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Fan Fiction
| Legends of the Lin Kuei |
| Chapter 20: Deadly Fate |
By: Shaun Penney |
The intensity of fire and ice burned and froze fast between the two unmatched fighters. Subzero’s face showed completely as Scorpion only had his eyes to view from his densely covered face. The two appeared to be standing nose to nose and hardly a breath could be heard from either one of them.
Subzero tried to formulate that maybe it was Scorpion who wrote the bloodied phrase of “Choose your destiny” on his wall, but it didn’t make sense. He really couldn’t stand the time to think too much about it. A dead man he had been searching for had just finally appeared in front of him so very unexpectedly. The surge of energy between the two could have easily have been felt by neighboring people, but they stood alone in that empty forest. Subzero felt rage first. An ice cold spit ball dance of rage. It pulsated all throughout his body barely leaving his flesh breathable. Much was felt equally by the undead ninja Scorpion. It was like a terrible storm decided to wash away a place that had just been rebuilt.
It was Subzero first that began to think of a way to end this without fighting his nemesis. He wanted to, the desperation itched its way to the center of his heart. But he had fought enough and didn’t want to keep adding people to his side of those who deserved to die, even Scorpion.
“Scorpion…I—,” Subzero’s words were stopped as the yellow ninja held up his palm and aimed it straight at the ice warrior’s head at point blank. Subzero stayed frozen in stance. He wasn’t sure but he had an idea that if Scorpion really wanted him dead, he would have tried to do so rather then just “get” his attention just a minute ago. Was this another test? And who’s would it be this time? Subzero continued to look into the eyes of his immortal enemy.
“Do you remember Mortal Kombat Scorpion?” said Subzero calmly. Scorpion made no movement as if he heard him. But nothing came out of his hand either so that was a good thing. Subzero realized that if he was going to get him to come out of his shell, he was going to have to make him remember who he was. He knew that ghosts in the living form are able to do so because they have purpose. But if they stay for too long, that purpose could be forgotten, or worse…corrupted. Subzero knew all the times that Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn have used him to gain their end of Mortal Kombat to their advantage only to cheat Scorpion out of his long hard to reach goal of life and mortality and above all peace with his family once again. A dead man can forget a lot of things over a period of a 500 years.
“You do remember don’t you? You’re goal to fight. You’re goal to be the best. You’re once proud goal to be the better fighter then my brother? You’re still angry that he killed you aren’t you? That you are constantly locked in a curse that feeds you hate rather then retribution.” Said Subzero. His words appeared to get some rise out of Scorpion. That living spike began to pierce through the palm of his hand again slowly. Subzero halted his form of questioning and tried again.
“Do you remember you’re family Scorpion? Do you remember how much you cared for them? Is that why you are here, to avenge their death and your own? To strip away everything that makes my family apart of me and not yours?” said Subzero. Sub didn’t realize but he was subconsciously asking things that he really had no idea why. He had never thought about Scorpion’s family or his reason for being here. Back then all he knew and understood was that Scorpion was the enemy and that no one could trust the undead. But something made Subzero want to get at the heart of Scorpion’s soul. Truth was…he needed an ally.
“HE…” said Scorpion trying to form some distraught reasoning out loud. But he couldn’t finish his words. He wanted so bad to fire his living weapon into Subzero’s beating heart. But his own memories began to familiarize themselves within the undead warrior again. Subzero continued on.
“My brother is only responsible for your death…not theirs. A Lin Kuei warrior does not attack an enemy’s family at the stake of breaking a foe. There is no honor in that.” Said Subzero. He knew whatever he was saying was getting to him. Scorpion was beginning to remember. His eyes had been full of hate for so long, there was nothing else. Just a burning fury to destroy what destroyed him.
“You once became my protector for a short time. Then you rejoined Shao Kahn and kidnapped Princess Kitana. Now you are again alone and confused. You don’t know who to go after anymore. You’ve lost your sense of being. You don’t know why you are here anymore do you?” said Sub. His words started to make sense. Scorpion was a killer, and so were many others. But they were not cursed like he was. And a curse with no answers was a curse with no way out. Scorpion retracted his living spike then turned around facing his back to Subzero. Sub almost let out a sigh of relief but didn’t quite yet. He had to get Scorpion to talk. He had to find some sort of answers to his own questions.
“I’ve been searching for you for days Scorpion. How did you find me?” he asked him. Scorpion turned around again. He looked down at Subzero’s belt. Sub looked at it as he noticed Siro’s journal tied in it. Sub brought the journal out.
“You knew about the journal didn’t you? Once I disturbed Siro’s grave you knew exactly how to find me. That was it. Kensu knew that if I found this journal that you would lock ontu me like a beacon. And now here you are.” Said Subzero. Scorpion took a step back. His silence was more eerie then any previous moment Subzero had currently been in before. Sub wanted to be careful at this point. He didn’t want to mention to Scorpion that his brother was still alive and that he had seen him join Quan Chi, that might set the ghost off. Instead Sub stuck with the obvious.
“Why didn’t you kill me just now Scorpion?” Sub asked. He felt he had to. The opportunity was there, why didn’t he take it. Scorpion just glared and finally gave an answer.
“YOU WILL FACE ME IN MORTAL KOMBAT SUBZERO! BUT NOT HERE…NOT NOW!” said Scorpion. Then Scorpion turned back around and raised his arms fast as his body quickly enveloped itself by some light then vanished before Subzero’s very eyes. Subzero tucked Siro’s journal away and began to realize then why Scorpion had not tried to kill him just now.
Scorpion didn’t know that Sub’s brother was still alive. So if that was the case, then that meant that his only recourse for releasing his cursed soul would be to fight the next of kin. He thought by protecting him he could find the right moment to face Subzero’s younger brother in a true test of might, just like the first time Subzero’s elder brother and Scorpion originally fought. That part seemed to make sense. Scorpion had been drawn to find younger Sub when he disturbed the grave of a body Scorpion once killed. That was how he could find him.
Subzero began walking in the direction of the Temple of the Order of Light. Now that he had found Scorpion, he knew one small piece of the puzzle…Scorpion was a rogue. He had no intention of helping either side of Earth Realm, nor Outworld, just to free himself and avenge his family’s death. So an offset quest became clear…Subzero had to find out who really killed Scorpion’s family. If he could do that, maybe he could convince Scorpion to join him and save Earth Realm from Shinnok and Quan Chi. Something like that was not going to be easy. And then there was his greatest mystery of all still yet to have any light shined upon it. Where was Subzero sister? He had no slight clear on where to begin with that idea. For now he had to rest and find those who still fought for Earth Realm. Subzero put his thoughts away for the moment and concentrated on getting to the Temple. Surely Khameleon would return and tell Reptile that her trap was unsuccessful and that they would most likely attempt another kill some other time.
Subzero felt a heavy burden weigh down on him. A lot of problems were going to arise soon…
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