Although there were still threats throughout Outworld that were seemingly ever-growing, Earthrealm had finally gotten a break from all the insane chaos that the likes of Shao Kahn and Shinnok had brought to them.
After Shinnok's defeat, Lord Raiden finally revealed himself to the entire realm. With the sky turning red and Cetrion and Shinnok having fought throughout Tokyo, hiding the other realm's threats was no longer purposeful. With his allies arranging a speech for the Thunder God, he spoke about just a handful of the magics that were real and assured that there was ample protection for if Earthrealm was threatened again.
Despite how sparing Raiden attempted to be with such details in order to avoid fear and anxiety throughout those he sought to protect, it was inevitable that everybody held high concerns as well as countless questions. All Raiden requested was for the trust of his realm, in both him and his chosen defenders.
One clan amongst Raiden's defenders, the Lin Kuei, was preparing for whenever the next major threat would attempt to break the peace in Earthrealm again. Kuai Liang, better known by his family's mantle of Sub-Zero, had taken the Lin Kuei and reformed it into a clan of protectors rather than assassins. Any threats that warranted their attention in Earthrealm, they would deal with.
Also taking the chances given by being allowed to be public figures who assured protection and safety, the Lin Kuei became able to create advertisements for more members to apply. One day Raiden himself gave Kuai Liang a great idea to gain new clan members: a tournament.
Members of the Lin Kuei waited on their benches at the back of the open hall. The floor was made out of solid timber with several coats of clear lacquer, like a typical sports hall. At the front of the audience was one almost completely empty row. This was reserved for the remaining contestants of the Lin Kuei tryout tournament. They soon entered, led into the room by Sub-Zero himself.
"You really don't have to stand by my side," one of the contestants whispered to a familiar red cyborg.
"Well I am," he replied bluntly. "I do not trust you under Tundra… Sub-Zero's supervision."
"I'm not sure I trust you myself, Sektor," Sub-Zero replied.
Sektor had indeed made his return to the Lin Kuei. Weeks ago when the contestants for the tournament were gathering, Sektor returned and brought one new person for the tournament: Chloe Starr. She spoke highly of Sektor, often even referring to him as 'dad'. It was an odd surprise for Sub-Zero and those who knew Sektor before his departure to say the least, and they had hardly even received the answers to all their questions yet. Kuai Liang began to recall how such a reunion had gone down...
"Welcome to the tournament, contestants," Sub-Zero greeted at the front doors to the Lin Kuei Temple. He spoke warmly which starkly contrasted his cold appearance and powers of Cryomancy. "I am surprised by how many of you have arrived. I thank you all for travelling all the way over here to participate."
"The tournament bracket will be organised once the number of participants has been calculated," he began to announce. "While I cannot offer a placement into the ranks of the Lin Kuei for you all, I am certain that if you give it your all then you will have a good chance of joining us officially. Please step inside and away from the cold."
"Is there room for one more?" asked a robotic voice from the back of the crowd.
"I'm sure there will be ample room to accommodate you all," Kuai Liang replied positively. "Wait…"
"Sektor?!" Cyrax, who had been standing beside Sub-Zero and Smoke yelled as the red cyborg began pushing through the crowd. "You're alive?!"
"Despite wishing for otherwise at one point in time, yes," he confirmed. "And I merely bring somebody along who wishes to participate in your tournament… despite my hesitation."
Cyrax did not hesitate to approach Sektor and pull him into an embrace, however. Despite both being men trapped in metallic shells, Cyrax felt like he needed that. Sektor did himself, although he'd never admit such a thing. They hugged for a while as Sub-Zero and Smoke worked on beginning to bring the young newcomers inside.
"I missed you," Cyrax said sincerely.
"I'm sorry, Cy," Sektor apologised. "I'm sorry for what happened to you… and everyone else all those years ago."
"It is not your fault," Cyrax had realised. "It was your father who deceived us all."
"And I tore his cynical heart out for it," Sektor said coldly.
"Then you left…" Cyrax recalled. "Why?"
"I felt everything for me was over," Sektor admitted as he dwelled on such a time. "The Lin Kuei I thought was ruined… I already detested the clan to begin with, no thanks to Oniro. Yet without it I had nothing."
"You felt purposeless?" Cyrax summarised.
"Yes," he confirmed. "But then I met her."
