A tall young woman walked through the dimly lit dojo, a silver tray of tea in her hands as she approached a small room. Pushing the silk curtain away she stepped into the small bedroom, lit only with candles. Her bright blue blouse and pants casting a purple hue on the white sheets on the thin wooden cot set up in a corner of the room.
She kneeled down beside the bed, setting the tray on a small wicker end table. She looked into the sheets, watching the face of an elderly man breath heavily as his breath stirred in the air. He turned his head slowly to look to the girl, the blue light shining on the think red scar running down the left side of his face, from his wrinkled forehead down to his chin.
A mark of death...
He had lived through the assassins, the deadly enemies of his past, the warriors of Out World, and the members of the Lin Kuei . But now he faced the enemy that he could not fight, or defend against. The life draining powers of age.
"Father, please you must drink to regain your strength," the woman spoke softly, picking up a small dragon-printed cup as she held his head up with her hand and pressed the cup to his lips. Watching as the tea slowly drained into his mouth.
He slowly heavily, he then heaved loudly. She panicked and held his back as he sprang into a sitting position.
Once the cough had settled she lowered him back into a laying position. She then felt a firm hand press against her cheek as he looked up to her. She held his hand to her face as her eyes stinged, biting her lip as she held back her tears.
"My daughter... my life... tea will not help me, the gods are calling me. My time is running out, there is nothing you or anyone else can do," he said softly, his voice barely audibly.
"Father, no. Your going to get better, just as before," she spoke, she could bare it anymore as tears slowly began to roll down her cheeks.
Her tear touched his finger tip, its ice cold temperature soothed his pain as he stared into her eyes, a smile coming over his face.
"Be proud my daughter, you are the first in our blood line to hold the name of Sub-Zero, the first female to have our power. You have become so strong and powerful, it fills me with pride to know that my daughter has surpassed,"
His words brought her to the point of sobbing as she laid her head of his chest. She smiled softly as her placed his hand on her back and massaged her back, trying to calm her sobs.
"Be proud of yourself Naomi, your the last of our blood line, and you will be the greatest of us all,"
"My daughter... I have little time left. Please do your father a favor,"
She raised her head, her eyes had grown puffy and red.
"Please... gather my friend's. I would like to be with them one last time," he requested as he took his hand from her back as she stood up.
"Yes father... I contact them now..."
She left the room, looking back at him once more as she watched him adjust his position as he stared at the ceiling, trying to sleep.
She bite her lip once more before she then rushed out of the room, the curtain flowing in the drift she caused.
She stepped into the main room of the dojo and picked up the receiver of an old coil phone. She opened the small spiral notepad and began to dial the first number.
----
The faint sound of ringing echoed in the nearly empty dojo. A large hand the wrapped itself around the coil phone's receiver picking it up, holding it to his head as glassy white eyes shone in the candlelight.
"Hanzo Hayasashi, Scorpion Dojo...," a deep voice spoke as the soft sound of Scorpion's students could be heard from the training room of the dojo. Each one wearing the bright yellow tunic which Scorpion bared, or as he now was known as, Hanzo Hayasashi. The name he had lived with over five hundred years ago.
"Scorpion, this is Naomi. It's father, he is worse then ever, and he wants to be with his friends.. I think he is dying," she spoke softly trying to hide that fact that her voice carried the tone of her sobs.
Scorpion's eyes widened slightly. His rival, his ally, his friend... was dying? He sighed loudly.
"I will be there as soon as I can, Naomi. Let's just hope that we will get there in time to see him..."
----
The loud wailing of a child echoed through the small house, as clothes and toys were lay over the floor and furniture.
The ringing of a phone added to the noise, as the barking of a large German Shepard, the child's crying, and a television mixed together.
Sonya Blade cursed quietly as she stubbed her toe on a toy, in her arms she held a small boy of about five. She set him on the couch as she stumbled over to the phone, her toe still stinging.
"Johnny! Get over here and keep Ian quiet!" she yelled over the noise.
"Alright! I'm coming!" Johnny Cage called out as he walked out from the kitchen. He cursed loudly as he stubbed his toe on the same toy that Sonya had. He walked over to the couch and picked up the small boy. He yelled at the dog who peered in at them through the screen door of the backyard.
