A/N: Scorpion's POV omg! But first, Reviewer Dedication time! Because without you guys I am nothing. Especially to BlackTwilight909 and Subterranean Stepdancer, it makes me happy to have loyal fans(is it too pretentious to call reviewers fans?). And to YoshisSupport, Sand Dun, Your Failing Epicness, HyperChrome, WolfNinjaHiruka, Madisonstvr, Zoey H, Lilshady2123, Fanficfan10000, and Guest! I love reading your reviews, thank you so much for taking the time to write them. That was in no specific order btw…I love all of you equally(I'm sure I've missed some). And thank you Sebastien, welcome to the story! I hope you're not too disappointed when you catch up and realize I take forever to update haha. This chapter is a long one! I hope you all like it.

Rated: M

Disclaimer: I own nothing. You could even take the OC's if you really wanted to.

"Hold your fire! I said hold your fire, goddammit!"

Being shot at was not what I had expected upon returning to Earthrealm.

Though, I've had worse homecomings.

We were surrounded by a dozen cop cars, and a SWAT team with itchy trigger fingers. A young man in SWAT gear was apparently in charge and managed to get his men under control before any damage was done.

I had instinctively rushed to stand in front of Sub-Zero when the shooting started, but it appeared that we were all unscathed because the thunder god had been faster and had constructed a protective barrier.

I really miss my powers.

It was a cold night here, and quickly glancing around the area I figured we were in New York. And considering the buildings and roads still under construction about us, I knew it had to be an area that Shao Kahn's monsters had broken through and attacked.

The man they call Jax stepped forward and the SWAT leader moved to meet him.

"Officer Stryker?" asked Jax.

"Yes, sir," replied the younger man. "It's good to see you again, Major Briggs." The two men shook hands. I noticed that Stryker cast a nervous glance at the Major's robotic arms.

I half-turned to look back at Sub-Zero, silently questioning if he knew the other man. He only shrugged, just as lost as I was.

Stryker looked to the rest of us. "You all made it okay?"

"Some stayed behind," answered Raiden. "Can you tell me where we are, officer?"

"Sure. You're in New York. Sorry about the uh…welcome wagon here. There was a lot of lightning flashing and strange activity happening in this area, just like last time. We figured we'd be ready for whatever decided to come through this world. Show 'em how we handle our business."

Tch. No amount of preparing would have stopped Shao Kahn.

"I see," Raiden said approvingly. "Thank you for your hard work."

Stryker rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed like a child. "No problem. Oh! And my partner Kabal is back at the Special Force's HQ with something I think you all should see."

"Special Forces?" The blonde woman put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, my unit's been workin' closely with them. Since we experienced when the shit hit the fan. You're Special Forces too, right?"

"That's right. Lt. Sonya Blade."

He held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Blade—"

"Lieutenant."

"—Lieutenant. I know we didn't really get to introduce ourselves last time. Anyway, I have a van that can take you all back to HQ. You're welcome to take back command, Major Briggs. Oh, do you guys know Nightwolf? He's there, too. Seems to know more about this crap than anyone else. Says he participated in the tournament." He glanced at all of us again. "You were all in that tournament, right? Damn, I dunno if I should feel left-out or lucky."

"Both!" The actor – Johnny, I remember – threw up his hands. "Listen, I know there's probably something very important and exciting back at your HQ or whatever. But I'd really like to go home now. And since I live on the opposite end of the country—"

"Hey," Stryker interrupted gruffly. "Don't you think that can wait? You're supposed to be some kind of warrior for Earth, right?"

"Yeah, well, some of us have been fighting longer and harder than others…"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Okay!" Sonya broke in, moving to stand between the two men. "Johnny's not really a soldier. Can't you just tell us what information you have now? The rest of us can go back with you, Stryker."

The officer muttered something under his breath, but nodded. "All right. Might not be enough room anyway… So! After the fighting was done, we found a body. She was injured badly and unconscious, but alive."

Jax tensed. "She?"

"Yeah, thanks to Nightwolf we could positively identify her. You all know Sindel?"

I stood on a darkened street corner with Sub-Zero as Johnny Cage made a phone call from a pay phone. One of the police officers was a fan and gave him some spare change. Stryker pulled some strings to get us plane tickets to Los Angeles.

