He came to a full stop when his passage abruptly ended. The great red heat expanse of Netherrealm stretched out before him. A long, straight drop into a furnace of bubbling lava was directly below. His teeth set against each other as he glanced around. Sheer cliff on all sides. There was the passage behind, but he had little desire to see which side Sareena felt inclined to favour. Quan Chi's fortress seemed to rise out of a molten crater. The lip of the crater was on about the same level as his passage mouth, but hundreds of yards of empty space lay between him and it. It was possible he might span it with a bridge of ice, but quite apart from giving away his identity, it was unlikely he could freeze the whole distance. He might be able to scale the cliff down, but then it would be him and his ice against the magma churning below. Damn it, where are you Bi-Han? He glanced all around. There was still no sign of Noob Saibot. A slow unpleasant feeling was tingling at the back of his throat as he contemplated trying to get out of this realm alone. He wouldn't leave me. It would make no sense. He needs me. He's gone through the effort to get me this far. He gave the Lin Kuei whistle searching for his partner's location, but did so softly, fearing to draw attention to himself. He could feel the heat getting to him again and it collided hard with the vertigo of the drop. He backed away from the edge.

A black shadow pooled on the floor beside him and a figure leapt up out from it. Kuai Liang turned abruptly.

"Where-!?"

The wraith whipped out a hand and clasped it tight at the back of his neck, jolting Kuai's head forward and cutting off his words. When he had his attention, the wraith lifted a finger to his mask for silence. Noob Saibot released him then leaned over the drop, looking down below. Kuai cursed inwardly and rubbed the back of his neck where two pressure points had been painfully gripped. The wraith motioned to him. He looked over the edge warily and squinted at where his brother indicated. There looked to be a very small narrow ledge some way down the tower. He turned to acknowledge the wraith but saw an already decisive look in his eyes. Kuai Liang had all of a few seconds to realise what was happening as his brother wrapped his arms around him and tugged him down into a black portal. Immediately all went dark and Kuai felt as though he were being squeezed down an impossibly thin tube. All the air left his body so that he could not even gasp for breath. He slid out and his feet hit hard rock. He reeled and if the grip around him had not remained tight he would have plummeted immediately off the narrow ledge he now stood on. He was breathing hard. He looked up and narrowed his eyes against the flaring light to see the passageway they had been in as a small black circle in the tower far above.

"Some warning next time?" He gasped quietly.

"This is your warning." The wraith hissed in his ear. Kuai's eyes widened and he again felt the world slide to absolute blackness. The constricting, suffocating dark clamped down on all his limbs and crushed the new air from his lungs. He could feel his eyes straining at their sockets and his brother's arms become insubstantial as shadow about him. This time the ground beneath him shook and trembled. Noob Saibot released him at the bottom of the crater where ridged, angular, igneous rock quaked next to the roll and rumble of thick lava beside them. Kuai backed away and bent double.

"You bastard."

"Quiet. We're not out of here yet." The wraith surveyed their new position. The crater rim seemed an eternity high from down here. Its shadowy auburn scar stood silhouette dark against the tiger bright orange of the sky beyond. Kuai could feel the heat rolling off the magma in thick, tangible waves. Molten gold blobs blazed in amid the black sludge of liquid rock that moved on its turgid, lazy, viscous surface. When he blinked, dark spots flashed across his vision. He summoned moisture to his hands to cool into ice. The air was so hot and dry that he felt only a soft chill against his fingers. His heart pounded. He had never not been able to summon ice. His breath came faster through his mask. He moved close to the wraith.

"We need to move quickly." He said softly.

"I am aware." Came the cold response as Noob Saibot continued calculating their exit.

"I mean... very quickly."

The wraith glanced at him. Kuai felt the eyes flick over him, judging his condition and recognising the problem. He hated their quick, empty assessment of his weakness. Noob returned to the sea of lava and resumed his study. When he turned back he had that look in his eye again.

"One moment," Kuai Liang backed off. The look got colder. The wraith's shadow stalked toward him, "Can you at least tell me what you plan to-"

A dark plunging gullet and the scream of true silence. He burst new born from the womb of the shadowy portal. His feet flashed into pain and he barely had time to register his shock and surprise as he looked down. A melting rock, liquefying into magma was beneath him. He was in the middle of the bubbling crater belly of lava, with only bright, hot, red, smashed gold and crusty burnt dark about him.

