She wished she'd dressed warmer. The traditionally-revealing Brotherhood of Shadow attire was perfectly comfortable in the blistering heat of the Netherrealm, but the icy tundra of this region of Earthrealm was more hellish than... well, Hell itself. The cold was torture, yet also strangely comforting, in a way. It brought back memories of that encounter a decade previous...
Her mind pulled itself forcefully away from her reverie before she could slip too deeply into that chasm. If she didn't find the temple soon, she was sure to die out here in the frozen wastes. She wished she had spent more time memorising the temple's location before fleeing the Netherrealm, though many would surely argue that staying much longer in a Brotherhood stronghold after her betrayal would have been more suicidal than travelling to a land of sub-zero temperatures with her arms, thighs and chest almost entirely exposed.
Even if she did reach her destination, there was no guarantee that she would be given a warm welcome. Even so, this was something she had to do. It was the only way to repay the debt she had long thought impossible to repay.
The numbness in her limbs grew increasingly difficult to bear. She was sure her skin would be screaming for her to find shelter soon, were she able to feel anything anymore. she could barely feel the ground beneath her feet, or the angle of her legs as their trudging movement slowed to a crawl, then a stagger, and finally, a fall.
The white world around her began to darken. Her mind was just about able to register that she was losing consciousness, and that this would be a death sentence. She supposed she might not have minded all that much, if not for her need to repay the debt. Perhaps, she would be reborn in the Netherrealm, as she had been all those years ago. Would she even have a chance to try again? Or would one of her former comrades find her first, drag her back in chains, and drop her at the feet of her former master for 'reeducation'?
As the last of her conscious thoughts slipped away, she attempted to speak, but her now blue-ish lips refused to move. She wanted more than anything to say she was sorry, even if the one to whom she spoke was literally worlds away and in no position to hear her words.
The last she heard was the sound of approaching footsteps as she finally succumbed to the cold.
She awoke some time later. She slowly became aware of the fact that she was in some sort of interior chamber. It was still chilly in there, but certainly a sauna compared to the temperatures that had assaulted her flesh outside.
The room was empty, aside from the small cot she had been laid in. At least the blanket she'd been provided was nice and warm. Her clothes had been removed - no doubt soaked from the savage blizzard she'd been wading through. Fortunately, a new set of blue clothes lay in wait at the foot of the bed. The attire seemed to have been designed for protection from the cold. After all, while the Grandmaster may have been a cryomancer, uniquely suited to the harsh cold, his many recruits were not.
The top was similar to her own rather skimpy top that had left her midriff exposed. On top of that went a piece of blue leather chest armour with a white fur trim. The matching fur briefs covered and warmed her waist quite nicely. The black fur boots with blue trim felt amazingly warm on her tired feet. After a set of black and blue leather armguards, the final piece was the sheer, nylon-esque under garments that covered all of her exposed skin - legs, stomach, arms, chest. Despite their transparency, they were mystically designed to help regulate body heat. She recognised them as having been created by Quan Chi for when his three assassin underlings were sent on assignments to less climate realms. How the Grandmaster had come by such a thing, she had no idea, but she was grateful, nonetheless.
Before she had time to address the black coat and red neck warmer, she door to the chamber suddenly burst open, giving her a shock. Evidently, the Lin Kuei had gone through quite the change in uniform since Sektor's defeat. While the old Lin Kuei had allowed individualised colours for its most prolific members, the new Lin Kuei instead adopted the blue and black colour scheme of Sub-Zero. Several men and one woman entered the chamber, all dressed in padded uniforms for the cold, aside from the ice-haired woman, whose attire more closely resembled the traditional Lin Kuei style. Once the room was secure, he entered.
She almost let out a gasp at the sight. He looked so much like Bi-Han, aside from the ice blue scar running vertically over his right eye, and his frost-coated forearms and hands. His attire was different in certain ways, but it was unmistakably a tribute to to the fallen legend of the old clan. He eyed her up with a familiar, icy cold stare for a few moments. She felt his frigid gaze linger on the black Brotherhood symbol tattooed on her left shoulder. Once it was clear she had no intentions of attacking him, he sent his people out of the room, leaving the two alone as the door closed. She waited for him to speak first, intending to make her peaceful intentions clear.
"It is I you seek, yes?" While spoken as a question, it was clear he already knew the answer, and was more interested in her reasons.
