One night, in an ethereal recess between matter and soul, a deity befriended a mortal. It was through retaining the memory of her Mother and her Brother's schemes in a timeline unmade that Elder God Cetrion made a fateful decision. The Elder Gods' detachment from the living experience of mortals could only lead to ruin, even if indirectly. She humbly realised that the Thunder God Raiden had the right of it. His bond with mortals was a truer path to balance than her own steadfast allegiance to Kronika.

Thus, she reached out towards some curious soul; any may do. In doing so, her voice resonated within a man's meditation. That man was the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei: Kuai Liang, known across the realms as Sub-Zero. In him, she found a sober mind, and a soul full of deeds and principles. Their alliance proved extraordinarily effective as a force for good. But sometimes, their talks would stray from the ever-present concerns for the welfare of the realms.

"Is there room for love in your heart, Kuai Liang?" Cetrion asked him once.

"Love gets in the way." His tone fell strangely on her ears; his speech was often formal, but rarely cold as this.

"Love leads the way." The Elder God declared without a doubt in her mind. She knew Sub-Zero would hear no more on the subject, yet she trusted time would prove her right.

[ ]

A year passed. Catastrophes and tyrants loomed over the horizon, and heroes rose to vanquish them every time. But one day, a disturbing call echoed through the Netherrealm. It prefaced a coming scourge the likes of which had not been seen in a mercifully long time. Cetrion brought this to Sub-Zero's attention, but not merely out of confidence in his might.

This mission required his skills, and those of certain parties he was acquainted with. One was already in the Netherrealm, a close ally of the Lin Kuei and their Grandmaster. The other was more uncertain to locate, and even more troublesome to handle. Sub-Zero steeled himself with patience and all the tolerance - however little – he could muster. Thusly, he reluctantly set out to the shores of the Sea of Blood, where Kharon the old ferryman dwelt.

This was a likely place to begin the search for the blood fiend, the woman known as Skarlet.

He made his way to the shore and the old man's cabin. With every step, the crimsoned sand lingered to Kuai Liang's soles, as did a memory of another self in a different continuity. He did not experience the loss himself, but he was nonetheless made to acknowledge that his comrade and equal, Hanzo Hasashi, perished in this very landscape in another timeline. Such was a side effect of the universe's new birth: as a price for life, a hundredfold memento of death.

But amidst the fretful myriad ghost-memories of dead loved ones and innocent casualties, one death brings life-reassuring comfort. It clings to the air, the spray of the sea, and the scent of the soil. A certainty in this and all continuities.

Shao Kahn is dead.

His remains lay unmourned, zealously guarded inside of a hidden fortress in Outworld. Sub-Zero and many others played a part in his defeat, preventing Edenia's invasion and subsequent merging. Shao Kahn's fall spared Princess Kitana of Edenia from becoming one of the Conqueror's many 'daughters'. Even her half-sister Mileena was granted amnesty after her rescue from one of many ruinous timelines. But others were not as fortunate. Skarlet was plucked from the streets of Outworld long before Shao Kahn turned his gaze towards Edenia. Indoctrinated from childhood and bound to the Blood Code, she became an unparalleled assassin. But it was not her strength and agility what made her truly dangerous, or even her command of blood magic. Her resourcefulness and creativity made her truly lethal, a fitting right hand to her 'father'.

Kuai Liang remembered how she made frightening show of her capabilities during Shao Kahn's final stand. She alone could have turned the tide of battle. More than a sharply-trained assassin, she was a rabid beast unleashed. With such relentless fury in her offensive, one may have expected her to be careless, even sloppy. However, every strike, every slash of her blade was much too precise. Finding the vulnerabilities in her form was truly an accomplishment; surviving the encounter was a genuine feat.

