Chapter IV

Gamble

Sareena was tired.

She hadn't rested in days. After escaping the Lin Kuei, she searched for the Shirai Ryu which was no easy feat even with the portal transporter. She'd never interacted with Scorpion personally but guessed given their mutual camaraderie with Sub-Zero and hatred of Quan Chi he would be her best chance at an ally.

But even his memory had been altered, confirming what she feared. Something happened while she was in the Netherealm. Memories changed, resurrections … or perhaps reality itself had been rewritten. She couldn't imagine what the cause was but knew enough about Sub-Zero and his allies, and the battles they fought, to guess this was the work of gods or god-like beings.

She cringed and chafed. The rope Scorpion bound her wrists with was tight and uncomfortable. She could easily break it but thought it best to play along. The cuts on her back and arm, though, seemed to be getting worse. Like something alive was digging into her flesh and reaching deeper every passing minute.

I shouldn't be here, she thought, shaking her head. She was just an escaped demon of the Netherealm. She helped the Lin Kuei out of gratitude to Kuai Liang, but it wasn't her place to fight in wars between good and evil, Earthrealm and its enemies, or gods and sorcerers.

Sighing, she tried to take some comfort. She found Scorpion, and he was willing to listen. His memories might've been changed, but he seemed to have some awareness of how things should be. Once they were through, he could go to Raiden or Sonya Blade and convince them to help. Then it wouldn't be her problem any longer.

Her only concern was survival and Sub-Zero's safety. Beyond that was the domain of heroes and chosen ones—which she was neither.

The deck above creaked, followed by the thumping of footsteps. She assumed the first was Scorpion, but he was followed by two others. One's steps were light and barely heard. The other moved carefully, as one would if they suspected danger.

"I'd prefer to talk outside if you don't mind," Scorpion said. "I don't like discussing business in front of my family."

"It's no trouble, Grandmaster Hasashi. We shouldn't be long."

She recognized Ashrah's voice instantly, and her stomach dropped. They'd found her. Or at least guessed she'd reach out to Scorpion for help. Her heart pounded. He barely trusted her, if at all. Who knew what Ashrah would tell him? How much would it take to convince him she was a threat?

"I'm surprised to find you here, Bi-Han," he said. "I thought you retired."

"My days in the field are over," he replied. "But I still watch over my brother. This demon we saw … it troubles me."

He wouldn't tell them, she told herself as sweat formed on her brow. He wouldn't.

Wouldn't he? As far as he knew, she was a strange woman he just met—an admitted assassin for Quan Chi. And now he knew she was a demon as well. What reason did he have not to hand her over?

Every instinct told her to run. Either slip away as quietly as she could, or just bolt and hope for the best. But Scorpion took the transporter from her, and she was weakened as it was. If she ran, she'd have nowhere to go.

With no choice and feeling helpless, Sareena sank to the ground and hoped she wasn't wrong about him.


The woman that called herself Ashrah was indeed as Sareena described—standing out in her pristine white attire like a beacon. A sword with a serpentine blade was at her side, and Scorpion noted she had her hand on the hilt. He sensed an otherworldly aura about her. He likened it to staring into a bright light.

Bi-Han's presence, however, sickened him. To have his murderer standing before him—in his home, where his wife and son were within sight—made his blood boil. He told himself their enmity wasn't real. Merely a nightmarish fever dream, but seeing him brought the memory back like it happened yesterday.

He kept it inside and used it to focus. Unless she already fled, Sareena should hear what they were saying. A part of him thought to just tell where she was and let that be the end of it. But he couldn't ignore the doubt that lingered in his mind. Fever dream or not, experience made him a suspicious man, and he wouldn't make his choice until he knew for certain.

"Tell me about this demon of yours."

"It calls itself Sareena," Ashrah replied, her voice soft but cutting. "Although a demon, it can assume a human form. That of a young woman distinguished by a white streak in black hair and tattoos on its face. I've been hunting it for some time.

"I approached the Lin Kuei earlier this week to warn them," she continued. "Sareena meant to infiltrate them, but I got there first. Unfortunately, it escaped before I could kill it."

