Chapter 5: Patience Triborg continues to do search on the four locations of the Snow Daggers. He has however, found, one of them. He crosses his metal arms and observes the location. It is in Inuit, Articka. He seems pleased about this. While looking up the readings, he is also looking at picture of the first Sub-Zero's brother. Triborg summons three cyborgs to his location.
"Get me two armies of cyborgs. I have decrypted the first location of the snow dagger. It is in Inuit, Articka. We will head out immediately." Triborg orders the three.
"Yes, grandmaster. We fight to eliminate insubordination." The three said before they walk away to gather their groups of robots.
Triborg turns back to the computer showing the picture of the brother. It appears that he has since admired the brother's choice back when he was Sektor. It is most likely because he was the first Cyber Master. All he can think about is avenging him and honoring whatever legacy and memory is left of him. "We fight to eliminate insubordination. You will be honored and remembered, Hail. Remembered unlike your brother and his descendants.
Deeper in the cave Frost and the Lin Kuei as they follow Crystesla. They are confused on why she is leading them downward. Cyrax and Smoke fear that it could be a trap. Frost on the other hand thinks otherwise.
"Crystesla. Why are you leading us down here?" Frost asked.
"To test you, Frost." Crystesla answered.
"Tests? For what? Are you saying I have trials?" Frost guessed.
"Exactly. To prove that you can learn, and become the next Sub-Zero, you must pass four different trials. This one will test your patience. The other ones will depend on where you go next." Crystesla explained.
"Kuai Liang taught me patience. But I do not see why I must do a trial based on patience." Frost said. Not that she doubts Crystesla's idea, she is more confused on why she must go through a trial based on something she has already learned.
"Patience is one thing that the leader of the Lin Kuei must always remember. That leader must be patient with his or her followers and oneself. No patience can lead to dangerous consequential decisions. The first Sub-Zero underwent these trials and succeeded. If you are to be the next Sub-Zero, you must do the same." Crystesla tells her.
"I see now. So the first one is about patience. What do I need to do?" Frost asked.
Crystesla waves her hands sideways and the pathway starts glowing. The light gives way to a bunch of water. It surrounds a small isle. In front of it, is one of the Snow Daggers Crystesla mentioned. "The first Snow Dagger. It is surrounded by this water here. It may look simple."
"But it's not. I sense something dangerous. Now I see why it's surrounded by water. To ensure no one can get through so easily." Frost assumes.
"To ensure that you can truly pass, all powers are disabled here by my magic. Your cryomancer abilities are useless here." Crystesla explained.
Frost sees an icicle sticking out of the wall and pulls it out. She wonders how dangerous it is out of precaution. She throws the icicle towards the pond and within a second, spiked pillars made of stone immediately come out from within the ground and ceiling. One of them collided with the icicle and it shatters into pieces. After a moment, the pillars descend back into the ground.
"To keep anyone from cheating. Clever move. I bet that not even Sektor would be able to easily bypass this with his armor and arsenals at his disposal." Frost said.
"Quite. It is time, Frost. You must take this trial. I fear that the Cyber Lin Kuie are on their way here. Make haste." Crystesla reports.
"Right." Frost nods and she looks at the Snow Dagger hovering in the air. She steps forward and sits down, crossing her legs. Frost takes deep breaths and closes her eyes and starts remembering. The times she first met Sub-Zero and he took her in. The time she fought against him, Smoke and Cyrax to prove herself to be his apprentice and going on patrols. Frost also remembered the horrible experience she had when she was kidnapped by Sektor and assimilated into the Cyber Lin Kuei. Her fighting Kuai Liang against her own will before being freed and helped him kill Sektor.
Cyrax and Smoke look on in silence. Smoke feels confident in her abilities to pass the first trial. Cyrax still has some doubts about her. Smoke does wish that he wouldn't be so hard on her because of her past. Smoke believes in second chances and so did Liang.
Frost thinks about the future of the clan. She still has inner doubts about herself about being the future leader of the Lin Kuei. All she wants is to ensure the safety of the clan and destroy Triborg. Frost would want to do this for Liang and make him proud. To earn Cyrax's trust. Frost opens her eyes and looks up. She sees an open pathway made of stone. Tiles of stone floating above the water. Frost stands up and sees the process and turns to Crystesla.
"You have passed the trial of patience. Kuai Liang has taught you well. Proceed and grab the Snow Dagger." Crystesla said. Frost slowly walks forward on the tiled path, looking at Cyrax and Smoke before turning around. Frost slowly grabs the dagger and walks back to the two and Crystesla.
