Kuai Liang regains consciousness in a strange room, he remembers being trapped, paralyzed within a dark metal container, but those memories quickly fade, new memories appear, with ones of him committing... inumerable atrocities as a cyborg.
"Who is there?" His elctronic voice masks his discomfort.
A familiar voice and face appear before him, they answer with concern.
"Tomas!", Kuai Liang blurts, overflowing with joy to see his best friend.
Smoke quickly turns away from his friend, speaking rapidly to people outside of Sub Zero's vision.
Tomas faces to Sub Zero and speaks softly "How much do you remember, of your time subservient to Cyber Lin Kuei?"
Kuai Liang answers tentatively, the memories overwhelming him, "I remember, everything... I am aware it has only been a few months, but it feels much... longer." He replied uncertainly.
Sub Zero gathered his strength to ask the question he greatly fears the answer to, "Since my free will has been restored, could whoever restored me also salvage my human body?
Smoke's face sinks briefly, he conposes himself and responds to his friends question the best he could, "I am sorry brother, but... your body was destroyed as part of your cyberization... There is nothing we can do.
Sub Zero slowly sits up and rubs his hand across his metallic face, sighing deeply, "It is all right Tomas, this will do just... fine." he whispers the second half with much uncertainty.
Tomas gazes down at his best friend, overflowing with guilt, he is aware this was not the right thing to say but... he could but bear suppressing such guilt any longer.
"It was supposed to be me." He utters hollowly. Sub Zero bolts up in shock looking at his friend as though he had become an Oni.
Tomas forced himself to continue, "Lord Raiden has been receiving visions to guide him in making byter decisions from his future self, in one of them I was the one who was cyberized, but when he saved me from that fate, it led to you taking my place.
Sub Zero consoled his friend the best he could, "No one is at fault, I am just grateful your were spared such a fate, perhaps as a cyborg you never had your free will restored like I am.
"Perhaps you are correct, brother." Smoke replies, with slightly more energy than before.
"If you do not mind, perhaps our other allies may join us?" Tomas asks tentatively.
"I do not mind." Cyber Sub Zero answers, more certain than he truly is.
After his friend has left the room, Kuai Liang sat up on the operating table properly, he looks down at his metallic body with disdain
I am an... abomination...
Sub Zero quickly composes himself as his new comrades enter the room. Smoke stands to his left as the others form a semi circle around him. He does not recognize all but one of these men, yet he knows their names and the last thing he recalls is fighting the man wearing the respirator.
"I remember everything... The things I have done for Shao Kahn." The Cyborg murmurs. Kuai Liang feels Smoke's hand on his shoulder and composes himself.
"He cannot be permitted to merge the realms." Sub Zero expresses resolutely.
One of the men, Nightwolf turns to Raiden and questions him, "Haokah, how can Sub Zero best help us?"
The Thunder God replies calmly, "I do not know, my attempts to alter future events have ended poorly. Sub Zero should never have undergone this transformation. "Enlisting him may only further divert the flow of time."
One of the others, Curtis Stryker tentatively suggests, "We need intel, right? "Lets send him back to Outworld undercover.
Sub Zero nods approvingly, "They will be unaware of my defection. I could deceive them." The others gesture to the proposal in agreement.
-
"You have been compromised, remove your access panel immediately." Sektor demands, he approaches Sub Zero and aggressively reaches forward. Sub Zero grabs Sektor's hand and attempts to punch him, Sektor catches the punch and knocks Sub Zero down with several rapid punches.
"That was pathetic, even for you LK-520." Sektor mocks coldly.
Sub Zero quickly rises to his feet.
Sektor launches a barrage of missiles, Sub Zero summons a shieild of ice to deflect them and charges with his ice sword. Sektor draws his own blade and parries Sub Zero's attack, thrusting his pulse blade into Sub Zero's cybernetic torso.
Sektor tears the blade out and swipes at his ex comrades neck, Sub Zero ducks underneath, sending Sektor backwards with a heavy punch.
Sub Zero slides forward, the ice crackling beneath his metal feet as he slides across the cold pavement. He ducks under Sektor's blade, spinning his metallic jaw around with an uppercut. Sektor barely flinches, returning fire with his flamethrower, halting Sub Zero's momentum.
Sub Zero screams in pain, the pain is so severe his robotic voice box slightly cracks. He falls to his knees.
I will NOT lose, I CANNOT LOSE.
Sub Zero shakily returns to his feet, summoning his ice blade once again.
"Resistance is futile, LK-520, you could not beat me as a puny human, and you still can't beat me, even with gifts cyberization endowed you with. you."
Sub Zero's thoughts halt in realization. He could never beat Sektor because he was too predictable, too logical.
Sub Zero steadies himself and charges again at Sektor, as both cyborgs enter range Sub Zero lowers his blade and surprises Sektor with headbutt that knocks him down.
Without hesitation Sub Zero jams his blade into Sektor's left arm, disabling his blade and flamethrower. Sektor teleports away, retreating before the killing blow lands. Sub Zero drops to his knees, assessing the damage done to him.
-
A bright light explodes within the churches dark walls, as Sub Zero materializes on the chapel's dusty floor.
"It is good to see you return", announces Nightwolf.
"Were you able to receive any information on the Lin Kuei's next move?" Questions Raiden.
"I was intended to help some of Outworld's forces deliver important cargo to the cemetery. "
"But I am compromised, Sektor has likely told the others of my defection."
In the distance, a mass of green energy erupts into the sky. Raiden and Nightwolf exchange concerned glances.
"Haokah, is th-
"Yes." Raiden responds grimly.
"But this is not a time for small talk, we must leave immediately. Sub Zero, I want you to stay here, you need to recover."
"I understand, Lord Raiden."
The two men dispersed in a powerful flash of light, leaving Sub Zero to maintain the hideout.