"Y-Yes, Grandmaster," she replied with a quick bow. He rolled his eyes at this.
"You are Brotherhood of Shadow. I see of only one reason why a Brotherhood assassin would-"
"Former Brotherhood," she quickly clarified. "I have been estranged from that group for a decade."
"A decade, you say?" His perfectly even, almost disinterested tone was unnerving. She wondered if Bi-Han might have become like this, had he not been killed so long ago. "Then I am correct in assuming you are Sareena, the Brotherhood assassin who betrayed her brethren to assist Sub-Zero in defeating Quan Chi." Not even a question in tone this time. A clear statement.
"Yes, Grandmaster. I am Sareena."
"And yet, Bi-Han reported your death at Shinnok's hand."
"My human form was destroyed by the attack. I was reverted to my true demon form in the Netherrealm. I only recently reacquired my human form. Hence why my Brotherhood marking has yet to be... dealt with."
"And how can I be sure, whether or not this is true, that Quan Chi has not found a way to worm his way back into your head? Made you his slave once more?"
"You... cannot. Even I am unsure whether or not Quan Chi still holds any influence over me. But I can assure you, he is too busy to attempt any scheme beyond survival. He is struggling to evade capture by both Scorpion and the Brotherhood."
"Hasashi is aligned with the Brotherhood?" A slight hint of concern was evident in his voice at this suggestion.
"No, no. They have separate motives. Scorpion seeks revenge for the massacre of the Shirai Ryu enacted by Quan Chi. A massacre in which I participated... The Brotherhood is seeking Shinnok's amulet. The real amulet."
"So then it was fake. Raiden suspected as much, once the conflict was over."
"Yes. It seems Quan Chi had replaced the real amulet soon after Bi-Han retrieved it. That it remained undetected for four years is testament to the sorcerer's proficiency. Shinnok now seeks retribution for Quan Chi's betrayal."
"Shinnok yet lives then."
"Yes. But he was weakened significantly from the battle in Edenia. It seems the fake amulet had an additional purpose to simply fooling Shinnok and Raiden."
"No doubt, Raiden will seek to end Shinnok for good once he has this information. But you surely didn't come here to tell me that Shinnok and Quan Chi survived. No, you would have sought out Raiden or Sindel. You are here on more personal business. Here to seek sanctuary, perhaps?" Finally, a question he didn't have the answer to.
"No- Uh, yes- I mean... While I would certainly appreciate asylum from the Brotherhood, that is not why I'm here. I'm here because there is something you need to know about Bi-Han."
"My brother is dead. Long since. There is very little you could tell me that-"
"He is alive."
That gave him pause. Despite only his eyes being visible beneath his brother's mask, Kuai Liang's shock was evident.
"Or, at least, in a sense. After his death, his soul entered the Netherrealm, where it was quickly seized by Quan Chi." The room grew yet colder as the younger Sub-Zero realised the implication of what he was being told. "He was transformed into a wraith, bound to the will of Shinnok. He was a spy within Shao Kahn's ranks for some time, reporting back to Shinnok on the conflict with Earthrealm."
"And where is he now?"
"He was most recently dispatched to Outworld. He is the one who assassinated Prince Goro - Noob Saibot."
"Noob Saibot!?" The Grandmaster's fury was not a raging fire, but a choking cold that threatened to drain the life from Sareena. The walls and floor were coated in as much ice now as his arms. Sareena had to cover herself in the blanket again to protect herself.
She understood his anger, of course. Kuai Liang had fought Noob Saibot during the Outworld tournament, the invasion of Earthrealm and the conflict in Edenia. To him, the shadowy wraith had simply been a powerful opponent sent to face him repeatedly as a match for his skills. Now, however, he understood that the true reason for this was that Shinnok and Quan Chi had derived no small amount of sick pleasure from using their nemesis as a tool against his own brother. And all along, Kuai Liang had been utterly oblivious to this fact. To the abuse of his brother's soul. She could only imagine what Sub-Zero would do to the two, if left alone in a room with them. And she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the thought.
The fury was one thing, but the sorrow at the realisation that, in three separate encounters, even facing his brother unmasked and then wearing his own former mask, Bi-Han had not once displayed any hesitation in their battles. This was not like the simple mind control spell Shang Tsung had cast on Queen Sindel, that her daughter had been able to break through with her love. Whether by the nature of their somewhat distant upbringing, or simply the power of the sorcery on display, restoring Bi-Han to his former self may ultimately prove to be an impossible task.
