The whirlwind of events that preceded their arrival at the Lin Kuei's underground base were needless to say, difficult for the now-AWOL Special Forces members and their friends, and something they were still in the midst of processing. The Lin Kuei were welcoming to them, but that only helped so much. The Lin Kuei themselves were in something of a state of recovery themselves, due to the Tekunin's previous attack and the harrowing rescue mission they had just returned from.
Cyrax's first priority was repairing the heavily damaged Sektor, a victim of said attack. As such, he immediately went to his workshop after returning from Outworld.
Setting Sektor on the table, Cyrax first got to work reattaching his legs.
"They really did a number on you, didn't they old friend?" Cyrax asked casually.
"[Confusion] F-Friend…?" Sektor questioned. "[Shame] I am not worthy of being called anyone's friend, least of all yours…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Cyrax advised. "Whether you think you deserve it or not, I care enough to help you, so that's what I'm going to do."
It took Sektor several moments to muster his response:
"[Gratitude] Thank you."
Cyrax chuckled. "Haven't heard you say that in a while."
"[Embarrassment] Time… changes you." Sektor replied.
"For the better, you think?" Cyrax asked.
"[Contemplation] I'm…. not sure…" Sektor admitted.
"I think you'll figure out the answer one day." Cyrax said reassuringly.
As Cyrax kept working, Frost passed by in the midst of catching up with Sleet and Chloe.
"Chloe!" Cyrax called out. "Want to come and help me with this?"
"Sure!" The Lin Kuei trainee answered earnestly, heading into the workshop, grabbing some tools, and getting to work.
Frost followed her in.
"How's he doing?" She asked.
"Heavily damaged," Cyrax answered honestly. "But he'll pull through. They really seemed to want to take him apart."
"[Hate] Not they… him…" Sektor corrected again.
Chloe looked at Frost, her curiosity spurred even further by Sektor's repetition of the phrase. "What's he talking about?"
"We… we know who's leading the Tekunin." Frost revealed.
"You mean… not Wu Lae?" She was clearly confused.
Frost shook her head.
"It makes sense," Cyrax argued. "The Tengu are crafty, but they wouldn't have been able to manage such an upgrade all by themselves."
"[Information] The Grandmaster of the Tekunin" Sektor paused, before turning his head to look directly at Cyrax. "[Hate] Is Oniro."
Cyrax stopped working, staring seemingly blankly as Sektor's revelation hit him. Memories came flooding back….
"Who's that?" Chloe asked, unfamiliar with the name.
"The reason I'm like this," Cyrax explained. "The reason Sektor is like this, the reason Sub-Zero was like this…. all of it. It was all him."
"You mean…." Chloe started to realize. "The old Lin Kuei Grandmaster that Sifu told us about? The one that started the Cyber Initiative?"
Cyrax nodded silently.
Chloe turned to Frost. "Does Sifu know about this?!"
"Not yet…" she admitted, putting her hands behind her back like a child who'd just been found lying. "I… I need to talk to him. About a few things."
"Go," Cyrax strongly suggested. "They already know where we are and how to hit Kuai through you. Time is of the essence."
Frost nodded, but before she left the room…
"[Command] Wait." Said Sektor.
Frost paused.
"[Gratitude] Thank you," he continued. "[Admittance] I owe you my life."
"You saved me too," Frost pointed out. "We're even."
Sektor nodded.
Frost then left the room and quickly rushed to find Sub-Zero.
The Lin Kuei Grandmaster found that combat and combat practice allowed him to focus and think. It was for that reason that he was practicing his bladework with Ashrah, using his Kori blade against her mystical Kriss.
Sareena was spectating from the sidelines, sat on a nearby bench watching them duel as if she were watching a play. The skill on display was imrpessive, even if she had seen Ashrah utilize her Kriss dozens if not hundreds of times before in their tribulations through the Netherrealm.
Frost burst into the room, prompting the two to stop immediately. Ashrah sheathed her sword while Sub-Zero allowed his ice-forged blade to dissipate. They both gave each other respectful bows.
Ever the supportive companion, Sareena clapped for them. "Bravo, bravo!"
"Thank you." They both ended up saying in unison, causing them to exchange looks with one another.
"Sifu, can we talk?" Frost requested.
Sub-Zero quickly gave her his full attention. "Of course, any time you may need it."
"Thank you." Frost replied.
"I'll go check on Kia and Jataaka," offered Ashrah. "See now they're doing with the adjustment to life outside of the Netherrealm."
She left the room, and Sareena soon got up to leave too.
"Wait," said Frost. "You can stay."
"Are you sure?" Sareena asked.
Frost nodded.
Sareena was a bit confused by this, but honored her request.
Frost was about to start talking, but Sub-Zero had a few words first:
"It was very brave of you to find a way to escape the Tekunin," he complimented. "Not to mention setting aside your differences with Sektor. I'm very proud of you, Frost."
"Thank you Sifu, that means a lot," she replied. "I don't think I would have been able to do it without your training."
"I am honored to have such a gifted student." Sub-Zero replied.
