LIN KUEI TEMPLE

CYRAX'S POV

I felt a strange buzzing in my cybernetics as I reactivated from my short sleep period. As the green lights formulating my HUD went through their initial pattern of reactivation, they suddenly stopped and everything went red.

After a period of several seconds, the bootup sequence continued, and I stood up. Something felt... different. I thought to myself about my past decisions and surprisingly found myself agreeing with them. It was then I realized what had happened.

I was myself again.

By this, I did not mean that I had forgotten all I had done. I meant that my personality, my actions... they were no longer inhibited by the cybernetics forced upon me.

And with that being said, I knew what I had to do.

Stealthily running to the temple's gong, used to summon all of the Lin Kuei warriors, I gave it my strongest punch, the sound of the gong reverberating throughout the entire building, awaking every single Lin Kuei warrior, including the Grandmaster, Sektor, and Neksus.

As the warriors gathered, I noticed Hydro, one of the elder ninjas in the clan and one of the first to become a part of the Cyber Initiative, step forward. "Cyrax, why have you summoned us?"

I merely looked at him. "Do you not feel different? More... more human? Something has happened to the cyborgs, and whatever it is, our personalities, our souls, seem to be asserting themselves once again."

The elder Lin Kuei nodded. "I feel it too, my friend, but I believe you have bigger problems to worry about."

Turning, I watched the Lin Kuei Grandmaster walk up to me, a scowl on his face and his two sons by his sides.

"Unit LK-4D4! What is the meaning of this?" I felt disgust towards his usage of my unit identification code, something I could only have felt with my own emotions.

"The Cyber Initiative has been... altered, Grandmaster. I feel like my old self, uninhibited by the cybernetics you have forced upon me and the other Lin Kuei."

Stepping into a fighting stance, I prepared to attack the leader of the Lin Kuei, when Hydro took his hand and firmly placed it on my shoulder. "It is not necessary for us to start a fight right now. We WILL get through this situation, regardless of the final results."

Calming down, I stopped and considered the circumstances, turning to the sea of grey cyborg warriors in front of us.

"Members of the Lin Kuei warrior clan! I have summoned all of you here due to a recent situation that I believe may have affected us all. Do you feel different, as though you are the man you were before becoming a cyborg?"

I paused, watching as heads were nodded and voices were heard.

"I propose that we separate the membership into three parts, considering the current circumstances. Those who wish to leave the Lin Kuei due to prior hatreds or disgust at the forced Cyber Initiative, go to one side of the room. Those who wish to stay with the clan, go to the other side."

I stepped to the side of the room, along with almost half of the clan as Hydro spoke up, stepping to another wall.

"Those who wish to remain Lin Kuei, but do not wish to lose your personality again, please come over to me."

Well over half of the cyborgs on the other side of the room rallied around Hydro as Sektor spoke up.

"Those who wish to be returned to their efficient and perfect robotic forms, stay with the Grandmaster."

The small remnant of Lin Kuei left rallied around Sektor, Neksus, and the Grandmaster as I spoke up yet again.

"Grandmaster, the majority of the clan does not want the Cyber Initiative to continue in its present form. I HIGHLY suggest that you take heed of your members' requests. Your being Grandmaster would benefit greatly from handling this situation rationally."

I turned to my 'troops.' "We will head to America and contact the remaining Earthrealm warriors. Perhaps we can atone for our sins during the tournament..."

Hydro turned to his group. "We will remain here in the Lin Kuei temple. If ordered to attack our leaving brethren, we shall use our judgement and grant them safe passage."

It was assumedly the Grandmaster's turn to speak to his group, but Sektor did something so despicable, so horrifying that I could truly not believe my eyes.

He stabbed him.

With his cybernetically-enhanced fist, my former partner plunged his fist through the back of his own father, Neksus looking on in shock as the cyborg removed the heart of the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, throwing it away. With a quick grasp of the other bloodless hand, he removed the Dragon Medallion from around his father's neck and held it up.

"I now rule the Lin Kuei!"

HYDRO'S POV

I was shocked by Sektor's sudden actions. He deserved death for what he did, and as such, I charged at him with the intent of killing him. However, he fired a missile at me from his chestplate, knocking me back against the wall. I turned, looking at Cyrax and the other cyborgs as they watched.

"Leave! I will hold Sektor off!"

Turning back to the treasonous Lin Kuei, I raised my arms from my chestplate, lightning sparking between them.

"You shall not live to see tomorrow!"

Rushing towards the manipulative son of the Grandmaster, I watched Neksus slip out, surprisingly following the defectors as we began to struggle with one another...

CYRAX'S POV

Having combined the powers of our personal transporters together, myself and the group of about a hundred Lin Kuei warriors appeared in the heart of New York City: Times Square. Pedestrians nearby were clearly scared, and many ran away from us, screaming like little children. Oddly, though, a small group of less than a dozen people pulled out their phones or video cameras and began to record us.

"Can everyone hear me?" The fellow Lin Kuei nodded, evidently able to hear my voice over that of the many tracks playing in Times Square.

"Alright then... In that case, we will wait for the inevitable appearance of the Special Forces. When they come, we will surrender to them peacefully. I fully believe this to be the only way we can contact them about our present situation."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned, only to see Neksus standing in front of me. Some of my fellow warriors raised their weapons or assumed a fighting stance, but I motioned for them to calm down. "Neksus? What are you doing here?"

The Grandmaster's son merely showed a sinister glint in his eye. "My half-brother murdered my father. Why would I choose to be another worthless peon following a usurper who shares only half his blood with me? I have no reason to remain with the clan so long as Sektor leads it."

I cautiously nodded. For all I knew, this could have been his attempt at spying on our group, or he could seriously have meant that he did not wish to stay with his brother. Regardless, I felt it was best to keep him with us.

"Very well, Neksus. You may stay with us if you wish."

A mutual understanding was reached between us as we waited for the Special Forces members to take us into their custody. It was our only chance of gaining cooperation against Sektor and his... Tekunin...