Open Chapter 3

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A slightly AU Mortal Kombat Fan Fiction
A counterpart to From a Woman’s Point of View by natashaheisenburg
Rated T for violence, language and suggestive themes
Chapter 3

Two more days passed without notable incident. Conversation was scarce between the travelers, it seemed.

On occasion, a beast attacked. While no two encounters were the same, their results were always similar: dead or chased back within minutes.

After the third attack that day, Scorpion noticed that Zeiva didn’t seem well. She seemed to be breathing a bit heavily and she appeared a bit flushed.

When she suddenly began to fall backwards, Scorpion rushed to catch her. She did seem unusually warm. It annoyed him – if she was sick, then they’d have to stop for a while, and he just wanted to get to the damn base already…

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She tried to speak, but it only vaguely sounded like “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Liar… he thought, squinting. “As much as I hate delays, you obviously need to rest. We can continue the journey tomorrow; let’s go find a cave.”

“Really, I’m fine, Scorpion,” she mumbled, a little more clearly.

He scowled. She was terrible at fibbing. “Fine… It’s just the heat,” she admitted.

He wasn’t surprised. “I guess you aren’t accustomed to the heat… I guess being in the Netherrealm does pay off.” So damn ironic… He chuckled humorlessly. “Come on, let’s go.” He looped one arm across her shoulders and the other under her knees. And he lifted her up.

“I’m fine, Scorpion! Put me down!” she demanded.

He said nothing, continuing down the path. She glared for a moment but closed her eyes, laying her head on his shoulder. Scorpion let her for the moment; she was probably exhausted as it was.

---

Scorpion counted thirteen more pointed stones until he could find another suitable cavern. Zeiva was asleep in his arms the entire time.

Although it wasn’t even sundown, he decided to make a fire; it would help repel any potential predators. That, and he didn’t have to worry about making one later.

He lay her down gently near the back of the cave to rest, and moved just a few meters towards the front, intending to keep a lookout… just in case.

He was irritated to no end; they were getting so close! The last carved stone he’d bothered to read only read “seven”! Less than seven kilometers left, and she had to get sick. Had to get a fever.

And he still had to look after her, anyway.

He sighed heavily. Many silent moments passed. Nothing came into the cave, thankfully, but he kept vigilant. Something could invade at any moment. Occasionally, he would glance back to Zeiva, to see if she just happened to stir. He somewhat hoped she would, maybe even with enough strength to continue, and he certainly hoped that this would be the last night they’d have to spend alone in an Outworld cave.

At least he’d sleep alone once he got to base.

His mind wandered to the first night. Scorpion was still astonished at the amount he had told her.

He remembered the lullaby, and the fact that he had sung it in front of her… he felt a bit lucky, at least, that she didn’t seem to mind. It served its purposes, even. She slept well and he relieved some of his stresses.

He was feeling near a boiling point, and she was already resting anyway…

For the second time on that journey, he sang. His occasional glances toward her continued throughout.

When he ended, he had been looking at her. She stirred. He watched her try to stand up, but she slowly sunk back down with a groan. That wasn’t good…

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked.

“I think so,” she rasped.

Scorpion made his way back to her. Her cheeks were still red, and she seemed tired. Carefully, he placed his palm on her forehead. Her fever hadn’t improved. How could she possibly even claim to feel better?

He sighed, shaking his head. “You should stop lying. You’re hot.” She seemed to flush a bit more, and he realized that the way he’d phrased that was… off. “I-I meant that literally,” he clarified.

She pushed herself up to sit against the cave wall, somewhat shaky. Scorpion watched her, anxious. Don’t strain yourself… he silently pleaded. He didn’t want more to deal with, not so close…

“Thanks for worrying,” she said, looking at him.

Scorpion looked away.I’m not doing this for you… “I don’t give a damn what happens to you… but Raiden would kill me if you died, and he wouldn’t be pleased if you were in less than perfect condition.”

He half-expected an upset outburst, but he didn’t get one. “Oh,” was all she said.

A long silence. Only the flames spoke, their incomprehensible, crackling dialect echoing in the cavern.

She groaned again out of weariness. He tensed slightly. She was probably in a bit of pain…

“You were asleep for quite some time,” he finally said.

