring.

"Kill him!" Amilee yelled, struggling with the net, "What are you waiting for!"

"I can't," he replied, "He is still my brother after all."

Noob chuckled, "You are weak. You have always been weak."

"Say what you will about me," the Lin Kuei said, "I can't kill you."

Much to Amilee's horror, he released his brother from the ice. Noob stood, looking uncertain, then vanished. Amilee, now free from the shadow net, stood.

"He tried to kill you," she said, brushing dirt from her pants, "Why couldn't you return the favor?"

Sub-Zero sighed, he had known she would act like this.

"You don't understand Amilee," he said, "He is my brother. I could never kill a member of my own family."

"It is a matter of honor," Scorpion told her, "Family honor. Apparently Sub-Zero still possesses some of it, unlike his brother."

Amilee nodded, trying hard to understand.

Scorpion turned away, looking around the ruins.

"Quan Chi has done enough damage," he said, "I think it is time to search him out."

"He's right," Amilee agreed, "We have to stop him before the whole world suffers."

"Right," Sub-Zero said, "But where do you think he is?"

"Somewhere high," Scorpion suggested, "Where he can keep and eye on things."

"A skyscraper?" Amilee asked.

"No," Sub-Zero said, "There."

She followed his outstretched hand. The Statue of Liberty.

"Ironic," she said, following the other two.