"We are beyond fortunate", Smoke states gratefully. "Hydro, Glacier, the others, we must not let their sacrifice opposing the cyber initiative go to waste." Tundra responds mournfully.
Smoke regains his composure, "We must honour our fallen comrades later , our primary objectives are to assassinate Shang Tsung, find your brothers killer and avoid detection from the Cyber Lin Kuei."
"But it is best we stick together Tundra, Bi-Han's title draws much attention to you, it will take our combined might to fight off those who wish to intervene in our mission."
"Your are right Smoke, but assuming the title of Sub Zero is the best way to honour Bi-Han"
Sub Zero continues, "Perhaps we can cover more ground if we seperate, regroup here once we have enough intel on my brothers killer ."
"Let us proceed then, Sub Zero. Smoke responds.
Sub Zero raises his dominate hand to his chest and bows to his comrade, "Be as stealtful as the night."
Smoke does the same, "And deadly as the dawn."
-
Sub Zero was thankful he was able to infiltrate Shao Kahn's fortress without encountering guards, he peers around the corner into a strange chamber, it overflows with the green energy of souls and a large bronze structure in the shape of a demonic face at its center. Entering the room, he walks slowly and methodically to avoid detection from whatever being is receiving such great power.
As he gets halfway across, a tarkatan guard enters from the opposite side of the chamber.
"An intruder, I will bring your corpse before Shao Kahn!" The tarkatan enters the chamber, gaining a running start and lunging himself at Sub Zero, who forms an ice blade and thrusts it at the tarkatan's chest.
"Fool! Do you think am so stupid as to impale myself on your blade?" The tarkatan roars, cutting the frozen sword in two with his arm blades.
The guard rushes again, this time with a flurry of swipes to the neck and body.
The first two come high, Sub Zero ducks under both, landing a heavy palm strike to the tarkatan's chest.
The tarkatan laughs mockingly as he continues his advance.
Sub Zero avoids a swipe to midsection, summoning an ice spear and jamming into the guardsman's left side. The guardsman growls in rage, he stumbles and hunches over. Without hesitation Sub Zero launches an ice beam at the guardsman, quickly encasing him in a cube of ice.
Sub Zero hears footsteps and stiffens. A yellow cyborg appears from the dark hallway opposite side of the chamber. It speaks coldly and with purpose, "You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei Temple for assimilation."
"Cyrax!" Sub Zero utters in astonishment.
Cyrax responds, "I am Lin Kuei unit L-D-4-D-4, you will come with me."
"I am sorry for what they did to you my friend... but I will not comply!"
Cyrax shoots a rocket from his chest, blocked by Sub Zero's ice wall. Sub Zero retaliates with an ice ball but Cyrax rockets towards him, his sawblade grazing Kuai Liang's arm as he attempts to dodge to the right. Cyrax capitalizes, he chops Kuai Liang in the neck and knocks him over with a powerful knee to the sternum. Sub Zero rolls out of the way of an incoming missile and ice slides towards Cyrax.
"Pathetic human!" Cyrax taunts as he teleports behind Sub Zero, picking him up and knocking the wind out of him again with an aerial suplex. Cyrax deploys his net, which Sub Zero destroys with his kori blade.
Cyrax taunts his old friend again, "Resistance is futile Tundra, you will obey the Grandmaster's commands!"
Sub Zero fakes an ice slide towards Cyrax, who teleports behind him again, Sub Zero quickly pivots around, jamming an ice spear into the torso of the Cyborg and knocks him down with an ice hammer to the top of the head, breaking a cable loose.
Sub Zero approaches his former comrade, "I am sorry that it came to this Cyrax, but I must face the Lin Kuei after my mission is finished, not before." Kuai Liang whispers mournfully to himself. As he gets close, Cyrax returns to his feet and teleports away, small sparks disperse onto the cold, rocky chamber floor.
Sub Zero turns to the exit again, as two more figures appear out of the darkness. Both are armoured, clearly warriors, but their armour is foreign, intended for weapons he has never encountered.
