arinqiart

[arinqiart]

Bi-Han's fate - Pt. 2

Warnings: Mentions of depression and s*icidal thoughts.

Notes: First off, I want to thank everyone who read the first part, liked it, reblogged it or left a comment. Even if the fandom is smaller now, your support has encouranged me to keep writing. I hope you will enjoy the second chapter! If you'd like to be tagged in the upcoming chapters, feel free to let me know.

Disclaimer: Friendly reminder not to reblog this with weird shipping tags. I hate to say it in each post but I know some people in the fandom just can't behave.

Pairings: Bi-Han x Sektor, Kuai Liang x Harumi

If you haven't read it yet, please check out Part 1 first.

@yandere-transformers-rock Chapter 2 is out!

"Two of your ribs are broken", Liu Kang concludes after adding gentle pressure to his injuries to assess the damage.

Bi-Han resists the urge to hiss in pain when he feels something beneath his skin shift under the fire god's touch. He doesn't bother responding as he swats Liu Kang's hand away and pulls the fabric of his tunic over the darkening bruises along his left side. He's well aware that he deserves them – and far worse – for what he had said about Smoke's family. His youngest brother's sudden outburst had surprised him regardless. Sure, his intention had been to provoke Tomáš, to anger him and perhaps even to get him to finish what Bi-Han himself had started, for Tomáš to kill him and release him from the purgatory his existence had turned into. The Enenra's intervention, however, had not been part of his calculations. Initially, he hadn't been picky about who would get to kill him, it didn't matter if it was Tomáš or the Enenra, but then he had seen the haunted look on his brother's face, how he had trembled, his eyes full of a fear he had last seen on the day father had brought Tomáš home... And now all he feels is nagging, all-consuming guilt.

"You still haven't touched your food“, Liu Kang reminds him, nodding to the full plate he had placed at his bedside earlier. Bi-Han still doesn't understand why the fire god is willing to stoop as low as to personally bring him food like an ordinary servant. He's almost tempted to ask, but then again, he's sure that it's just a ploy to earn his trust. Liu Kang is putting a lot of effort into that, he notices. Does he really believe Bi-Han will be fooled so easily? Why he's still of interest to the fire god is beyond him. He serves no more purpose now. If anything, he's a threat, a liability. Why doesn't Liu Kang simply dispose of him?

"I won't eat." As if to prove his point, he pushes the plate a little further away from him.

"Why do you wish to keep suffering?" Liu Kang lets out a sigh when he receives no answer and in a far more serious tone, he adds: "You're dying, Bi-Han. Not at the moment maybe, but if we continue the treatment and you're cured... your organs won't be able to take up their normal functions again. And if we stop the treatment you will be consumed by chaos magic once more."

"I'm well aware."

Liu Kang goes quiet for a while. "What you said to Tomáš earlier was uncalled for."

"He wanted to hear the truth and so I told him."

"I know you angered him on purpose. It was cruel of you to do that. He cares about you." Liu Kang gets up and begins to busy himself with the preparations for his treatment.

Bi-Han watches him. „If he had cared, he would have obeyed me.“

Liu Kang places a stack of clean towels on his pillow and a wooden basin by the bed's headrest in case he gets sick again. "You are so devoted to your clan. Do you not wish to return to the Lin Kuei?"

"What for?" He doesn't care if the bitterness in his voice gives away his misery. "I have failed in my duties. I am no longer grandmaster."

"Your warriors are still loyal to you and you alone", Liu Kang interjects. "Sektor had conditions when I took you here. Every month, she demands a detailed report on the progress of your treatment. I have told her your condition is improving. Do you truly wish to disappoint her?"

Sektor... Bi-Han feels a pang of guilt as he thinks of her. They had always been kindred souls, sharing the same goals, the same ambitions. Surely, she would understand his decision. She knows him better than anyone else. She would understand that he prefers to die with dignity. He knows Sektor would continue on. They had promised that to each other a long time ago. If one of them were to die, the other would keep going. He had become a blight on his clan, a grandmaster too weak to even save his own life. He hates to admit this, but he's ashamed to face his warriors again. How would they still respect him?