Frost couldn't help but smile at her mentor's proudness, but quickly remembered the matter at hand.
"Listen," she requested. "While they had me…. I learned some things. Sektor could probably explain it better than I canwhen he's in better shape, but here goes: the old Lin Kuei Grandmaster, Sektor's dad, the one who turned you into a cyborg. He's alive, and he's leading the Tekunin. He calls himself 'Triborg' now. He brainwashed the Tengu. He was gloating about it when he had me. He told me that Wu Lae said our clans weren't enemies before his cyborgs captured them. That bastard, he-"
"Breathe, Frost." Sub-Zero advised, and she complied.
"This news is… deeply troubling…" he admitted, pacing the room as he pondered the information. "I suppose it was arrogant of Sektor… and of me, to assume that Oniro was gone forever. He orchestrated the entire Cyber Initiative… it was folly to not think he could find a way to save himself from seeming death."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sifu," said Frost. "It isn't your fault. We can still beat him, I know it."
Sub-Zero nodded, before looking at her and smiling. "Now it is the student who teaches the master."
Frost wished to relish the moment with her mentor, but she found herself having more to say.
"There's one more thing," she started. "In the old Lin Kuei, did you know somebody named Hydro?"
Sub-Zero's eyes widened. "Yes!" He confirmed as the memory came back to him. "He was Bi-Han's old partner. I had heard he was killed…."
"He almost was," Frost corrected. "By Scorpion."
"How did you learn this?" Sub-Zero asked.
"He told me himself," Frost explained. "Triborg sent him to take down me and Sektor, but we were able to convince him otherwise. He actually helped me get Sektor into a better condition."
"So he is one of the Tekunin," Sub-Zero concluded. "Willingly, even…"
He sighed. "Another specter of Hanzo and I's troubled past comes to haunt us."
"Yeah…." Frost said awkwardly. "About that…"
"What is it?" Sub-Zero asked.
"Did you know that Hydro had a brother?" Frost asked.
"Yes," Sub-Zero confirmed. "Why?"
"Did you know that it was Aqua?" Frost continued. "Aqua from the Shirai Ryu?"
Sub-Zero nodded, seeing where she was getting at. "Yes… I… I did."
"Does he even know what Hanzo did?" was Frost's last question.
"Hanzo and I agreed that it would be better if he did not," Sub-Zero explained. "To allow Aqua to start anew."
"Why would you keep that secret from him?!" Frost demanded. "You of all people should have understood what he was going through!"
"I offered Aqua membership into the Lin Kuei," Sub-Zero revealed. "He refused. Hydro had told him much of our clan, and ours was not a banner he felt that he could fall behind. He chose the Shirai Ryu. Who would I be to choose his path for him… after I and my friends fought so hard to prevent Oniro, Shao Kahn, and Shinnok from choosing ours."
"Letting someone choose their own path doesn't mean keeping secrets from them." Frost argued.
Sareena shifted her weight in discomfort, remaining silent but thinking about the information she still had to share with Kuai Liang.
Sub-Zero averted his eyes as he mulled on her words. "You are right…" he admitted. "Which is why I should have admitted… that I have not been entirely honest with you."
"What…?!" Frost was entirely baffled.
"When you were taken by the Tekunin, I initially believed that I had failed you," Sub-Zero explained, before looking over their spectator. "Sareena was able to convince me otherwise, but…. I thought you were gone."
"I get it," Frost empathized. "I would've been freaked out if something happened to you too."
Sub-Zero shook his head, signaling that he wasn't finished.
"When Raiden approached me about my reforming the Lin Kuei, and offered counsel," Sub-Zero continued. "He told me about you. He had seen you in his visions, Frost. He had seen a future where I did fail you… where you fell down a dark path, and you grew to hate me."
"Sifu, I could never hate you." Frost assured.
"Smoke died despite being saved from the Cyber Initiative," Sub-Zero pointed out. "Bi-Han's death and transformation, despite Raiden's efforts, was not avoided. I feared that the future could not be truly changed, merely held back. When the Tekunin took you, I feared that the future had come for you as well.
But now, you have defied that future, Frost. You have changed your destiny in a way that my efforts could not. I am sorry to have kept this knowledge from you."
Frost wasn't quite sure what to say at first. Once she had taken a few silent moments to process, she hugged Kuai Liang in an effort to reassure him.
"I forgive you." She said.
"Frost, there is a reason you wear the Dragon Medallion," Sub-Zero responded as he embraced her in turn. "While I may lead the Lin Kuei, it is you who is our strongest."
"That's nice of you to say, Sifu." Frost responded, the humility that he had managed to instill in her preventing her from fully accepting the praise.
The two let go, and Frost turned to leave.
"I'm going to check up on Cassie and the others," she explained. "See now they're doing."
Sub-Zero nodded.
After Frost stepped out, Sareena stood up.
"Sub-Zero," she shook her head. "Kuai. There's something I need to tell you."
Sub-Zero turned to her. "What is it?"
"It's about Bi-Han," Sareena explained. "He's alive."
