Kuai Liang had found himself traveling alone through a haunting forest for what felt like weeks on end. Whenever he thought he had reached the forest's end he was always met with more trees. He didn't care so much about that however. He knew he was on the right track to the Shaolin Temple that housed the White Lotus. Raiden's stronghold. What bothered him the most was the uneasy feeling in his stomach. He had a strong sense of dread that he was being followed, but he didn't know by who or what exactly. He often had times where he thought he had seen shadows darting from behind the trees but he couldn't place the shadows to anything he remembered ever seeing. Maybe it was Sektor watching his every move waiting for a chance to strike, maybe it was a long forgotten specter that haunted these woods? Either way Kuai didn't find himself sleeping much. He hadn't forgotten about Thomas either. His closest friend known as Smoke, who had his arm cut away from his body during his earlier struggle against Cyrax. He still had no sign of him whether he was dead or alive. He still had no recollection as to how he had arrived at that cave he had woken up in. What was going on? He hoped Raiden would have all the answers, and that he would aid him for the favor his brother had done for him a decade ago.

Kuai had found himself moving in the day, and setting up camp in the night. He was a man of little fear, but he couldn't help but being caught stuck in a constant sense of Paranoia when his life, and manhood were in such danger. Sektor hadn't even attempted to attack Kuai at all in the week following Cyrax's ambush. Kuai continued his long stretch though the woods until he had heard a loud snap of a nearby tree branch. A sound of crackling began forming in his ears as a small ring of fire began forming in front of him. A loud ear deafening yell echoed throughout the woods as a flaming figure arose from the flames. Kuai Liang looked on in horror. He had never seen such a sight. His brother had told him a story once, and this scene looked exactly like the one his brother had portrayed. The flaming figure was dressed from head to toe in an armored ninja garb based in black, and yellow. His eyes were a glowing white, and his expression was one consisting of only pure hatred.

"Sub-Zero!" The flaming ninja screamed as he eyed Kuai Liang rabidly. Kuai was taken aback as he was not Sub-Zero. He had once been named Tundra. His brother had been Sub-Zero however, and now Kuai had a clear idea of who this figure was. This was the demon who had slain his brother. Scorpion of the Shiri Ryu clan of Japanese assassins.

"I knew I felt your presence here! you thought you could escape from the Neatherrealm without me knowing! You belong to Quan Chi now! I will bring him your head for this!" He raged as Kuai observed him grabbing for his chain link spear.

"I am not the one you seek. Sub-Zero has been dead for some time now!" Kuai replied with anger filling his face.

"I'm glad you decided to show up though! You have made it possible to easily avenge his murder!" Kuai shouted back to his enemy. The specter known as Scorpion eased up only slightly after hearing Kuai's words. Kuai saw a look of doubt in his ghostly face. He took this sense of doubt, and used the skills his brother had taught him personally. While Scorpion appeared almost ready to stand down from the fight, Kuai was not. He felt a thirst of revenge come over him, and there an ice ball directly towards him. Scorpion didn't expect the ice to sling at him so suddenly, and Kuai took great satisfaction in seeing his body becoming overcome in a thick sheet of ice. Scorpion stood still unable to move. Kuai ran towards him in a hurry, and leaped out to kick the thick sheet of ice. His body was not feeling so nimble, and his kick looked very sloppy. His brother would have been disgusted to see such a horrendous kick. Nonetheless, Scorpion's body was forced brutally through the Ice's tight constraints, and he flew back first into a nearby tree. Kuai stood there before him to look down upon him silently.

"Cyromancy, and honorless just like Bi-Han." Scorpion noted as he looked upwards at Kuai. "Are all Lin Kuei members trained in such tasteless tactics?" He bellowed. His haunting voice echoed once more.

"Yes." Kuai answered truthfully. "I am much like my brother Bi-Han. We both care very little about honor, especially when hell spawned demons wish us dead." Kuai saw the words cut deep. The revelation of being the brother of Scorpion's murderer brought another loud shout of fury.

"Your brother murdered my wife, and child! Now I will slay his kin in return!" Scorpion howled as his body disappeared, and teleported behind Kuai. Kuai felt Scorpion grip a hand on the back of his skull, and then the force of his body weight. Scorpion was running as hard as he could, as he forced Kuai out in front of him. Kuai felt a sudden sharp, agonizing pain overcome his entire face. He had been driven face first into the tree that Scorpion had just been downed at. Scorpion held onto Kuai's skull ruthlessly as he repeatedly bashed his head into the tree over, and over. Each face shattering impact stained the tree in more, and more of Kuai's blood. Kuai managed to hold a hand out somehow on one of Scorpion's pushes, and he heard a loud crack ring through the trees as Scorpion's pressure had forced his shoulder out of it's socket. Still, Kuai managed to stop him from throwing his face against the tree, but his cry of pain did not go unnoticed. Overcoming his pain briefly, Kuai punched Scorpion in his abdomen, and pushed him away.