Sektor turned to a young woman wrapped up in a large coat, her wooly hood concealing her face. She had been standing beside Sektor the entire time.
"Who is she?" Cyrax asked. He then turned and faced another woman who was glancing at him. "And who are you?"
"Names Franziska Allgeier, herr," she introduced herself. "Sorry… I was just observing good tech."
"Good eye," Sektor praised.
"Welcome to the Lin Kuei Temple, Franziska," Cyrax gave her a kind welcome. "Feel free to head inside."
"Will do," Franziska said with a nod. "Auf Wiedersehen."
"Farewell," Cyrax replied as she headed off. "Apologies, ma'am. You may introduce yourself now."
"I'm Chloe… Chloe Starr," she introduced herself timidly.
"I am her guardian," Sektor added much to Cyrax's surprise.
"It is nice to meet you, Chloe," Cyrax greeted kindly. "How did the two of you meet?"
Chloe turned away as she began fidgeting with her hands. Cyrax noticed she was uncomfortable and took a heavy step back.
"I'm sorry," Cyrax apologised to her.
"I wish it was a happy story, Cy," Sektor said sadly. "Let's just leave it at that."
"I understand," he replied. "Please come inside."
Cyrax led the pair to the doorway with Chloe entering but Sektor stopped to face Smoke and Sub-Zero who were holding the door open.
"I'm interested in witnessing your reforms, Kuai Liang," Sektor told the Grandmaster.
"They have received a positive reception thus far, Sektor," Sub-Zero informed him.
"Far better than when your daddy was in charge," Smoke added jokingly.
"Tomas," Sektor acknowledged. "I didn't miss you."
"Charmed, red," Smoke greeted back as Sub-Zero glared at the returned cyborg. "Did you miss my boyfriend?"
"Your boyfriend?!" Sektor said aloud as Smoke kissed Sub-Zero on the cheek.
"Jealous?" Smoke asked.
"Oniro would oppress me whenever I showed interest in other men," Sektor recalled more of his bad memories with his father. "But good for you both."
"Sorry," Smoke sincerely apologised. "I never knew."
"Whatever," Sektor said as he turned to Sub-Zero. "Something wrong, Kuai Liang?"
"Just trying to figure out why you're back now," he replied.
"My little girl's choice," Sektor clarified.
"Dad," Chloe spoke up as she had been waiting for Sektor. "Can we just go in please?"
"Of course," Sektor said kindly. "After you, dear."
"I will escort them to their rooms," Cyrax informed the Grandmaster.
"Thank you, Cyrax," Sub-Zero replied as his friend began walking off to do as he had stated. Meanwhile, a woman walking up the snow coated stairs tripped over and landed before Sub-Zero's feet. "Oh! Take my hand!"
"Th-Thank you, G-Grandmaster," she replied nervously as she accepted the hand and Sub-Zero pulled her up.
"Your hand…" Sub-Zero spoke to her. "It is quite cold."
"We-well it's q-quite cold here."
"Nothing is too cold for us," Sub-Zero informed her. "That is why you come without a coat of course."
"Y-you can tell?!" the woman said with surprise, pieces of ice suddenly being made from her hands from the shock. "I…"
"You're a Cryomancer," Sub-Zero could tell with ease.
"I'm… like you," she confirmed.
"I am impressed," he praised. "What is your name?"
"I just go by… Frost."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Frost," Sub-Zero told her. "I can already tell you came here to learn about your powers."
"Yes," Frost spoke, "I heard the legends about your clan… and you. A person who could create ice and control it. I related to the first half of that… I can't control mine."
"Well you have come to the right place for help to control your powers," Sub-Zero assured her. "Good luck in the tournament, Frost."
"Thank you," Frost replied as she headed inside the Lin Kuei Temple.
Over the weeks that tournament had been taking place, Frost had stood out greatly to Sub-Zero. Already seeing phenomenal potential due to her Cryomancy alone, Sub-Zero was still surprised by her martial arts skills in addition. Of course to allow a fair playing field, Frost was banned from being able to use her Cryomancy, but Sub-Zero had still been giving her early lessons to control her powers beforehand.
"I'm just here to watch the great Chloe win your tournament, old friend," Sektor told him.
"She has done well to make it this far," Sub-Zero commended her.