"I see. And what does this Sareena want?"

"What does any demon want?" she said. "To kill. To destroy. It may be in the service of some dark master. It really makes no difference. Demons are evil and must be eradicated. Grandmaster Sub-Zero has also sent emissaries to the Special Forces and White Lotus to warn them. If Sareena doesn't come to you, it may try infiltrating them."

"When you say infiltrate, how do you mean?"

"However it can."

He turned his gaze to Bi-Han, who stood at the railing with his arms crossed. "You say you saw this demon?"

"I did," Bi-Han replied. "Rather brazen, actually. She just walked up to our door and acted like we already knew her."

He nodded and wondered what Sareena was thinking below their feet. That more or less matched her version of what happened, but she insisted she really was a friend of the clan and they didn't remember her for some reason. If she was trying to infiltrate the Lin Kuei to destroy, she went about it in a sloppy and poorly planned manner.

There was also the medallion she had on her. He recognized it from the Lin Kuei—not given lightly. And a transporter from the Special Forces. There were pieces to this story missing.

"You don't think it's worth catching the demon alive?"

Ashrah frowned. "What for?"

"It seems to me," he said, "if a demon is trying to infiltrate or terrorize the Lin Kuei or Shirai Ryu or any of Earthrealm's other lines of defense, it has a greater agenda than wanton murder. You even just suggested yourself Sareena might be serving a master. You don't think it's worth looking into?"

"Grandmaster Hasashi," she said. "With all due respect, I've hunted and killed hundreds of demons in my time. I can assure you Sareena is no different and no better. Catching it alive will serve no purpose. If it's found, it must be killed. There can be no hesitation."

Scorpion stared at her and wondered. It could be she wanted Sareena silenced, but she might just as easily be resolute. Her wardrobe suggested she was quite devout and devoted to her righteous cause. They were dealing with an actual demon after all.

"What does Kuai Liang have to say about this?"

"He's not opposed to taking Sareena alive," Bi-Han said. "I don't agree with him, but I think he has the same suspicion you do."

"Please don't underestimate what we're dealing with, sir," Ashrah said. "Sareena has particular skills. Its human form is no accident. It'll come at you with a sweet face and friendly smile. It will peer into your mind and tell you what you want to hear. Make no mistake: the demon is a deceiver above all. Better to destroy and be done with it."

Her words gave him pause. Could that be why Sareena thought she could just walk up to the Lin Kuei unopposed? Perhaps that was why she knew of Quan Chi and his history with Bi-Han? Did she read his thoughts and sense his confused memories? Was her wounded desperation just a ploy to get his guard down?

"Grandmaster?"

What if it was a trap? He'd feared there would be some catch or price for having his family back—what if Sareena was the one to collect? Had he really brought a demon of the Netherealm to his home?

Ashrah watched him closely, and her eyes narrowed. "Have you seen this demon already, Grandmaster?"


It took everything in Sareena to resist screaming out. Listening to Ashrah speak, she wanted to burst through the wooden deck and wrap her hands around her throat. She didn't even know this woman, and yet she was being vilified and condemned with lies.

She waited to hear Scorpion's response, and despair filled her heart. Why wouldn't he give her up? She was just a demon, and who in their right mind would trust her? What reason did he have to doubt Ashrah's word?

It wasn't fair. Kuai Liang had believed in her. She earned the respect of the Lin Kuei. Yet now, for reasons she didn't understand, she'd been robbed of the few people who actually trusted and cared about her. Ashrah and whatever forces that brought her took them away and was now doing the same with Scorpion.

"Grandmaster Hasashi," Ashrah said. "If you've already encountered this creature, you must tell me. I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous it is. Sareena's cruelty knows no bounds. If it cannot get to you, it will harm your family."

Scorpion remained silent, and she thought she might burst out of her skin.

"I'll have you know it was personally mentored by Quan Chi himself. I'd think you would understand the gravity of that."

Sareena bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. More lies that stung as much as the wound on her back. She understood then Ashrah was no simple huntress tracking loose demons. She was deliberately out for her in particular and would say and do anything she needed to accomplish her task.

