Alright guys! This chapter is relatively short compared to others. For that I apologize. This is an important plot point in this story that takes place in the game 'Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero." This is about Scorpion's failed attempt to obtain his revenge on Sub-Zero when the Lin Kuei is sent to the Netherealm by Raiden himself to retrieve Shinnock's amulet. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Visitor

Scorpion spent weeks as a captive in the Prison of Souls. The only time he was released from his cell was when a horde of demonic guards rushed him and beat him senselessly as they carried him to the massive chamber to learn more about his powers. Scorpion learned quickly through torment, but still had much to learn.

Scorpion learned through torment. In each test the living fire that taught him would give him something to learn and if he failed to learn it right away, he would be strapped to a table and gutted with a giant hook. Though he could not bleed, the pain he felt was unbearable. His wounds would heal as quickly as they were given to him, and therefore he would be cut multiple times for long periods of time. He did not sleep, for his torment would not allow it. He was condemned to the Netherealm because of his thirst for revenge, and his punishment was to learn through suffering. His torture was his elixir. It made him strong and deadly. His pain gave him power unlike he ever imagined in his prior lifetime, and learned how to use it.

Scorpion sat in the middle of his cell, meditation as his wounds healed from his recent lesson. He had once again failed to learn a new power, and suffered greatly for it. Despite his agony, he only had one thing on his mind: Sub-Zero. He wanted nothing more than to make the Lin Kuei warrior suffer as he had suffered. He wanted to show him that unjust murder does not go unseen.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed and lit up the entire cell for a split second. As the light diminished, a figure fell from whence the light came. The figure fell to his knees with his back turned to the Spectre in the shadows. As the figure rose to his feet, Scorpion's eyes widened as he made out the figure's attire. It was a man clad in a blue over mantle over a black body suit, with blue shin pads and wrist guards. It was none other than Scorpion's murderer, Sub-Zero.

Scorpion stood up from the floor as the Lin Kuei warrior monitored what was outside the gate. Scorpion knew not of Sub-Zero's reason for joining him in his cell, but he didn't care. His enemy was right in front of him. This was his chance to have his vengeance. His priorities set, he emerged from the shadows and spoke to his visitor.

"Don't bother worrying about escape," hissed Scorpion.

Sub-Zero turned around and saw the yellow figure before him. "Who are you," he demanded.

"I am a dead man, a tortured soul sentenced to suffer in the pits of the Netherealm," said Scorpion, his head bobbing in different directions at random moments. "I take the form of a condemned soul, but somehow you've managed to retain your mortality, which would mean you are vulnerable to death."

Sub-Zero frowned at Scorpion as he stared into the Spectre's glowing eyes. "You didn't answer my question," said Sub-Zero.

Scorpion narrowed his eyes at him and said, "I am a Hellspawn Spectre of this most unholy realm. I am the avenger of the massacred remnants of the Shirai Ryu. I am Scorpion! You killed me in cold blood!"

Fear struck the heart of Sub-Zero. He remembered all too well of the life he took at the Shaolin Temple of China. "I had no choice," said the frightened Lin Kuei.

"You could have let me live, murderer!"

"Then I would have been the dead one!"

"But my family and clan would still be alive!"

Sub-Zero narrowed his eyes in confusion to the Spectre's last comment. "What?"

"It wasn't enough for you to kill me, you had to mutilate and destroy every last remnant of my being, along with my wife and child!"

"You are mistaken, Spectre," shouted Sub-Zero with outrage in his tone. "I had no part of it! I may have killed you but I am not responsible for their deaths!"

Scorpion clenched his fists and said, "Words will not save you, Lin Kuei warrior!"

Without another word spoken, Scorpion lunged at Sub-Zero and grabbed his blue over mantle. The angered Spectre then threw Sub-Zero to the ground and began to kick repeatedly at the Lin Kuei's face and chest. Sub-Zero blocked as many blows as he could until he landed a kick to Scorpion's back, relieving him of the undead menace so that he could spring himself up to his feet. Scorpion recovered from the blow and charged at Sub-Zero again, this time leaping in the air and extending his leg outward. Sub-Zero ducked under the jump kick and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick to Scorpion's face. The blow sent Scorpion back a few paces but easily shook off the blow.

