This is a series im working on, telling of sub zero's mission in mk2 and
Relationship with kitana. not all canon. Here’s a prologue:
I was practicing my daily routine in the chamber of recreation when
the news hit. It was an unsuspecting snake, that had been lying in wait to strike me for a month. I was sent to the Grandmaster’s office on that grieving day by a Lin Kuei trainer Sha Quei entered the chilly atmosphere decked out in his usual set of blood red robes despite the fact that the cold never seemed to affect anyone.
“Keith!” he summoned me. Being the only one I allowed to call me by my given [American] name, I signaled for him to wait for me. Yelling, I flung out a powered kick at Yauqi, my training partner, square in the thigh. He rose from the ground and we bowed before I took off with Quei.
Quei led me through the icy corridors until we got to a place that made me childishly excited- the Grand Master’s Room. I recognized it by that carved door, with no knob or keyholes. As quickly as he had come, he left, leaving me to enter the den of the Lin Kuei’s highest man. It was like being escorted by a teacher to the principal’s office, or being called down, and left to wonder as thoughts stir unpleasantly in a pit deep in your stomach. Even though I knew perfectly well I couldn't be in any trouble, my mind instinctively dreamt up insane and horrible thoughts as I opened the pine-wood door with a creak.
Wiping sweat from around my brow which froze as it touched the fingertips, I sank into an armchair seated before the Grandmaster, who was already sitting with his fingertips together.
“Greetings, Sub Zero,” he addressed me crisply seconds later. I bowed in reply, my eyes still trained on the man in long, red robes. Normally, the Grandmaster would wear a mask and mouth piece, but today he had dispensed with it, revealing a hard, wrinkled face and mob of long, black hair. Before i even opened my mouth to ask why i had been sent here on such short notice, the stern man replied, as though reading my mind, "Because we have business to dwell on. And i have some-ah-STIRRING news." I blinked.
“As you know, you’re brother, competed last November in the Mortal Kombat tournament,” he began, getting up and pacing the room in an informative routine of his.
“Yes...” I said slowly, wondering why he was conveying this month old news to me.
The Master pressed on, “Well, truth be told, your elder brother had not boarded Shang Tsung’s ship for any recognition reasons. An anonymous death dealer had hired him to track down and kill that scoundrel sorcerer, Shang Tsung, knowing him to be the Lin Kuei’s finest assassin-”
“Really?” I interrupted, because I had been told he was fighting for Earth realm when I last heard. The deliberate lie made me feel like a naughty child who couldn’t be trusted. I fought not to show the anger and annoyance on my face as the Grandmaster frowned at me. Resuming speech, he replied, “Yes Sub-Zero. Your brother was on an assassination mission. He hoped to honorably fight through the tournament, and defeat Tsung in a final battle. Close sources at Shang Tsung’s island claim he failed dismally.”
“What happened?” I spoke quietly, my eyes widening, anticipating the worst.
“Yes,” he murmured in reply, again with the air of reading my worst thiughts, his voice grave and his eyes distant. “Sub-Zero was murdered in Kombat.”
The silence that followed was long and dragging. I felt cold and empty, despit the fact that headquarters had been at 10degrees for years.
PART 1-------------------------------------- As I lay in my stunned stupor, hundreds of memories flashed through my head of the man I respected more than any other human and looked up to. It should have been a sealed fate, as being in our ninja clan was bound to slice off a few decades of your life, and danger was never far off, but it was shocking that my 39-year old brother had just been slain. “...Keith?” I slowly came back to Earth, blinking away tears as I looked into the face of the sympathetic Grandmaster. Opening my mouth, I hissed very icily,”Who killed him?” Very taken aback by my change of tone, the Grandmaster mumbled, “Well-err- I-don’t know,” “You must have some idea,” I reasoned. “Well, I have....my guesses...” almost immediately he blurted,” We believe it to be the work of Hanzo Hasashi, better known as Scorpion, a Shirai Ryu operative.” “Scorpion...” I mumbled slowly to myself, trying to put my finger on this familiar, yet cloudy name...then it clicked in. “I know him, he’s that bloke who tried to kill my brother ten years ago when he went to that Nepal mountain range.” And then something else clicked. “But he’s dead!” I blurted. “Egg- zactly,” answered the Grandmaster. The next day, I was still shaken by my brother’s death, and did some crying to get rid of that feeling before heading to the dojo. As my hand grasped the door handle, another hand grasped my shoulder. I swiveled around, only to find Ghan, one of the higher ranked Lin Kuei warriors. He was dressed like an executioner, with dark pants, animal skin boots, shirtless and wearing a black hood. He spoke in a deep, booming and business-like tone, “I have some news from the Grand master.” “Let’s hear it,” I sighed. “Shao Kahn, the Emperor of Outworld, has taken the pleasure of hosting the Mortal Kombat tournament, and he has sent a personal invitation to some of the best clans, organizations, and Academies in Earthrealm,” he bowed after saying “Shao Kahn” and “Outworld” because his lifelong dream was to live in the chaotic realm. I frowned. “But the next tournament can’t start until the next generation,” I said, puzzled. “And also, Earthrealm doesn’t need to compete, because we won this one.” “Well, all I know is that Kahn has fiddled with the rules, and if Earth backs out, their as good as ruled by Kahn,” he replied, swelling with pomp. “Just go to the Preparation dojo, and they’ll explain it all.”