Frost smiles. "Thank you, Crystesla. I owe you my respect and life."
"The honor is mine, Frost. I see why Liang chose you. Your eyes show redemption and honor. You wish to honor his legacy." Crystesla said.
"I want to do what I must. For my friends. They and the clan mean everything to me. I owed Liang my life. I was wrong about him. I still do not understand why he chose me. Many questions I have for him. Or had." Frost said.
"I have a feeling they will come in time. For now, you must leave. The Cyber Lin Kuei are on their way. To show my gratitude, I will delay him." Crystesla said. She nods to the snow giants and the six of them walk up to the remaining Lin Kuei survivors and one of them gestures for them to follow.
"Crystesla?" Frost turns to her.
"I must stay. I will meet up with you. Please. Do this for us. The Lin Kuei and the Crystalnoids survival." Crystesla tells her.
"You have my word." Frost nods with a hint of reluctance in her voice. She doesn't want to leave her new ally, but at the same time, knows that she is buying them time to escape. This is her thanks to Frost for showing gratitude. Something that no one has shown before. The snow giants guide the survivors out of a secret entrance when they wave their hands around in circles in a pattern and it clears up like snow dust flowing into the air. Frost and the others make it out in time and activate their cloakers. They were able to get away just in time just before the Cyber Lin Kuei show up.
Frost and the others have escaped. They have taken the first Snow Dagger after passing Crystesla's trial of patience. Crystesla stayed behind to buy her new allies time to escape and reach the other ones. She knows it was only a matter of time before their common foe Triborg would be after the same thing. What Triborg doesn't know is that his enemies are still alive.
Six snow giants stand guard at the entrance. They begin to see some cyborgs flying closer to their position. They look at each other, knowing what to do despite being speechless. The cyborgs led by Triborg descend and make their landing. Triborg was the last to land and he approached the snow giants. "We are the Cyber Lin Kuie. I believe you have something that you are guarding with your lives. I wish to speak with the leader in charge of this very place." Triborg said.
The six giants look at each other, looking like they are debating on a decision. Being silent, they look back at the cyborg leader and nod. They motion for him to follow them inside. Triborg turns to his robots and tells them to stand guard. The robot master follows them inside the cave. As soon as he enters, the cave is sealed shut by magic. Triborg remains suspicious about what just happened, but remains on guard as always.
The giants lead Triborg down further into the same room with the crystalnoid language and blue well. Within a second, crystals form from the well and fly into the air in circles before they descend down. They form a person. It is Crystesla. "Welcome, Triborg. Or should I call you by your real name Sektor?"
"You know of me?" Triborg asked.
"It is my place here in Articka to know all those here, including the Lin Kuei and Cyber Lin Kuei." Crystesla tells him.
"You're a Crystalnoid. I believed that the race was wiped from existence during the Kold War. Unless you managed to survive and went into hiding." Triborg said.
"Indeed. Our race has remained neutral ever since. We turned our backs on the Lin Kuei after they betrayed their word. They promised to not use our power for evil." Crystesla said.
"Then you must already know why I am here, am I correct?" Triborg said.
"You are right. And I assume you must already know the history. What has happened prior to the Kold War. The aftermath and the cost that came with it." Crystesla said.
"Yes. I wish to seek redemption for the Cyber Lin Kuei and its future. To protect Earthrealm from the biggest threats." Triborg lies.
Crystesla easily sees through the lie, but goes along with his word for a little while longer. "Very well then, Triborg. If you wish to seek what you are after, then come with me." Crystesla said. She waves her hands around in a pattern. For a weird reason, it's a different pattern compared to when Frost and the others were here. What he does not know that it is a trap. The walls giveaway and lift open. Crystesla walks in with Triborg following her. The wall closes shut on them, leaving only them and darkness. Triborg activates his night-vision in his optics and sees 16 big figures all surrounding them and Crystesla in the middle. Within a few seconds, the ceiling opens, lighting the room. Triborg sees he is surrounded by 16 snow giants.
"What is this treachery?" Triborg demands, getting into a fighting stance.
"The only treachery here is you, Triborg. I know your real reason for wanting the snow daggers. You lie. You want to take over Earthrealm." Crystesla tells him.
"You know me too well. I would like to stay and put you in your place for your deception, but I am on a tight schedule. Where is the snow dagger?" Triborg demands.
"By the time you figure it out, it will be too late." Crystesla motions for her snow giants to come closer and destroy him. Triborg attempts to fly out, but is forced back down by the barrier placed within the ceiling.
