From a Woman's Point of View

Brother?

Sub-zero took on a defensive stance as three more ninjas appeared and made a circle around her. She quickly sent out an ice blast that froze all four of them. She looked at Taven.

"Time to choose sides!" she said. "Friend or Foe?" She hoped he would say 'Friend'. Taven was a pretty likable person. He sighed.

"I'll help." He said. Thank the Elder Gods.

"Then defend the stronghold! Smash these new intruders!" She sped out of the room. She ran into a lot of Noob's goons and beat up all of them. She questioned one of them, the person she last defeated.

"Where is he?" she growled. The man laughed manically. She took him by the collar and shook him.

"Where's who?" he answered.

"Noob Saibot." She got no response. "Where is he?" she repeated. He glared at her. She twisted his arm and he screamed in pain. It was no time to be merciful.

"I'll repeat my question." She said, her voice deadly. "Where is Noob?"

"He told me…to relay a message to a certain Sub-zero…" he panted. Sub-zero loosened his grip on the man, but she didn't let go just yet.

"Then why haven't you told me yet? I'm Sub-zero." She stated. His eyes widened. "What is the message?" He looked as if he was hesitant to say, so Sub-zero had to persuade him. He winced.

"He told me…to tell you…that he'd be taking something important to you…if you don't surrender." He said shakily. Sub-zero released him and he fell on the ground.

She checked her chest, and the Dragon Amulet was still there. What the hell did her brother mean by that? She absentmindedly froze the man's feet to the ground. Then, with sudden force it hit her. No…He couldn't possibly know about-

And Sub-zero sprinted, as fast as she could, to the direction of the clinic.

OoooooooO

She kicked the door open. The curtains were swaying in the wind. Hanzo wasn't inside. Maybe he just went to the comfort room. Then again, the healer wasn't there either. The room was large; it was able to accommodate about thirty Lin Kuei warriors. She entered it. As she did, a voice spoke to her.

"You look familiar. Have we met?" the voice was cold. It was not genuinely curious, but more of mocking. She spun around and her brother was standing in front of her, with a very bloody Hanzo beside him. "Ah yes. You were with that Hellspawn back in Outworld." Noob had his arm around Hanzo, and a knife at his throat. Where'd he get the knife?He probably got it from Hanzo.

"G-grandm-master…" He said. Sub-zero gnashed her teeth together. Her brother looked at her. After a few moments, he laughed.

"You're Sub-zero?" He asked. His voice was still mocking, but somehow it sounded more of shocked than anything else. "My dear brother, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"That…does not concern you, brother." She replied coldly. "Why are you taking one of my assassins as hostage?"

"He's not just any assassin." He smirked. "You think I don't know that he's your newest student?" He plunged the knife into Hanzo's shoulder, and he screamed in agony. Sub-zero was about to jump toward him. Her brother raised the dagger menacingly and threatened to sink it into Hanzo's skin if she attacked him.

"Stop that." she growled as Noob carved a line onto Hanzo's face. He ceased what he was doing.

"Surrender?" Sub-zero looked at Hanzo's face. It was a face a man burning on the stake would have.

"N-no…" Hanzo tried to say.

"Never." Sub-zero said scathingly. Her eyes travelled between her student and her brother. Her resolve wavered. "If you promise to stop hurting the boy, I might reconsider." Noob pushed Hanzo towards her, and she caught her. But she was not ready for his next move. He took Sub-zero by the hair and dragged her out of the room. They went in the main chamber and Noob threw her onto the ground.

"Ugh…" she groaned. She knelt down in pain. Noob kicked her in the face and on the stomach countless of times. She fell onto the ground and coughed out blood. They heard a noise from the chamber next door, and Sub-zero stood up. Noob kicked her, and she was feeling woozy.

She saw Taven enter the door and gasp slightly at the sight before him. Noob grabbed her.

"You will join us," he pointed at Taven. "Or you will die!" He threw her aside.

"We shall see!" Taven challenged and that was the last thing Sub-zero heard before she drifted into unconsciousness.

"I…should thank you. You probably saved my life." She said when she had woken up. She stood up and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"Who was he? He didn't seem…human."

"He is Noob Saibot….a warrior from the Netherrealm…He is my brother…" she added unwillingly.

"Your brother?" he said, clearly astonished. "Why is he trying to kill you?"

I don't know. "He was corrupted long ago. And now, you have saved me from him. The Lin Kuei owe you much, Taven." Then, she remembered something.

"In exchange for your help, I will give you the information you need. The clan you are seeking is called the Red Dragon Clan. They are a clan of ruthless warriors." She said. "They were founded some years ago." Yeah and they kept on spying on us.

"Where is their stronghold?"

"Charred Mountain." She remembered that her warriors recently located their stronghold. Taven thanked her and went on his way. Sub-zero went back to the infirmary where Hanzo lay on the bed, asleep. His body had been cleaned, by the Healer, no doubt.

Sub-zero sat down beside his bed and shook her head. Why did she sacrifice herself for this man? She brushed a stray lock from his face. He tossed in his sleep and mumbled a few words in Japanese that Sub-zero didn't understand. She understood one sentence though. She was about to leave, when she heard it.

Sub-zero stopped in her tracks and stared at him. What? What did he say? Impossible! He couldn't…

She hastily went out of the room and ran to her own chamber. She flopped down on the bed and tried to sleep. Somehow, the words were haunting her. She remembered him.She missed him, very much. Sub-zero covered her face with her pillow. She slept but in her dream, he was the one who said it.

Zeiva-san…aishiteru desu.

And Sub-zero pulled her blanket up as she shivered.