Ice & Fire
"Why haven't you reached the top already?" Scorpion asked. Subzero smirked as he placed his hand on his burning eye.
"We're after an Elder Lord, Hanzo," he said. "Or have you forgotten after all this time?"
"I remember hearing that Cryomancers were once enemies of the Elder Lords. Their fear of your people is why there are so few of you left."
"The Elder Lords weren't the ones who feared us. It was those of the likes of Lord Raiden."
"A fear that allowed you to keep the Grandmaster's Medallion after all that happened years ago," Scorpion said. Subzero frowns, thinking back to Bi Han's story. "I've forgiven your brother a long time ago, Kuai Liang. I left that spirit of vengeance behind. However…"
"You are forgiven as well," Subzero says. Scorpion smiles and nods. As the reach the end of the hallway, Scorpion signals his allies to stand beside the double doors. The group readied their weapons. Asher taps on his arms, drawing the eyes of Scorpion's allies.
"That armor," Ankoku said, rubbing his chin, "why is it attached to your skin?"
"Oh, this?" Asher asked, smiling. "Its a secret." Usagi mugged Ankoku.
"Forgive him," she apologized. "What are you doing?"
"Reading the number of enemies behind this door. The other demons were stationed in here," he said. "That's why we haven't encountered any others since the first floor we arrived to."
"The Brotherhood," Yami cursed.
"These aren't ordinary warriors," Subzero warned.
"Neither are we," Usagi boasted. She pulls the pin on her flashbang and nods toward Forrest Fox. The man pushes the double doors open, being greeted by over two dozen demons. Usagi rolls the pin toward the group. A loud bang signaled the team to push through.
The first three demon casualties put the others demons on high alert. They chose to pressure select warriors, specifically the injured warriors like Subzero, while having one demon assigned to each of the other warriors. Usagi took off running from her predator. Asher defended himself against his demon, struggling to find an opening. As Subzero is struck by one of the demons, he leaps back, leaving an ice clone in his stead. The demon, in turn, is frozen solid before being shattered by another demon soaring from across the room. Usagi runs behind the demon fighting against Forrest before sweeping the demon. Forrest slams his blade into the demons chest, causing them to flail in pain. The demon chasing Usagi lunged toward Forrest, only to be impaled from behind by Scorpion's spear.
"Get over here!" Scorpion pulls the demon back and cuts through them. Asher replicates his tactic to protect one of the injured Lin Kuei. Kurai and Forrest followed up with their own weapons as Asher continued to pull the demons away. Ankoku fights against two demons wielding creasant knives. He held his own agaisnt the demons, even forcing them back towards one of the spire's windows. He swipes his sword against the shadows of the two demon. They looked in confusion as Ankoku stepped away from them. Suddenly, Crimson fluid protruded from their necks and their bodies slumped down.
"Behind you!" Usagi yelled as she rushed behind Yami. The man pulled his kunai from the neck of his demon and tossed it above. He kneels down, and Usagi propelled herself off his back to grab his weapon. She chases after the demon standing before her only to find another that passed by Yami trailing her from behind. With a skip and hop, she spins around, throwing Yami's Kunai at the demon's hip. Before the other demon could grab hold of her, she vanished in a cloud of smoke. Confused, the demon observed his surrounds trying to find where the girl had run off to. Immediately, his life ended as Smoke snapped his neck from behind. The downed demon finds itself slain by Ankoku's blade.
"We're almost done! Don't let up!" Yami hollered. They pressed on against the remaining demons. Smoke, Usagi, and Asher continued to support the others, with Smoke using his powers to teleport their allies out of harms way as he did Usagi. Scorpion and Forrest made quick work of the demons. Even the injured Lin Kuei warriors worked together to take out a demon with Subzero's help.
The Grandmaster watched as his allies and the Shirai Ryu took on the demon. Scorpion in particular caught his eye. He could remember it like it was yesterday. The day he and Shelia sent Scorpion on a hunt to face Tesla's Sisterhood: Siann, Mika, and Sora. He'd slain them where his first family was also slain by Bi Han's hand. Their blood marked the beginning of their clans' retribution. They've planned this day for over a decade. They just needed one final push. As Scorpion put down the final demon, Usagi sung praises of everyone's efforts.
"Take a breather," Smoke commanded. "We have one floor left!"
"No," Subzero said. "Scorpion and I will go to the top floor. Alone."
"Your injuries aren't fully healed yet," Asher said.
"He's right," Scorpion said. "We're the only two who can face Shinnok. It's far too dangerous for all of us to be up there. Kuai Liang's mastery of ice makes him more dangerous to Shinnok than the other way around."
"Shouldn't I at least come with you?" Smoke asked.
"No," Subzero said. "If neither of us returns, you will be the one to lead the Lin Kuei."
