"Alright, I'll admit it. You got some makeup skills."
Kat examined her reflection on her phone. The black eye that had formed when she had been kicked was concealed entirely, while her split lip was barely noticeable through the layer of lipstick and gloss. Across from her, Cassie sipped her smoothie with a cheeky grin. This morning, the bridge of her nose was a nasty purple from her own bruising. Besides the bandage keeping her nose set straight, you couldn't tell she took an elbow to the face less than 24 hours ago.
"Told you, I learned a thing or two from dad's makeup artists."
Kat was silent, chewing lightly on her smoothie straw. While Cassie offered to take her out for smoothies so they could have a "sister talk," neither had attempted to broach the subject that was on both of their minds. Instead, they talked about their childhoods and school life as they observed each other. Both of them could see their mother in each other; Cassie had Sonya's posture and smile, while Kat had her hair and figure. With Kat's hair braided back like it was today, Cassie could mistake her for her mother from behind.
"What was she like growing up?" Kat quietly asked, moving on from chewing her straw to tearing up a napkin into a pile of shredded paper. Cassie didn't have to ask who Kat meant.
"Mom was…" Kat sighed, thinking of the right way to describe their mother. "At first, mom was great; dad said she would almost never put me down when I was a baby," Cassie chuckled, playing with her straw and making the plastic squeak.
"But, it didn't last. Apparently, on my first birthday, she left to help rescue Kenshi from a covert op mission he was in. Dad told me she hoped I would understand that duty requires sacrifices, but" she laughed half-heartedly. "It seems like almost everything was sacrificed for duty."
"Oh, dad tried his best; he even declined a few roles to focus on raising me. At least he waited until I was old enough to take care of myself before leaving for weeks at a time…."
Cassie trailed off into silence, keeping her eyes focused on the styled mosaic table. Kat was about to ask if she was alright when she spoke up again."
"You know, I always wanted a brother or sister," Cassie confessed, looking up at Kat. "Sure, I had Jacqui growing up; I practically lived with her sometimes. But, when I was younger, and I couldn't visit her, I'd wish I had someone to talk to when I was feeling lonely."
"Cass," Kat reached over the table and placed a hand on her arm. She could understand the loneliness she felt as a child; Kat had felt the same when living with her grandparents.
"It might be a little late, but we could try. You know, the sister thing."
Cassie smiled lightly, pointing at Kat with her straw.
"Isn't that what we've been doing? Having some sisterly bonding time?"
"Cass, I broke your nose, and you gave me a black eye. What sisters do that?"
Kat couldn't help but laugh at Cassie's statement, sending Cassie into her own fit of laughter. They could almost feel the thick tension that had been surrounding them dissipate as they laughed together. Suddenly, Cassie sat up, digging through her jacket pocket until she found her phone.
"Kat, scoot over; you're taking a selfie with me."
Kat's chair was pushed to the side to make room for Cassie to crouch next to her. Before Kat could protest, she heard the camera click, and Cassie's phone showed an image of Cassie smirking at the camera with a surprised Kat with a hand raised to try and push the phone away.
"Eh, close enough," Cassie said to herself as she pulled up her Friendships page. She quickly typed out a caption and posted the photo. Seeing what Cassie was doing, Kat pulled out her phone and opened the app. It wasn't hard to find Cassie's page and see that the photo had already gained about 100 likes and a couple of comments. She paused when she saw the caption Cassie wrote under the photo.
Who is cuter? Me or my sister?
Cassie's alarm went off, alerting them both they needed to get back to the base. As they were tossing out their trash, Kat froze as she noticed a figure across the street.
And he was looking straight at her.
Kat looked over at Cassie, concern obvious in her eyes as she looked at Kat before turning to find what she was looking at. When Kat looked back with her, her father was gone.
"Sorry, I… thought I saw someone familiar."
Kat trailed behind Cassie as they walked back to the base. Once in a while, Kat would look back to see if she could see him again. Once they reached the base, they quickly made their way to their bunks to change into their uniforms. After Cassie finished suiting up, she noticed she had a few notifications on her phone.