Kuai Liang calmed down from his outburst, regaining his composure before speaking again. "Sareena. I can assure you of two things."
"Y-Y-Yes?" she shivered from the stubbornly clingy cold.
"You will have your asylum here. Your assistance of my brother and your journey to deliver this information to me, in spite of the risks, has earned you a home with the Lin Kuei. And rest assured that Quan Chi and Shinnok will pay for what they have done to my brother. I will seek out Raiden and demand a force be put together, which will have the full support of the Lin Kuei. For now, rest. Whether for Bi-Han or yourself, you will not be of much assistance in the coming conflict in your current state." He headed for the door without another word, until he grasped the handle. "Thank you," he said finally, before opening the door and informing his followers of his decision.
Sareena lay back on the bed, making sure to cover herself in the blanket and pulling the coat over the top of it. She was surprised it had gone as well as it had. She had dreaded that her blatant Brotherhood insignia would be the first thing Sub-Zero saw, and would blind him to her intentions. Fortunately for her, it seemed that, much like his brother before him, Kuai Liang was able to look past her outer self and give her a chance to prove herself.
"You're putting it on hold?" While the conversation leading up to this hadn't once mentioned the planned assault on the Brotherhood, Kuai Liang knew exactly what Sareena was talking about.
"Unfortunately, more pressing matters have presented themselves. Quan Chi has formed an alliance with Shang Tsung. Shao Kahn and Liu Kang are dead."
Sareena's eyes widened at this. "The Emperor and the Champion of Mortal Kombat? Both of them?"
"Yes. And the sorcerers seek to revive the army of Onaga to lay siege to the realms. Raiden has asked that I join him in Outworld to stop him."
"Let me accompany you."
"No. You have still not recovered from your journey. The sorcerers are a force to be reckoned with and you are in no state to accomplish much of anything. You will stay here while Frost and I join Raiden's group. You will remain here and when we return, I will speak with Raiden about Shinnok and Bi-Han."
"But what if you encounter Bi-Han in Outworld?"
"Unlikely. Unless Shinnok sends his greatest warrior to assassinate Quan Chi and leaves himself unguarded, my chances of encountering my brother are slim."
"But even so-"
"I understand how you feel. I want to see justice for my brother just as much as you do, but I'm afraid you will accomplish little in your current state. Stay here, let yourself heal, and get in some training with my followers. They, too, are unready for such a conflict and could do well to learn from you. You know the Brotherhood's methods and tactics better than I. You will do more for Bi-Han by preparing them for the war, than throwing your life away in the name of vengeance."
"You... are right, Grandmaster. I will do as you ask."
"Good. Now, take this." Sub-Zero held out a piece of black fabric with a blue accent. Unfolding it, she found it to be a sash featuring the Lin Kuei symbol. "If you are to teach us and join us in our battle, you would do better to officially be one of us."
Sareena felt a strange surge of emotion at the gesture. Indescribably gratefully, she quickly tied the final piece of what was now her uniform around her waist. For the first time in a decade, she truly felt like she belonged. But there was one last thing she needed to do to complete this transformation from Brotherhood assassin to Lin Kuei warrior.
She took a red hot poker from the nearby fireplace and pressed the glowing orange tip to her shoulder. The burning sensation was hellish, even for a denizen of the Netherrealm, but she knew she had to endure this, to show her Grandmaster how truly dedicated she was to his cause. She dragged the poker down her arm, scorching the flesh and filling the room with a sickening smell and scorching sound. She felt like she might pass out from the pain, but she soldiered on until the entire area where her Brotherhood tattoo was located had been burnt to a toasty black.
Once she was finally done, she threw the poker aside an tried not to let the tears that had formed in her eyes be seen. However, Sub-Zero approached her, placing one hand on her right shoulder and allowing his other hand to hover over the charred flesh, cooling it with his aura. He spoke only a few words, but the words meant more to her than any she had ever heard before.
"Your dedication is clear. You are now one of us. Welcome, Sareena of the Lin Kuei."
I had to take a couple liberties with the timing, location and circumstances surrounding the meeting of these two, but I really do think it works better this way, and sets up the idea of Sareena joining Kuai Liang and engaging Bi-Han and Smoke. Better idea than just having her get brainwashed into rejoining Quan Chi.