"And she'll make it even further," Sektor believed. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"I'm not allowed to have any biases," Sub-Zero clarified.
"What about the girl with the ice powers?" Sektor asked as he pointed to Frost who walked besides the Grandmaster.
"Be quiet, dad," Chloe requested as she felt embarrassed from his presence.
"Right," Sektor complied. "Sorry."
"Take a seat, everybody," Sub-Zero instructed as they made it to the row of benches.
The tournament participants and Sektor complied and took their seats as Sub-Zero stood in front of the group. He walked back into the centre of a large square marked out on the floor by white paint. The audience silenced themselves as they paid attention to their Grandmaster.
"Out of one hundred and twenty participants you are the remaining ten percent," Sub-Zero revealed the statistics to the remaining twelve. "You are all about to participate in the quarter-finals of this tournament. A great feat to have reached alone. Today we will not only conclude the quarter-finals, but the semi-finals and even the final fight will take place in this session."
"Now as is tradition: I will once again recite our rules here," Cyrax spoke up as he stepped forth. "In the centre of our hall is a square marked out by the floor paint. It is six metres in both length and width."
"Where I stand currently," Sub-Zero detailed. "Continue, Cyrax."
"As always, I will act as the referee," Cyrax revealed proudly with his cybernetics helping him with analysing specifics in observing the tournament fights. "The rules are simple. You must fight within the square. If you exit the square I will give you a ten second countdown to return inside, a counter which will reset if the other participant exits too. Victory can be obtained by keeping the opponent outside of the square until the count of ten or submission or by way of knockout. Weapons are strictly prohibited as are any potential magic abilities."
"Before we begin I'd like to clarify the brackets," Sub-Zero added. "Of course when we began the tournament, I split you off into three groups of forty. There are now only four of each group remaining. The semi-finals will determine the winner of each of the groups, with the three victors coming together for a one versus one versus one bout. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Grandmaster!" the participants confirmed in unison.
"Good luck to you all," Sub-Zero wished. "Now… let us begin with our first match!
The crowd cheered as the Grandmaster called up the first two participants. Some of the spectators watched attentively, trying to learn from the other competitors. Others, like Frost and Franziska, talked amongst themselves.
"You alright, Frosty?" Franziska asked as she scooted herself closer to Frost.
"Nervous," she admitted.
"So the usual?" she spoke jokingly. "Don't worry, Frost, I believe in you."
"Thanks," Frost said with a smile. "I believe in you too. Until I kick your ass of course."
"Danke," she thanked. "That's assuming we both make it to the finals."
"We've got this," Frost said as she observed the ongoing fight.
"The fact you think so shows you're more confident than you think," Franziska pointed out. "Oh scheisse! She's done it!"
"Emi wins!" Sub-Zero announced with the first fight having ended in a sudden knockout. "The next fight shall be Olivia versus Chloe."
"Good luck, Clo," Frost wished the other friend she had made during the past weeks.
"Just keep doing what you've been doing before," Sektor couched her as she stood up from the bench. "Do that and you have already won."
"Clo's great and all," Franziska spoke, "but does she really need you by her side always?"
"Yes," Sektor confirmed plainly.
"Whatever you wanna think, gramps," she remarked.
Chloe and her opponent called Olivia stood opposite each other. They shook hands before they started fighting. The fight began with the two agile competitors immediately running at each other. Chloe dropped down and slid across the floor, going between Olivia's legs before popping up with a leaping kick to the side of her head. Olivia retaliated by going for a spinning backfist but Chloe ducked and struck back with an uppercut. Olivia fell backwards, her head hitting off the floor as she collapsed. Chloe then finished her off with a jumping stomp onto her head, leaving her momentarily unconscious.
"Chloe wins!" Sub-Zero declared with Sektor loudly applauding her.
"Well done, Clo," Frost praised.
"Incredible," Franziska commented.
"Thanks, guys," Chloe said as she sat back down. "Shit, this is going to be tough."
"You alright?" Frost asked.
"If you're looking to win this you've gotta keep in mind that we've got up to three fights we have to win in this one session," Chloe pointed out in depth as she analysed a strategy. "You must end your fights quickly, save as much energy as possible."
"Do not share your strategy with the enemies!" Sektor yelled. "Especially not when you're sharing my personal advice!"
