Sub-Zero: Origins

A New Quest

Smoke, though distracted by his fight with Nightwolf, must have sensed Sub-Zero's attack because just as the sword plummeted towards his helmet, he ducked to the side and the weapon chopped through his right forearm instead. A gray and black limb severed at the elbow fell to the ground with a thud. The Cryomancer didn't know who was more surprised by the turn of events – him or Tomas – because as he stood beside his friend with his mouth hanging open, the cyber-ninja looked at the damage stupidly. At the center of the stump, there was bloody bone gushing uncontrollably, and around it, severed wires sparked and dangled from the amputation. It didn't seem to hurt Tomas, however, because he calmly pressed some buttons on his chest, which prompted blue-white fire to emit from his other hand, and waved the built-in torch over the wound to cauterize it. The charred smell of burning flesh and smoke wafted through the air, but Sub-Zero and Nightwolf did not flinch at the disgusting aroma.

"Sub-Zero! Nightwolf!" the Cryomancer heard Liu Kang shout. He turned his head towards the path to see the monk running towards them with Johnny Cage, Jade, and Kitana. Smoke obviously didn't like his odds while wounded because when he saw them, he instantly disappeared in his usual vaporous shimmer as he bolted towards the trees. Sub-Zero immediately took off after him, still clutching his sword.

"Wait!" Nightwolf cried, but the other ignored him.

Smoke was faster now, but Sub-Zero kept the distance between them close as he sprinted for a solid mile. In spite of the dense jungle foliage, neither man disturbed much of the terrain, their training in stealth and invisibility instinctively kicking in. The Cryomancer's light footfalls on the damp ground made no impression in the dirt, and they made little sound as well. Somehow, Smoke's robotic boots also made no tracks, so it rapidly became difficult to follow the cyber-ninja. When an ancient rubber tree as wide around as a yurt blocked the distortion in the air from Sub-Zero's view, he lost his friend completely.

He roared in frustration as he punched the tree with his fist.

"I'm curious to know what you were going to do with him when you caught him," Himavat stated as he stepped from behind the tree and rested his hand on his descendant's shoulder. Kuai Liang immediately threw the hand off.

"Kill him," he retorted flatly. "Fix him. I don't know."

"How? The damage has already been done."

"You don't know that!" he snapped. "Maybe I can reprogram him." He straightened and started stomping back to the Shaolin Temple. "But I can't leave him like that." 

"He's been programmed to capture you."

"Yes, I got that," he drily remarked.

"He won't stop until he's succeeded."

"Undoubtedly."

"So what do you plan on doing about it?"

"Not let him. And maybe next time I see him, I'll be able to capture him. Save him."

"Your brother still needs saved as well."

Kuai Liang stopped in his tracks and inhaled deeply, trying to calm his breathing and still his anger. Then he faced the Elder God. "My brother's soul is damned. What exactly do you think I'm going to be able to do about it?"

"He's not beyond your help, my son."

He sighed. "Did you know what Quan Chi did to him?" he muttered quietly.

"I suspected."

"You're an Elder God, and you didn't know for sure?"

"My brother, Shinnok, has become quite adept at concealing the affairs of that cursed plain, Netherrealm, even imprisoned in the darkest hole as he is. Still, I made an educated guess. I had hoped I was wrong, but-"