"Sektor will understand", Bi-Han says with as much conviction as he can muster. "Why? Are you worried she will blame you if I die?"

Liu Kang ignores his question. "What about your brothers?"

"Why should I care for those traitors?"

"They still care for you. Tomáš came to see you, did he not?"

"Has he left yet?" Bi-Han tries to sound indifferent, to pretend he doesn't care. A small part of him fears the answer. He doesn't want to admit this even to himself, but he had been glad to at least see one of his brothers again. After all the time that had passed, he had assumed they had forgotten about him entirely. Not once had he dared to hope for them to visit him, instead covincing himself that he doesn't want to see them, even when their loss had left aching scars on his soul.

"He's still here. He chose to stay, even after how you treated him."

"Because you wouldn't let him leave?"

"Because he won't give up on you. And neither will I." Liu Kang's voice is firm but gentle. Reassuring. The promise of salvation if he's willing to accept it. Bi-Han hates that something within him wants to extend his hand towards that light, wanting the comfort Liu Kang so willingly offers to him after every misstep, after each betrayal, and yet he flinches away again, as always when he's shown compassion and kindness, retreating into the shadowy corners of the darkness that had taken over his soul. Maybe because he knows he's undeserving of comfort. Maybe he doesn't even deserve the mercy of death.

"Instead of wasting your time on me, you should go and help Tomáš."

"What do you mean?" Liu Kang takes a seat at his side again and Bi-Han inhales deeply, bracing himself for what is about to happen next. He's familiar with the steps of the treatment by now – and with the agony that comes with it, but he still tenses up each time he sees the medical equipment, the little silver tray with the needles on it, the strange apparatus the healers wheel into the room each time... He loathes the procedure.

Reluctantly, Bi-Han extends his arm to the fire god, pulling up the sleeve, so the first needle can be inserted into his skin. He doesn't show it, of course, but he dreads that part of the treatment the most. He despises needles. Seeing them makes him feel sick to his stomach. He used to be unbothered by them before his torture. Yet another reminder of how weak and utterly pathetic he had become. Fortunately for him, Liu Kang seems to be aware of the effect needles have on him now. He always talks to him during this phase of the process. Distracts him. Positions himself at an angle that makes it harder for Bi-Han to see the vicious little metal spikes.

"Did he not tell you?", Bi-Han asks as he feels the needle prick his skin. "Can you not see what is happening to Tomáš? He wasn't himself when he attacked me. Something else took control of him."

"The Enenra. I know."

Another needle follows, this time stinging his neck. Then a third one. It pierces the back of his hand, stabs a vein that runs all the way up his forearm. Thin, almost translucent tubes are attached to the needles, draining the infected blood from his body.

Bi-Han keeps his gaze trained on the ceiling to stay calm, only briefly glancing over to glare at the fire god. "Then why haven't you cured him yet? Surely, it must be within your power if you're even able to cure me."

"It's not that simple", Liu Kang explains calmly. He places one hand over Bi-Han's chest, where the chaos magic manifests itself in a horrifying scar at the center, just beneath the layers of his robe, like a dreadful, undead heart. Light spreads from Liu Kang's palm, burning into his very soul.

It's painful beyond imagination. Bi-Han finds himself gripping onto the edges of the bed, his jaw tensing.

"I took a risk when I began your treatment", the fire god continues. "Geras and I were unsure of what would happen to you once we start removing the chaos magic from your body. It is infused with your very being. Therefore, it's impossible to disspell it all at once. In fact, we still don't know for sure that it won't kill you once fully removed. The same could happen to Tomáš. Do you still want me to attempt curing him now that you know?"

"No", Bi-Han snaps. "Only a fool would meddle with things they can't comprehend. What good are you? What good are your godly powers if you can't save anyone?"