"Not just the Lin Kuei," Usagi said as she and the others bowed to Smoke. "Scorpion's death will lead to Order 17. Without the Shirai Ryu, we would have nowhere else to go. Unless you…," she says as she points to Smoke, "will be willing to take us in." Smoke shakes his head.
"That's won't be necessary," Smoke says before nodding toward Subzero & Scorpion. "Be quick. Be quiet. Be back in this spot." Subzero and Scorpion agree. The walk off slowly, conversing with one another until everyone was out of sight.
"I believe they'll be back," Ankoku said. "I've never seen anyone take down Master Hanzo."
"As have I with Grandmaster Subzero," Asher commented.
"Why not make things interesting?" Yami asked. Usagi elbows the man in his side.
"Manners!" Usagi shouts.
"Sorry," he apologized. "It just came out, you know?"
"Idiot."
Scorpion and Subzero reached the top of the spire. Above was several flying creatures. Unlike the gargoyles, they were less hostile, seeming more like the fouls of the sky back on Earth. The two of them slowly approached the throne of Shinnok. The Former Elder Lord seemed to be pondering his recent conversation. Subzero begins to draw his elemental energy into his hand, but Scorpion stretches his arm across him.
"They're waiting for us to make the first move," Scorpion whispers as he leans his head to the left and right. From the corner of his eye, he could see Jataaka's firm grip on his katana as she hides behind one of the short statues. He looked to his left and saw Sareena with her scythe wound back. He notice her eyes closed tightly as her lips rapidly opened and shut.
"They perished with Quan Chi. How are they here?" Subzero questioned.
"An illusion, perhaps," Scorpion says.
"That girl to our left is no illusion," Subzero says. "Get him to bring them out. Then, we'll take care of him." Subzero steps back as he searches for their third member. Scorpion remains, gazing at Shinnok's void eyes.
"I see you've come back to me, Scorpion," Shinnok mocks. He looks to Subzero. "And you've brought your sworn enemy with you."
"Your disciple is no longer here to deceive me," he says. "The Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei stand together. And the first step to making amends is exterminating your clan as they did my own."
"We simply carried out the wish that both masters wanted in return for the amulet," Shinnok said. "The Lin Kuei delivered the amulet. Therefore, the Shirai Ryu was exterminated."
"What of the second Shirai Ryu?" Scorpion said. Shinnok remained silent. "
"It matters not," Subzero said. "We've had enough of your games. You know what we're after."
"If you're here for the amulet, just take it," Shinnok says, flashing the amulet on his waist. Subzero moves forward. Immediately, Sareena and Jataaka ran toward the man. However, they both fell on them bottoms before they could reach him. The floor beneath them was slick and cold. The girls never saw Subzero's hands force the ice toward the ground. Scorpion runs toward Shinnok and pierces his heart with his katana. The former elder Lord wails in pain before stiffening and reaching a point of silence.
"For the Shirai Ryu," Scorpion chants.
"Lord Shinnok!" Kia yells from behind the chair. Two boomerangs fly toward Scorpion. He tries to pull his blade from Shinnok's body, but he finds that he may have thrust the blade a little to far. He releases it, dodging the sharp boomerangs. Kia grabs them both from Shinnok's shoulders and stands in an offensive stance.
"The Sisterhood still lives on," Kia says. Jataaka and Sareena roll toward the girl. The rise from the ground, readying themselves against the two warriors as well. Scorpion swings his blade against Sareena, but is quickly countered by her scythe. She follows up by kicking the man away, allowing her and her sisters to focus on Subzero. Kia uses her boomerangs for close range combat. She was only a distraction as Sareena uses her scythe's ability to strip away Subzero's use of his arms. The Cryomancer used his right arm to conjure a small orb of ice and raises it in defense against Jataaka's blade. On contact, a small shockwave causes the girls to stumble back.
"Finish him quickly," Jataaka shouts. Once they found their balance, Jataaka, Kia, and Sareena all spun around to position themselves around the Cryomancer.
"Right before the fall of the son…," Kia began.
"Let the three of our visions be one…," Jataaka followed.
"With all weapons trained and no place to run…," Sareena prayed. The three charged in on Subzero.
"WE MAKE DEATH REQUIEM!" Kia swing he boomerang toward Subzero's shoulder. It was immediately blocked and countered by Scorpion's blade. Sareena tries cutting through Subzero's back, but instead, he quickly swept the girl off her feet. Scorpion followed up behind him by countering Jataaka's blade, knocking it from her hand.
"Despite my vengeful spirit's departure, I am still much stronger when I reside in the NetherRealm."
Scorpion grabs ahold of the bottom of his mask. As he pulls it back, the girls were met with the sight of his skinless, meatless skull. Flames grew from his eyes and head. His chest rises and he breathes fire toward the girls. Sareena dives away in time. Her sisters were not so lucky. She watched in terror as the skin of her screeching sisters melted away. Subzero conjures an ice axe and swings it down toward Sareena's head. The girl drops to the ground shouting with her hands raised. Subzero stops himself.