The Others had gone off with that Stryker, off to his HQ to go look at Sindel and see if anything needed to be done. The monk with the ridiculous hat had kept going on about how Kitana and his monk friend should be told about it.

I zoned out until everyone settled down and Johnny said it was time to go. He had offered me a place to stay back in Edenia and I had accepted. Mostly because I thought it would be convenient to have a place immediately upon return, and because he said Sub-Zero had decided to live with him as well.

I was beginning to regret the decision. It was becoming a hassle already.

The stupid actor didn't even live in New York. He didn't have his cell phone. He needed to call his agent first. And his publicist. And on and on and on…

AND The Others took my weapons and armor, promising to send them to me in LA. Logically I knew I would have never been able to get on the plane with all my gear, but it still pissed me off. They even took my mantle, telling me that it made me stand out too much. They took Sub-Zero's as well, leaving us in our undershirts and pants. I really didn't see how we wouldn't draw attention even now. The actor was still wearing Edenian clothes, anyway.

"Cage!" I shouted. "If you make us miss that flight…"

"Shh!" He held up a hand and hunched over the receiver. "What? No, not you! Yeah, but.. I know, but… Hey! I can explain everything when I get there. I know, I know… Listen, Chuck, just please do this for me. It's the middle of the night, I'm cold, I'm tired, I got two angry ninja assassins behind me… Thank you! No no, I seriously will make it up to you guys! Yeah, yeah, you guys are the best. I'll drop by as soon as we get there. Later!"

He hung up and turned on us with a wide smile. "Okay, got that taken care of."

"Who were you talking to?" I demanded.

"My agent! He's kept my apartment for me this whole time, isn't that awesome? He never thought I was dead for a second. His brother is my friend, too. You'll like 'em."

Fat chance of that.

Sub-Zero had his arms crossed. "We should be leaving now."

"Right!" Johnny started walking and we followed, having no choice but to trust he knew where he was going. "I hope you guys aren't too tired to walk. But don't worry, we have plenty of time. We'll get there in an hour, I think. And you'll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane. It's a six hour flight, haha…"

I knew that already but I still groaned.

Johnny turned up his nose. "Hey, I'm the one that should be complaining. I have to be seen with you guys the whole time."

"Excuse me?!"

"You two look like bouncers at a gay nightclub."

He started laughing and for a moment he reminded me of one of my old friends in my village. I almost dismissed the thought, but I remembered that Sub-Zero had advised me to try and be more friendly. It was an absurd idea, but even in the other realm I had tried to make a small effort. Usually, I let The Others do most of the talking if they approached me.

It hurt to think about past friends, and the possibility that I might replace them somehow. It hurt to have hope that I might make new ones.

"You're one to talk, Cage," I rasped out. "You look like an elven princess in that get-up."

He snorted. "This is an acceptable outfit that I'm sure I could make hip and trendy if I chose to…"

"Sure."

"It's not my fault middle-aged men can't pull off the sleeveless look."

"Hey!" Sub-Zero cried, indignant.

"I'll admit the sleeveless look is okay in a gym," Johnny continued. "But outside of it you look like you're trying too hard to be sixteen again, trying to get into that hip 1990's rave party."

"High-school flashbacks, Johnny?" Sub-Zero deadpanned and I laughed.

"No! I'm just saying… It looks like I have a couple of S&M bodyguards that probably go home when their shift is done and diddle each other."

Sub-Zero's face turned a curious shade of red. I never thought of him as shy before, but maybe he was more innocent than I thought if he blushed at this kind of talk.

And 'diddle'?

"I'm not going to listen to a guy who has his own name stupidly tattooed across his chest!" I declared.

"It's badass! I was drunk!"

"You're just jealous you don't have arms like these!" I flexed my bicep in his face.

Johnny huffed and flexed his own. "My arms are just as big…"

They weren't.

"Well, they can't be smaller than Sub-Zero's…"

They were.

I was almost laughing again. And not in that mirthful way when you watch an enemy die at your feet.

Sub-Zero joined in—once his face returned to its naturally pale tone.

And we continued on like that – comparing our abs, comparing how many flips we could do, how many backflips, how many butterfly kicks – until we reached the airport.