The now merciful blackness took him again – relieving his scorched feet, and causing his body to shudder as the breath he had not had time to take was constricted further from his lungs.

This time the heat was unbearable. He felt his feet immediately blister into agony and his vision swam to an almost instant blackness.

He was jerked quickly back into consciousness as he was squeezed again through another tight tube of oily slick nothing.

The rock was solid and bearable beneath him again, but he stumbled with the flaming pain still bursting in the soles of his feet. He was faintly aware that he was on the other side of the crater of lava, but all he could think of was trying to relieve the burning and pressure against his feet. He sunk against the wall and made to kneel. The wraith gripped him,

"Not yet." He said.

Kuai heard something like a plea escape from his lips as he pulled away from the grasp. He struggled as the wraith's shadow pinned him from behind. They made another two jumps through portals, each taking them up the further cliff of the crater. When they reach the top Noob Saibot finally let him go. Kuai dropped to the floor and reached for his feet – the soles of his shoes had gone, revealing red, raw blistering skin peeling and flaring and thick with half-cauterised blood.

"Ice." His brother gently reminded.

"I can't!"

"You can here. Try."

It took an extraordinary amount of will to focus and summon ice to himself. He ripped off his gloves and pressed the ice to the ruined soles of his feet. For a few seconds the burning was numbed, then a new pain set in as the fierce cold met the lingering heat. Kuai squeezed his eyes shut as he kept the ice flowing thick. He encased his feet several inches thick and let the true numbing start. When the pain had subsided he looked up at his brother. The wraith's eyes twitched at the corners with wincing grimaces, Kuai realised. His brother too was collapsed on the ground. Kuai cold not see the extent of the damage to the wraith's feet as everything internal and external seemed the same monochrome black, but he knew when his brother was hiding hurt.

"Let me help you."

It must have been some injury indeed, because the wraith did not object when Kuai bent his power to freezing his soles also. When Kuai was done he laid back on the dry red earth. He never thought he would ever be happy to be anywhere on Netherrealm soil, but right now this moment felt like one stolen from heaven and not taken from hell.

"What... what just happened?"

The wraith did not answer at first, and Kuai saw his eternally white bright eyes lid over for a long pause of peace.

"The back exit from Quan Chi's fortress."

"There wasn't a back exit, was there."

"There wasn't. But there is now."

Kuai groaned,

"What did you do to me? It feels like I have no feet."

"I was looking for another half liquefied rock to teleport onto, but there wasn't one."

"So..."

"There's a lot of surface tension to lava."

Kuai rolled over and looked at him.

"Are you joking... you teleported us into the lava?"

"Onto. Not into. Wasn't sure it would work. Now we know."

Kuai groaned again and curled his arms over his face.

"We need to keep going we're too exposed here. I know a place we can rest that is not far."

"I can't walk."

"Portals it is then."

"I can walk. I'm feeling much better."

Five short teleports took them to the shelter of a narrow crack in a rock face. Beyond its thin entry way it opened into sizeable cavern. When he had stopped trying to wretch his empty stomach from the teleporting, Kuai glanced around.

"How do you know about these places?"

"Every Netherrealm creature knows how to hide."

Kuai looked at him, but the wraith did not notice. It was the closest Kuai had ever heard his brother come to acknowledging his own vulnerability. Kuai sunk against the wall. He pulled off all the immediately accessible strips of armour he could and summoned ice to drink.

"We cannot stay too long. I do not know when, but Quan Chi will soon work out that I have fled the fortress."

A twinge of guilt stirred in Kuai's chest. He realised he was thinking of the very much alive Sareena and her mixed loyalties.

"Where did you go back there? You were right across from me then you vanished!"

The wraith gave him a slow, unimpressed stare,

"I can't always come and save you, little brother." He said coldly.

Kuai flared up,

"We were operating perfectly smoothly until you just up and left! I thought we were working together, that's what you meant by the whistle commands, was it not?"

Noob Saibot looked faintly uncomfortable,

"The parallel passage to yours was not as I recalled it. It had fallen away in part. I meant to backtrack but was dragged into the chasm before me."

Kuai's eyes widened,

"Dragged in...?"

"By an oni." The wraith admitted. "It took some shaking to get rid of, but... only one of us is going to spend time trying to relocate their head."