Liu Kang lowers his gaze and for a moment his eyes almost appear to glow less, as if the light within them is suddenly dimmed by his sadness. "I have asked myself that question many times, Bi-Han. When I created this timeline, I had hoped that things would play out differently and I could undo past mistakes, give everyone a better life and a chance at peace. I wanted Queen Sindel to grow old at her husband's side. I wanted Kenshi to keep his eyesight this time. I wanted you to live and be the grandmaster you were always meant to be. Unfortunately, even though I created this timeline, I am not in control of how certain events unfold."

Bi-Han scoffs. "So you won't help Tomáš at all?"

"That is not what I said. His condition is indeed concerning. I will speak to Ashrah once she returns. She knows much more about the Netherrealm's demons than I do. She might know a way to help him."

"And until then?"

"Until then he will be safe here with us. Should anything happen, Geras and I can intervene."

That won't suffice, Bi-Han wants to say, but he chooses to keep quiet instead. He doesn't need Liu Kang to think he still cares about his brothers. Why should he concern himself with what becomes of Tomáš anyway? Deep down he knows the answer. No matter how much he resents Kuai Liang and Tomáš for betraying him, he is still an older brother wishing to protect his younger siblings, an instinct existent even in death. He knows it's his fault that Tomáš lost control to the Enenra earlier. He knows Tomáš must hate him after what he had said and done, even more so than before... And yet he still didn't choose to leave. Bi-Han cannot understand why, but he has no time to think about it.

He cries out through gritted teeth when Liu Kang's magic pierces deeper, eating its way through the darkness within him. It fights back, of course. He can feel it seeping into his bones as it tries to flee from the light. Dizziness and nausea overwhelm him. He manages to turn his head to the side just in time to avoid throwing up all over himself. Inky blackness spills over his lips and into the wooden basin below like a physical manifestation of all his wrongdoings, of his hatred, greed and thirst for power and the void in his heart fueling it all... He deserves this. Every last bit of it.

Liu Kang's brows furrow, his expression somewhere between focus and concern.

Something is wrong, Bi-Han can tell. He screws his eyes shut as the pain grows more intense. Heat spreads throughout his body, terrible, scorching heat, as if his skin is being set on fire. He had undergone this same treatment countless of times, he knows what it's supposed to feel like, he's familiar with the pain... but this is different. It's not supposed to feel like this.

Suddenly, it all stops. The heat. The agony of burning alive. In a heartbeat, it's all over. His chest rises and falls quickly in short laboured breaths. Slowly, Bi-Han blinks and opens his eyes to see Liu Kang leaning over him, a somber look on his face.

"I cannot continue treating you. Your body has grown too weak."

Bi-Han doesn't respond. He expects to feel triumphant that in the end, this means he will finally have his wish. Is that not what he wanted? Instead, he only feels numb.

"I will try to find another solution", the fire god reassures him quickly, mistaking his silence for disappointment. "For now, you have to start looking after yourself better. If you want to last a bit longer, you have to take your medicine daily from now on."

"Still so determined to save me", Bi-Han spits. "Do you enjoy watching me suffer?"

"I know you want to live."

"Is that so?"

Liu Kang gestures to his bandages. "Someone with skills as lethal as yours wouldn't have missed his own heart."

-

Tomáš doesn't sleep that night.

Maybe it's out of fear that the nightmares will return, that the Enenra will take over once more and its grip on him will be permanent this time. Maybe it's because he can't stop reaching for his mother's hunting knife, checking that it's still there, still intact and not another thing broken to pieces like his past or the brotherly bond Bi-Han, Kuai Liang and him once shared. But above all else, sleep won't come to him because the vision Geras showed him keeps replaying in his mind. How could Bi-Han keep such secrets from him? What else is there that his brother knows and he doesn't? In the morning, Tomáš tries to gather up the courage to go and confront Bi-Han. He's anything but eager to speak to him again after yesterday's events, but he holds onto hope that somewhere within the depths of Bi-Han's corrupted soul, the person he saw in that brief flashback is still alive. With each step he takes down the long, silent hallway that hope fades a little bit more. For all he knows, Bi-Han might refuse to speak to him entirely.