Sub-Zero looked at her with complete shock.
"H-How?"
"I was told about it by a man named Kharon," Sareena elaborated. "He had some kind of… clairvoyance, I can't quite explain it. He could see things happen... everywhere. He knew who we were before we even introduced ourselves. He knew about our pasts… and about Bi-Han. He's become the Elder Gods' champion somehow, apparently. That's the only part of how it happened I really know, but… he's alive."
Sub-Zero remained silent.
"I know, I should have told you sooner," Sareena admitted. "But everything happened so fast with the Tekunin, and with Frost….. I didn't think you needed more to worry about."
"No, no, I understand," Sub-Zero finally responded. "It was probably for the best that my mind stayed focused on liberating Frost. Thank you for telling me this, Sareena."
He paused as he thought some more. "If Bi-Han is in the hands of the Elder Gods, I am confident he will be safe. I hope that he may find his way back to us eventually."
"So do I," Sareena agreed. "He did a lot for me. It would be nice to be able to finally say 'thank you'."
"I wish it were not so, but our reunion will have to wait," Sub-Zero concluded. "We have our own responsibilities. The Tekunin, the madness that has overtaken Raiden. I fear that hiding will not be an option for much longer…."
"I know you don't want to put your students in danger," Sareena sympathized. "But some fights are worth fighting."
Having only recently gotten out of a fight, the Special Forces group was about as uneager as Sub-Zero with the prospect of another one.
The whole ordeal was frustrating and painful to think about and had each of them reeling emotionally.
Luckily, Stryker had offered to be an ear for them, and allowed the group to vent their fears and anger over the events to him, offering advice where he could. Vera lended similar aid, trying to keep a cool head for the sake of her daughter and the rest of the young adults.
Mokap was in the middle of explaining his experience to Stryker when Frost came into the room.
"I-I mean seriously…." he said, his eyes bugged out. "I thought that I was gonna die. All those… monster things…. I was lucky I only ended up fighting the cowboy dude. And when Raiden really flew off the handle, I thought he was gonna blast any one of us!"
Stryker placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Easy there, friend," he advised. "Slow down… and breathe."
Mokap did as instructed. "T-Thanks."
"Now look, I've been where you are," Stryker. "Even when you're a cop and not a special effects guy, it's crazy. Everything you thought you knew, your uhh…. ordinary world. It just all goes out the window. And you see centaurs and fire-breathing dragons and people shooting lightning… and it scares you. That's natural, human."
"Is there a 'but' that will make me feel better?" Mokap asked.
"But," Stryker started. "You can't let all the craziness get to you. You have to be able to look at the situation and respond. You make a judgement call, we do all the time in police work. Unfortunately… too many of the people I worked with have made the wrong ones."
"Judgment call…" Mokap repeated, thinking onthe words.
"You have to decide at that moment who you are and what you stand for," Stryker explained. "And then, you fight for it. Fight for your life, and the lives that matter to you."
"Like when I helped Johnny and Cassie fight those Black Dragon guys." Mokap responded, his tone noticeably more hopeful than before.
"Exactly," Stryker responded despite being unfamiliar with the event. "I think you'll be alright." He patted Mokap on the back.
"Thanks." Mokap responded, his smile having come back.
"Anytime," Stryker responded before he stood up and walked over to Frost. "How's the ol' snowman holding up?"
"He's… doing ok," Frost replied. "I think some of this is still rattling him a bit."
"Want me to talk to him?" Stryker offered.
"It couldn't hurt." Frost replied with a shrug of uncertainty.
Stryker tipped his hat. "You can count on me!" He said earnestly before leaving the room.
"Nice guy that Kurt." Mokap complimented.
"He is quite wise, in his own sort of way." Added Eyota.
"So, you're Frost, right?" Mokap asked.
Frost gave him a quizzical look. "Yeah…? How do you know who I am?"
"She mentioned you once or twice." Mokap explained, pointing over at Cassie.
Cassie was noticeably separated from the rest of the group. Jacqui, Takeda, and Vera were grouped together, and Kai and Kung Jin were off to one side of the room. Mokap and Eyota, both the odd ones out, elected to sit next to each other. By comparison, Cassie was rather alone.
Frost immediately wanted to remedy this. She went over and sat down next to Cassie.
"Hi…" Frost started, unsure of what to say. "Long… long time no see."
"Yeah," Cassie agreed, keeping her eyes to the floor. "No kidding."
"At least this time I'm here to help," Frost pointed out. "Instead of… getting the crap kicked out of me."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Casssie responded, finally cracking a smile. "You were winning for most of that."
"Looking back on it…" Frost thought aloud. "It's a fight I'm happy to have lost."
"Guess that's one way of looking at it," Cassie conceded. "Other than getting kidnapped by cyborgs… things seem to have worked out pretty well for you."
"Well, I haven't beaten up any former Elder Gods," Frost pointed out jokingly. "But on the whole…. yeah. This is good."
"It's nice," Cassie said for her. "Having somewhere where you belong…. wish I knew where that was anymore…."