"Right..."

"What about you, I trust you were able to deal with whatever waylaid you?"

It was partly the phrasing and partly that latent guilt. He suddenly wished he hadn't been in such a hurry to take the hot layers off. He wanted the anonymity of the mask lying beside him and the hood he had thrown back. He tried to sound casual, looking off into the corner of the cave as he spoke.

"Yes, it was no problem. I took care of it, I was just surprised when you didn't show."

"Liar."

The wraith's dead eyes burned as white flames under the deep cowl of his hood. Though Noob was slumped against the far wall, his shadow stood tall, unharmed and proud, looking down on Kuai. Kuai tried not to let the accusation penetrate his calm.

"It's true, I-"

He saw the blur of the shadow move and raised his fists as iced barriers before his face. It threw its weight against him, seizing his wrists. Kuai wrestled against it pulling this way and that. It jerked back and slammed his head back against the wall. He blinked and in a moment had been flipped onto his back and pinned. Black dots swam before his eyes and again he felt the pull of unnatural fatigue, heat and exhaustion well up strong in him. He ground his teeth into determination and forced ice through his wrists so that they began to fractal and freeze the shadow's grip. He abruptly stopped when he saw the wraith's hungry white eyes leer down at him. Noob had crawled over to his shadow.

"What happened. What have you done." Neither of those sounded like questions from their deadened intonation.

Kuai felt old childhood insecurities rearing beneath his pinned ribcage. He saw the wraith pull back a hand and automatically flinched. The back fist never came however, he saw it ready and primed. All the strength of a calm, certain, steady and still man, who knew peace, patience, and perseverance in the face of all manner of horrors, fled before that old vision.

"I didn't mean to let her go." He blurted. That stare chilled him all the way to his bones, "It just made sense at the time – I – I think she wants to help you."

"Sareena?!" Noob hissed in disgust.

"She... she knew I wasn't you, she-"

"How."

"She knew your style of fighting, she-"

"Did you use ice?"

Kuai couldn't breathe for the hand the shadow pressed down into his throat. Shame and guilt of failure swarmed to the surface.

"I'm... I'm sorry," he choked.

The wraith roared in frustration as his shadow continued constricting Kuai's windpipe.

"The one time I ever need anything from you! I give you two orders. No ice. No talking. Did you speak to her, Kuai Liang? No need to lie, I know the depths of your incompetence only too well."

Kuai winced and gave the most fractional nod. He received that waiting back fist to the face.

"How could I even think of doing this? How could I ever be so foolish as to trust in you to complete even the smallest and most basic..." As he trailed off he summoned his shadow back to him and it vanished into his body, leaving Kuai Liang coughing and rolling over and away. "This is my fault. I overstretched myself. I have played my hand too soon. I put too much reliance in the wrong places. I was foolish to trust in anything but myself.

"N-no." Kuai massaged his throat with one hand and with the other reached out in placation, "Please, it's not like that. I-I read the situation, speaking with her was the best way to resolve the situation. She already knew I wasn't you."

The wraith ignored him,

"My plan cannot work now. I must return as quickly as I can to the fortress and pray my absence has not already been noticed."

"Sareena will help us!" Kuai pleaded, "She won't tell Quan Chi! Please, Bi-Han, I didn't mean for this to happen, but there was nothing else I could do! We have to trust her and keep going."

"You know nothing about her!" The wraith was lit with a fury that was not just directed against him, Kuai realised, "She is a trickster by nature! She cannot help but betray those around her! She is fickle and does as she pleases!"

"Then she may turn against Quan Chi?" Kuai said hopefully.

"I will not risk an eternity of pain on the whims of a trickster and your incompetence!"

"She cares for you!"

He regretted that outburst. He saw his brother turn it over, lather it in sarcasm and bowl it straight back to him.

"Again your judgement is warped by clinging emotions, foolish wishing and pathetic dreams. You never learn, Kuai Liang. Your misplaced trust in others and your constant need to see more in those around makes you weak. You always were the weakest of all the Lin Kuei."

"And yet I am the only one still alive." Kuai Liang's eyes were cold though his insides wrenched to hear his brother say those words.

"A coward's luck."