Uncanny, Sub-Zero thought. How her movements suggested praise-worthy discipline; how her ferocity clashed so with her persona on the brief skirmishes leading up to the final showdown. Her blade was more conservative and predictable then; her words calmer, even friendly, and all the more unsettling for it. Though he could accurately assess her weaknesses, there was something he could not figure out. Her demeanour, her words, and her attempts to get close to him: were they a mind game, or did they obey a much baser drive?

Regardless of the purpose, Sub-Zero was convinced her words were deliberate. Her mind, though smeared in blood magic and her Master's influence, was sound. Now, he was not so sure anymore. She eluded apprehension after Shao Kahn's defeat, though there had been sporadic appearances. Some were uneventful, and others were suitably violent; both adversaries and victims shared no allegiance or trait, save for the blood ravenously taken from them.

With Shao Kahn dead, his daughter was left a wild card in the grand scheme of things. No allegiance. Likely no sanity or purpose behind her actions. For someone like that to wield blood magic, the best course of action may be to simply eliminate her. The realms would be spared then from another menace. But as chance or fate would have it, her abilities were now needed to prevent a calamity rising in the Netherrealm.

"She will be an invaluable asset in your mission." Cetrion had said, not altogether without reluctance. "Only one with such capabilities will be able to track the child."

"The child?"

"Somewhere in the Netherrealm, a little soul has begun to shimmer. It radiates life where by nature should not. I can sense power… of a divine scale in this soul. But in the Netherrealm, unreachable to the Elder Gods. This child must be secured, Kuai Liang. You know the dangers otherwise…"

Even now, outside of the old man's shack, Sub-Zero felt the same dread turning his thoughts bitter.

"I'll find this bloodhound, Cetrion. For the sake of the realms, I'll cooperate with her. But I won't hesitate to cut her down when she proves a danger herself."

"IF she does…" Cetrion spoke with subtle insistence. "I'll trust your judgement."

His judgement told him she would end the mission by slaying the child and taking their blood. Sub-Zero was prepared to kill Skarlet as soon as she fulfilled her purpose for this mission. He knew this was a cold-hearted approach, but the welfare of the Realms demanded such decisions.

[ ]

"Grandmaster." Old man Kharon greeted Sub-Zero. His voice sounded as old as the grave of the first man who ever died, yet one could always hear a dash of joviality in his words. "Been a long time since you last visited these parts."

"You may always call me by my given name, Kharon. Titles matter none in your presence." The man saluted.

"Lose the reverence, Liang. Makes you sound older than me. Laugh a little, live a little."

"Maybe some other time, Kharon. I come on duty."

"Should have seen that coming." The old man offered Sub-Zero a seat at the table. "Fair. Would you like a drink?"

Sub-Zero stole a glance at the red waves crashing outside. His palate chided him for mental association, but his mind was made up. He was parched from the journey, and it would be unseemly to turn down the courtesy.

"I'll have wine, if you have any."

"It's all I have. And waters from the Grey Sea, but I don't advise consuming those." The old man chuckled as he poured two cups. "Be sure to bring some of that rice spirit your pupils brew next time."

"I shall." Sub-Zero toasted. The red Outworld wine tasted rich and pleasantly bitter. "I do bring gifts for this occasion, however." Sub-Zero unpacked the small satchel he carried. It bore several volumes of literary volumes written across many regions of Earthrealm.

"Oh, this will do to inebriate my brain a little… The Old Man and the Sea?" Kharon grinned. "Did the Lin Kuei Grandmaster just make a joke?"

"Possibly." Sub-Zero afforded a discreet smile.

"I'm fine with that." Kharon chuckled. "I'll be sure to share some of this with our guest."

"Guest?" Alertness spiked in Sub-Zero's nerves.

"Yes. Is that not what you came about? Rendezvous here with your partner?"

Kuai Liang quickly put the pieces together. He had come to this place for the likelihood of finding Skarlet. But with this undertaking at hand, it was likely that she would be aware of it as well. Cetrion would not leave this unlikely alliance to mere negotiation.