Tomáš enters without knocking, ignoring the way Bi-Han looks up and immediately glares when he sees him.

He's not intimidated by it anymore. Instead, he can't help but frown as he notices how much worse his brother looks compared to yesterday. His skin is pale, thin like paper, so thin he can see the veins bleed through it like a pattern of black cobwebs. The room itself looks no different, except that the table that got destroyed in their fight yesterday had been replaced by a new one. On top of it sits a bowl of medicine and a plate of food. Tomáš stays by the door this time, crossing his arms and leaning against it. The karambit is not on him today. He left it behind in the safety of his own room. He won't allow Bi-Han to use it against him this time.

"What do you want?" Bi-Han growls. He doesn't bother to conceal his hostility towards him.

"The same thing I wanted yesterday. Answers." Tomáš tries to make his voice sound steady, but he doesn't succeed.

"You've always been persistent. Most pests are", Bi-Han scoffs, each word dripping with mockery and malice.

It stings, even if Tomáš does his best to pretend he's unaffected. "Is that what I am to you? A pest?"

Bi-Han ignores him.

"Then why did you look after me all these years?"

His older brother shows no reaction.

"I know what you did for me. I know everything now." His voice shakes as the words finally burst out of him. "You were protecting me. I saw it. It was you who brought me tea every day. I had no idea it was you. Why didn't you tell me? Why–"

"Will you quit babbling like a fool?", Bi-Han snarls, looking both annoyed and confused.

Tomáš takes a deep breath. "Geras showed me the past. I saw you talk to Master Xiaoqing. You had him prepare something for me. A potion."

"I don't know what you're talking about", Bi-Han lies half-heartedly.

"Yes, you do!" Tomáš almost shouts. He didn't mean to raise his voice, but he's tired of playing games, of all the lies and secrets. "You knew I had nightmares, so you asked Master Xiaoqing to find a way to make them stop. Why did you do it if I'm just a pest? If I was never a brother to you, why did you go through all that trouble, even keeping it a secret from father? You've always treated me like an outsider, like I didn't belong with the Lin Kuei. Wouldn't you have wanted him to cast me out?"

"Why would I have wanted that?"

"You tell me. You're the one who always hated me."

"I never said I did."

Tomáš laughs bitterly. "You made sure to let me notice."

Bi-Han's eyes narrow. "How? I let you train with us, I let you join us on missions. I never excluded you from anything. Why would you think I hated you?"

Tomáš thinks back to all the times Bi-Han had shut him down when he had tried to offer advice, how his brother had barely ever spoken to him outside of missions or their training – and even when he did, it was only to bark orders at him or to criticize his form. Then again, he thinks of the scene Geras had showed him, how worried Bi-Han had seemed about him, and what he had once been so certain of no longer makes sense to him anymore. He doesn't know how it took him so long to come to this conclusion, but he realizes he hardly knows anything about Bi-Han. His oldest brother is a stranger to him.

"You constantly reminded me that my blood is not Lin Kuei", Tomáš finally responds. "You always made me feel like I'm not good enough. Tell me what I did wrong. How did I fail you?"

"You haven't failed me", Bi-Han says surprisingly gently. Then his face darkens again. "Not until you chose to turn your back on the clan that raised you."

"How can you hold that against me? Look at all the awful things that have happened since you decided to join Shang Tsung. Look at what happened to you, to me, to Kuai Liang. To this whole timeline. This can't possibly be what you wanted."

"It wasn't."

"Then what did you want, Bi-Han?"

"No more than what the Lin Kuei deserved. Our freedom. Recognition for our efforts. The power to protect the Lin Kuei's legacy."

"You could have told us! You could have told Liu Kang you want to negotiate."

"What for? So he would dismiss me?"

Tomáš sighs. "I understand you were frustrated, but have you ever thought about us?"

"Of course I have!”, Bi-Han snaps. "I wanted to share the Lin Kuei's glory with you."

