*backdated to Saturday the 24th*

[lt_blade]

Theme nights on Saturdays at the club made bouncing all the more interesting. Not that she had much to complain about, it was something to do and she got to listen to some nice music while doing it.  

The job wasn't nearly as stressful as some of her others, but somehow her hair was still a little messy even held back in a tail. She stretched her legs and she collected the bag containing her dress from the ball, kept in the back for safe keeping.  Due to the distance, she was compelled to change from the dress to her uniform in one of the dressing rooms of the second floor-an act that made Sonya glad that she wasn't so modest about such things.

She promised Scorpion they'd meet after the club closed for the night, and he finished helping Jane clean up. Why Sonya promised in the first place, she knew that well enough: she was only at the ball for an hour or so, and after all the time teaching Scorpion to dance and only to rush things. But why she felt guilty in the first place, and why she seemed to blush afterwards, was what she'd like to know for herself. Yes, she was being honest with Webster when she said it was nice to have someone who seemed to understand where she was coming from, but that wasn't enough to really mean anything beyond comradeship.

She shook her head  and stepped outside the club: she was probably just making a big deal out of nothing. It felt good talking to him, that's all.

Comments

[lt-blade.livejournal.com]

She nodded, closing her eyes a moment. She couldn't really think on what to say on the subject, not in terms of morality, and after all, part of her vendetta against Kano was for similiar reasons.

"I have to stress that I'm just going from what you've told me, and drawing my own conclusions." She looked at him. "You remember when we first started piecing bits of your past, and I told you we shouldn't rush things. Well, I did come up with something."

"The termenology of the U.S. Special Forces has some basis in the concept of 'Face', and along with that its facing death with resolve. You join the clan to provide a decent, maybe more than decent, life for your family. I'm not calling you a coward, but when you were killed at a rival's hands, I'm willing to bet that you already started to fear what may happen to your family after your death-which could explain in the first place why you didn't 'move on'."

[get-over-here.livejournal.com]

Scorpion was silent for a short time.

"It turns out I was right to fear for them."

He didn't venture any further. He would allow Sonya to continue if she wished.

[lt-blade.livejournal.com]

She nodded, thinking a moment.

"As to the 'why', well, I think we both know that." If Sub-Zero and Scorpions' clans were rivals, they wouldn't be satisfied with just his death-they'd probably go after the family as well so they wouldn't retaliate. "It's the 'how' that's the kicker." She looked at him. "And I'm afraid I don't know that question, I can't even really come up with a theory."

Sonya held back a yawn. "This is frustrating isn't it. Here, you're able to piece together your past, but not solve the other puzzle about your family."

[get-over-here.livejournal.com]

"It would be useful to know what was on that scroll we were both sent to look for. It must have been important."

He hadn't been surprised if he hadn't been told anything about the scroll.

"But, I am content to bide my time here working on recovering memories. If I knew exactly what happened, I would only think about getting back to Earthrealm."

[lt-blade.livejournal.com]

Sonya suddenly didn't feel so tired.

"One thing at a time. What do you mean by 'we'?" Was it a joint mission? Sonya doubt if that was the case, given that the two rival clans were at odds with eachother-that would've been like the Special Forces siding with the Black Dragon.

[get-over-here.livejournal.com]

"Sub-Zero was after the same scroll. I don't remember who exactly sent us after it, and why they would hire rival clans."

He looked at Sonya again. By now he was expecting her to figure it out rapidly.

[lt-blade.livejournal.com]

She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, Dr. Watson." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "That means several things: one, whatever was on that scroll must've been extremely important and valuable for this client to hire two top members of rival clans for the same mission. This person knew one of you would've had to find this map, and was willing to deal with the 'winner' finding out. Which brings me to point number two: This person would have to either be extremely wealthy or be well connected to be able to pay both of your clans at the sametime." Hell, a lone hitman could cost a few hundred dollars, so a skilled assasin and thief would double or triple that.

She paused. "Or..extremely powerful."

The pieces fit, she thought to herself.

"What if.." Her voice was a little quiet, because she was speaking her toughts outloud. "Sorcery isn't uncommon. What if someone skilled in black magic made a deal with both clans: suppose in exchange for the map, he would find a way to get rid of the rival clan."

It made sense. After all, Scorpion himself believed that Sub-Zero wasn't 'wholy' responsible for the death of his clan and family. And someone would have to have either a lot of power or connections to find and eliminate not on the clan members but their families.

[get-over-here.livejournal.com]

Scorpion gritted his teeth as his temper rose. Vengeance was much more difficult when one did not know who exactly their target was. Sonya's ideas sounded very plausible, but it made his blood boil to consider some sorcerer.

"If that is true, then that sorcerer will know new meaning to the word pain!"

It was a promise.

Then, a bit calmer, he added, "I do not think this would have been Shang Tsung. He would have concocted some type of plan to dispose of me, as opposed to enlisting me to assist the invasion of Earthrealm. There are others, though."

[lt-blade.livejournal.com]

Sonya reached over and gave his shoulder a tight squeeze.

"Save your anger. It's useless now." She said. "It's well meant, but does nothing."

She nodded. "But then, Shang Tsung truly didn't expect us to live through the tournament, let alone retaliate. He even told me that it was only 'after' I survived the tournament that he took interest."

"Still, it may've not been him. It would be fitting with his nature to decieve you and lead you on, but we have no evidence, no theories except that it had to be a sorcerer, and as you said 'there are others'."

She looked up. The sky was a little cloudy, but Sonya could catch a glimpse of the moon.

"It's late, and will be dawn in four or five hours..." She paused, aware of what she was asking. "If you want to spend the night here, we could talk a little more, see if we could find anything else." Sonya looked at him. "To sleep, nothing more."

Really, they're adults, they should be able to handle one night.

[get-over-here.livejournal.com]

He nodded. He was perfectly fine spending a night in Sonya's hut. He also appreciated her statement of her expectations. It made things easier. But still, it was a subtle step closer. One that he was willing to accept.

"That sounds fine. We should get some rest."