"With your friends?" Frost suggested.
Cassie nodded. "I like to think so."
And then she finally looked at Frost. "I was… I was worried about you, y'know."
"What do you mean?" Frost asked.
"When you guys up and disappeared," Cassie responded, motioning to the other Lin Kuei. "I thought something might've happened or might happen, and I…" she shrugged. "Didn't want you to get hurt."
"Oh…" said Frost. "T-That's really sweet—nice! I mean nice! Of. You…."
Cassie laughed. "Bravo…" she said sarcastically but still smiling.
"T-Thanks…." Frost stammered, before shaking her head. "Anyway… Sifu felt that we sort of had to leave. Otherwise we would've gotten dragged into… whatever Raiden's trying to do now."
Cassie growled and slammed her foot into the bench. "Raiden! That… that bastard! I can't believe I-"
"What happened?!" Frost asked concernedly.
"He tricked me," Cassie explained. "He tricked me into almost killing an innocent man! And then he… he-"
"I know the pain you feel in being deceived by Raiden," empathized Eyota. "I believed that he would allow me the opportunity to free Akicita, as well as his comrades… and he… he used me. He used me as a bartering tool to get Akicita and the others to do his bidding. Once I looked up to the Protector of Earthrealm…. now he is a liar and a murderer."
Upon hearing mere reference to Bo' Rai Cho's fate, Kung Jin started to have a breakdown, although Kai was very quick to comfort.
"Hey hey hey, easy Jin, easy," he said softly. "It's alright, I'm here. You're not alone."
"I… I can't believe he's really gone…" Kung Jin said through tears.
"I know… I know," Kai empathized. "It hurts me too… really, it does."
"I should've been able to do something…" Kung Jin said, this time more clearly. "I should've been able to stop it."
"I know exactly how you feel," Kai admitted. "I've been thinking the same thing."
"You have…?" Kung Jin asked.
"Of course I have," Kai responded. "But then I started thinking…. Master Bo' Rai Cho wouldn't want us to sit here wallowing in guilt. He'd want us to keep moving forward…"
Kai placed his hand on Kung Jin's, causing the Shaolin archer to blush.
"Together…" Kai finished.
"Y-Yeah," Kung Jin agreed. "Y-You're right…"
"Kiss him already ya dummy." Cassie whispered quietly enough that only Frost heard her, laughing to herself at her own joke.
"What's so funny?" Jin asked.
"You'll get it later." Cassie replied.
"So umm… I kinda… get it…" Frost awkwardly said to Cassie. "Raiden, he's… he's the reason I found out about the Lin Kuei. One of the people who… who changed my life…"
Cassie didn't put two and two together as to what Frost meant, still wrapped up in her own thoughts about everything that had happened.
"Yeah he was… different back then," Cassie said somewhat distantly. "Hard to believe I used to look up to him… and then there's my mom. I used to idolize her! Wanted to be just like her!"
She looked at Frost. "You know what, I'm talking about, right?"
"Umm…. n-not… not really…" Frost answered quietly, breaking eye contact.
"Oh…. yeah…" Cassie recalled. "You don't… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I was just so caught up in my own head…."
"It's… it's fine…." Frost replied. "I know you're… going through a lot right now."
"I don't want to use that as an excuse," Cassie said adamantly. "It was my mistake. I… seem to be making a lot of those lately."
"I've made mistakes too," Frost pointed out. "The important part is that you still try to get better. That's… what I think anyway."
"Sub-Zero teach you that?" Cassie asked.
Frost nodded. "And a lot else."
"That must be nice," Cassie complimented. "Having someone you can count on like that…"
"Hey, you have your friends." Frost argued.
"Yeah, we're here for you Cass," agreed Jacqui, who was leaning on Takeda's shoulder. "It was our decision to stand with you back in Outworld."
"We're all in this together." Takeda added.
Cassie smiled. "Thanks guys," she looked at Frost. "And thank you."
Frost nodded rapidly, caught off guard by the compliment. "A-Anytime."
"The ironic part is…" Cassie said as distant memories returned to her. "As crazy as Raiden is now, he taught me one of the biggest lessons I ever learned."
"What was it?" Frost asked.
"Well, I guess there's a bit of backstory involved," Cassie explained. "I was really little….."
Cassie was about six or seven at the time, sitting in front of the TV watching one of her father's movies: the Gist of My Fist.
She was holding a small nerf gun and had a small collection of action figures laying around the ground. Wrestlers and GI Joes and others, a Johnny Cage action figure, and a military-themed Barbie that she pretended was her mother.
Johnny was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Becoming a father had inspired him to pick up culinary skills to be of more use around the house. This was especially since he found himself the only one at home with Cassie fairly often.
He checked the clock.
"If she doesn't show up soon this stuff's gonna be cold." He said to himself.
As if an answer, there was a knock on the door.
"Dad!" Cassie shouted.
"I'll get it!" Johnny responded, quickly making sure to turn off the stove before running to the door.
He unlocked it and in walked Sonya, followed shortly after by Raiden.