"We never wanted glory, Bi-Han. We already had everything we wanted. A home. A purpose. We had you. To me, that was enough."

Bi-Han turns away from him, looks out the window again just like he did yesterday the first time they had talked. He wonders if it's because there's nothing else for him to do in here or if his brother simply misses being able to go outside.

"Do you want to join me for a walk?”, Tomáš asks after realizing he will get no other answer.

Bi-Han's eyes light up, only for a moment before his expression darkens again. "I am confined to this room. And even if I wasn't...", he trails off, but doesn't finish the sentence.

Tomáš watches him clench his fists helplessly. He doesn't know what had happened between yesterday and today, but he can tell that Bi-Han seems weaker than he did only mere hours ago. Perhaps he had spent all his energy on their foolish fight yesterday.

Tomáš sighs. "If you need help walking, I can–"

"I don't need your help."

"It's still early. The monks have gathered for their morning meditation and Lord Liu Kang is with them. No one would see.” He figures it's Bi-Han's pride that won't allow him to accept his assistance. He knows his brother wouldn't want to seem pitiful in the face of others. Thinking about it, it no longer surprises Tomáš that Bi-Han is so rigid and tense all the time. He can't imagine how tiring it must be to always put on a strong facade, to never be able to express exhaustion, sadness or pain. With everything that Bi-Han must have kept bottled up inside him, Tomáš doesn't know how he didn't snap even earlier. He only wishes his brother had shared his burdens with Kuai Liang and him.

"There's nothing wrong with needing help", he tries again, refusing to give up so easily. He's well aware of how stubborn Bi-Han can be, but he won't let that deter him from helping his brother.

Bi-Han glares daggers at him. “You'd go against Liu Kang's orders?”

"When I needed it, you were there to help me too."

When Bi-Han doesn't protest anymore, Tomáš carefully reaches for his arm to help him up.

With a hiss, Bi-Han slaps his hand away. “Touch me and you'll lose a hand.”

Tomáš resists the urge to roll his eyes, but he decides not to keep pushing. Instead, he stands closely at his brother's side to make sure he can offer assistance if needed. He watches Bi-Han sit up slowly, swinging one leg over the edge of the bed and then the other. When he finally stands up, his legs almost give out from underneath him. Tomáš rushes forward to catch him, but stops when Bi-Han holds up a hand to let him know he's fine. He staggers for a moment, but manages to steady himself. His first few steps seem shaky, his legs wobbly and weak from disuse. Tomáš lets him lead the way.

The morning chill makes him shiver as they step out through the temple doors. He watches Bi-Han squint and raise a hand to shield his eyes from the daylight blinding him. It makes him wonder just how long it had been since his brother had last left his room. Although he understands Liu Kang's concerns, Tomáš doesn't agree with his decision to confine Bi-Han to that small, nearly empty room in the temple. If he was trapped in a tiny space like that, stuck in bed, he would lose his sanity too. He approaches one of the benches, sits down and waits for Bi-Han to follow.

Once they're both seated, Tomáš draws in a deep breath.

"You still haven't answered my question. Why did you help me if I was never a brother to you?"

Bi-Han huffs. "Your nightmares were getting worse by the day. Mother and father refused to take action. They were convinced it would get better in time, but it didn't. Something had to be done. Even I am not as cold-hearted as to take joy in watching someone else suffer."

"So it was just pity?"

Bi-Han says nothing and Tomáš feels his chest sting. Did Bi-Han ever even consider him family?

"All I wanted was to be your brother." He no longer cares if he sounds pathetic. "Even now, I'm stupid enough to hope we can still be brothers."

"We could have been brothers, had you not left the Lin Kuei to side with Kuai Liang against me."

"Kuai Liang never made me feel like I didn't belong", Tomáš snaps. "And I don't believe you. If you wanted us to be brothers, why did you treat me so coldly?"

"Because I knew you couldn't be trusted."