"You take this way too seriously, dad," she remarked with a smile as she found amusement out of Sektor.
"Thanks for the tip," Franziska replied. "I'm going to kick my opponent's ass and then the ass of whoever is winning this… speaking of which…"
"Edwardo wins!" the Grandmaster announced once again. "Next is Franziska versus Jane!"
"Fuck yeah! It's showtime," Franziska said as she eagerly sprung from her seat and skipped into the square.
"She seems… eager," Chloe assessed as the next fight began.
Franziska slid forth, trying to trip Jane over but she evaded the attempt. Jane then threw a high kick but Franziska caught her leg and then pulled her into a powerbomb. Jane writhed across the ground as she struggled to stand after the uncomfortable landing from Franziska's grapple move with her being stronger than she appeared. Franziska followed up with a knee which pushed Jane out of the square.
Cyrax went to begin his count but Franziska immediately dragged her dazed opponent back into the square before throwing a sequence of punches which ended with an uppercut to the ground. She still resiliently tried to stand only to be powerbombed to the hardwood floor a second time. Jane then wrapped her legs around Franziska in an attempt for a triangle choke but Franziska powered up and delivered a final powerbomb as she used her might to raise Jane up and slam her down. Franziska then moved on top of Jane and began wailing down mounted punches to her face, eventually knocking her out but Franziska kept throwing punches despite that.
"That's enough!" Cyrax shouted as he came over and pulled Franziska off of Jane. "She's already out!"
"Oh," she realised casually. "Whoops."
"While I appreciate you're all trying to put on the fights of your lives, I'd like to please remind you all to know when to show restraint," Sub-Zero lectured as the watching medics of the clan quickly began coming to the aid of Jane. "Despite this, Franziska wins."
"Fuck yeah!" Franziska cheered herself on as she took a seat, ruffling Frost's short creamy blonde hair that was so light it was almost white like snow. Only now it had some blood on it after Franziska accidentally ruffled her hair with her blood stained hands. "Crap! Sorry!"
"What for?" she asked with a puzzled expression as the next fight of the tournament began while the trio once again talked amongst themselves.
"Um… she may have painted your hair a bit," Chloe said as she too noticed the blood.
"How?"
Franziska glanced at her own hands that were covered in blood as she said, "I didn't realise my hands were like this…"
"You got blood in my hair?" Frost realised what she was being told.
"It's okay!" Franziska reassured her. "You'd look even prettier with hair dye."
"Wait… p-prettier?" Frost repeated.
"I agree with Fran," Chloe gave her input. "If I had the dye I could definitely do some work there."
"You know how to dye hair?"
"An old friend showed me how to do it a while ago," Chloe explained. "She even did what I have now herself… that's why the colour is so faded."
"We'll get you more dye," Frost promised. "That red suits you still anyway."
"Thanks," she replied. "Red has been my favourite colour since I met Sektor… being surrounded by this clan has made me take a liking to blue too though."
"Maybe try purple then," Franziska suggested. "And don't worry, Frost, red suits you too!"
"I was thinking more of a light blue to be honest," Frost stated as she tried wiping the blood out of her hair.
"Even better!" Chloe complimented. "By the way, if we have to fight, Fran, then please don't do what you did to poor Jane."
"Yeah you've certainly been… rough," Frost put it nicely.
"Oh I'd love to be rough with you," she remarked with a smirk.
"Wh-what?!" Frost said as she blushed.
"Carlos wins!" Sub-Zero announced which ended up interrupting the trio's conversation one more time. "Ava versus Frost is next and it is the final fight of our quarter finals!"'
"Good luck," Chloe and Franziska both wished their friend.
Frost's opponent meanwhile was getting her own goodlucks from two other women. Jane, who had now recovered and Olivia, the two which Franziska and Chloe had eliminated from the tournament themselves, all gathered in a group hug.
"Aww," Franziska noised.
"You say this after nearly giving one of them a broken nose," Chloe remarked.
"Can we do that?" Franziska asked as she saw the trio hug. "That too?" she asked after seeing the opposing trio kiss each other, a poly relationship.
"I'm n-not sure ab-about the last part," Frost said with a nervous stutter. "But we can do a group hug. After I win."
"There's the confidence we were talking about!" Franziska cheered. "Go get 'em, Frosty!"
