Sub-Zero: Origins

The Truth Shall Set You Free

"Let's see you get out of that, tall, dark, and broody," she teased as she planted her hands on her curved hips triumphantly.

"You better hope I don't because you're the first person I'm coming after if I do," he shot back. "I knew you were lying when you said you wanted to help me."

"Now, that hurts my feelings, baby," she said. "What I told you was true. Mostly. I just left out some important details."

"I'm going to kill you!" He suddenly remembered Smoke, and how his friend had warned him about her before he was captured. "Tomas was right about you," he hissed, wishing he'd listened to his inner voice when it told him to kill her the last time he saw her.

She cackled as Noob now stood behind her. "You know, I couldn't wait for you to see what your pals did to him, Kuai Liang, so when Quan Chi asked me to make sure you wound up in New York, I was more than happy to lead him to you."

The Cryomancer managed to sit up, even though the large balls dangling from the end of the glowing red cord were a lot heavier than they looked. "What are you talking about?" he growled.

"Do you really think it was chance that led you here to Quan Chi's soulnado?" she jeered. "He knew you'd want to help your pathetic little friend any way you could, and that you'd follow him to the ends of the Earth to save him. So he made sure poor Tomas was sent to chase Kabal, who went through a portal straight to you, and he insisted Sektor try to repair him in the subway in your patrol area. My master knew Sektor was no match for the three of you, and that you'd use your old adversary's programming to figure out what he was up to, so he ordered Smoke not to fight you or help Sektor. He wanted you to come here."

Kuai Liang glanced at the sorcerer and his teammates. Stryker was out cold on the tiles, if not dead, but Kabal still battled him in a flurry of kicks and punches. Hang on, he mentally projected to his comrade. I'll figure a way out of this. He scowled at Sareena and Noob. "Why?" he asked, stalling them. If he could keep their attention focused on him, he gave Kabal a chance to defeat Quan Chi and ensured nobody discovered Annalise.

"Baby, I already told you. My master's raising an army, and he needs the souls of Earthrealm's best warriors. He's going to take your soul as well as Heckle and Jeckle's over there, and fashion you all into his deadly revenants. A storm is coming, and this invasion is just the beginning."

Keep her talking, he told himself. "You shouldn't be able to invade at all," he grunted as he twisted his wrists at his sides. The bola tightened, and now he gasped for air.

"Well, Quan Chi bent the rules a little," she said almost sympathetically as she knelt before him and caressed his face in her palm. "Remember the story about Shinnok's amulet? How nobody knew what Quan Chi paid Shang Tsung for the map?"

"I vaguely recall that," he squirmed as he tried to free himself from her touch. It did no good.

"Well, I didn't tell the whole truth about that," she began. "The price he paid was a spell. It's a very specific spell to raise the dead, and only Quan Chi has mastered it. You see, when Edenia's Queen Sindel killed herself, she did so to protect Earthrealm from her kingdom's fate. A blood sacrifice like that made it impossible for Shao Kahn to invade should he lose the Tournament. It was old magic, what she did, lost to all but one sorcerer. My master knew the way to reverse it. He resurrected Sindel. That was Shang Tsung's price."

"You're all insane," Kuai Liang grunted, sucking air through his teeth just to breathe, now noting how Noob was strangely silent through all of this. His brother was studying something in his hands, though from his spot on the ground he couldn't see what.