"You didn't tell me you were bringing a guest." Johnny joked.
"Just because I've got a few days off doesn't mean I'm gonna stay out of the loop," Sonya argued. "Raiden was telling me about how we might have to deal with some kind of chaos realm now that Outworld and the Netherrealm are quiet."
"The very nature of Chaosrealm makes its inhabitants extremely unpredictable," Raiden explained. "They could move upon Earthrealm at a whim. We must be vigilant."
"Mommy!" Cassie shouted excitedly, getting up and running over and hugging Sonya.
Sonya hugged her back. "Good to see you too, Cass. I'm gonna be able to stick around with you and dad for just a few days before I have to go back to work, ok?"
"Ok..." Cassie responded with a tone of disappointment. "Oh! Oh!" She said like she had just remembered something.
She ran back to the TV and grabbed her nerf gun, then put on an old military cap her mother had given to her.
"Aww, my little soldier." Sonya complimented.
"When I'm big and strong and can glow like Dad, I'm gonna help you mom," Cassie said with all the determination a small child could muster. "I'm gonna kill all the bad guys!"
She turned around and aimed the nerf gun.
"Like Shao Kahn!" She shot a dart which knocked down an action figure of the wrestler Triple H.
"And Quan Chi!" She then shot down a figure of Despero from GI Joe.
"And Shang Tsung!" She finished by shooting a figure of Gandalf.
"Uhh…." Johnny responded. "Maybe not 'kill'."
"Why not?" Cassie asked. "They're bad people, right? You do it in your movies."
"Yeah, but a movie is different from-"
"Johnny Cage," interjected Raiden. "Please, allow me."
Johnny shrugged. "Ok then."
Raiden walked over and knelt down in front of Cassie, allowing himself to be at eye level with the young girl.
"There is one thing you must understand above all else Cassandra Cage: there is none in any Realm with the right to take a life. The Elder Gods have made all beings, and to take a life is to spit in the face of that and to destroy the value of life. The act of taking a life, innocent or guilty, is one that will harm you just as much as the one you kill. But do not spare lives simply for the sake of the Elder Gods. You must also do so for yourself, and those close to you, and even for your enemies, and those close to them. All life is of value, Cassandra Cage."
Cassie looked down in shame and thought over his words.
"Ok," she said, offering the Thunder God her nerf gun. "I won't kill anybody. I could be like….. a superhero!"
Raiden chuckled, taking the gun and setting it down on the floor. He gave Cassie a warm, parents sort of smile. "Yes, Cassandra Cage. Be a hero, not a killer. Do not emulate the heroes in your films. Be a true hero."
Sonya decided to add on, kneeling down as well. "Don't just yell and act tough, ok? Be tough enough to be gentle. Don't be afraid to show people that you care."
Cassie nodded. "Thank you mom, and thank you Raiden. I won't ever let you down."
Cassie sighed as she finished the story. "That's what I told them. 'Won't ever let you down'... great job of that I did."
"Listen," Frost requested. "You didn't let them down. They let you down."
She looked around the room at the group, thinking about what they'd gone through and thinking of her mentor.
"Raiden…. he let us all down," Frost continued. "Maybe he'll realize it one day, maybe he won't. And your mom…. Sifu's always stuck by me. Even when we haven't agreed. I'm guessing you and your mom are just as close, maybe more. So... I think you guys are gonna be ok, in the long run anyway."
"Yeah, thanks," Cassie replied. "Seriously, that… helps."
"If you don't mind me asking," said Jacqui, having overheard their conversation. "What was it you called Sub-Zero? I'm just curious."
"Sifu," Frost repeated. "It's Chinese. The 'Si' means 'teacher' and the 'fu' means 'father'. Sub-Zero's kind of been both to me, so it's always just kinda fit."
"That's cool," Jacqui complimented. "Looks like you really found your people."
"Yeah," Frost confirmed. "Thanks."
"In the Shirai Ryu we use Japanese," Takeda informed. "Most of the students call Hanzo 'Sensei'. Means 'teacher', I'm sure you've seen Kung fu movies."
Frost cracked up a bit. "Yeah, when I was a kid, with my—"
She stopped mid sentence and suddenly started looking down and remaining quiet.
"Hey, Frost," said Cassie, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her a little. "You ok?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Frost responded after a few moments. "I'm fine. Just… memories…. old ones..."
"Do you wanna…. talk about it?" Cassie offered.
Frost shook her head. "No." She said in a time that she quickly realized might come across as rude.
"I mean… not yet," she corrected. "It's…. let's just forget about it for now, ok?"
"Ok," Cassie complied, not wanting to pry further. "And sorry."
"I'm sorry too," added Takeda. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's not your fault," Frost assured them.
"It's mine…." She whispered to herself.
"So uhh…" Takeda started, trying to switch focus from having accidentally made Frost uncomfortable to his fiancé. He gave an awkward chuckle. "This whole thing… kinda puts a damper on our wedding plans, huh?"