Frost and her opponent entered the square and the fight began. Using her background in mixed martial arts, Frost ran and leapt forth as she went to strike Ava with a superman punch. The air Frost got from her leap managed to get the two competitors close to each other but the incoming punch was easily read and Ava blocked it. Frost quickly followed up the superman punch by swinging a left hook into Ava's gut while she blocked her right fist as it had targeted her head. Ava was winded and hunched forth, soon being grabbed by Frost and brought into a sequence of knee strikes to the head. After several knees, Ava managed to push Frost back but she leapt forth with a second superman punch, this time connecting as Ava was focused on standing straight. The punch spun Ava around, where Frost wrapped her arms around her before taking her down on her front before placing a knee over her back and wrapping her hands around Ava's face to get her into a crossface submission. Despite a brave effort to survive the submission maneuver, Ava soon had to tap out to Frost's seemingly inescapable hold.
"Frost wins!" Sub-Zero declared as he smiled proudly at the Cryomancers progress. "The quarter-finals are now complete, everybody! There are now only six of you remaining. We are now in the semi-finals of the tournament. You will each face the one other participant left within your bracket. Let us continue this instant with Chloe versus Emi!"
"Here we go again," Chloe said as she stood up and she and Emi entered the square.
"Goodluck," Emi wished as the two shook hands.
"Thanks," she replied as they got into their fighting stances. "I need it."
The fight started with the two grappling, throwing strikes such as punches as knees as they struggled for control. Chloe dropped down and tried to takedown Emi by her legs but she countered by punching her back, causing her to lose grip as Emi jumped up with both of her feet landing on Chloe's back. Chloe yelled in pain as she was taken down by a swift leg sweep. Emi then grabbed Chloe's arms and began stomping away at her face with Chloe eventually finding a counter by kicking her in the shin which dropped Emi to one knee. Chloe rolled back and stood up before charging at the kneeling Emi and knocking her out with a running knee to her face.
"Quick again," Chloe told herself as she realised she had suddenly claimed another victory.
"Chloe wins!" Sub-Zero made his usual announcement. "She is the victor of the first tournament bracket. Next is to determine the victor of the second bracket with Franziska versus Edwardo!"
"I'll be seeing you in the finals," Franziska told Chloe with a smirk as the two walked past. "Great you're the weird guy with the mask…"
Franziska's opponent didn't reply, instead glaring at her with a full mask on which completely covered his face. It was white with a black smiley face drawn on by Edwardo himself.
"And people say I'm a freak," Franziska commented with a sigh. "Let's just do this."
Edwardo suddenly ran forth, instigating the start of their fight. He delivered a spear tackle which threw the two out of the square. Cyrax began counting them out while the two threw blows while wrapped up on the floor.
"We've certainly got some… unique fighters," Smoke spoke to his beloved Grandmaster as they observed the fight. "Right, Kuai?"
"Uniqueness is a good asset," Sub-Zero told him.
"I agree," Smoke said. "I mean it's not like we're very normal ourselves."
"Exactly," Sub-Zero said as Smoke giggled. "That's why all these various faces each possess at least one thing I am impressed with."
"Any on your mind for new members?" Smoke inquired. "I thought that Chloe girl has put on some phenomenal fights and she's very respectful too."
"We have Sektor to tell me that," Sub-Zero joked.
"I think I finally agree with Tomas," Sektor remarked after having overheard the couple.
"Aw, we're bonding," Smoke replied. "Anyways, any names, Kuai?"
"I cannot state my decisions until the tournament is complete," Sub-Zero said to be fair. "But it is very likely all twelve who made it here will find a place."
"Smart idea," Smoke complimented.
"Thank you," Sub-Zero said gratefully. "Now let us focus on the action."
Sub-Zero and Smoke watched as Franziska and Edwardo managed to roll back into the square, preventing them from being counted out. The two quickly stood up as Franziska pushed Edwardo back. Franziska then attacked with a kick, only for her leg to be grabbed and kicked before a dragon screw takedown brought Franziska down again. Edwardo then got his opponent in a guillotine choke hold, but Franziska rolled through moments later with her now atop of Edwardo.