Kat-Attack added you to their friends list
Kat-Attack changed your Friendship connection to Baby Sis
Kat-Attack commented on your photo: obvs Im cuter
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"I haven't been able to re-summon that green halo. Raiden thinks it was triggered when I saw a loved one about to die…"
Kat listened as Johnny retold about their encounter with Shinnok. If it weren't for all the recordings and news articles about what happened years ago, she'd have a hard time believing all this was true. But, the energy she could control and people like Kenshi, Raiden, and Johnny were proof there was more to this world than meets the eye.
Kat was pulled from her thoughts as Jin and Cassie got into an argument. Kat rolled her eyes as Cassie flipped him off. Meanwhile, Takeda mentioned he was glad to join and see new places and faces. Kat couldn't help but smirk at his obvious look towards Jacqui during the last part of his comment. She didn't need to read minds to know what he was thinking.
"Anyway, your first mission as a team is simple. We haven't heard from the Grandmaster in a while, so we need you to make sure he's still on our side."
As Johnny explained their mission; check in on Grandmaster Sub-Zero and make sure the Lin Kuei are still their allies, Jacqui explained about the Lin Kuei and the Grandmaster's ability to manipulate ice. The plane set them down at the base of the mountain that led to the temple. The wind's chill made Kat shiver, thankful the thermal layering in her suit protected her from the worst of the cold.
"At least one of us is having fun," Jin commented, gesturing to Blitz, who had leaped out of the plane and into a pile of snow. Kat rolled her eyes, whistling for Blitz and tightening his combat vest.
"Alright, Jacqui and I will head south; Jin and Takeda, take the west; we'll rendezvous at the north gate. Kat, take Blitz and head through the east side, and find a way over the wall. Stay hidden; the Grandmaster has never met you, so we can use that to our advantage if things go south."
"Copy that," Kat led Blitz off the path and secured Blitz's harness with a rope to her waist before beginning to climb. The mountainside wasn't too steep, and Kat quickly reached the top and the high stone wall that separated the compound from the cliffside.
"Kat, we've reached the north entrance." Cassie's voice called to her through her earpiece.
"Roger, I just reached the wall, moving into position now."
Kat unhooked Blitz and backed up as far as she could before breaking into a sprint and running up the wall. As she began to lose momentum, she leaped and grabbed the top of the wall, pulling herself up until she was sitting on the edge.
At her command, Blitz took his own running climb and leaped as high as he could, allowing Kat to grab him by his harness and pull him over. They dropped down on the other side, and Kat quickly took cover behind a large tree. She could faintly hear the sound of fighting and quickly made her way to the source of the sound.
As Kat reached the border of an open courtyard, she could see Cassie was in the middle of a fight with an older man with a scar across his eye, Grandmaster Sub-Zero. Her first instinct was to run out and provide assistance, but as Cassie said, he didn't know about her. If Cassie and the others could wear him down, Kat could move in and catch him by surprise.
Kat watched from her hiding spot as Cassie and her team, one by one, fought the Grandmaster and were defeated. As each of them fell, they were caught and tied up. This was her chance; if she moved quickly, she could catch the Grandmaster off guard before the rest of the Lin Kuei could stop her.
The prick of an icy dagger at her throat froze her before she could even lift a finger. The chill of the blade seeped through the layers of her thermal uniform, making her throat feel numb from the cold.
"I wouldn't move if I were you." A female voice threatened, pressing the dagger harder against her throat. The chill of her breath against Kat's ear made her shiver.
"Alright, I won't…but he might."
On cue, Blitz leaped out of the bushes, and Kat heard the woman grunt in pain as Blitz bit down on her ankle. While she was distracted, Kat pushed the dagger away from her neck, which she noticed was actually a shard of ice in the shape of a dagger. Twisting around, Kat brought the woman's arm with her and twisted it behind her back. Kat hooked her other arm around the woman's neck.