"Call it what you will, but it saved me from the Lin Kuei. Unlike you, I put my loyalty with those I believed to be right. I defied the Grandmaster and stood with Lord Raiden and Earthrealm. I have walked out of your world of strict rules and personal power play. My allegiance is to the things I choose to care for – not out of fear, not out of a struggle for personal gain, but by choice."

"Noble sentiments. Completely irrelevant, noble sentiments. You can call your illusion of choice what you will, Kuai Liang. All I care for is that you have ruined my already slim chances at pulling this off, and its not worth the consequences for me to try now."

"The odds were never good, but we can still-"

"You have no idea what he can do!"

The cave echoed with those words. Kuai Liang had never heard such raw fear in his brother's voice before. The wraith turned away,

"If... he finds out..."

For the first time, Kuai saw another dimension of change that being a spectre had brought upon his brother. As Sub-Zero, his brother had never feared authority. Even in his days as the most upstanding, cherished member of the Lin Kuei, he had been immaculate in his etiquette, but coolly indifferent to any attempts at intimidation. The spectre before Kuai seemed agitated, strained and shaken even, as if he was somehow invisibly tethered to this tormentor he meant to put down.

"We can do this." Kuai Liang said firmly.

"I do not want your optimism." Noob Saibot spat, "I want reasonable chances of success before I commit to doing something unforgivable!"

"Contrary to your beliefs, I do not run on optimism, Bi-Han. I get results through determination and hard work. Stop thinking in terms of absolutes and failure for once in your life and think your way forward. We're doing this and we're not going back." He straightened and set his expression hard. His tone fell easily into that of a Grandmaster accustomed to shouldering responsibility. "Assume the worst possible scenario and come up with a counter plan. Let us say that Sareena has already told Quan Chi of my presence here: my identity may be revealed but our chances are not void. Weigh up the options and formulate the details necessary for the mission to succeed. If you would also be so kind as to try and find me something to eat, I'm going to sleep. When I wake up I expect you to be back to your usual, insufferably imperious self, giving me orders and not whining about the odds of success. Also can you please stop hitting me and sitting on me. I'm not a child any more; I can take your criticism to heart without the weight of your punches behind it."

Kuai promptly lay down and closed his eyes. For the first few minutes he could do little but rein in the involuntary twitches that kept threatening to jump through his body as he readied himself at any moment to be sorely pummelled for his outburst. The punishment never came however and his brother was silent. Eventually Kuai relaxed enough for all discomfort to be eaten by that otherworldly fatigue that was becoming so familiar to him in his short time in the Netherrealm.

Kuai could see the glint in his eye. There was a playful spark that hinted that he was not yet done. His friend's posture was lazy, calm and relaxed, as if testing the air for its currents and secrets. Smoke excelled at moving from soft almost static poises into punches that landed so hard and fast they were almost invisible. Today they'd been fairly evenly matched, but in the last few minutes the sun had come out and bathed the courtyard of the Lin Kuei Temple in light. This caught and shimmered in the wreathes of smoke sifting around his opponent, making it just that bit harder to keep a track of his movements. Kuai pulled his fists into a tighter guard and breathed out a long breath that cooled the air.

"Careful, Tomas. I have a feeling that you're about to do something stupid because you're loosing."

"This is not what loosing looks like, Kuai. You will know what loosing looks like very shortly when you look up at me from the floor!"

Kuai kept from rolling his eyes. Smoke had once used baiting him with bad one-liners as an offensive tactic to distract him. He only ever needed that one edge over him to seize the veils of cloud about him and vanish into the air. He watched his friend carefully, his eyes lingered in different places, calculating something. He means to teleport, Kuai surmised. He would not jump behind him, that would put the sun in his eyes. To either side then, or above. Kuai let the distance between them widen. Smoke almost subconsciously narrowed the gap back to its previous size. Kuai moved a few paces more, each time pausing to keep his sparring partner from noticing that he was being led. He saw Smoke's teeth grate together as he realised. It was too late by now though, Kuai had positioned them both beneath the yawning branches of an old cedar that leaned out over the courtyard. Smoke would not risk teleporting above with the obstruction.

Kuai was aware of footsteps sounding in the courtyard that stopped nearby. He caught Smoke's eye and they held a fractional truce as they both turned to glance at the intrusion. Some way off, but with attention definitely directed their way, was the Grandmaster himself, flanked on either side by Sub-Zero and Sektor. Kuai's heart sank, he saw Smoke stiffen as well. Some of the ease went out of his friend's movement. His muscles were more clenched, his face more determined, his thoughts more predictable. In that moment Kuai knew exactly what Smoke would do. He knew it so well, that he faked a second of distraction to bait the move.