Like with many of her previous foes, Franziska began a relentless assault of mounted punches, cracking through Edwardo's bizarre mask as blood began trickling through the cracks. Franziska then tore the mask off completely before beginning to pummel Edwardo's head in with stomps, knees and more punches. Edwardo was soon knocked out and Cyrax quickly pulled Franziska back before she could cause further damage.
"Franziska wins!" Sub-Zero announced again. "She joins Chloe as a bracket winner, and will face her in the finals. To join them will be one of the two up next: Carlos versus Frost."
"Well done, Fran," Chloe praised. "And goodluck to you, Frost."
"I really appreciate it, Clo," Frost said gratefully. "I'll see you both in the finals."
Frost stepped up to her opponent as they entered the square and their fight started. Carlos used his Tang Soo Do martial artist skills to attack Frost successfully to begin with. A chop followed by a punch and then a leg sweep. The combination knocked Frost down but she quickly kipped up, grabbing Carlos' hand as he went for a jab and dropped him with a judo toss. Frost then kept hold of Carlos' arm before getting her opponent into a painful armbar submission. Carlos managed to break free but Frost stomped on his arm immediately after before returning to her armbar.
Carlos resiliently refused to submit, and began standing up while Frost had the submission hold locked in tightly. Carlos managed to break some punches through which hit Frost in the face, causing her to have to release the hold to avoid more fists. Carlos rolled back onto his feet with Frost charging at him and trying to grab his arm again. Carlos countered with an elbow, spinning Frost around so that Carlos could step on the back of her leg and then deliver a spinning kick to the top of her skull. He then shoved Frost down to the floor and tried an armbar of his own. Frost instead managed to roll on top of him before slamming his head against the floor. With Carlos stunned, Frost easily synched in her armbar a third time with Carlos finally submitting.
"Frost wins!" Sub-Zero said with genuine happiness for the Cryomancers' success. "Congratulations on being the victor of your bracket. Same praise goes to the two of you as well, Chloe and Franziska."
"Thank you, Grandmaster," they both expressed their gratitude in coincidental unison.
"Do not thank me for putting your own effort into this tournament," Sub-Zero instructed them, not wanting to take any credit away from their own efforts. "But now you must return to the square one last time. This time with a third competitor in the same square as you. Good luck to all three of you and may the best woman win."
Franziska and Chloe both joined Frost in the square, who was catching her breath after her brief but tough fight against Carlos. They each took a corner, with the referee Cyrax taking the spare one. The yellow cyborg signalled for the final match to begin. Chloe offered her friends handshakes first, which they each accepted before stepping back and circling around one another.
"Anybody gonna make the first move?" Franziska asked only for there to be no response. "That's fine. Let me improvise!"
Franziska lunged forth as she grabbed Chloe who instinctively began throwing punches into her gut to push her off. Frost then joined the action, kicking Franziska also in the gut before launching off of her into a diving roundhouse kick to Chloe's head, knocking her out of the square for the moment.
"Verdammt!" Franziska yelled as she groaned in pain from the constant shots directed at her stomach.
Frost approached Franziska and went to get her in a standing guillotine choke while she was leant over clutching her gut. Franziska managed to use her strength to pick Frost up, however, and slammed the Cryomancer onto the floor. Franziska then stomped onto Frost's gut while she lay on her back.
"How do you like that, Froster?" Franziska asked as she picked Frost up only to knock her back down with a spinning elbow. "You can do better than this, meine Freundin."
"You're right…" Frost agreed as she wiped some blood from her pale lips. "I can!"
Frost suddenly grabbed Franziska by her legs and dragged her down to her level. The two traded blows while lying on the floor, with Chloe suddenly returning to action and landing on them both with a senton move. Chloe attempted a second running senton but both women got their knees up, giving Chloe a nasty landing for her back.
Chloe writhed in pain on the floor while Frost and Franziska stood up, still taking various strikes at each other. Frost managed to kick Franziska in the knee, causing her to fall down and into Frost's guillotine chokehold. Chloe then approached from behind and got Frost into a rear naked choke while Frost kept the chokehold she had on Franziska locked in.
Soon Frost had to let go of Franziska as she began feeling dizzy from Chloe's own chokehold and she needed to fight out. Frost began throwing elbows at Chloe who stood behind her, eventually forcing her off. Chloe went for a sidekick but Frost jumped over it and landed a diving elbow smash which knocked Chloe down. Before Frost could attack Chloe while she was down again, she suddenly felt Franziska's arms wrap around her waist before being thrown back as she landed on the back of her neck after being thrown back due to Franziska's German suplex. Franziska kept a hold around her waist as she delivered another German suplex, and then one third and final suplex which she released to cause an even more dangerous crash to the floor.