"Honestly? I'm used to having to wait at this point," Jacqui responded. She placed a hand on his cheek. "When all of this is finally over, when there's a chance for us to relax, when the fighting stops, even if only for a while, then we'll get married. We've just gotta hold on, baby."
She leaned forward and kissed him, which was enough to restore Takeda's confidence all on its own.
"You sound like your father," commented Vera. "SF was in the thick of it with the Black Dragon when we met. He was always telling me that we just had to hold on a little longer."
"And keep fighting," Jacqui finished for her. "That's how our family rolls."
Takeda chuckled. "Yeah…. My mom was the same way. My dad still is."
"Like I said," Jacqui put her arm around him. "Our family."
Takeda blushed. "Thanks…"
Eyota looked around the room, smiling.
"Thank you all." She said.
"For what?" Mokap asked.
"The strength of your bonds with one another gives me hope that we will indeed prevail," she explained. "Even with the corruption of now two mentors. I hope to share in your friendship and togetherness one day."
"Far as I'm concerned, you already are." reasoned Cassie.
"Just the fact that you were willing to put yourself on the line to save Lao and the others speaks volumes Eyota," Kung Jin added. "Sorry, Nightwolf."
"We're basically already friends." Mokap said with a casual shrug.
"Well then, I am glad to be one of you." Eyota decided.
Meanwhile, Ashrah made her way to Kia and Jataaka's room. She had a feeling that they didn't especially like her, but she considered them friends nonetheless after their aid in the Netherrealm.
The couple had decided to opt out of the Lin Kuei's mission to Outworld, preferring some time together to rest and recuperate after the Brotherhood of Shadow's annihilation, their escape from the Netherrealm, and the Tekunin's prior attack.
Ashrah understood their reluctance even if she did not share it. She knocked on their door lightly, not wishing to be intrusive.
"Who is it?" Jataaka asked in a somewhat rude tone.
"It's me, Ashrah." The demon in white answered.
"It's Sareena's girlfriend." Ashrash could hear Kia attempting to whisper. She decided against commenting on it.
A few seconds later, Jataaka opened the door.
"Did Sareena send you to check up on us?" She asked plainly.
Ashrah shook her head. "No, though I have a feeling she would have had I not already taken the initiative."
"Good intuition," Kia complimented. "A person can appreciate that sort of thing."
Ashrah knew what person she was referring to, and again decided to evade the subject with silence.
"So… how'd the 'rescue mission' go?" Jataaka asked. She'd never been the most polite individual per say, but was polite enough to try and change the subject from her wife's thinly veiled interrogation and in turn save Ashrah the embarrassment.
"It went splendidly," Ashrah responded. "We were able to bring back Frost and… Sektor, I believe his name was. We also have some new guests."
"Explains the extra ruckus…" Kia complained.
"Yes, our guests have been through… quite a lot recently…" Ashrah explained.
"Haven't we all?" pointed out Jataaka.
"Fair point," Ashrah acknowledged. "Which brings me to a question: How are the both of you doing with life outside the Netherrealm?"
"It's been… different…" Kia answered honestly. "This is all so new for us, and it's been happening pretty quickly."
"Even still," Jataaka continued. "It's been quite the experience, visiting both that Outworld place and coming here to Earthrealm. Plus the opportunity to finally leave the Brotherhood of Shadow behind…."
"As much as we can, anyway…" Kia said somewhat quietly, rubbing the back of her neck where the largest scar of the cult's torture still remained.
"I've found this whole thing to be exhilarating," Ashrah shared. "But… I understand how you both feel. Much as I dreamed of escaping the Netherrealm, all of this is still quite different from anything I'd ever known. And although I lack physical scars… the Brotherhood of Shadow has loomed over me as much as it has you."
"You mean with what happened to your sister?" Kia asked.
"H-How… how did you know?" Ashrah asked.
"We heard about her death," Jataaka explained. "Quan Chi had sent her to be rid of some thorn in his side. You have our condolences."
Ashrah looked down, her hat obscuring her eyes. "Is… is that how he described me after sending my own flesh and blood to slay me?"
Kia and Jataaka's eyes widened in unison.
"Holy hell…" Kia said as she realized the implications of Ashrah's words.
"You had to…." Jataaka started.
"I tried everything I could to reason with her…" Ashrah explained, the pain in her voice evident, and unusual to Kia and Jataaka compared to their prior interactions with Ashrah.
"In the end… she reasoned that it was either I finish her or Shinnok and Quan Chi subject her to tortures a thousand times worse…." Ashrah continued, pulling out her Kriss and staring at it.
"It was the only time I had ever regretted finding this…" she finished.
"That's… horrible…" Kia sympathized.
Jataaka looked away for a moment, before facing Ashrah again. "We…. we misjudged you."
"What do you mean?" Ashrah asked.
"Honestly? We thought of you as Sareena's little white knight." Kia half-joked.
"We thought of you as self-righteous and too 'good' for the rest of us…" Jataaka elaborated. "In hindsight, we should have known from our own experiences that no one truly leaves the Brotherhood unscathed."