Smoke vanished into the air. A shimmer of smoke winked in his wake. With the full force of his turning torso Kuai swung his guard, clearing the space between and sending his fist a full quarter turn to his right. He caught Smoke just as he reappeared and clocked him straight in the temple. Smoke reeled and stumbled back. Kuai was in his prime here – the close combat favoured him and he had Smoke on the back foot, still disorientated. He drove his second punch up into Smoke's chin, jolting his head back and disrupting his attempt to cling for balance. As he pulled his fist back to guard he lashed out with his other in a solid back fist that turned Tomas a full circle. One more punch was all that was needed to topple him. Kuai instead pulled his fist back and charged it with ice. No one wanted to look bad in front of the Grandmaster. What Kuai was doing was extremely risky. If it was discovered he helped his opponent in a fight the punishment would be severe to say the least. Something impressive will distract the Grandmaster. The Grandmaster had taken especial delight in the recent successes of Kuai's brother, Sub-Zero. Everyone in the Temple had heard tales of the assassin's extraordinary versatility and brutal efficiency. The innovative way in which he married his martial prowess and ability to wield ice had seen him rise to become the Grandmaster's favourite. It was expected that Kuai would follow these high standards, learning his brother's techniques and stepping up to become another great assassin in the Grandmaster's collection.

Kuai froze Smoke's feet to the ground just as the grey clad assassin regained his balance. Smoke swore as he saw Kuai come hurtling for him. Smoke put his palms together and focussed all his energy down into them. His hands began to vibrate and heat the air. The hot air melted enough of the ice to free him, but he was still not ready for the bulk of Kuai's weight that came through him. He took a shoulder straight to the stomach but managed to parry the fist as it pivoted at the elbow and came up to his face. Smoke took the fist, stepped back and redirected it, turning Kuai's body so that his back was to him. Kuai completed a full circle and connected his opposite elbow to Smoke's skull. Smoke staggered back. Just before Kuai came in for another onslaught. Smoke tightened his fists against his chest and sent energy vibrating so fast through his body that Kuai's punch deflected back and he had to step away to keep upright. In the corner of his eye, Kuai saw Smoke leapt at the opportunity. Kuai darted back freezing a layer over his body that remained behind as he leapt out the way. Smoke hit the clone of ice in Kuai's place and immediately the ice fractals splintered up his knuckles, over his arm and encased his body. Kuai drop kicked him and pinned him as the ice shattered.

"Cede." He commanded.

Smoke nodded.

Kuai stepped back, sighed, and offered a hand to his friend to get up. Smoke indicated to their observers with his eyes and Kuai hastily withdrew his hand. Smoke stood slowly. The two of them stood side by side and turned to face the Grandmaster. They brought their fists to their open palms and bowed low to him. When they unfolded, the Grandmaster had moved on.

Smoke exhaled a loud sigh.

"I hate it when they do that."

"Hush." Kuai said softly, "Someone might hear."

"Why'd they have to sneak up on a guy like that? Can't anyone get a peaceful moment of fighting in these days?"

Kuai rolled his eyes.

"Also, I can't believe you froze me solid. Unbelievably unfair."

"It's not unfair to use use the tools I have, Tomas."

"But I have an excellent mind and intellect that I deliberately don't use against you just so that you can stand a chance against me."

"You're very predictable when you're nervous, by the way. You should work on that. Saw your teleport coming a mile off."

"Says the guy who defaults to flashy ice moves whenever Bi-Han's watching."

"What!? I do not! That was – I did that to-" He threw up his arms in exasperation, "You are so infuriating, Tomas! That is not what-"

"You are definitely the easiest person to wind up."

"Shut up, get out of here."

"Want to head up to the kitchen and see if there's any leftover food?"

"Do you only think of food?"

"Food, bed, and irritating Tundra." Smoke dodged a punch that Kuai threw at him.

"Kuai Liang."

They both stopped still at that and looked at one another. Smoke put a hand on Kuai's shoulder,

"I'll maybe catch you later." Smoke walked on alone. Kuai did not turn round. He waited until his brother was standing next to him before looking up at him.

"What do you want?"