The blonde woman speaks first, "The readings were getting stronger but now they're gone. I-"
Both warriors freeze in shock and confusion. "Sub Zero?!" But you're dead!" The woman says in bewilderment.
As both warriors approach, Kuai Liang's feet instinctually shift into a fighting stance, he extends his arm to keep them away and responds, masking his grief. "I am not the Sub Zero you know. He was my brother."
"Your brother?" Both warriors respond in unison.
"I am only here to learn Sub Zero's fate." Kuai Liang responds reassuringly. The soldiers exchange glances and nod.
"He was killed by someone named Scorpion."
Almost cutting the woman off, Sub Zero asks, "Where can I find him?"
"Try the colosseum, that's wher"-
The chamber roars to life, encircling the trio with thousands of souls. Numerous voices in unison thunder throughout the chamber, "You have disturbed our regeneration process!"
"Ermac", the male soldier says brusquely. He approaches the collective, picking him up by the throat.
"Gotcha!", the man yells. He attempts to punch Ermac in the face, but a force pulls his hand back from connecting. Ermac lifts the male soldier and forces his arm to the side. The woman yells her comrades name and charges Ermac as Sub Zero summons his kori blade. The green energy encapsulates them both, constricting them tightly.
Jax screams in agony as the force slowly pulls his arms from the shoulder.
The woman thrashes angrily and desperately yells, "NO!!"
Ermac unleashes a small blast of energy, knocking each of them backward with a heavy thud. The woman sprints over to her partner and attempts to cauterize the wounds, "Jax stay with me!" she pleads to her barely conscious ally.
Ermac shifts his attention to Sub Zero, "We will break you as well, he boasts confidently."
Sub Zero throws an ice ball, which Ermac sidesteps and counters with a burst of energy that throws the Cryomancer into the air and slams him on his back three times. Sub Zero charges with an ice slide which Ermac sidesteps and blasts the Cryomancer in the back with a burst of energy, knocking the wind out of him.
"We are many, you are but one!", Ermac taunts.
Sub Zero jumps to his feet, and forms the thickest layer of ice armour he can. Ermac charges confidently, but his strike is parryed and countered with a punch to the body. Ermac resets his stance and fires another large blast of energy, which Kuai Liang slides through, the ice armour absorbs the blast.
He grits his teeth through the pain and knocks Ermac down with a powerful frozen uppercut. Ermac fires three blasts of energy, each slower and weaker than the last, Sub Zero destroys them with an ice ball. Ermac teleports behind Sub Zero and lands a kick to the side of the temple. Sub Zero throws two punches back, both are blocked and Ermac returns with palm strike but Kuai Liang pushes through it , landing two punches and a powerful kick to the leg that buckles Ermac's knee.
Ermac recovers quickly enough to catch the incoming kori blade, which dissolves in his hand and reappears lower, rapidly thrust upward into his chest. Sub Zero leaves the blade in Ermac's chest and throws a front kick to Ermac's jaw, knocking him unconscious and dissolving the blade. Ermac quickly recovers, using the last of his strength to teleport back into the soul chamber.
Sub Zero redirects his attention to Jax and his partner, he approaches slowly, trying to minimize the pain radiating through him. He collects himself and gestures to Jax, "It is good to see you have stopped the bleeding."
"Yeah, but he needs a medic, now!"
"I must go to the colosseum" Sub Zero responds, blunter than intended.
The woman replies indignantly, "I need your help to get him to-
"I am sorry, I must go. There is a portal nearby to the south, you can use it to return to Earthrealm."
The woman mutters and then grunts as she picks up Jax, "Motherfuc... that portal better be close."
-
As Sub Zero approaches the coleseum, he subconsciously slows his pace, self doubt creeps its way into his mind. Would he be capable of beating Bi-Han's killer? He had struggled against Ermac, who was clearly still recovering from previous battles. Bi-Han had been his superior in almost every way, what threat could he pose to a man possibly even his brother's superior?
His face unwittingly morph into disappointment, "I am not embarking on this mission because it is easy, but because it is just and honourable". He may have bested Bi-Han, but I do not fight like my brother. Kuai Liang exhales deeply, continuing towards to the coluseum with renewed confidence.