"You're not as skilled as your brother was." Scorpion taunted.

"Maybe not, but I know my ice will still consume you nonetheless." Kuai hissed as he pushed his dislocated shoulder back into place. The blood was running down his entire face from a large, gushing gash on his forehead. Scorpion, and Kuai engaged in an intense array of kicks, a battle that Scorpion was easily proving superior in. Kuai felt the impact to his ribs, and stumbled backwards with a hand clenched tightly to his side. It was in this second that Kuai had began doubting himself. He might have bitten off more that he could stomach here, and just like his brother, Scorpion may prove to be his demise. The shame this would bring Kuai crippled his train of thought, and instantly he casted those thoughts out of his head, and strengthened his resolve. He would not fall here. He wouldn't allow that. He grabbed a tree branch from the nearby wood, and froze it to his touch. With a custom made blunt weapon in his grasp he ran for Scorpion.

He ruthlessly brought the iced branch down upon Scorpion's skull, and a loud crunch echoed throughout the forest as he made impact. Shards of ice flew off the branch from the force. Scorpion had dropped face down into the snow, leaving Kuai with an opportunity. Kuai drew back the heavy branch from behind his head, and brought it down multiple times to meet the back of Scorpion's head. Each blow caused Scorpion's head to expose his skull underneath. His skull was lining with cracks. Kuai began screaming in rage as he continued to bash away at the exposed skull. Scorpion's body was frantically twitching, as the nerves in his mortal form had begun dying off one by one. Kuai swung until he noticed that Scorpion had laid unmoving. Kuai gave a loud sigh of relief, and wiped sweat from his forehead. He was exhausted, and in a great amount of pain. His shoulder had began writhing with each rotation his shoulder blades made. He looked down at his fallen foe, and was amazed at how easily Scorpion had fallen. Kuai then realized that he had saved himself. He was wrong to doubt himself, and now he had a sense of confidence he hadn't felt since he decided to leave the Lin Kuei. He had a feeling now that he was going to survive all this, and destroy the Lin Kuei. He would find Raiden, and together they would destroy the evils looking to destroy Earthrealm.

"You have paid the price specter! Go back to the Neatherrealm, and leave me be!" Kuai shouted as he gave Scorpion one last bash across the back of the head. With that Kuai turned to continue his trek through the forest, leaving Scorpion a crippled mess on the ground. As he continued his walk he felt a sudden sharp pain bolt instantly through his chest. He gasped in shock, and glanced down at the bloodstained kunai that had ripped through his chest.

"Get over here!" Bellowed a voice in the distance, and Kuai felt a great tug. His body flowed through the air, and his neck collided directly with Scorpion's hand. He felt his feet kicking rapidly as Scorpion held him from the ground. Kuai's eyes bugged as he stared wide-eyed at Scorpion. One of Scorpion's white eyes had been knocked from it's sockets, and his expression was frightening. Kuai had dropped his ice branch as he was slowly strangled in Scorpion's firm grasp. Scorpion had started to laugh darkly as he put a hand to the underside of his jaw. Kuai wrapped his hands around Scorpion's wrist to try, and break free, but it was no avail. He watched as Scorpion pulled back his mask, and expose his full skeletal features. His empty eye sockets glowed orange with fire, and so did the flames inside of his mouth. Kuai struggled in his grip, and closed his eyes to brace for the flames that were bound to reach him. There was a sudden crack, and thunderous thud as Kuai Liang hit the snowy forest floor. He looked up to see Scorpion standing without a head. It had fallen to the ground with a blank expression. Thereafter Scorpion's body had fallen as well, and standing behind him was somebody Kuai had never met before.

The man appeared very old, and fragile, and in both hands was the ice branch that Kuai had dropped. They both eyed each other, and then Scorpion's body that was rapidly fading away into an orange mist. With that the old man tossed the branch, and hurried over to Kuai.

"You are going to die if I don't help you." The old man spoke seriously as he examined the amount of blood flowing from Kuai's chest.

"How did you do that?" Kuai asked as he looked at how meekly the old man appeared.

"I'll explain in due time, but not here." The old man said as he pulled Kuai Liang to his feet, and threw an arm over his shoulder. Kuai looked back at Scorpion's body that had almost completely vanished.

"Is he dead?" Kuai asked groggily.

"Specters cannot be slain in Earthrealm. He will return seeking revenge, and we must be free of here, before he returns." The old man explained as he began jogging as fast as he could manage with Kuai's weight holding him down. Kuai was very confused.

"What is an old man like you doing out here?" He asked wearily.

"As I said. I will explain once we are safe, but you can call me Song."