His brother wore his full blue uniform and his mask kept almost all his expressions under tight guard. Kuai received a single head jerk in response. He reluctantly followed behind as Sub-Zero led the way to their quarters. He banged the door open with a hand and stood by, waiting for Kuai Liang to enter first. A cold chill went down Kuai's spine that had very little to do with their joint cryomancer heritage. As soon as he had entered Kuai whirled round, backed away and put his guard up. He had seen enough of Bi-Han's bad moods to know that this conversation might well start and end in violence.

Sub-Zero slammed the door shut behind him. The room shot into darker shadows. The dying light of the sun came in half-hearted orange through a small window. Kuai instinctively hardened his guard by freezing layers of ice over his fists and forearms.

"Allow me to help you." There was nothing pleasant in his brother's voice.

Sub-Zero reached out and Kuai started in horror as the ice on his fists and forearms collected faster and outside his control. A thin sheet spread between his raised arms and up past both elbows. This thickened until his arms were frozen hard together. He could feel the rapid speed of his heartbeat in his mouth as his eyes widened and he looked up. He clamped his teeth together, refusing to give his brother the satisfaction of hearing his dismay. Sub-Zero came up close beside him. Kuai kept his breathing even and his eyes forward, arms hopelessly frozen stiff. He felt a hand slowly sit on the back of his neck. He closed his eyes just in time as his head was wrenched forward, shattering the ice, than force back so that it cracked against the wall. Kuai blinked white spots from his eyes and staggered away, lifting his guard to defend himself again. There was no follow up attack. Instead Sub-Zero stood, staring daggers into him,

"What were you thinking?!"

Kuai knew exactly what his brother was referring to, but feigned ignorance.

"What more do you want from me!? I defeated Smoke, and I did so with the clone you taught me – I executed it perfectly, it-"

"- Should not have even come to that!" Bi-Han's eyes were steel. "You held back. Even with the Grandmaster watching!"

"Because the Grandmaster was watching." Kuai gave up the game and watched warily as fury ignited in his brother. "He judges his assassins based on chance matches he happens to see as he walks through a courtyard once every six months!" Bi-Han looked angry to burst. As Kuai continued he tried to get the door angled behind him. "If I'd ended the match with Smoke at the first chance, Smoke would have had a hard time of it for months. I just prolonged my win for the best of both of us."

Sub-Zero was advancing on him,

"Stop!" Kuai said despite himself, "I know it was risky – but it was my risk to take – you don't have to look out for me all the time any more, I'm a grown man-"

"A grown idiot."

"It was just a one off, I spar with Tomas all the time! I know his moves like the back of my hand. He's my fellow Lin Kuei. We're on the same side – a-and sometimes that means looking out for each other despite the rules!" To Kuai's surprise, Sub-Zero stopped his advance. Kuai searched in his eyes, looking for some kind of acknowledgement that might indicate the anger was dispelling. He instead found something colder.

"And what if you and Tomas are no longer on the same side. What if one day he turns on you, and you aren't ready, because you put your trust in others and never where it should be." He stepped forward poked Kuai hard in the chest, "In yourself. That is all you can ever trust."

Kuai shook his head slowly,

"I... I know what you're trying to protect me from, Bi-Han. We... some of the other high ranks and I – we've heard about the initiative." Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed. Kuai continued, "We're... we're not going to let it happen. We're going to stand against it. I know you're against it too!" The last sentence was said to stall another fit of rage that looked like it was about to explode his way. "I know you are, Bi-Han. You've spent too long perfecting all you do not to oppose being mechanised. You've always followed the rules – but on your own terms. I don't believe you'll let them turn you into an unthinking machine."

Sub-Zero closed the space between them and brought his mask close to his brother's so that ice blue eyes met one another and cold breath streamed from both sets of vents.

"The Grandmaster wants unthinking machines. I mean to show him he has one before he puts a single wire near me. It's people like you acting in such insubordinate ways as this, that cause ideas like cyberisation to ever be floated."

Kuai's eyes flooded with relief,

"I knew you were against it! No one else would believe me, but I knew you'd never let them-"

"Kuai Liang!" Kuai fell silent. Sub-Zero withdrew and pulled himself up, folding his arms, "Follow my lead. Forget about your seditious friends and become as ice to all and everything. I cannot help you if you will not help yourself. Steel yourself to all emotion and weakness and I will urge the Grandmaster to see that there are no improvements to be made to us."