No response.

A shorter silence. The fire chattered on.

She let out a series of short sounds, all amplified by the walls. He looked towards her and was horrified to see several tears rolling down her cheeks.

What was this!?

“W-Why are you crying?” he stammered, stunned. He had no clue what to do. This was the woman he was supposed to escort to base, and she was upset and he didn’t even want to do this, and--! “Stop it!” he snapped desperately. “Your crying is echoing! Don't draw attention to us!”

“Shut the hell up,” she demanded. She glared at him through her tears. Her eyes seemed particularly piercing, and so he was silent.

He looked away, seeing no other course of action. The flames continued burning brightly. They even flared up once or twice, seeming to snap frustratedly at him.

Even when he noticed she’d stopped, they still cracked at him. The fire he’d made actually seemed angry…

He shook his head lightly. That had been a bit ridiculous… He looked back towards Zeiva.

“Am I allowed to speak now?” he asked sarcastically. Something in the flames behind him snapped loudly. “Are you all right now?” he added, with a small but surprising amount of softness.

She didn’t seem to catch it, though. She just nodded and leaned her head on her knee. She seemed a bit wearier than before, staring at him.

“You know, you never really finished your story,” she reminded.

Scorpion almost flinched. “What story?” He was fairly certain he knew what she was talking about, but he thought he’d told her enough as it was…

“Your life story, Scorpion. What happened after you were given life?” she asked.

He sighed inwardly. He had a feeling… “You mean after I became a ninja spectre?”

She nodded, that curious light in her eyes again. She was just as sincere as the first night, he could tell…

He thought fleetingly – very fleetingly – of his first years as a spectre, honing his power in the Netherrealm… learning through torment.

But looking at Zeiva, he didn’t dare refer to that. She seemed too… innocent for that, in a strange way. But, he thought, all mortals were innocent of the tortures of the Netherrealm.

He sighed. There was still no harm… “Well, I won’t delve into details.” He quickly decided to speak only of the tournament and onward… “I found Sub-Zero two years after my death, in the last true Mortal Kombat tournament. Shortly after the battles, but before the survivors left the island, I had my revenge. I returned to the Netherrealm immediately after, thinking my quest complete.

“It wasn’t. A year later, Shao Kahn hosted his faux tournament here in Outworld. I’d caught wing that Sub-Zero was going to compete. I was infuriated that somehow my murderer had escaped from Hell. But during the tournament… I was able to witness one of his matches. And what I saw surprised me.”

Zeiva seemed to perk up a bit, constantly curious. “What did you see?”

Scorpion couldn’t help but smile at her innocence under his mask. “Sub-Zero… spared his opponent’s life. I was… shocked that he had suddenly become merciful. But I later found that this wasn’t my killer. It was his younger brother – your Grandmaster, the Sub-Zero we know today.” He paused, searching her expression briefly. He thought that hearing about her mentor would instill some sense of pride into Zeiva. If she was affected, she didn’t show it very much.

“Shortly after the faux tournament, Shao Kahn invaded Earthrealm,” he continued. “I did participate in driving them back, but not from the beginning. Kahn actually tried to recruit me into his ranks. I did not move. Then he made the mistake of revealing that Sub-Zero was among the Earthrealm survivors. I, having vowed not to fight him, joined Raiden’s chosen shortly before their final confrontation with Kahn. When it was over, I returned to the Netherrealm once again.

“But I knew I would not be there long.” He paused. He was about to speak of his greatest nemesis, a key cause to much of his grief. Yet…  “…A sorcerer by the name of Quan Chi came to me, asking me to assist him and his lord, the fallen Elder God Shinnok, in a conquest of the Heavens. Initially, I refused. Then, he claimed that he knew who was behind the massacre of my clan and the murderer of my family: Sub-Zero.”

“But--!” Zeiva protested.

Scorpion instantly held out his hand to ask for silence. “I know! …Now I know.” The fire hummed.

“He fabricated a vision to prove his point. He showed Sub-Zero murdering my wife and child.” He paused again, already feeling anger surging from within. “He… He even went so far as to show that Sub-Zero had raped my wife before killing her. Offering me a chance to take my revenge and another chance at mortal life, I believed him.”