"I forgive you," Ashrah assured them. "There have been times where I felt I had betrayed my own kind by beginning my quest to battle creatures of the very realm I was born in. To have allies like Sareena or the two of you… helps things, to say the least."
"You're more honest than we gave you credit for." Kia complimented.
"And thanks for looking after Sareena," Jataaka added. "She was… is our friend… even if it took a very, very long time to remember that."
Ashrah nodded and smiled. "Of course. Meeting her made the Netherrealm all the more sufferable."
"Oh really?" Kia asked, adopting a coy smirk and raising an eyebrow.
"I umm…. I'll leave the both of you be…" Ashrah stammered, lowering her hat over her face to hide her embarrassment.
"She's just messing with you," Jataaka assured. "Trust me, you'll get used to it."
"So does that mean we're friends now?" Ashrah asked.
Kia and Jataaka looked at one another and shrugged.
"Sure." Jataaka answered with a smile, a facial expression she usually reserved only for Kia. She then reached out and shook Ashrah's hand.
Friendship was also on the mind of Stryker as he sought out Sub-Zero, hoping to ease his anxieties after recent events.
When he found Sub-Zero, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster was silently meditating, trying to grapple with his myriad worries: The guests he had taken in, his brother's wellness, the threat of the Tekunin, being a proper mentor to Frost, and the fates that had befallen his old friends, a fate once shared by himself, and far more recently, by Stryker.
Stryker knocked on the wall. "Is uhh… is this a bad time?"
Sub-Zero opened his eyes and looked up. "Kurtis. No no, it's no trouble at all. Come in."
Stryker nodded and took a few more steps forward as Sub-Zero stood up.
"Frost told me you weren't exactly at 100%, I thought I might try my best to help." Stryker explained.
Sub-Zero nodded. "I appreciate that Kurtis, I've certainly had… a lot on my mind."
"Yeah," Stryker acknowledged. "I think we all have."
"Crises will do that, I suppose." Sub-Zero decided.
Stryker placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll win this time. I promise you."
Sub-Zero smiled at him. "Thank you."
Stryker lowered his arm. "Course. What are friends for?"
The word "friend" made Sub-Zero avert his eyes.
"Something I said?" he asked.
"Not exactly," Sub-Zero answered. "I was just… thinking about someone…"
"Oh…" Stryker realized. "I think I know who you mean."
"Ever since seeing you and Jade again, I've been wondering…" he faced Stryker. "How is Smoke?"
Stryker took a deep breath, breaking eye contact with Sub-Zero as he tried to find the words. "Do you… do you want the truth?"
Sub-Zero nodded. "Nothing but."
Stryker nodded back. "It's… it's bad, Kuai. He's not himself… literally, he thinks he's some other person completely. Started calling himself 'Enenra'. He thinks Tomas is just a dead man. It's… it's unsettling. Freaks me out even more than seeing Sindel or… or Liu Kang. And..."
"And?" Sub-Zero asked, eager to learn the fate of his closest friend, no matter how dark it might be.
"There's something else…" Stryker revealed. "When we were fighting him, after I came back to life, Ashrah's magic sword… did something to him. It looked like there were two souls in one body. One was Smoke, the other one was… a lot meaner looking. Ashrah explained it as some type of demon. I think it's where the name 'Enenra' came from. Now I was Shinnok's goon for over two decades, and I never heard about anything like this. To tell you the truth, I don't think it even has anything to do with the whole revenant thing. I'm just not sure..."
Sub-Zero sighed. "Hopefully…. Hopefully the secret will be uncovered on the day where we finally save Tomas from this fate… along with the rest of our old comrades."
Stryker nodded. "Agreed. Good way to look at the whole thing. Keep up that spirit, it's a good one to have right now. The kind of thing I think we all need."
"Thank you, Kurtis." Sub-Zero said graciously.
"One other thing," Stryker began. "Did Sareena tell you about… Err…"
"Bi-Han," Sub-Zero finished for him. "Yes. She did."
"Ah," Stryker responded. "Good. None of us liked keeping that from you."
"It was for the best that I learned of his fate when I did," Sub-Zero reasoned. "I wish him the best."
"I admit, I never knew the guy, but me too man," Stryker agreed. "Speaking of which, where is Sareena?"
"She requested the opportunity to become Lin Kuei, and adopt a uniform she could be proud of," Sub-Zero explained. "One of my students is aiding her in finding one that will suit her tastes."
"Wouldn't wanna be in cult gear if I were her." Stryker reasoned.
"[Certainty] The Brotherhood of Shadow is not the cult we need worry about."
Sub-Zero and Stryker both looked over to see Sektor, surprisingly walking again. He still looked visibly damaged, but was in far better condition than he had been.
"You need to get back to my workshop," Cyrax said adamantly as he came in after him. "You're still not-"
"[Defiance] I am functional enough," Sektor decided. "[Determination] I must discuss with Kuai Liang the threat that now hangs over us all."
"You refer to your father." Sub-Zero assumed.
"[Observation] So Frost has told you," Sektor realized. "[Confidence] Good, that makes things simpler. Now that you are aware of our enemy's true face, I believe we must prepare for whatever strike they might make next."