She had no allegiance. No superior to answer to. No cause. Only hunger and an art that should have be lost beneath the sands of time. Cetrion must have reached out to Skarlet without him knowing. She must have coaxed her, or promised the assassin something to ensure her cooperation.

Sub-Zero was tempted to question everything Cetrion had ever told him. But present circumstances left doubt for another time. Right now, his instincts guided him to find Skarlet, and shield Kharon from any peril that may arise.

"Where is she?" Kuai Liang did not disguise the shift in his mood.

"She should be nearby. Said she needed to go for a swim." Kharon seemed unaware of his friend's tension.

"A swim…" Sub-Zero observed the shore. His eyes carefully scanned the movement of the waves, every shadow morphing on the surface, anything that could come off as the distorted shape of a woman.

There.

He stood up instantly. Old man Kharon nonchalantly poured himself another drink as he watched the Grandmaster make for the door.

The sand leapt high with every footfall as Sub-Zero ran across the beach to the edge where the blood brushed against the land. His muscles were relaxed, poised for kombat. The shore afforded little tactical advantage, so he would have to resort to sheer might and speed to dominate the duel. The temperature around his hands plummeted and the air began to crystallise.

Her naked figure emerged leisurely from the red water. She shook her head from side to side, spraying red from the dark locks of her hair. Skarlet had her back towards him, and she seemed unaware of his presence. She was vulnerable, and ripe for a surprise attack. Yet the woman continued to indulge in the open air, and she did not appear to mind the breeze. She splashed red water on her face and body, as if she could indeed wash herself with it. Only in the middle of it did she think to start looking behind.

She only peered a little in truth, and drank Sub-Zero's presence throughout a couple of seconds. The look in her eye was hard to define, but the right, visible corner of her mouth curled upwards into a smile. It was a rather charming sight in itself, turned unsettling for the acquainted.

"Grandmaster Kuai Liang…" She spoke with a voice like silk. "Fancy seeing you here."

He said nothing to her. His eyes were cold and firmly held on hers.

"How unseemly of one like you to stare." Skarlet slowly turned around. She covered her breasts with her arms, but nothing about it hinted bashfulness. "Not that I mind…"

"Why are you here?" He said dryly.

"I've been meaning to meet you. I thought you may think of finding me here." She held her gaze on his eyes as well, never blinking. Skarlet remained in the red water; she neither approached nor backed away.

Sub-Zero edged in her direction, knowing she had the advantage. She was literally in her element, with all sorts of weapons at her disposal, at the whim of whichever shape she chose.

"You may have joined me… had you arrived earlier. But we have a mission to fulfil, have we not?" She smiled. "Don't look so surprised, Grandmaster Kuai Liang. Cetrion reached out to me too. She warned that you may not trust me so easily."

Sub-Zero looked unfazed.

"I can see that… but I don't think you'll wish to kill me. Not yet anyway." Skarlet blinked slow and deliberately. "Now, would you allow me to get dressed, or would you stare at me longer?"

Kuai Liang turned around, and closed his eyes.

"Be quick."

He could feel her smirking at the sharpness of his words. He knew every movement she made, no matter how subtle, from the chill that lingered around her, which was like an extension of his own body. It mattered none to him if she thought him timid: a treacherous attack could be easily deflected by using false pretences. However, though nothing hinted at an incoming attack, she was certainly taking her time.

She fetched her bearings quick enough from behind the shadow of a rock. Everything after that was a moment drawn uncomfortably long. Her attire was either an elaborate one to put on, or she was deliberately testing his patience.

Suddenly, she stood still. No movement to sense in the air around her, not even the twitch of a finger to pull the blood at her feet to her grasp. Kuai Liang knew just what she was doing. She must have known that the sudden breeze was no accident, and that he would suspect her at every turn. She was not wrong in this assumption. The fact alone that she looked so well adjusted, despite her Master's defeat was enough to put Sub-Zero on edge.