I happened to get the window seat on the plane. Johnny Cage got the aisle, leaving Sub-Zero with the center seat.

It was a little after three in the morning and the cabin was dimly lit and quiet. Most of the other passengers were sleeping.

Cage sighed happily. "Six more hours and I'll be back home in sunny California."

"How do you know it will be sunny?" Sub-Zero asked. "We didn't even ask Stryker what day it is."

Cage seemed to think about that a moment before calling over a flight attendant. "Psst! Pssst!"

A female in a navy blue vest came over and politely hushed the actor. "How can I help you, sir?" she whispered cheerfully.

"Yes, hi. I was wondering…could you tell me what the date is today?"

"Of course. It's October 2nd today."

The actor's mouth hung open.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"Ehh, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. It's just…football season, you know? I missed a lot…"

The stewardess gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything else." She gave Sub-Zero and I a once-over and winked before sauntering away down the aisle.

Johnny turned to us, his expression still shocked. "October 2nd, what the fuck! I don't know about you guys but I left for the tournament in like early July!"

There was a chorus of 'shh' around us.

"Sounds about right," Sub-Zero said quietly. "A lot happened."

Johnny slumped back in his seat. "So much for my sunny weather. I mean, it could still be warm over there right now but you never know. Cali weather is a fickle bitch."

"Good to know." Sub-Zero leaned back in his seat as well, resting his head back.

I wondered if he'd ever been to America before, let alone California. I've been to various states on assassination missions, and I didn't really think one place was vastly different from another. People were people no matter where you put them.

The stewardess came back a few times, always asking if she could get us anything. Johnny tried in vain each time to get some form of recognition out of her, since it seemed she had no idea who he was. She almost completely ignored him while she made eyes at Sub-Zero.

After she left for a third time Johnny turned to us again. "Can you believe that? Five movies under my belt and that's the thanks I get. Some people don't know quality movies when they see 'em. Or maybe I look different without my sunglasses…"

"Show her your tattoo," I suggested.

Sub-Zero snorted, and Johnny 'hmphed' while curling up in his seat. I was envious of how easily he fell asleep.

I settled into my own seat, keeping my gaze fixed ahead. Only a few passengers had their overhead lights on, but it kept the rest of us lit in a faint glow. I listened dully to the hum of the electricity and the constant rumble of the engines. I could not sleep.

In fact, it had been many days since I had gotten a good night's rest. Without the pain-relievers for my injuries to knock me out, I found it almost impossible to stay asleep. I was constantly waking up in a cold sweat, visions of my murdered clan still lingering behind when I closed my eyes. After a short time, I stopped sleeping altogether. No one noticed while we were in Edenia.

I glanced at Sub-Zero from the corner of my eye, regarding him silently. The former Lin Kuei was nodding off but fighting the urge to sleep. Finally, sleep won out and his head drooped forward over his chest.

He didn't know the last time I truly slept was the night of the celebration, when we shared a bed. I had been so confused when I woke up that morning, and not just because I was kicked from the bed, but because for a few blissful moments I had believed that I was home. That my family was still alive and that I was in bed with my wife.

My chest tightened painfully at the reminder of Kana—my beautiful, sweet, loving wife. I missed her terribly. And in those early waking moments I had completely forgotten about all the tragedy that had happened. In that moment the massacre never happened and I was still in my village. But it was just a fleeting memory that had felt incredibly real, even down to the smells.

It was a bit startling when I had realized how mistaken I was. And how quickly all the recent events had flooded back into my mind. It was not my home, but Sub-Zero's room in Edenia. And my wife was still dead.

My jaw clenched painfully while I thought about the disappointment. And I was mad at myself. Mad at my mind for giving me some peace before painfully ripping it away. And it wasn't Sub-Zero's fault, but how curious that he should be the first person I'd share a bed with since my wife.

Ever since that day, even looking at a bed was difficult, so I had taken to sleeping on the floor. Not as comfortable, but I wasn't really sleeping anyway. Too many horrible thoughts filled my mind. And the guilt… the burning, crippling guilt.

If I had been there for my family… for my clan… they would still be alive.

Sub-Zero slumped forward a bit in his seat next to me, and slowly his body slid to the side until his head was resting gently on my shoulder.