Chloe then struck Franziska with a running lariat which took her down as Chloe placed Franziska into a headlock which Franziska quickly got out of by striking Chloe with a couple knee strikes. Chloe stepped back, before coming back at Franziska with a running knee which was reversed with a chop block from Franziska which caused Chloe to completely fall over from the impact of her legs being taken out. Chloe tried to crawl away but Franziska grabbed her leg and slammed her knee first against the hardwood floor. Frost returned into the action as she tried to hurt Franziska with a kick to her back. Franziska was pushed forward but she soon turned around and blocked a second kick from Frost, with a third one being countered by Franziska taking her leg and pulling her into a punch which cut Frost open below her right eye as she fell over.
Franziska then turned to face Chloe who was standing yet hobbling due to the damage her leg had suffered. Franziska kicked her knee, knocking her over as she booted her in the head as she tried to stand. Cyrax came over to assess the damage as Chloe became motionless on the floor outside of her breathing. Franziska took one final kick at her for good measure.
"I'm sorry, Clo," she genuinely apologised. "You fought well, sweetie."
"Chloe's unconscious!" Cyrax declared. "She has been eliminated!"
"NOOOOO!" Sektor cried out as he leapt up from his seat and threw a punch at the bench he had sat on, completely breaking it in two.
The on hand medics rushed over to carefully escort Chloe to one side while they checked on her injuries from participating in the physical tournament. Meanwhile, Franziska and Frost stared each other down as only they remained in the fight.
The two began wildly throwing punches at each other, both eventually falling into each other as they completely ran out of energy from all their fighting. The two hold each other upright as they clinched together. Franziska threw a headbutt that dizzied both women. Both stumbled backwards as they collapsed to the floor. Franziska crawled over to Frost, who suddenly pulled her into a triangle choke. Franziska squirmed around, eventually causing Frost to lose her leg grip around Franziska's neck which thus allowed Franziska to attempt to regain control in the fight. She pushed Frost's left leg down against the floor before striking a couple of knees into it as well as several punches which immediately began to cause bruising as Frost began to lose movement in her leg as more punches came landing down, only stopping when Frost managed to strike Franziska in the spine with a knee from her right leg. Franziska fell forth, buying Frost some time to try and stand but to no avail. She tripped up and Franziska soon returned to the action and grabbed Frost, throwing her to one side, away from the audience side of the room. Franziska then grabbed Frost and began slowly picking her up, digging in punches as she did so. Once standing, Franziska wrapped an arm around and performed a uranage move while taking a knee, causing the back of Frost's head to slam against her knee before flipping her on her front.
"You gave it your all," Franziska commended as a dazed Frost fumbled around, clutching Franziska's legs to try and use her body to stand. "Hope there's no hard feelings for this…"
Franziska went for a finishing blow, but Frost suddenly instinctively reacted by throwing a jab that connected fully against Franziska's face. Her knuckles had been covered by ice as if they were makeshift brass knuckles which were obscured from the audience and referee's vision due to the angle the blow came from. Thanks to the help of her powers, Franziska was knocked out cold. After processing what she had just done, Frost immediately caused the ice to evaporate, a trick Sub-Zero had taught her a week earlier.
"Frost wins!" Sub-Zero announced as the crowd erupted with applause. "Congratulations on winning our tournament, Frost. You have fairly outlasted one hundred and nineteen fellow participants!"
"Thanks," Frost said quietly as she began shaking with emotions.
"What's wrong?" Sub-Zero asked as he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "You should be proud of yourself."
"Just processing it all," Frost replied as she took a bow before the Grandmaster.
"The future of the Lin Kuei looks even brighter," Sub-Zero said positively. "I look forward to our future lessons together, Frost."
"So do I," Frost told him. "Hey… did Fran and Chloe impress enough for placements in the clan too?"
"You best say the right response in regards to my Chloe," Sektor warned him as he pounded his fists together, "or else you'll end up like that bench."
