Chapter

Original A/N:

Howdy again, y'all!
I've been fixating on MK hardcore for close to a month now, and, during that month, noticed how little love the original timeline gets for fanfic! I mean, I recognize points where it sucks, but the 2000's era games are super nostalgic for me. So is the old movie, and I recently started reading the comics. So, I'm crushing hard on the franchise again and decided to look for some fic with genderswapped characters (because that's a trope I love so much), and yknow what? It's pretty damn rare here! I did find a couple featuring the Mulan/Sweet Polly Oliver thing (a woman dressing and pretending to be a man) and, while I love the trope and thoroughly enjoyed the fics I read, they got me thinking: How much would that screw with your gender identity? Now, to preface, I'm agender, but I live my life as a gender non-conforming woman, so my perspective is already a bit skewed. I'm going to try to avoid some unfortunate implications (such as Gender Expression=Gender Identity), but I will warn you that I refer to Kuai as both He and She. That comes down mostly to POV switching, but is also due to some things I want to touch on later, such as Kuai having limited vocabulary to describe her identity. Other Notes: Fic title comes from "Everything Is Going Great" by Tiny Stills . Also, I made sure to have 10k of this fic typed out before posting anything. I'll try to pace myself on that to ensure semi regular updates, but I can't promise anything. Comments feed the beast, good or bad, so I'd appreciate if you left one :) Without further ado, Enjoy the fic!

Blood soaked into the soil beneath the broken body of Scorpion's mortal enemy, the bastard responsible for the death of himself, as well as his family and clan. The blue uniform and armor of the downed opponent were soaked with blood. Blood that had belonged to both fighters separately at one point, now mingled together in the fibers of each warrior's clothing. Sub-zero lay a pitiful heap in a puddle that could no longer be determined as either his or Scorpion's life blood.

Why a dead man like himself still bled, Scorpion did not know. All he knew, was that it was time to finish Sub-zero off. The ice wielder looked pathetic in his defeated state, there was no reason to draw out the inevitable now. Though the wraith had been certain that he'd killed this opponent once after the last tournament, he would spill the man's blood a thousand times just to be certain he felt the pain and rage this Sub-zero had inflicted on his very soul.

He wrenched the fallen warrior up by the front of his clothing to look the murderer in the eyes as the light faded from them. His eyelids fluttered as he was jerked around so violently. With his other hand, Scorpion wielded hellfire, ready to inflict a miserable death on the wretch. Had he lips left to smile, he would have. Regardless, his satisfaction would be complete with this final strike.

The blue clad warrior, lighter now than he recalled him being the last time he had snuffed out his life, grasped at his wrist with a shaky grip, a wheezing breath forced between his teeth, barely audible behind his mask. Scorpion hesitated, allowing the Lin Kuei scum his final words. The defeated man's eyes fluttered open with visible effort as he fought for consciousness.

Go ahead... get it over with. Kill me, as you killed- his shoulders shook from the pain of his lungs fighting hard against broken ribs, my brother. To his credit, this Sub-zero did not look away as he faced his death. He stared the white eyed spectre in the eyes, his own a sharp mix of blue and brown. The young man grit his teeth loud enough that Scorpion could hear the surfaces grinding against one another. He saw a familiar burning hatred in that cold blue gaze, one that stemmed from the pain of lost family and the need for retribution.

Brother? the phantom breathed, fingers tensed into a white-knuckle grip in the man's clothing. As the word left his mouth, he felt the haze of bloodlust clear, that wrath that lead his blind self through un-life now replaced with uncertainty. The fire in his other hand trembled and flickered, threatening to go out. If this was not the same man he'd killed before, then-

Yes... my elder brother. The Sub-zero before myself. The man you murdered at the last tournament, he paused for a moment to catch his breath, eyes narrowing against his misery, Kill me, now. Get on with it, bastard, this younger Sub-zero hissed, voice dripping with venom. After a brief moment's hesitation to piece together this new information, Scorpion released the man unexpectedly, allowing him to fall to the hard ground with a thud. The wounded man curled in on himself, groaning in agony, eyes squeezed shut as he clasped his arms around his ribcage. Scorpion was deaf to the shallow wheezing of Sub-zero's breath.