The dog quit it's barking and walked away from the door, he then turned off the television, quieting the house. He looked over to Sonya who sighed heavily.
Johnny covered the boy's mouth and nodded to Sonya once the house was silent except for the phone.
Sonya rolled her eyes and picked up the phone.
"Hello, Sonya Blade," she said in a chipper voice even though her eyes were filled with anger as she picked up a T-Shirt from the desk and threw it onto the couch.
Sonya's eye widened as she listened to the voice on the other line.
"Oh my god... of course, yes. We'll be there as soon as we can... Don't worry about Jax and Cyrax, I'll call them for you,"
Johnny's face filled with concern as he listened to Sonya.
After a few moments Sonya placed the phone backed, she turned slowly to look at Johnny, a look of shock glued onto her face.
"Who was that? What's happening?" Johnny asked, setting the child down.
"It-It's Sub-Zero... he's dying..."
----
A large group of people stood in the small blue tinted room as they looked down at the weak form lying in the bed.
Scorpion, Sonya, Jax, Cyrax, Johnny, Stryker, Nightwolf, Rayden and Naomi.
Naomi sat on her knees, her head buried in her father's chest as she sobbed deeply. Rayden knelt beside Naomi, placing a hand on her back.
"I am sorry that we didn't get here sooner, but we couldn't have known that he would go so suddenly," he spoke softly trying to calm her.
Naomi looked up at Rayden.
"It's not that you didn't make it in time... it's what he said to me before he died..." she stared up at him.
"What did he say to you?" Cyrax asked as he stared at the body of his former clan-mate.
Naomi sniffed loudly as she stood back up.
"He said that I was the last of our blood... now with my father gone. I truly have no family," she said as she stared down at her father's blank face. She lay to fingers on his face and closed his eyes, as she chewed her lip. Forcing herself not to start bawling once again.
Sonya embraced Naomi as she watched tears slowly begin running down the young girl's face once again. Naomi held tightly onto Sonya as her tears then fell freely down her face. Sonya shivered slightly as Naomi's tears felt like cubes of ice running down her neck.
Scorpion stepped forward.
"Naomi, if you wish, you may stay with me at my dojo," he asked as he watched the girl cling onto Sonya.
With out raising her head, Scorpion heard another sniff.
"No Hanzo... I'm going to stay with my dojo. I'm not going to leave my home,"
Scorpion quirked an eyebrow. "If that is what you wish..."
Rayden then spoke.
"Now lets remember the life of our departed warrior and friend Sub-Zero, if you would all close your eyes and a take a deep breath, we may begin,"
----
(Bold is Sub-Zero Speaking)
(Underlined Is A Third Person)
"Sub-Zero, we have decided to send you to compete in the tournament of Mortal Kombat. With your brother dead, you are the Lin Kuei's last chance to win Mortal Kombat,"
"I will not fail you my lord,"
-
"Ladies and Gentleman, may I present our first cybernetic prototypes. Cyrax and Sector,"
"No! What have they done to them,"
"We have to get out of here, come on Sub-Zero. We need to hurry before they do that to the others,"
-
"Smoke! Smoke! Where are you?!"
"Sub-Zero!! Help ME!!"
-
"Cyrax and Sector are here to kill me, I won't let them get in my way of getting Smoke back,"
-
"Sub-Zero, you left me. You left me there with the Lin Kuei just so you could make it away from them,"
"I am sorry Smoke, please forgive me,"
-
"My name is Sub-Zero, may I ask what yours is?"
"I am Serena, nice to meet you, Sub-Zero,"
-
"Serena... will you marry me?"
-
"Sub-Zero, we must call upon you one more time... Shinnok has escaped the Nether Realm,"
"Yes, I will fight with you,"
-
"Scorpion, please. I wasn't the one responsible for your clan's demise,"
"Oh really then who was it?"
-
"Congratulations to all of you. You have protected the Earth well, now lets all just pray the we will have peace for awhile longer,"
-
"Serena, Mortal Kombat is over, I have returned,"
-
"Sub-Zero... your a father..."
-
"What do we call her?"
"How about Naomi?"
"Yes... Naomi..."
-
"Sub-Zero, please Shang Tsung and Quan Chi have returned me need your help,"
"I can't Rayden... I have a family now,"
"Sub-Zero you must fight!"