From this angle, Kat could see she was dressed in the same uniform as the Lin Kuei. Her hair was short with a blue tint from what Kat could see through the fine layer of frost and snow that coated her hair.
"Nice try, but you'll have to try harder than tha- what?"
The woman used her free arm to grab Kat's leg. Suddenly, a thick layer of Ice covered her leg and made its way up her waist, and covered her right side, allowing the woman to break free as Kat's grip on her wrist loosened.
"How's that for trying harder?" The woman mocked as she delivered a swift kick to Kat's stomach. The force of the kick shattered the ice and knocked Kat backward into the courtyard, where everyone's attention turned to Kat and the woman as she stepped out into the open.
"Shit, Kat." Kat could hear Cassie say as she groaned, attempting to catch her breath after that kick took the breath from her.
"Katherine Stryker, I see you've met Frost," Sub-Zero said, walking over to Kat as she struggled to her feet. Blitz leaped in front of Kat and gave a warning growl, keeping his eyes trained on Sub-Zero.
"How do you know who I am?" Kat asked, standing up and raising her fists in a defensive stance. Who told him about her? How could he know she was here?
"Your father talked about you when we fought together. You've grown a lot since then," he explained, stepping closer. Blitz snarled and attempted to leap at Sub-Zero only to find his paws had been frozen to the ground, leaving him unable to stop Sub-Zero as he stepped around Blitz.
"You- you knew my father?" Kat asked, lowering her fists.
"Yes, and I know he is a weakness to you."
Cassie's shout alerted her just in time to dodge a blast of ice thrown by Frost at Kat's back. Sub-Zero took the opportunity to create an ice axe and slam it into Kat's side. She let out a cry of pain and swung a fist at Sub-Zero's head. As her fist connected with his head, she released a blast of energy from her bracer, making him stumble back. She fired another shot at Blitz's feet, shattering the ice and freeing him to fight the woman while Kat focused on Sub-Zero.
"I see your mother gave you her bracers," he noted, moving in close and creating an ice sword and swinging at Kat. She dropped low and swung her leg out, kicking him in the knee as she aimed another blast upward to his chest.
"Thanks for the reminder, still need to talk to her about that," Kat said, forming her energy whip and swinging it at Sub-Zero. He easily dodged the strikes and grabbed Kat by the next, creating ice around her neck that began to cover her chest. From behind, Kat heard a yelp from Blitz as the woman knocked him away from her, sending him sliding into a pile of snow.
"You're gonna catch hell if you kill us!" Cassie shouted, a pair of Lin Kuei forcing her to stay on her knees when she tried to stand up. She could see Sub-Zero pause, the ice stopping at Kat's waist before it suddenly began to crack and fall off her.
"Yes, I suppose so." With a gesture, one of the Lin Kuei members began to cut them free as Sub-Zero set Kat down. She immediately ran over to Blitz's side and checked him for injuries. Blitz happily licked her face as she ran her hand over his legs and chest, finding nothing bruised or damaged; from what she could see, most blows that hit him were aimed at his padded harness.
A whistle from across the courtyard made Kat turn around, and she was surprised to see Johnny leaning on a pillar with a smirk.
"Wait," Jacqui said, looking around. "This was all a…."
"A training exercise," Sub-Zero finished for her. "To test your skills working together as a team," he looked over at Cassie as Kat and Blitz joined the group. "You and your team show promise Cassandra Cage, but until your team can function as one, you will fall short."
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"How's your side, Kat?" Jacqui asked as the plane took off to return to the main base. After about an hour of training with the Lin Kuei and Cassie having an apparent rematch with Frost, the group had returned to the plane to report back to General Blade.
"Yeah," Kat said, wincing as she touched her side where Sub-Zero struck her. "Pretty sure he made the thing dull because it feels like I got hit with a bat instead of an axe."
"You should work on not hesitating when your dad is mentioned," Jin commented as he sat down. He swiftly earned a kick in the shin from Cassie.
"And you should work on following the plan."