A long, agonizing silence followed. She braced herself, expecting Scorpion to say the word any moment. Maybe not even speak, but signal to them she was under the deck? When he did, it was then only a question of whether she should run or at least try to murder Ashrah before they took her down.

"No. I haven't seen this demon."

Time stood still. She almost didn't believe it. A part of her thought it was trick or cruel joke. But Scorpion then repeated that he'd never encountered her and assured Ashrah and Bi-Han he would be careful to watch out. Some more talk and warnings, and her hunters bid farewell and left.

Sareena felt like she could melt. Her knees were like rubber. The abrupt shift from anger, fear and desperation to relief and confusion was so severe she became lightheaded.

Silence followed as Scorpion remained alone for some time. She didn't know what to expect when she heard him finally climb down the stairs to meet her. When he appeared before her, looking guarded and tense, he stared at her with narrowed eyes. She wasn't sure whether to thank him or plead for mercy.

"You neglected to mention you are a demon."

"Sorry," she said. "It's not exactly something you open with."

He nodded and took a breath before approaching. Then he grabbed her by the neck and pressed her against the wall.

"No more games," he hissed. "Start talking."

"What am I supposed to say? I told you I don't know what's going on! I don't know why Sub-Zero doesn't remember me!"

"But you know to tell me what I want to hear," he said. "You know what I saw in my dreams."

"No, I don't! Ashrah was lying to you! I'm not a mind-reader! I can't see your thoughts!"

"How do I know that?! How do I know you're not some succubus clouding my mind and playing at my fears?!"

Anger returned, and she felt the part of her that was a demon threatening to burst. There was only so much she could take. "I'm telling you," she growled through gritted teeth. "I don't know anything about your dreams."

"Then how do you know of Quan Chi?"

"Because I was his slave!" she screamed. "I wasn't 'mentored' by him, I was his property! Not a day went by where he missed a chance to remind me that I was nothing and could never be anything more! You think Quan Chi wronged you? You think you know his wrath? I spent an eternity suffering for his pleasure!"

Dizziness came over her again. She'd been through too much with too many emotional extremes in a short time. It was dangerous for a demon to lose control of themselves, but by now Sareena was just exhausted.

He let go of her and stepped away. He looked uncertain, likely wondering if he should take her at her word or accept Ashrah's explanation.

"I was ill recently," he said. "Plagued by visions. Quan Chi isn't real. He's only a product of my nightmares. Yet you know him. Maybe you're only reading my thoughts. Maybe you planted those nightmares in my mind during my illness. Maybe this is all a trap."

"Scorpion … please, I—"

"But Ashrah knew of Quan Chi, too," he continued. "And she didn't just mention him in passing. She brought him up knowing I would react." He frowned and clenched his fists. "There's more going on than she claimed. She knows more."

Sareena thought she should've been relieved, but his words troubled her. What he described sounded like an enchantment, which might be what happened to Kuai Liang. But who could or would go to such lengths? For what purpose? Why was she unaffected? And if Ashrah was involved, why?

"Hanzo, what's going on?"

Scorpion's wife appeared with her son in her arms. Harumi was a lovely woman wearing a white kimono and red rose in her black hair. The boy, Satoshi, was a toddler with scruffy hair and large eyes that immediately locked onto Sareena.

"I heard shouting," Harumi said. "Who are you—oh!"

She jumped at the sight of Sareena. Scorpion quickly went to her and said, "It's okay. She's with me."

Satoshi waved, but Harumi stared at her with wide eyes. "What is this? What's going on?"

"She came to me for help," he said. "Listen, go back inside and contact Takeda. I need him."

"What's going on, Hanzo? Does this have anything to do with Bi-Han and that woman that was just here?"

While Scorpion talked with his wife, Sareena's attention was drawn to the woods surrounding his home. Late afternoon and thick leaves kept the trees shrouded in shadow, allowing perfect cover for someone to approach and move around. The weather was pleasant and mild as one would expect in mid spring, and to anyone else, a cold breeze would've meant nothing.