He paused again when he thought he saw a more horrified gleam in Zeiva’s eyes. He began to wonder if he should stop, but… now that he’d started, he felt he couldn’t. If it gets to be too much for her, he hoped, she’ll tell me to stop.

“Yet… I did many things during that time that I’m not proud of. I feel no need to repeat them, and I ask you not to inquire.” He stared firmly at her. She nodded. She didn’t tremble, but the look on what he could see of her face told him that had she been less familiar with the dark side of the world, -- any more innocent – she would have.

“…When I finally had my chance to confront Sub-Zero, I defeated him. But before I could make a killing blow, he proclaimed his innocence. At first, I didn’t believe him, but he made me… question myself. I had been directed to actions that I now regret. I wasn’t acting like myself at all.

“Suddenly, I couldn’t even fathom him being a cold-blooded killer like his brother, much less like the one the sorcerer had shown me.

“…And then he himself appeared and told the truth,” He paused again. He still remembered it clearly, all the sadness and rage boiling up. He glanced away from Zeiva, turning a scowl to the floor near the flames. They seemed to crackle at a slower, more solemn pace than before.

“And… what was it?” Zeiva prompted.

He looked her in the eye. “Everything he’d claimed Sub-Zero had done… he did it all himself.” Another long pause. Zeiva didn’t move, but her eyes revealed flickers of horror and what he thought might have been a flash of sympathy.

He was quiet for only another moment. “Then he tried to send me back to the Netherrealm. I wouldn’t have it. Before the spell could entirely take its hold, I grabbed him, and we were both sent there. For years, I hunted him down, tormenting him as I had been tormented before.

“Recently, however, he escaped. So have I. I was actually trying to find him before I was asked to escort you,” he finished. There was a light sting in the last few words, but he didn’t intend for it to be there…

Zeiva could only stare. “I… I’m…”

Scorpion was slightly surprised. It seemed as though she was trying to say she was sorry… For the second time, he placed his hand to her forehead. Warm. Her face was flushed, her eyes tired despite his tale. Feverish.

“You should get some sleep,” he declared, removing his hand. “You might get worse if you don’t.”

He backed away a bit, letting her lie down and close her eyes. She would be safe here. He had to make sure of it.

He turned back towards the entrance of the cave. He could only see Outworld’s night sky beyond its mouth… he looked towards the fire, feeling… strange. But in a better way. He felt… almost peaceful. Almost. He glanced toward the entrance. Quan Chi was out there somewhere… And he seemed to feel a bit… fatigued. It was strange. As a spectre, he usually didn’t need to sleep. He could, but he didn’t have to.

The fire emitted embers. It seemed to whisper amongst the usual snaps.

Scorpion looked toward the outside of the cave one more time. The fire would keep away beasts, and warriors seemed to be nowhere to be found.

The fire continued its murmurs. We are safe, we are safe, it seemed to say.

He looked back towards Zeiva and felt another strange rush of emotion. It startled him. He watched the firelight play with her features, giving her a soft and… rather inviting glow. She looked… angelic. He couldn’t really argue with it: by all means…

She was beautiful.

Thinking this to himself seemed to make his heart flutter. He was profoundly startled again.

I… I shouldn’t even have a heart, he thought. He couldn’t be… no, he couldn’t, he’d only met her days earlier. A feeling like that -- just… sudden – seemed reserved for teenagers, but even Scorpion would know that it happened to everyone now and again…

But her of all people…?

He turned the thought over another time or two as he lay down where he was, near her, then cast it aside. He already had… he already had someone to think about… someone to avenge.

…Frankly, the thought he’d just tossed was a stupid idea. He had no idea why he dwelled on it for even a heartbeat.

He drowsily watched her for a moment. She shifted, and a strand of hair draped itself across her face.

Without thinking, he reached out to gently – and carefully, damn him if he woke her up like this – sweep it away from her. Her hair was soft, he thought idly…

“Zeiva…” he murmured. Her name was lovely, too…

He closed his eyes. The last sound he heard was the fire humming, quieter than ever, as if it was falling asleep, too.