"What? I've always been loyal to you. I did my best to–"

"This isn't about loyalty", Bi-Han interrupts him sharply. "Tell me honestly, did you ever sit at lunch, looking at each of the faces around you, wondering which one of them did it? Which one of them held the blade that ended your mother's life? Did you never want to know?"

Tomáš blinks. "I–"

"And if someone had pointed them out to you, what would you have done? Would you have killed them? If someone had given you the chance to get justice for what happened to your family, would you not have taken it?"

He opens his mouth to respond, to deny it, but he finds that he can't. He doesn't know what he would have done back then. It had taken him a long time to adjust to life within the Lin Kuei, to stop resenting himself for joining the clan that had taken his mother and sister from him. At times, he had been angry. Other times, he had only felt empty. In his heart, however, he had not once thought of betraying the Lin Kuei. No amount of retribution would have returned his family to him. Tomáš had always been painfully aware of that.

"I was your brother, but I was also grandmaster", Bi-Han continues. "I had to think of the whole clan. I knew the Lin Kuei took everything from you. Do you expect me to believe that you never resented us for it? That you never once thought of taking vengeance? I know I would have."

"Then we're different people, Bi-Han. I don't want to live my whole life resenting someone. I don't want to live for vengeance. With a score to settle. A life like that would be miserable. I never intended to seek revenge." Tomáš sighs. "Of course, it was difficult for me to come to terms with being a part of the clan that killed my family, but I wouldn't have hurt anyone, especially not you or Kuai Liang."

"Maybe not you, but what about the Enenra?"

Tomáš falls silent. Lately, he had been quicker to anger, his dreams filled with screams, with blood and violence. If Bi-Han hadn't made sure to weaken the Enenra's influence on him for all those years, Tomáš cannot tell what he would or wouldn't have done.

"Do you think I chose this?", he asks. "The Enenra possessing me isn't my fault, just like it's not your fault that Havik turned you into–”

Tomáš stops himself when he sees Bi-Han flinch at the mention of the Titan's name. Suddenly, he feels guilty. He shouldn't have brought that up. The last thing he wants is to remind his brother of the horrors he had endured.

"I know it's not your fault", Bi-Han says before Tomáš can apologize. "And I know I... missjudged you."

Tomáš stares at him, unblinking. Of all the things he had expected Bi-Han to say, this wasn't something he would have ever seen coming. He knows it's the closest thing to an apology he will ever hear from his brother and even though it's not quite that, in this very moment, it means everything to him. He swallows. "You can still fix things now. It's not too late for that."

"How?" Bi-Han's voice is so quiet, Tomáš almost misses that one word entirely.

"Live."

"That's it?"

"It's a start."

Slowly, Bi-Han shakes his head. Tomáš doesn't know why, but that small gesture of defeat makes him furious.

"What happened to not giving up?" He has to hold himself back from grabbing Bi-Han by the shoulders and shaking some sense into him. "You taught me that, remember? Whenever I practiced a difficult move and I couldn't get it right, I'd ask you to show me an easier one, but you always refused. You'd let me practice that one move a hundred times and then a hundred more until I perfected it. You didn't let me give up, so I won't let you."

He can feel his brother's gaze boring into his own. It's impossible for him to guess what Bi-Han is thinking. Tomáš doesn't know if he's just terrible at reading people or if his former grandmaster had always been such a difficult man to read.

"I see you haven't forgotten my teachings."

"You were a good teacher."

He means it. Sure, his brother had been strict, even more so than their father, and he had often lacked patience, but he had made up for that in other ways, always rewarding those who proved their resilience and discipline during training with praise and encouragement, never letting any of his disciples give up or fall behind. Even if his lessons had seemed harsh at times, they had always proven valuable later on.

For a while, they sit quietly without speaking. Tomáš doesn't mind. He can tell Bi-Han has nothing more to say and although he still has questions, he reminds himself to be patient. If he pushes too much, his brother might just shut him out again.

"I want to go back inside", Bi-Han tells him after a while.