So many things made sense now. He had killed the one that had taken his life and family from him. This man- more likely boy, if his stature and voice were any indication- wasn't the same that he'd watched rip the head off of his downed opponents. This one spared his opponents or ended their suffering swiftly if necessary. This Sub-Zero was innocent- or as close as a man of his profession could be, and had nearly died for the crimes of his brother. Scorpion, the soul cursed with hellfire and bound by vengeance, had gotten his revenge, and yet felt no relief from the all consuming hatred within. Beyond that, he'd lost all logic in the pursuit of twisted justice. He stared at his own trembling hands, then at his collapsed opponent. The man remained stock still, likely having passed out from the tremendous pain of his wounds.

It was too much for the dead man to take in. He left the younger man to lay on the hard soil, vanishing in a flood of fire and weaker damned souls which clung to him in a vain attempt to escape their suffering. Whether his opponent succumbed to his injuries or not was far from the forefront of Scorpion's mind. Instead, like a coward, he fled, thoughts swimming without focus, disrupting the lake of his mind with infernal splashing. Nothing made sense. He had taken his revenge, and yet here he still stood as an earthbound spirit. A soul held together with anguish and hatred. There was no rest for his tortured being. Scorpion punched a nearby tree with all the force he could muster, splinters of the rough bark embedding themselves in his hand, though he could barely feel it.

The time he spent there, hurling abuse at the tree, seemed an eternity, but he had sorted his thoughts into something coherent by the end of it. He wronged this young man, just as the elder brother and his vile clan had wronged him. Though he was part of the same disgusting clan, this warrior held more honor than he could if he'd joined in the slaughter of the Shirai Ryu. Scorpion was setting another soul on the path he'd been forced to follow. It was an existence that none should be forced into, filled with only pain and anger. He screwed his white eyes shut, leaning heavily against the tree he'd brutalized. Sighing, he resolved to protect this Sub-zero, the younger brother of the man who shattered his world. What a long and tiresome endeavor this would be.

* * *

Upon waking on the unyielding ground, Sub-zero groaned in pain. I will surely feel this for a while, the assassin thought calmly. It would not have been the first time Sub-zero had been injured in kombat, nor were these wounds weren't fatal, would most certainly not be the last. The wounded pride hurt most of all, it would seem. Slowly, and with great effort, the warrior stood and began walking in the direction of the main palace grounds where the tournament had been held.

Though the walk was slow, each step causing pain to shoot up Sub-zero's injured body, the structure soon came into view. After finding a safe, secluded room, the blue clad warrior collapsed into a resting position. A good bit of time passed before the door was pushed open by Smoke, his silver hair falling elegantly around his shoulders, a concerned look marring his features. Sub-zero suppressed the urge to reprimand him about removing his hood, for at least he had kept his mask on this time. The other Lin Kuei had been waiting impatiently for his friend to return, and had obviously been driven frantic at his friend's long absence. He'd been looking for a while, as Sub-zero could tell, eyebrows creased with worry.

Kuai! What happened? he yelped, rushing over to his wounded friend, grey eyes flooded with worry.

I confronted Scorpion. I- fuck, I wasn't strong enough, Tomas. He bested me, Sub-zero replied, voice cracking. The assassins had been sent to rid the world of Shang Tsung, though the younger of the two had come for vengence. And now I've failed both the Grandmaster and Bi Han, Sub-zero thought with shame.

That is unimportant, my friend. Undress, I need to see the extent of your wounds, he said, helping his friend rise slowly from the floor. His gentle actions and tone of voice allowing the injured assassin to relax a bit, spirits higher than before.

Ha! You just want to see me in the nude. Don't act so innocent, Tomas, the other told him sarcastically, barking laughter that brought a tear to the warrior's eye, equal parts pain and humor.

The heavy clothing came off to reveal how much smaller Sub-zero's figure was than would be assumed, as well as the curves of the warrior's body. Kuai hesitated when the chest wrappings were all that was left between collarbone and waist, picking at the wrapped length of cloth that bound the offending lumps of flesh. I may have been joking about it before, but please allow me some dignity while you tend my wounds, Tomas. Just this one barrier.