"Alright, easy," Johnny said, stepping between the two. "You all did better than I expected; things can only improve as you all work together."
A call from his communicator made Johnny frown as he walked over to one of the computers.
"Just got a call from General Blade; we have Outworlders in Earthrealm."
"An invasion?" Takeda asked, looking at the rest of the group.
"Can't be. Isn't there a civil war going on? Plus, the Reiko Accords forbids it."
"The Reiko Accords won't mean anything if they took down the Kahn," Jin piped up as the plane began to land. Waiting at the landing zone was Kenshi. As they walked, Kat could see groups of people huddled together. Most were wearing more traditional; handmade clothing made for warmer climates. Were these the Outworlders? They looked like ordinary people.
"-nearly five thousand refugees, all from the civil war."
Kat's attention was brought back by Kenshi's breakdown. If these were refugees, they were going to need to set up temporary living spaces, hand out food, and make sure these people were taken care of. Kat followed the group into a tent where she could see Sonya and Raiden talking to a woman sitting at a table.
"Thanks, Kenshi. Could you and Mr. Cage join us?" Sonya said, gesturing for them to move closer. When Cassie tried to join Johnny's side, Sonya gave her a stern look.
"Sergeant Cage, you and your team as you were."
Cassie looked at Kat with a frown as she moved back to stand next to her. As Raiden introduced Li Mei, Kat casually reached out, giving Cassie's hand a tap. She could see Cassie jump and look down at her hand, smiling slightly as she took Kat's hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Tell me about the weapon," Raiden asks Li Mei after she finishes describing the attack led by a woman named Mileena.
"A talisman," Li Mei begins. "Gold, with a center jewel. Mileena wields its crimson energy without precision."
"Well, that's good then," Cassie speaks up.
"Not now, Sergeant Cage," Sonya silences her.
Kat feels Cassie's grip on her hand tighten.
From the description, it sounded like Mileena was in possession of Shinnok's amulet. Sonya couldn't believe that could be the case, but Raiden insisted on going to check to be certain. Kat noticed Sonya's look darkened when Li Mei mentioned a man whose eye glowed red.
"I'm going to the refugee camp. Gotta get to him before he finds a way out."
"Allow me to come with you, General."
Sonya froze, turning to look at Kat, who had called out to her.
"I worked with first responders; I can help with any refugees who were injured during their escape."
Her first reaction was to say no; she didn't want Kat anywhere near where Kano could be. Before she could say anything, she noticed Johnny giving her a look.
"Fine," she sighed. "Seargent Cage, I need the rest of your team to go to Outworld, confirm with Kotal Kahn that Li Mei's story is true."
"I'll join you at the camp," Johnny said.
"Go get an update on camp security from Colonel Flagg."
"Because then you won't be here."
The icy tone from Sonya's voice stunned Kat. She could see Cassie shared the same look and took a step forward but was stopped by Johnny. Kat could see Johnny give Sonya a look before walking off. Sonya frowned, watching her retreating form before looking at Kat.
Kat looked between Sonya and Cassie, noting the dejected look on her face, before looking back at Sonya.
"I need to speak with my sister first, ma'am."
Sonya watched as Kat walked over to Cassie, took her hand, and dragged her out of the tent. She led Cassie away from the tent, stopping near the dividing fence to the refugee camp. Both women were silent, Cassie continuing to squeeze Kat's hand. Finally, Kat spoke up.
"Less since they divorced and stopped living together."
"It's fine," Cassie said, slipping on her sunglasses. "I should be used to it by now."
"Do you want me to join you in Outworld? I mostly offered to join Sonya to talk to her, but if you need back-up-"
"Nah, it's fine," Cassie smirked, squeezing Kat's hand one final time before letting go. "These refugees could use your help more. It should be a quick in and out, and we'll be back before you know it.
"Alright, we'll talk more when you get back."
Cassie watched Kat walk over to the camp gates. Once she was sure Kat was out of sight, she quickly wiped away any stray tears under her sunglasses and left to rejoin her group.