I looked down at him carefully, not wanting to wake him. One of us should dream.

I frowned a bit, though. This man was hard to figure out sometimes. I knew he had been avoiding me the last few days in Edenia, and nothing he said could convince me otherwise. But why? I still didn't understand what I had done. And I still remembered the panicked feeling I had that I had done something irreparable. That I had pushed him away completely.

I didn't realize how important his companionship was to me until I thought he was taking it away. He was the only person I felt could even come close to understanding my pain. And I trusted that he would never use it against me.

I thought about his brother briefly, with disgust, and how different they were. There were similarities to be sure, but there was a kindness about this Sub-Zero that I never glimpsed in his older brother. I don't even think this young man knew how much he looked after his friends, even when he was cold with them. And I never heard of any Lin Kuei having friends, yet this one had forged a loyal brotherhood with his ally, Smoke.

There was something different about him from the others. There was a light inside him that not even the Lin Kuei could snuff out. Suddenly I had a strong feeling of protection towards him. It still baffled me that this man had endeared himself to me so fast.

The stewardess came back – snapping me out of my musings – and made a silent gesture asking if I needed anything. I mouthed the word 'No' and she smiled overtly cheery as she walked away.

Bothersome woman. It hurt all the more to think about what a perfect wife I had in Kana. No other woman would ever compare.

I peered down at the sleeping Sub-Zero once more, studying his relaxed features. He looked much younger when his face was relaxed like that. I bet he had peaceful dreams.

Suddenly his head shot up and cracked me against my nose.

"Ow! Shit!" I winced and grabbed my nose just as the blood began to pour down.

Sub-Zero was rubbing the back of his head. "Fuck, I'm sorry!"

Blood was starting to dribble down my chin. Sub-Zero put a hand on my back. "Here lean forward like this," he whispered, pushing me a bit. "I'll be right back!"

I watched through narrowed eyes as he vaulted over Cage's sleeping form and landed silently in the aisle. Show-off, I thought as he ran lightly toward the restrooms.

Sighing, I turned to face the front again, and caught a glare from the man seated in front of me.

"What?" I snapped, giving him my worst death-glare in return. The man flinched and turned back around in his seat.

Sub-Zero came back then, handing me a wadded up ball of toilet paper. I replaced my hands with the flimsy paper and tried not to get blood on anything. My hands were already sticky from the drying blood.

"Sorry," Sub-Zero said again. He was blushing.

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was doing that a lot lately. Maybe he was getting sick? Or had he always been quick to turn red and I never noticed?

A few minutes passed and I removed the tissue to check my nose. Still bleeding.

Sub-Zero scooted closer to me. "Here," he murmured. "I know a trick."

I jerked my head away as he made a reach for my nose.

"You've done enough!" I whispered harshly.

He scowled and reached again. "Don't be stubborn, you ass!"

I couldn't fight him off for very long—it was a cramped space and we were still trying to be quiet.

My back was pressed firmly against the window as he pinched my nose just below the bridge. I watched him angrily as he held on – gently, but firmly – for almost half a minute.

When he let go, I immediately shot my hand up to my nose to check for fresh blood, but there was none.

"How did you do that?" I asked curiously.

"I just pressed long enough for the blood vessels to clot."

"Ah."

"I didn't break it, did I?"

"No. I wouldn't have let you touch it at all if you had."

"Oh, so you 'let me' just now?"

"That's right. Don't you dare think you're stronger than me."

"Maybe you like it when I touch you…"

The comment hung in the air almost exactly the way a brick doesn't. And his tone was…strangely suggestive.

We stared at each other a long moment before he looked away with a flushed face.

Whatever that strange scene had been between us was gone. And I really wished that I could step outside for some fresh air.

"I'm going to wash up," I grumbled, making my way into the aisle as gracefully as possible.

As soon as I made it to the restroom, I quickly turned on the tap and began splashing cold water onto my face. What the hell just happened?

It had almost sounded like Sub-Zero was flirting with me, but I knew better than that. He only misspoke, and perhaps his words came out in a way he did not intend. I chuckled thinking about how the young man must've embarrassed himself. I decided I would not be cruel about it, and pretend it never happened if I could help it. That was best.