"Why?"
"Because they have already killed Serena!"
-
"Hanzo, I would like to help you regain your life... if you will let me..."
-
"Naomi, concentrate, feel the power running from your body into your hands, and fire it,"
-
"Daddy, I did it! I froze the tree,"
"Good job Naomi, good job,"
-
"Be proud of yourself Naomi, your the last of our blood line, and you will be the greatest of us all,"
-
----
Everyone slowly opened their eyes.
"I think it's time now, that we all say goodbye to him," Rayden said as he stepped aside.
Everyone hesitated until Scorpion then stepped forward.
"I guess, I'll go first,"
Scorpion then knelt down beside the bed. He scanned his thoughts for a moments before finally licking his lips as he began to speak.
"Sub-Zero... you were my greatest adversary... and later became my greatest friend. And for that I thank you. You will be missed..." Scorpion then stood up and stood beside Rayden. The looked to each other wondering who would be next.
Stryker then sighed and knelt down next to the cot.
"Well, Sub-Zero... we didn't see eye to eye on many things, and didn't get along to well. But we were always there to protect each other. I remember when Baraka and Mileena had me trapped in a corner, and you and Kabal attacked them from behind to save me. And well... I will never forget that... good bye, buddy,"
Stryker then stood and stood beside Scorpion.
Nightwolf then stepped up to the cot. He stared down at Sub-Zero's body and sighed.
"In my culture, a warrior who fought for the protection and well being of his family and died an honorable death, would be given the body of anything that the warrior desired. And I pray that you will also receive that award,"
Nightwolf then also stepped away.
Cyrax then knelt down in front of Sub-Zero's body.
Cyrax ran his hand down the side of Sub-Zero's face, feeling the texture of the scar through his glove.
"Sub-Zero... I remember the day I gave this to you... and I pray that you will forgive me for it. Now that I have my soul back... I understand why you ran,"
Cyrax then stepped away as Jax stepped forward.
"I remember when I first met you in Khan's first tournament... Liu and Johnny were amazed that you had returned when they thought you were your brother. When I saw you fight, I though 'Man, this guy can kick some ass. I knew you would make a tremendous warrior... and I was right," Jax then also stepped away.
Johnny stepped forward.
"It's hard to think of something that the others haven't said. All that comes to my mind is... I'm sorry I agreed to let Christopher Lloyd to play you in my second movie... god what was I thinking..."
(Note: Christopher Lloyd was "The Doc." on the Back To The Future Movies and Iggy on the old Nick@Nite show Taxi)
Johnny then also stepped away.
Sonya sighed heavily as she knelt down beside Sub-Zero.
"I probably know you better then anyone else here Sub-Zero... and it hurts me just to think what life is going to be like with out you. I can't count how many times you saved me from Baraka's warriors, Kano's Out World Squadron, and Khan's Extermination Squads. One thing I will never forget was the night that I finally confronted Kano, and he killed Johnny. Once I had killed Kano, you were right there to comfort me. I love you Sub-Zero, and I will miss you,"
Sonya then stood back up and stood next to Johnny. Johnny looked at her.
"You didn't sleep with him did you?" Johnny whispered.
"If I did it wouldn't be any concern of yours," she whispered back.
"Did you are didn't you?" he said again.
"It's none of your buisness,"
Everyone laughed quietly, but silence quickly settled in again as they watched Naomi, kneeling beside the cot, holding her dead father's hand.
"I love you daddy... and I just wish that our family tree didn't end with me... I'm going to miss you so much..." Naomi spoke as she held the hand to her cheek, just as her father had before.
----
The group stood in front of a large casket which stood on it's end, Sub-Zero's body was inside.
"Go on Hanzo... set my father's soul free..." Naomi said as she stared at the casket.
Scorpion removed his mask, letting his jaw hang open he let the flames shoot from his mouth. The bottom of the casket caught fire as the rest of the wooden coffin quickly became engulfed in flames. Scorpion then placed his mask back on, as they all watched the tower of fire.
The inferno crackled loudly as night began to settle in.
Sonya looked up to Johnny who was standing beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist.
"Johnny," she said quietly.
"Yeah?" he asked as they both stared into the flames.
"Yes, I did..."
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