Tomáš nods. His brother looks exhausted, he notices. It worries him that something as simple as walking is taking this much out of Bi-Han when he had easily been able to throw him into a wall just yesterday. He chooses not to ask. He knows how much his brother despises being fussed over.

Once they make it back to Bi-Han's quarters, Tomáš decides to open a window. Until now he hadn't even noticed how stale the air in the room had been. Besides, his older brother seems a little less pale now, so the fresh air must have been good for him.

"I should go and let you get some rest."

"Wait."

He stops.

"Before you leave... Bring me ink, paper and a seal."

Tomáš hesitates, slightly caught off guard by the request. He's not sure what Bi-Han needs these things for or why he's asking for them. He doubts his brother would tell him. Should he even be bringing him anything? Tomáš thinks back to what Liu Kang had told him. He knows Bi-Han is unstable, that he had tried to seek death before... But then again, there are much more lethal things to ask for than paper and ink. As he ponders over what to do, his gaze wanders over to the bowl of medicine. Of course, it's still full.

"No", he hears himself say.

"What?"

"I said no", Tomáš repeats.

Bi-Han scowls at him. "I demand you bring me–"

"You're not my grandmaster anymore. You can't demand anything of me", Tomáš says calmly. "How about we make a trade?"

"I already answered your stupid questions", Bi-Han snarls. "What more do you want from me?"

Instead of replying, Tomáš picks up the bowl of medicine and holds it out to his brother. "Drink this and I'll get those items for you."

"Again you disobey me?"

"You still want obedience? Don't think I forgot about what you did yesterday. I still haven't forgiven you for that. If you want a favor, simply asking for it won't be enough. You'll have to do me a favor too."

Bi-Han growls at him.

"If you're not willing to do it, surely whatever you intend to do with those things isn't so important." Tomáš nods to the bowl. "Drink or find someone else to ask."

He can tell Bi-Han is fuming. There's not a doubt in his mind that his brother would be strangling him right now if he still had enough strength left in him to do that. Fortunately for him, all Bi-Han can do is growl and mutter quiet complaints under his breath. Eventually, he takes the bowl of medicine and without breaking eye contact, he downs the contents of it in one single swig. Then he slams the bowl down so hard Tomáš can hear it crack. "There", he hisses. "Now get me what I want."

Tomáš fights back a smile as he turns around and leaves the room.

Even if just a little, he believes he managed to get through to Bi-Han today. For the first time since he left the Lin Kuei, he has a sliver of hope that things might change for the better. He doesn't know how, but he wants to believe they will. He's still not quite sure how to feel about what he had learned today, but at least he got Bi-Han to take his medicine. He decides to mark that down as a small victory as he heads to the library to find ink and paper.

-

Liu Kang misses his days at the Wu Shi academy. Lately, he often finds himself thinking back to them. He feels lost now, like a leaf at the mercy of a storm. It is odd to him that he still remembers the past so vividly, even after all this time... Being a clueless young novice, concerned only with how to keep his boastful friend Kung Lao out of trouble. The summer sun burning down onto his shoulders as he practices punches and kicks on a wooden training dummy. The laughter and jokes shared with his companions... He misses his old friendships. He misses those simpler times when he had mentors to look up to for guidance, when a bad decision merely brought him the punishment of sweeping the temple floors, not unspeakable ruin and disaster. Now his choices weigh so much heavier, each one determining the outcome of countless of lives. Each mistake a road paved to someone's demise. All his life, he had been prepared for this role. To one day take upon a task greater than anything a mortal soul should ever shoulder. He is the chosen one. But chosen what for? To watch history repeat?

"What good are you? What good are your godly powers if you can't save anyone?"

He does not know anymore. He had stood by as Kitana and Mileena had mourned their mother, as Kenshi had returned from his mission blinded once more, as Bi-Han had doomed himself following Havik into the realm of chaos... Each time, he had been powerless, unable to change the fates of those he had set out to save all those aeons ago when he first began with the creation of this timeline. His new era should have been peaceful... It was never meant to be like this.