But Sareena had spent too much time around Cryomancers. What she felt was the icy chill of the arctic.

"Scorpion … get your wife and son inside. Now."


Scorpion had barely a moment to register Sareena's warning before he felt the icy chill in the air—one that reminded him of that night long ago in the Shaolin Temple.

His eyes fixed on Harumi and Satoshi before him, like taking a photograph of them in his mind. Since waking up in this new world that may or may not have been real, he'd been haunted by a sense he was living on borrowed time with his family. Deep down, he knew sooner or later someone or something would come to collect.

He turned and wasn't surprised to see Bi-Han and Ashrah standing at the other end of the field outside his home. Emissaries may have been sent to the Special Forces and White Lotus, but Ashrah likely guessed Sareena would seek his help before others. He wondered if it was a coincidence Bi-Han should be the one to accompany her.

"You disappoint me, Scorpion," Ashrah said. "You have the reputation of a devoted family man. Yet you risk them on a demon?"

He stepped forward, keeping Harumi and Satoshi behind him. "I don't take kindly to threats."

"I'm not the threat here, sir," she said. "The only danger here is the creature standing beside you. Allow me to do my duty, and we all carry on with our lives."

"Bi-Han, you said your brother was willing to take Sareena alive. She'll cooperate if we promise not to harm her." He turned to her and added, "Right?"

Sareena blinked at him, but quickly understood. "Y-yes," she said. "I don't want to fight. I'll-I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Don't insult me," said Ashrah. "There's nothing to tell. You're wasting time."

She drew her sword and strode toward Sareena. Scorpion put himself between them. "Not another step."

"Don't you see? It's as I warned you! The demon has gotten into your mind! Oh yes, it'll talk if we allow it to live. It'll tell you anything and everything it needs to say. It'll plant seeds of doubt and nourish them. It'll stoke your fears and mistrust. You'll see enemies where your allies are, and you'll damn yourself on its behalf."

It was convincing. Scorpion would lie if he said he didn't see the logic in her words. Maybe Sareena had latched onto him, preying on his fears and suspicion, and ensnared him into being her pawn? Maybe he was endangering everything he held dear standing up for her?

"Just answer me one question," he said. "How do you know who Quan Chi is to me?"

Ashrah looked perplexed. She almost replied immediately, as if the answer was obvious. But then she hesitated, and he saw it in her eyes. She did know who Quan Chi was and what the sorcerer meant to him. More importantly, she realized she wasn't supposed to.

"Bi-Han," he said. "Both of these women have questions to answer. And I think your brother will need to hear what they say, too."

A nasty scowl fixed on Ashrah's face. She took a step back and seemed willing to cooperate. "Frost! Now!"

What followed only took seconds, but to Scorpion, time slowed to a painful crawl. He turned to catch a faint blue glow coming from above. Sub-Zero's apprentice Frost stood atop his roof, preparing an ice beam.

It was clear she aimed to hit Sareena, but to his horror, Harumi and Satoshi were still there. Too close. She was either overconfident in her aim, or didn't care if they were hit as well.

Without thinking, the kunai was in his hand and ready to throw. But Bi-Han grabbed hold of him and restrained his arms. A strangled scream tried to escape his throat too late. Frost launched the beam, and he could only watch as the air turned cold.

Thankfully, Sareena saw what was coming. She broke free of the rope binding her and tackled Harumi and Satoshi away from Frost's beam, shielding them with her own body. The spot they'd been standing froze instantly—wide enough to have consumed all three of them if she hadn't acted.

"Easy, Hasashi," Bi-Han whispered. "That wasn't a lethal shot. We just need to immobilize—"

Scorpion roared. Raw fury took hold like he was a spectre once again. He threw his head back and slammed into Bi-Han's nose. The former Sub-Zero, not expecting such rage, offered little defense as Scorpion throttled him with a pair of heavy punches that sent him into the dirt.

He then hurled his spear at Frost with all his strength. She screamed as it plunged through her shoulder. He pulled the rope in an overheard arc and sent her hurtling through the air. She crashed into the ground head-first and was left unconscious in a heap.