"You'll be pleased to hear that I'd have said yes with or without your threats," Sub-Zero informed him truthfully. "Chloe Starr is certainly a welcome addition to our clan."
"I'm glad we agree," Sektor responded as he was happy about Chloe earning her well deserved placement.
"You'd be a welcome addition too if you cooled off a bit," Sub-Zero remarked to which Sektor sighed at. "Oh! as for Franziska, she too has earned her pla-"
"YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, FROST!"
"Fr-Franziska!" Frost cried out as she saw the now awoken Franziska storming towards her with pure rage on her face.
"Hérkommen!" Franziska shouted as she tackled Frost and began strangling her as she was brought to the ground. "I'm not letting anybody fuck with me ever again! EVER AGAIN!"
"That's enough!" Sub-Zero yelled as he and other clan members began pulling Franziska off of Frost.
"Let me go!" Franziska demanded. "Let me kill that Betrügerin!"
"You have no right to have such a violent outburst over losing!" Sub-Zero lectured her. "I was going to say you too have a place in this clan…"
"Wait what?!"
"But after this and your previous acts of needless brutality?! Absolutely not! Escort her home!" Sub-Zero ordered angrily before checking on Frost who was coughing after being viciously throttled.
"No!" Franziska yelled. "I'm sorry! Please let me stay! Verdammt!"
"You need to calm down, lady!" spoke one of the two clansmen who were dragging her out of the Lin Kuei Temple.
The two men soon managed to bring Franziska outside into the snowy tundra that covered all of Arctika. The advanced technology that had been placed within the cybernetic members of the Lin Kuei had replicated their coordinate teleportation tech and had placed it within a single portal system which stood at the front of the Lin Kuei Temple near the edge of the steep hill that the structure stood upon. It's placement outside was as a spot for the tournament participants to enter with the portal system not having been moved since. The technology meant they could connect this portal to another in any coordinations inputted which made it easy to gather the participants.
Beside the portal stood a large statue of a Cryomancer sitting cross legged with a model of the Grandmaster's Dragon Medallion in one hand and a large sword made of ice which Sub-Zero had added as an additional touch to the display, the cold of Arctika making sure the ice would never melt. The statue was of a former Lin Kuei Grandmaster, the grandfather of Kuai Liang: the first Sub-Zero. Seeing the ice weapon angered Franziska even more as she dwelled on Frost's actions that she did to ensure her victory in the tournament.
"Go collect her belongings," one of the clansmen said to the other as they quickly sprinted back inside and to the barracks section of the Lin Kuei Temple to do so. "Now… where did you come from, ma'am?"
"Don't talk to me!" Franziska ordered.
"I need to know where you're from to create a portal home for you," the clan member clarified. "Please cooperate."
"I ain't going anywhere!" Franziska yelled.
"Stop being a pathetic sore loser and tell me where you're from!" they ordered with both parties growing in frustration.
"That bitch cheated to beat me!" Franziska tried explaining to him. "I have a fucking right to be pissed!"
"Make up whatever excuses you want to," he replied in dismissal of her statement. "The Lin Kuei doesn't need any more psychoes."
"What did you just say to me?"
"You heard me."
"Say it again."
"Why?"
"I fucking dare you."
"What part? You being a psy-"
Franziska suddenly snapped and swung a right hook at the face of the man who was merely trying to escort her home. He fell over but immediately went to draw his sword only for Franziska to stomp on him and take the sword for herself. She then violently stabbed the grounded warrior. In a fit of rage, Franziska savagely stabbed and sliced away at the now dead warrior until their friend had returned with her belongings in hand.
"Stay away from me!" they cried out after dropping her belongings on the stairway and running back inside to report to the Grandmaster.
"What have I done…?" Franziska asked herself as she slowly dropped the blood stained sword as she had finally processed the actions she had just committed in her blind rage. "No… not again… not again…"
Franziska stumbled over to her fallen belongings that were stored in an old backpack she had carried around since she was little. She hurried in opening it before anxiously scurraging through the bag to retrieve her coat so that she wouldn't freeze to death. She then rushed over to the portal device, realising there was no way she could stand her ground here after committing murder. She began sobbing while slamming her hands against the control panel as she had no understanding as to how it functioned. Franziska then heard the footsteps of gathered reinforcements and with no other choice, she fled down the hill and into the woods of Arctika…