Sub-Zero made the next move by performing a sliding shoulder thrust. The attack left behind a trail of ice as his shoulder impacted Scorpion's chest. The blow did not work as planned, however, as Scorpion absorbed the oncoming attack and responded with an elbow strike to Sub-Zero's ribs followed by another elbow to his face. The Lin Kuei staggered a few steps as Scorpion performed a powerful side kick to his enemy's gut. Scorpion continued his attack by throwing a right hook but was stopped dead in his tracks by a well placed ice blast from Sub-Zero's icy arms. Sub-Zero then landed a jump kick on Scorpion's chest which in turn freed the Spectre from the ice and sent him flying back against the wall behind him.

Scorpion got up as Sub-Zero charged his arms for another ice blast. Scorpion awaited the Lin Kuei's attack as he stood his ground. Sub-Zero released his ice blast but to his dismay, Scorpion was unaffected by it. Before the ice blast hit him, Scorpion gestured his arms upward and a wall of fire protected him from being hit. Sub-Zero kept his wits about him as he slid himself forward quickly with his foot extended. He connected the foot sweep and sent Scorpion flying over his head. Once Scorpion landed he quickly got up to his feet and reached for his Spear. This was a difficult task, for the ground he stood on was very slick due to the ice trail left behind Sub-Zero's sliding foot sweep. As Scorpion slipped and slid about the floor, Sub-Zero wasted no time in performing another sliding shoulder thrust, one that caused Scorpion to fall against the electric bars of his cell. While Scorpion was unable to escape the clutches of the electric surges, Sub-Zero lobbed an ice blast on the opposite cell gate. With the bars turned to ice, he quickly shattered them with his fists and escaped the cell, leaving Scorpion behind.

The commotion grabbed the attention of several guards in the area. Dozens of them ran into Scorpion's cell and ambushed him as he escaped the electric surges. His mind set on revenge, he tried to fight his way through the horde of guards so that he could catch up with his enemy.

"NO," shouted Scorpion as he fought the horde. "HE'S MINE! I WILL NOT BE REFUSED MY REVENGE!"

It was no use. There were too many demonic guards holding him back, pounding him with their fists and stabbing him with their blades. They brought him to the chamber where he had learned his new abilities and threw him to the floor. His body was then engulfed in the flame that arose from the candles, burning him and causing him great amounts of pain.

"HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ESCAPE," spoke the voice of the fire. "I give you power and you would disgrace me by your futile attempt to flee?"

"HE WAS THERE," shouted Scorpion through his cries of agony. "MY KILLER WAS IN MY CELL AND FLED ME! AAAAAAAGH!"

The fire released Scorpion and formed its facial form. "Impossible. How has he retained his mortality?"

Scorpion kept his head down on the floor and held his stomach. "I don't know, but he was there. Your guards cost me my vengeance! I will have my revenge if I have to travel every inch of this realm as well as his! I will have it if I have to kill every last member of the Lin Kuei to do it! I will have it if I have to free myself from the clutches of your damned prison!"

The flaming face smirked at Scorpion. "If you want your enemy to suffer then you must remain here. I will teach you what you need to defeat the Lin Kuei. With my guidance you will have the power to make him suffer as you have suffered."

Scorpion slowly rose to his feet and faced the fire. "What guarantee would you give me?"

"I will train you to be the Hellspawn you were destined to be and I will reward you with everlasting existence upon your success. If you are patient, I will send you to him when the time is right and when you have learned everything you need. Upon your victory, your soul will exist forever as the deadly Hellspawn Spectre."

Scorpion considered his creator's proposal. By doing this his soul would last forever. He took a moment to think about the proposition and then made his decision.

"Teach me what you will," said Scorpion. "I will learn from you."

"Excellent," said the fire. "But know this, Scorpion. I will not let my teachings go to waste. If you fail in your quest for revenge, I will vanquish your soul and you will be nothing more than a broken memory. Is that understood?"

Scorpion nodded without hesitation and said, "I will not fail!"

Scorpion's resolve was strengthened a thousand fold that moment. He spent the next two years learning the ways of the Hellspawn through his everlasting torment. He learned quick and well as he suffered. Though he spent only two years in the Netherealm, it felt like two decades. Time did not exist in the same manner as the other realms, for it was vastly slower. There would be no rest for Scorpion in his quest for revenge. He would suffer greatly and learn well the ways of the Spectre.

Here it is! I made the battle between Scorpion and Sub-Zero short because their battle in the Netherealm was meant to be brief. Scorpion still had much to learn about his powers and the fight was a mere test of his ability. The next few chapters will be about the events that took place in the first Mortal Kombat tournament and will include the final battle between Scorpion and the elder Sub-Zero. See ya next chapter!