The water in the sink turned pink with a few streaks of red thrown in as I washed the blood from my hands and face, erasing any evidence of what happened. Just like after a mission. Definitely not the first time I performed this usually post-battle ritual.

And probably not the last.

I glanced up at my reflection in the mirror and paused to stare at my eyes, bracing my hands on either side of the sink. It'd been so long since I'd seen my own face. I still wasn't used to it. All I saw was a tired old man staring back at me.

I sighed as I dried my hands, and slowly made my way back to my seat.

Johnny Cage was still sleeping, but Sub-Zero was watching me apprehensively, as if I might explode at any moment.

"Better?" he asked at last.

"Yes."

Sub-Zero looked as if he wanted to say something more, and as trained assassins he and I were not ones to fidget uncomfortably, so instead he bit his lip in an anxious way.

I smirked at him. "Don't worry, Frosty, you're not the only one that wants to get their hands on me."

His eyebrows shot together in annoyance. "Frosty? I beg your pardon."

I merely laughed at him.

"What do you mean, though, about the hands?" he asked, puzzled.

I shrugged. "At the airport when we were getting searched by security. That female guard let her hands roam a little too freely."

This time he softly chuckled. "How terrible for you."

"I swear, her hands lingered far too long on my ass."

"No wonder you were so grouchy."

"I'm not grouchy," I said, glowering at him. "…Not always."

"I know," he smiled, and it was such a small, sad smile that it made me feel gratefulness toward him. Because I knew he wasn't pitying me, but that he understood me.

I admit I have a short temper. I'm working on it.

The rest of the flight was uneventful.

We stepped out of the LA-X airport and into a sunny – but cold – morning.

Johnny lamented the lack of a cell phone and money as we headed out on foot to his agent's office.

The actor cried, "6am! I am so jet-lagged." And proceeded to drag his feet as he led us through the city. Thankfully, he didn't feel much like talking.

The "office" wasn't that far away, and it was actually inside a karate dojo. The kind that teaches little children. Johnny steered us to a room in the back.

"Chuck!" Johnny held out his hand as a middle-aged man in a dark suit jumped up from his desk to take it. I noted that the desk and workspace was cluttered with various folders and papers.

Cage turned to us. "Guys, this is Charles Weston. He owns the place and finds me my awesome movie roles."

The man didn't appear professional to me, but I didn't know much about agents. And just then another man came into the room. He was much younger looking than this Charles, but they could have been twins with their same features and same sandy-colored hair. In fact, I found it hard to distinguish Johnny Cage from them as well.

For a second, a memory came back to me of an old friend making a joke about how all white people look the same. He had never been politically correct.

The younger man snapped me back to the present. "Hey!" he said, and gave Johnny a hug. "We opened up shop early just for you. Man, you have a lot of explaining ahead of you."

Johnny rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I know. Oh, I was in the middle of introductions." He turned again to Sub-Zero and I, and pointed at the man in the suit. "I think I mentioned that they're brothers, but anyways, like I was saying this is Charles. And this guy is Lance."

Lance was obviously the younger brother, and was wearing karate pants and a t-shirt.

"Lance teaches karate here. That's how I met them actually—through martial arts. We were all in classes together years ago, and then Lance and I tried to get into movies by being stuntmen, but I decided why damage a pretty face like mine?"

"Yep, but he's always been a ham," said Lance.

Charles shook his head. "I did it only for exercise. But back to the point here—who are these guys? And what the hell happened to you?"

"Long, boring story. I'll fill you in next time, okay?"

"Johnny!"

"C'mon, I just came to get the keys to my apartment and then sleep forever."

Charles opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a set of keys. "You're welcome, by the way," he mumbled as he tossed them to the actor.

"I owe you guys big, I promise!"

"But who are they?" Lance was staring at me, giving me the evil eye, and I suspected I was giving one back.

Johnny sighed. "This is…uh…I can't even think of any lies right now, I'm so tired. That is Sub-Zero, and that scary-faced man is Scorpion. They're my friends."

The brothers looked at the three of us like we were crazy.

Johnny visibly drooped and sat himself in one of the chairs next to Charles' desk. "Okay, I'll tell you guys everything. And don't worry, my friends here are human."