I've seen your breasts before, Kuai. You need to remove your bindings so I can check your ribs. I assure you that there is no ulterior motive to my request. I'm not perving on you.

A slight flush of color reached the normally stoic assassin's cheeks, but she nodded, and the bandages were undone, revealing the fully nude torso of a young woman. She moved to fold her arms over her chest, but gasped when the action pulled at her tender wounds. Adrenaline now worn off, she could feel every instance of broken skin. Each bruise brought to attention as she maneuvered her body, most of them deep beneath pale skin. The silver haired man looked at her sympathetically.

I'll go fetch some water to clean your wounds. Relax here for a moment, Xue. I'll be back as soon as possible. With that he left, and Kuai was alone in the room feeling equal parts exhausted and filled with dread. There was no way for her to relax in this unfamiliar environment, not when she was surrounded by skilled kombatants while she herself was so vulnerable. She had been passing the time by considering what she would tell the Grandmaster of her terrible failure in her mission when the door opened once again.

That was quick. I should have known you have already been raiding the kitchen, Tom- she cut herself off abruptly. The new arrival was not, in fact, her fellow Lin Kuei. Instead, Major Sonya Blade stood just barely inside the room, mouth agape as her wide eyes traveled downward, then back up to the injured woman's face as she remembered her manners. Kuai cleared her throat awkwardly.

Sub-zero? I can't exactly claim that I expected this, the soldier said after a moment's pause, a hand coming up to rest on her hip.

The same could be said for your presence here, Major.

Yeah, well, there's only so much I can tolerate of Cage's attempts at getting in my pants. Had to find somewhere to hide out. Mind explaining yourself? Sonya, having fully composed herself, closed the door gently and sat down a respectful distance from the half naked woman, arms folded. Now seated, she allowed herself some curiosity about the details of her fellow kombatant's gender, Are you a woman, or-?

Yes, unfortunately. It... makes things complicated. I would rather this secret not leave the room. Sub-zero looked at her with an expression that could almost be called pleading if only more of her face were visible, From one woman to another, I assure you that it is vital to my safety that everyone else here- save one exception aside from yourself- believe me to be a man, the assassin explained.

Exception aside from myself? Who else knows? The Major asked. Before the other woman could answer her question, the door swung open once again to reveal the silver haired assassin with a bucket an cloth in hand. A look of exasperation crossed his face and he sighed.

Welcome to the party, I suppose. Seriously, Sub-zero, I leave you alone for ten minutes-

Smoke, I do not control the rooms that other people decide to barge into without warning. Major Blade, I would like to request that you leave while my wounds are tended to. If you must ask further questions, I will try to do so, but I make no promises.

The blonde grunted in agreement, then allowed the two of them some semblance of privacy. She heard some quiet squabbling between the two left in the room, along with a pained hiss as Sub-zero's wounds were cleaned. The sound of Sonya's boots hitting the stone floor echoed off the walls as she searched for a new hiding spot. As she did, she mulled over her decision about the truth of the ice manipulating fighter's identity. In the end, it made sense to keep the information to herself unless it were to become of importance for the Special Forces or their allies. It held no bearing on her life, after all. The soldier groaned internally as she saw a certain Hollywood actor close in on her location, weighing Sub-zero's need for privacy against her own.

Kuai redressed herself with some help, gritting her teeth as her tender injuries were agitated by the movement. The other Earthrealm kombatants, those who were associated with the thunder god, had gathered as they waited to leave Outworld and return to their lives. As they drew nearer to the other fighters, Sub-zero shrugged off Smoke's support, wanting to maintain her image of strength in front of everyone. Sonya gave her knowing look, before turning back to Raiden to discuss details she might report to her superiors. The Lin Kuei joined the group of displaced warriors, then, in a radient flash, all returned to their own realm.

Trudging through the snow covered forest floor filled Kuai with relief, the bite of frosty air in her lungs giving her the energy to continue the trek to the compound. Whatever punishment the Grandmaster, her father, had planned for her failure was unable to weigh her spirit down. On the outskirts of clan territory, she began to feel something off in the air, but when she viewed the training yard she truly understood. Her clanmates, what few of them she could see, held her gaze with fearful distance. Approaching the grand door to enter their temple, she was filled with dread at what she might find.