Ashrah, wisely, was nowhere to be found. Struggling to contain his anger, he looked to his family and shouted, "Harumi! Satoshi!"

Sareena answered, "They're okay."

Harumi held Satoshi in her arms and looked frightened, but to his relief, was unharmed. They rushed to him, and Scorpion embraced them in a tight hug. He stared at the patch of ice Frost left from her beam and shuddered at the thought they could've been frozen solid—even if it wasn't a lethal shot, as Bi-Han claimed. To again be reminded how easily his family could be stolen from him made him nauseous.

Sareena screamed.

It was a horrific sound that chilled him to his core. It was the sound of pain unlike anything he could imagine. Ashrah's sword slid through her back and out her abdomen like a scalpel through paper. And as suddenly as it came, her scream cut off in a choked gasp, and she crumbled to the ground.

"Why did you do that?!" Harumi shouted. "She protected us!"

"I apologize for endangering you," Ashrah said, impassively. She looked down on Sareena with cold eyes and raised the sword to finish her. "But this was necessary. Now, I shall—"

"GET OVER HERE!"

The steel spear embedded itself into her chest. She had a moment to stare at it in shock before the rope snapped taut, and she was pulled away. Scorpion met her with a devastating uppercut that lifted the White Huntress off the ground and into the dirt a yard away.

Harumi rushed to Sareena. Shaking with anger, Scorpion stood in front of them as Bi-Han and Ashrah returned to their feet. "Enough!" he bellowed. "You come to my home and bring an assassin behind my back?! You attack my family?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"That creature is a demon!" Ashrah said. "It must be exterminated! And you lied to us!"

"Listen to reason, Hasashi," Bi-Han said, wiping blood from his nose. "That thing's in your head. We didn't want it to come to this, but you left us no choice."

"Now move aside and let me do my duty!"

"Not another step!" he shouted. "This woman is now under the protection of the Shirai Ryu! An attack against her is now an attack against us!"

Bi-Han stopped in his tracks, but Ashrah's eyes bulged with rage. She tore off her hat, letting her brown hair loose, and gripped her sword. "Move aside!"

"You heard me, Bi-Han. Are you ready to explain to your brother why you had to kill the Shirai Ryu's Grandmaster and declared war?"

"You think I give a damn about your clans?" Ashrah hissed. "I have been entrusted with a sacred task. That thing dies tonight!"

"Lady Ashrah," Bi-Han said. "Know that if you continue this attack, you will be doing it alone." When she stopped to glare at him, he continued, "Grandmaster Hasashi made his decision. I will not be the one to break the truce between our clans."

He spoke like the words were bitter poison in his mouth. His face was locked in a tight grimace that matched Ashrah's. Yet despite his apparent disgust, he attended to Frost and said no more. Ashrah gave a look of black fury to Scorpion but took a breath and sheathed her sword.

"This isn't over," she said, putting her circular hat back on. "You'll regret this, Hanzo Hasashi. And I'm not finished with you, demon."

She stormed away without another word. As Bi-Han carried Frost in his arms, Scorpion said, "Tell your brother if he has an issue with Sareena, he can explain it to me himself. Until then: get off my land."

Bi-Han eyes were cold and brimming with hate. He replied in an icy whisper: "Another time, Hasashi."

When they were out of sight, he first turned his attention to Harumi. "Hanzo," she said. "She's hurt."

Sareena lay on the ground, curled in a ball and clutching her stomach. He knelt to check on her, and she convulsed at his touch. Her latest wound was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It was cauterized, as if the blade was red hot, and her body seemed to be reacting to it like poison.

"This is beyond my skill to heal."

"There must be something you can do," Harumi said.

"I'll try," he said. "Send word to Takeda. Get him down here. Quickly."

As she ran to the house with a crying Satoshi in her arms, he turned to Sareena and looked her in the eye. It didn't even matter now Ashrah was hiding something. Or that there was more going on than appeared. And it didn't matter to him she was a demon or even a former servant of Quan Chi.

"You protected my family. I will help you any way that I can. You have my word."

End of Chapter IV