"So you did have something to do with all that apocalyptic stuff that happened a while back?" said Lance.

"How do you know about that?"

Charles rolled his eyes. "We're not stupid. And we have television. That shit was all over the news. And after you disappeared after talking about that tournament…well, we put stuff together."

"Oh. Cool. All right, well, where shall I begin…"

I looked at Sub-Zero and he looked back, a frown forming tight on his mouth.

We knew we were going to be here awhile.

I wasn't keeping track of the time, but if I had to guess it was probably only a few hours of mind-numbing sitting and listening to Johnny Cage tell his side of the story. Most of it I already knew, and only very little was interesting to me. Like how Sub-Zero had almost fought his friends to come after me and retrieve me from Outworld. I hadn't known that.

The brothers believed every word Johnny said. It helped when Sub-Zero showed them his powers by freezing Cage's shoes to the floor.

"Ninjas, huh?" Lance said, he nodded towards me. "What does he do again?"

"I can kill you eight different ways," I said matter-of-factly. "And that's only the silent ways."

Lance sneered at me, but didn't do anything stupid. Damn.

I don't know why he didn't like me, but sometimes you just can't get along with a person. Not that I wanted to. I could break him with my pinky.

"Okay, gentlemen." Johnny stood up and stretched. "We go to get going."

Charles got up to walk us out. "You know the media is going to have a field day about your mysterious disappearance and return. We'll have to set a press conference, and make up some story they'll believe… Don't tell anyone what you just told us."

"Don't worry," Johnny said sleepily. "I don't think I could tell it all again."

"Yeah, yeah. Call me later. Bye, fellas." Charles waved at us and walked back into his dojo/talent agency.

Sub-Zero looked around at the various buildings. "Now where to?"

"Home!" Johnny blurted happily. Then, "Shit. I shoulda asked them for some cab money."

The actor's apartment wasn't as bad as I had expected. Apparently his movies were more successful than I knew.

It was a two-bedroom, and large enough for a Hollywood actor. That's what Johnny told us, and that someday he wanted a penthouse in New York if he could afford it.

After changing into spare pajamas that Johnny lent us, there was a small argument between Sub-Zero and I over who should get the guest bedroom.

I wanted him to have it, and he insisted I take it.

I told him I was fine on the couch, and he immediately called dibs on it, which started another fight about how 'dibs' work since I already mentioned the couch first.

Johnny blinked between us for a short while before turning on his heel in the direction of his own bed. "Well, good luck working that out! Good night! Bye!"

Finally, Sub-Zero relented and stomped into the spare room, slamming the door behind him.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, attempting to keep my anger in check. The couch was fine. I wouldn't be sleeping anyway.

Cage had given me a hoodie to wear since his heater was broken, and I put the hood on over my head as I closed all the curtains and settled down onto the plush couch. It didn't have much support to it, but I guess it was better than lying on the floor.

I shivered slightly and pondered asking Cage for a blanket. I dismissed the thought quickly and crossed my arms over my chest in a manly manner. Cold was for the weak!

More time passed as I stared dully at the ceiling. One thing I hate most about not being able to sleep is the thinking that comes with having nothing else to occupy your time with.

All I could think about was how I would destroy Quan Chi. And that would cause me to think of my clan, which caused me to imagine their demise. I couldn't imagine what my wife and child's final thoughts had been. How awful their fear must have been.

And yet I am the one alive. Why? Why me?

I heard feet padding softly into the kitchen which was right next to where I was laying in the living area. I craned my head back over the arm of the couch to see Sub-Zero standing near the fridge.

He paused when he saw me. "Ah. I was thirsty. Sorry if I woke you…"

"I wasn't asleep," I said as I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

He tilted his head quizzically. "No? Aren't you tired?"

I nodded. "I'm exhausted."

Sub-Zero stood there a bit longer, unsure.

I made a reaching motion to him. "Come here."

When he still didn't move an inch, I patted the space on the couch next to me. Sub-Zero laughed softly and it only took him a few quick strides to sit on the cushion beside me.

I needed a distraction from my dark thoughts and I knew his presence usually helped with that.

"So," I started. "What's your favorite colour?"

A/N: Why won't they just make-out already, geez.

Lemme know what you guys think :) Thank you for reading~