"Please don't," she pled. Scorpion was confused. Kuai Liang did as she asked and dispersed his weapon.
"You beg for mercy now?" Scorpion questioned.
"Scorpion," she said, "you know me. Do I look like I want this?"
"Yet you still serve Shinnok. Why?" Kuai Ling questioned.
"I had no choice," she said.
"You did," Scorpion stated firmly. "I offered you an escape when I found a way back to humanity. But you feared your sisters coming back for you."
"I'm not like you, Scorpion. You escaped once, and still came back years ago. How could I have hope?"
"What changed now, child?" Kuai Liang asked.
"Shinnok is not the ruler of this realm anymore," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since Quan Chi's death, the Brotherhood had broken apart. Many of us are dead or in hiding now, and Lucifer's son, Belokk, took over."
"Lucifer?" Kuai Liang questioned under his breath.
"Hey," she called to Subzero. "You're Kuai Liang right? Bi Han's brother?" Kuai Liang mugged the girl. "I can help you. I know where your brother is right now!"
"Bi Han is here?"
"Since when?" Scorpion questioned.
"He's going to the tenth plane to assassina—"
Before the girl could finish her sentence, a ray of light struck her in the back. Her body immediately slumped over. Kuai Liang caught the girl before she could hit the floor. He and Hanzo looked up and saw Shinnok staring down at the from above. He mugs the men before disappearing.
"Dang it!" Scorpion shouted. He looked to the remorseful Kuai Liang as he observed the girl. "Do you need some time to collect yourself?"
"No," he responded mournfully. "My issues are not important right now. We must continue with our mission."
"Belokk," Scorpion said. "That is the new target."
"Right."
On the Thirteenth plane of the NetherRealm, Chan finds a cabin among a forest. Drahmin and Moloch stared in awe at their surroundings. Chan scrubbed his eyes with his fist before focusing on the cabin and environment once more. He was surprised by the existence of life similar to that on Earth. It has been years since he'd seen this kind of foliage.
"What is that?" Chan asked.
"We've never come this far down before," Drahmin said. "It's said that the lower you go, the harsher your punishment."
"Let's see what's inside," Moloch said as he marched to the cabin.
"We don't know who's there," Chan warned.
"We'll be more than enough to take on whoever is in there," Drahmin boasted. Moloch pushes the door open to the home.
"Hello!" It takes a few moments for Moloch to exit the cabin. He shakes his head in disappointment.
"See?" Drahmin exclaimed. "Nothing to worry about."
"No," Chan said as he watched further. "I've seen this before. In...Outworld!"
"I've never seen this," Drahmin said.
"No, you have," Chan said. Someone walked out of the house. A woman, holding a strangely shaped blade. Chan recognized the look. Tesla? No, she looked more mature.
"Where did you come from?" Moloch questioned.
"No!" Drahmin yelled. "Moloch, get away from there!"
"Oh hell," Chan muttered. Moloch raised his hand in the air.
"You'll pay for making me look stupid!" He slams the metal ball toward the woman. She guards against the attack with her blade. With a switch kick to the Oni's knee, she shatters the kneecap. He falls to the ground in pain before immediately being beheaded by the woman. Slowly, his body began to disperse into small white orbs.
The woman walked through his vanishing body, and stares directly at Drahmin. The former warlord readies himself to fight against the woman, ignoring Chan's plea to run. Before either could do anything, the white light beneath the woman's feet thrusts her forward. She extends the blade in front of her and strikes Drahmin's chest. He disperse into nothing as Moloch did until only his mask and club remained. She turns to Chan, with her weapon still clean despite the bloodbath she caused. Chan stood firm in the face of the woman. He relaxed, however, when the woman smiled and sheathed her sword.
"Are you the Earthrealm boy?" Ashrah asked. Chan cocked his head to the side.
"Your voice," he said, "its not the same as before. Not only that, but you look exactly like Tesla." The woman laughed.
"He's here!" she yelled. Another, larger, figure stepped out of the cabin. Chan stepped back and went into a defensive stance.
"Finally," the man growled. "I've waited several thousand years for this day."
"Greetings, Chan Kang," the woman said as she bowed. "I am Ashrah, Tesla's older sister." She turns to the monstrous figure behind her. "And this is Outworld's infamous Dragon King, Onaga.
End of Chapter 31
This chapter concludes the Lin Kuei portion of this storyline as well as the halfway point of the arc. While Shelia is still in the wild searching for Chan, Scorpion and Subzero's adventure (as far as you all will see in this arc) is done. The means the next five chapters will be focusing on Chan and lead up to the beginning of the large scale Battle of Armageddon. I've waited to reach this point of the story for years! There are a few other highlights I can't wait to release in this arc, but I especially cannot wait for the final chapter of this arc. There won't be another Author's Note until this arc ends so things should progress much faster going forward.
(Upcoming—The Dragon King)