"Since they know where we are…" Sub-Zero surmised.
"But we know where they are," Stryker pointed out. "Can't we hit them first?"
Sektor chuckled. "[Amusement] I do not know you, and you clearly do not know Oniro. [Certainty] His primary base of operations is not the facility in Outworld."
"And he's not at the old temple either?" asked Cyrax.
"[Analyzing] Doubtful," Sektor decided. "[Confidence] But I do believe he has security measures at that location to ensure that we cannot take it for our own."
"So this leaves us vulnerable…" Sub-Zero realized. "Oniro knows where we are, and we know of only two of his bases."
"[Certainty] One," Sektor corrected. "[Certainty] If I know Oniro, and I know him better than any of you, the installation he had in Outworld is being dismantled as we speak."
Sektor turned out to be right on the money, with Tekunin drones and cyberized Tengu working to take apart the clan's base in Outworld piece by piece, making sure no remnant of it would be left.
Overseeing all this was Triborg himself, flanked by two white and black cyborgs which served as his guards.
The Tekunin Grandmaster turned his head when he saw Wu Lae and Hydro approaching.
"Master, I have freed Hydro from the cryomancer's attempted imprisonment," Wu Lae reported. "You wished to see him?"
"That is correct, Unit TG…." Triborg paused. "Wu Lae. You may leave us."
Wu Lae nodded his acknowledgement and walked away.
"I apologize for allowing the cryomancer and Sektor to escape." Hydro said as he bowed his head.
Triborg laughed his mechanical laugh. "Do you?"
"What do you mean, Grandmaster?" Hydro asked.
"Do not play me for a fool," Triborg snapped at him. "Such a reversal of our roles is ill-fitting."
"What do you mean?" Hydro asked.
"I think you know," Triborg continued as he fully turned and walked up to Hydro, making direct eye contact. "Just as I think you know I'm not stupid. I took the liberty of having some units analyze the forces lost in the cryomancer and LK-9T9's escape. They uncovered several units suffering damage that could only have been caused by a superheated liquid, like… oh I don't know… water. At least one was pierced by the laser of a Pulse Blade."
"Sektor, he-" Hydro began.
"Don't give me that," Triborg interrupted. "I possess LK-9T9's Pulse Blades, and in the state he was in, he would not be able to use them. Although he did receive some repairs. I know full well that the child LK-52O took in does not possess the skill required for such a procedure. But you, 'Hydro', do."
"You seem angry that I would attempt to deceive you." Hydro observed.
"Is that not obvious?" Triborg barked.
"It is," Hydro agreed. "It's also quite ironic, wouldn't you say? Because all you've been doing since this began is deceiving me."
"Who are you going to trust? The man who saved your life, or acolytes of the man who allowed your brother to join with our oldest enemies?" Triborg questioned.
"Sektor wasn't 'reprogrammed'," Hydro countered. "And the cryomancer was a lot more genuine in a few short minutes than you have ever been, Oniro."
"That name no longer holds any meaning for me," Triborg insisted. "Just as loyalty clearly no longer holds any meaning for you."
Hydro scoffed. "I've been your only loyal follower, Oniro. I"m the only one you didn't have to brainwash."
Triborg cackled.
"What's so funny?" Hydro asked.
"You honestly believe I neglected to use the slaving protocols out of some gratitude for your service?" Triborg asked back. "When I found you, I lacked the resources necessary to institute the slaving protocols. I had no choice but to incentivize you to join me willingly. And I must admit Hydro, through all this time, you have provided me with the only thing I have come to appreciate about free minds… toying with them. It was a wonderful little game, building this deception around you."
"You're insane!" Hydro said disdainfully, raising his arms to fire blasts of water at the Tekunin Grandmaster.
However, before he could, Hydro suddenly felt an electrical shock all over his body. His systems were beginning to shut down, starting with his mobility, as he found himself completely paralyzed. His limbs began moving on their own, lowering him into a kneeling position.
"Much better…" said Triborg.
"What… did you…" Hydro started.
"While I was not able to implement the slaving protocols for you, I did take care to install another precaution," Triborg explained. "An override which would shut down your systems at a time of my choosing. This was my original precursor to the slaving protocols. Far less advanced, but decently effective. I moved to a more sophisticated method when I found that those with a keen intellect could circumvent this measure, as LK-9T9 did when I originally tested it on him. It is an intellect however that you lack, Hydro. After all, you were foolish enough to take at my word every step of the way… until now, that is."
"M-Monster…" Hydro managed to get out.
"No, master," Triborg corrected. "A very important distinction, one you will learn with… the proper adjustments."
Hydro could feel himself losing consciousness, his organic functions seeming to shut down in conjunction with his technological systems.
"I'm… going… to... kill… you…" Hydro said determinedly.
Triborg shook his head and merely chuckled.
"Oh Unit LK-1V1… I'm going to miss these conversations…" Triborg said sadistically.
"I really will… then again, there are always… alternatives…"