"But, Bi-Han, what about Smoke?! And Cyrax-"

Sub-Zero let out strangled sound of exasperated fury. Kuai fell quiet in his corner.

"What... what is wrong with you, Kuai Liang!? How do you lack what ever animal alive is born with!? A basic level of self-preservation!"

Kuai let the storm rage its worst for a while before daring a response.

"I just want to make sure the others are alright too... is that so bad? You would do the same for me."

"Not at the cost of my own life!"

Kuai watched him with uncertain eyes.

"Enough of this. I don't want to here a single word more of it. I already risk everything not reporting you and your cabal to the Grandmaster. If you have an ounce of sense in your head you'll turn them over yourself and step up the first rungs of the ladder. I'm about to embark on an extremely important mission, and more still after. I do not have time to constantly tell you to keep your head down, obey the Grandmaster and keep the rules of the Lin Kuei! Your attitude changes here and now or I am done with you, do you understand?"

"Done with...? You mean you'd tell the Grandmaster-?"

"I said, do you understand!?"

"Yes, Bi-Han."

He awoke to a livid hot burning sensation in the soles of his feet. He reached to them and felt the tender skin warm beneath his touch. He cooled the burned skin with a brush of frost and leaned back. He glanced warily over to the entrance and saw the wraith and his shadow sitting morosely, looking out the thin slit of the cave to the torturous world beyond. Kuai was tossed a nondescript chunk of charred meat by the spectre. He took it without complaint and focussed on his dream to keep from thinking about what he was consuming.

"As I recall you were good at tactical planning and using the environment against your opponents."

Kuai almost choked. He looked up in disbelief to see if this was some kind of joke at his expense. Acknowledging Kuai's fortes had never featured in Bi-Han's preferred method of communication.

"There is an old scar in the fabric of Netherrealm that I've been told is the easiest place to rip a portal through to the Chaos Realm. There was a portal there long ago, and reality is still frayed over that spot. Portals this big are usually beyond my power, but I have a ritual that will enhance my abilities and help me to tear through."

Kuai resumed eating and watched his brother with careful, suspicious eyes.

"The place is on high ground, but littered with old boulders, fallen pillars and stonework. In ages past it was a temple to something. One side is sloped with a staircase cut into the side as a switch-back path. On all other sides there are steep drops into a narrow river of lava. The cliffs are small though, and not unscalable to a dedicated foe. And neither does lava prove much of an obstacle to many of the residents of Netherrealm."

"What of the terrain? Is it hard and compact or loose and dusty?"

"It's hard, but only on the immediate baked surface. It could be broken up and made unstable."

"How dry and hot is the area – will my ice abilities be restricted? How long will is take for any ice to melt."

"I'm not sure," The wraith admitted, "I cannot feel hot and cold in the same way I used to. It won't be anything like the temperature at the bottom of that volcanic crater, but I imagine any ice you summon won't last long."

"Anything else at all in the area that can be moved and used? You said stonework – anything half standing and unstable? Any old steel? Bones?"

"I do not recall. We must get to the place and see. Relics from older wars and long dead pasts are not an uncommon sight in Netherrealm. I will need you to get on this as soon as we arrive. I must begin the ritual immediately. I am not sure how long it will take – I have a tight schedule to keep with Havik and the longer we take the more likely it is we'll have a big fight on our hands before the portal is even open."

"Understood. I am ready to depart when you wish."

Kuai tossed the bone he had stripped the meat from and fixed the heavy black mask over his face, pulling the cowl up over the top.

"Remember you also have the advantage of surprise. The confusion of your identity should work in your favour. You will also have Saibot working with you, though I will need him at points in the ritual."

Kuai looked at the shadow. He was always disturbed by the way the wraith spoke as if it were an entity of its own. He nodded though.

"Good. I am counting on you, Kuai Liang. Do not disappoint me again."

Noob Saibot got up and moved sideways through the narrow cave entrance. Kuai thought on those words as he followed him. They were very far removed from Bi-Han's fury last night, or in the memory recalled in his dream. He wondered what thoughts had been passing through his brother's head as Kuai slept.

Author Note: Thanks for the reviews, faves and follows! Glad you're enjoying the story- I love hearing your comments so please keep writing them!