Her smile grew wider. She waited for him to turn his head, to steal a peek. Though she was fully clothed, a gain on his curiosity would have made her day. But it was not to be. Her smile died as Sub-Zero walked away without even a glimpse in her direction.

The chill faded and the air around the shore became stale and dry. Skarlet turned to the sea, and her thoughts dwelt in its depths for a moment. She made Sub-Zero wait, something few people have ever done. There would be no harm in him waiting some more.

Shao Kahn is dead. No matter where she roamed or what she did, there was no escaping the fact. Skarlet felt no pain and she punctured the inside of her mouth with her teeth, compulsively chewing herself. Her own blood had no taste for her – no blood did anymore.

The all-devouring red of the landscape began to lose its intensity. Everything began to look grey, and sound slowly hollowed out. Skarlet sunk inside of herself, and she soon would drown. Cetrion's words were her only remaining lifeline. Ever since she was a child, Skarlet had the gift of imagination; surely she could hear the Elder God's voice in her mind at any moment.

"I said, be quick." Sub-Zero's stern voice startled the assassin. He grabbed her by the arm and harshly dragged her along, away from the shore. From their past interactions, this was the kindest way he ever laid hands on her. This was far from the things she wanted, but it was a start. Even during uncertain times, the notion of fulfilling wants filled her with mirth.

And she had many, many wants.

"What did Cetrion promise you?" Sub-Zero asked. "How did she enlist you to this mission?"

"She promised nothing." Skarlet said. "All she did was give me something I wished for, which you took from me…"

"What is it?"

"A purpose."

Her face was vacant of all humour now.

"Shao Kahn had to die. He destroyed all he touched. Even you, stupid woman. Yet you fail to see it." Sub-Zero's words cut like a blade.

"You don't know a thing!" Skarlet yelled, shaking her arm free from his grasp. "He saved me from the streets. He gave me power. He gave me new life!"

"He bound you to a disease. And this mission will be the best use for it in your entire life."

"A disease?" Something inside of the assassin took a violent turn. Her eyes now glowed with hatred. "How can this much power…" The waves at her back elevated behind her. Sub-Zero and she were enveloped in the shadow on the crimson loom. The tide would break at any moment she chose. "… be a disease?"

All at once, the waves came crashing down against Sub-Zero. He broke the collision by putting up an ice shield around him, which grew wider as the blood added to the barrier. Skarlet continued to apply pressure. Soon he would be overwhelmed, and at her mercy. But she lacked the patience for gradual punishment. Her heart called for vengeance, deadly and messy.

The assassin in red lunged at the barrier, through which she could see Sub-Zero's distorted silhouette. Skarlet broke through with ease, spearheading the bloody vanguard with merciless potency. But what her blades encountered were not what she expected. The body shattered into crude chunks of ice at her attack. From the mist of the destroyed replica, the figure of the true Sub-Zero came into view, too quick for her to counterattack or retreat.

"That…" His voice, grave and cold, was right in her ear, scolding her attempt on his life. "…was a tactic invented by a beginner." Skarlet could neither move, nor breathe. His left arm constricted the flow of blood to her brain, while the right kept her from prying free. She was losing strength fast, and with it, the waves died flat on the sand. "You pose no danger to me if you fell for such a small trick. You are reckless and clumsy!"

Her scream of anger came out a whimper of impotence.

"… And not the deft assassin I remember."

With that, Sub-Zero released the hold and threw her on her side. Now against the sand, her anger subsided. She did not feel humiliated or taunted. In fact, she felt nothing at all.

"You will aid me in this mission. I will let you live if you fulfil your part." Kuai Liang spoke. "But even if you force me to kill you, I will expect better from you. Now get up."

Skarlet's mind was torn as she saw Sub-Zero walking away. On one hand, she wondered if his tone now was much different from his role as mentor to the Lin Kuei. On the other, she weighed his words and acknowledged them true.

She had to be better.

Otherwise, she would never be able to revive Shao Kahn.