* * *

A military base, such as the Special Forces base that Sub-zero found herself at now, was such a haunting location for the Lin Kuei. It held a familiarity to the temple and compound she had spent the vast majority of her life living in, yet enough differences to feel alien. Every moment she spent there made her anxious, expecting to see one of the men she had spent her adult life fighting alongside, only to turn and be greeted by the green and tan of fatigues- not Lin Kuei blacks and blues.

Her head swam as she went over the events that had transpired over the last couple months and prepared herself to explain her presence to the Major. A shaking breath escaped her lungs, and she was immediately glad to have been placed in this unoccupied room to wait for Sonya Blade.

The blonde opened the door with more force than necessary, causing Kuai to jump in her seat. As the other woman crossed the floor with that scathing look of hers, the cryomancer found herself thankful for her face being half covered. So much had happened that it was cracking her frosty facade into small pieces. Any more would cause her to cry pathetically from the stress, and she couldn't afford such a show of weakness.

She flexed her hands, balling them into fists and relaxing as she willed her ice to be controlled. The sensitivity it gained from nerves was normally advantageous in battle, but she feared that she would freeze the table and chair she sat at if she could not calm herself. Major Blade took a seat across the table, folding her arms in front of her chest.

I need to know why you're here, Sub-zero. I have serious doubts that this is a social call, so speak, she ordered impatiently. Kuai wrapped her quaking hand around the small paper cup of water that she'd been given, but hadn't drank from. Channeling the prickling sensation of her ice into it made her feel more in control than before, but still she struggled to form a sentence.

The Lin Kuei are no more- at least not as they once were, she settled on saying, though it was a dramatic oversimplification. Even that proved difficult to choke out. Her eyes stung with the threat of tears.

What do you mean by that, exactly?

The Grandmaster was usurped, assassinated by his own men. The Cyber Initiative, they called it. Turning every last warrior into little more than obedient killing machines.

And they weren't before? The soldier scoffed.

Am I not proof enough to the contrary? No, forget it. They were literally transformed into machines with no free will. Some of them... by force, she replied. Frost crawled up her arms as her throat constricted.

She tried not to think of Tomas. Aside from herself, he was likely the one the wanted most for his powers. He was probably already gone. If only it had been her, then maybe... It was getting hard to breathe now, her chest ached like she'd been running for hours. Weak! A voice echoed in her head, a real warrior would remain stoic, not succumb to his emotions.

Just why did you come here then? The soldier leaned a little closer to her, losing some of her military rigidity. Her eyes softened as she looked at the distraught young woman in front of her.

In all honesty, Major Blade, I have no where else to go. The Lin Kuei were all I ever had. They have marked me for death, so now... I have nothing. Even my best friend. He- they got him and I.. I left him to that horrible fate, she rest her forehead in the palm of her hand, shoulders trembling as she regained her composure, You have every reason to simply tell me to go to hell, and I would understand if you did. I just... needed somewhere to go, at least for the moment. Say the word and I'll leave.

Hey now, I didn't say that, the other woman soothed, placing a hand on Sub-zero's frost covered shoulder, this situation may be complicated, but if it truly is as you say, and your clan has become this sort of threat, then we have a common enemy here. Together, we can do something about it. And, well, one woman to another, I'd rather not have it on my conscience that I forced you to face your death sentence like this.

The blonde had an older-sisterly quality to her that caused Kuai's cracked mask to truly crumble. She broke down, sobbing quietly into her hand as the true weight of her circumstances hit her. Though she wished to desperately, she couldn't stop the volley of emotion that rushed from her in fat droplets. Sonya grasped her shoulder in firm reassurance until the last tear had fallen.

Sub-zero hiccuped in an undignified manner. The last time she had wept like this had been as a fifteen year old girl, punished for a crime she didn't commit. Even then, she did not have the same sort of warmth and support in the moment as she had received from a near stranger. How bizarre it was, to find such comfort and safety at that time.

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