"What?" Triborg asked.
"My magic is more powerful than you could possibly imagine. You cannot signal your followers. You are all alone." Crystesla said.
Despite the setback, Triborg is one who does not give up easily. He gets back up and is ready to fight. "Have it your way, Crystalnoid. I will have to beat the information out of you if I have to."
"That is if you can reach me, cyborg. "Crystesla replied before looking at her giants. "Finish him!"
The giants start charging at him. Triborg changes to his Sektor form and starts shooting missiles and fire at the four giants behind him, incapacitating them for now. He quickly changes to his Smoke form and teleports behind three more and traps two of them in an electro net and destroys them. He changes to his Cyrax form and sends an wristbladed uppercut towards one's throat and takes its head off and the giant falls over. He destroys nearly half of them, but then he quickly sees something. The same ones he just destroyed have just resurrected themselves. Triborg flies in the air and shoots flames at them trying to destroy them at once, but they are able to resist it, albeit with some damage to themselves. He throws microbombs at them, blowing five of them to pieces, but they once again glow and are revived. That was until he sees Crystesla is using her magic to revive them. She is waving her glowing hands around to keep them alive. Triborg finally sees this and shoots a missile at her, knocking her backwards. Crystesla crashes into a wall and the snow giants all fall apart.
"Enough of your games, Crystalnoid. I've dealt with magic beings before. I triumphed over Sub-Zero. You will be next." Triborg tells her.
"Yet you rely on cowardice to get your ways. You believed that reviving the Cyber Initiative will erase all emotions. You may still have a soul, but it is too far corrupted to be cleansed." Crystesla said.
"I do not need a soul to be perfect. Nor do I need to be cleansed. I do what it takes to bring honor to the brother of the first Sub-Zero. His name was Hail. I will revive his dream." Triborg said.
"His dreams brought nothing but delusion. That and his overconfidence brought his downfall. Now it will be your turn." Crystesla said. They begin to fight.
Crystesla brings out a crystal sword while Triborg changes to his Cyber Sub-Zero form and brings out an ice sword. They run and clash weapons at each other. Triborg grabs the crystal sword with his metal hand and kicks the Crystalnoid in the chin and swing kicks her in the chest, sending her backwards. Triborg throws a charge punch at her, but she quickly disappears into fragments and reappears beside the cyborg. She chops his robotic neck, kicks the right waist, and front flip kicks his metal head followed by a reverse forward front flip kick, stumbling the robot master. She throws two crystal daggers at him, but Triborg changes into his Cyber Cyrax form and cuts them away with wristblades and grabs both of her wrists and headbutts her. Triborg, still in the Cyrax form, elbows her hard forehead, chops her left shoulder, kicks and shatters her right leg, causing her alot of pain. He then lifts Crystesla into the air and slams her back onto his head, severely cracking and almost breaking her back before she is thrown down defeated.
"My uprising will soon begin. Your extinction however, will come." Triborg said before grabbing the Crystalnoid by the neck and lifting her in the air. "Tell me where is the Snow Dagger. I promise your demise will be swift."
"Y-you will not win. There is one flaw in your plan, Sektor." Crystesla said, grabbing his cold, metal wrist.
"And what would that be?" Triborg asked.
"You….. You should've focused on coming here first before wiping out your worst enemies. Like I said, you are a coward. You killed Liang personally but couldn't build up the courage to finish his followers off yourself. They have all been a match for you, that is why you lose. Why you want more power." Crystesla said.
Triborg stares into her eyes motionlessly. In a rare act of anger, he closes his metal fist. He uppercuts Crystesla into the air and changing into his Sektor form, fires a missile out of his wrists and it blows up. Crystesla is shattered into pieces. There was nothing left. Not even a single crystal limb. With her death, all magic barriers wear off. Triborg stares at the pieces and realizes what she has meant by being too late.
"It's already taken. Somebody was here. Smoke. Cyrax. Frost. They're still alive. They must not succeed in their plans. I will finish what Hail started years ago." Triborg promises before flying off. Now the question is how long will the surviving Lin Kuei members have before Triborg catches up to them? As he flies through the air, he starts laughing, having new thoughts about something.
Note: I hope you guys liked that interesting backstory regarding the Lin Kuei and the crystal creatures. Frost's first test was patience. As she was shown to lack it as seen in Time For Vengeance. This was only her first step. And I hope you guys are liking Triborg as the main villain. Until next time.