For now, he sets his worries aside and knocks on the door to Bi-Han's quarters. As always, he receives no permission to come in and as always, he respectfully waits for a few seconds before entering regardless.

The former cryomancer greets him with the usual scowl. "You came. I didn't think you would."

"You called for me. Why would I not come?"

Bi-Han huffs. "Your current report to Sektor... Has it been sent out yet?"

Liu Kang shakes his head. "No, not yet. I wanted to wait for your... final decision first." He casts his eyes down and exhales slowly. "I don't understand you, Bi-Han. A few more months and you could have gone home. Now... I have to tell her you might never return."

"Don't worry, I have done that for you."

He looks up to see Bi-Han holding out a letter to him. "Have this sent to Sektor for me. As quickly as you can."

Hesitantly, Liu Kang takes the envelope. "It does not have to end like this, you know that."

"That remains my choice, not yours."

He doesn't try to argue back. They are past that point now. "I will make sure this letter reaches Sektor."

Bi-Han acknowledges his words with a nod.

"Have you told Tomáš?"

"That doesn't concern you."

"I have seen him earlier... He looked hopeful."

He gets no reaction and he's unable to read Bi-Han's expression. Minutes pass while neither of them speak.

"Is there anything else you need?", Liu Kang asks eventually.

"Without the treatment... How much longer can I live?"

"I cannot tell you. A few weeks... Maybe less." Most likely less, Liu Kang thinks, but he keeps that to himself.

"Good."

"The Arctikan Hailstone can still save your life."

Bi-Han shoots him a glare. "What do you want me to do? Crawl to my traitorous brother and beg him to grant me mercy? I'd rather burn in the deepest depths of the Netherrealm than to–"

"Enough, Bi-Han!" Liu Kang cuts him off sharply and a little louder than he had intended. He knows better than to let Bi-Han's words get to him, and yet he can't help it this time. He clears his throat, trying to regain his composure. "You need rest. If there's nothing else you need from me, I will leave."

Bi-Han doesn't stop him.

Outside, Liu Kang takes a moment to calm down and debate what to do next. He's holding the letter Bi-Han wrote to Sektor. He doesn't open it. There's a voice in the back of his head that tells him he should. In case Bi-Han sent out instructions to the Lin Kuei, plans for another attack on the Shirai Ryu, more scheming... Instead, Liu Kang chooses to trust him. He knows Bi-Han is defeated.

His brothers, however, do not.

Even if he's wrong and Bi-Han ends up betraying him once more, Liu Kang still won't regret trusting him. With what he's about to do, it would only make them even.

Upon returning to his study, Liu Kang has Tomáš summoned before him. He doesn't have to wait for long until the Shirai Ryu's second in command arrives.

It pains him to watch Smoke's expression falter, the small seed of hope that never bloomed already wilting as he fills him in on his brother's condition. He hates to do this, to bring Tomáš pain and to go behind Bi-Han's back, but he wants to believe his once most trusted ally can still be saved, even from himself.

"I made him take the medicine today. I thought I was helping. You told me if I stayed–" Tomáš stops, his voice cracking.

Liu Kang places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You did your best, Tomáš. Right now, I need you to return home and speak to Kuai Liang. I fear that only the Arctikan Hailstone can save Bi-Han's life now."

Slowly, Tomas nods. "Kuai Liang told me he would search for it. He might have found it by now."

"Return as soon as you can. With the stone and with your brother, if he's willing to come."

"Kuai Liang won't want to see Bi-Han. I know him."

"Then the stone will be enough."

"What if Bi-Han still refuses to let you treat him?", Tomáš asks quietly. "Should we just... force him?"

"Restraining him is a last resort", Liu Kang explains. "I would rather not give him another reason to resent me. But I will do what I must for the sake of this timeline."

He knows Bi-Han won't forgive him. In all his years of being a god, Liu Kang had never felt so powerless.

-

No one is there to greet him when he returns. The gardens are so quiet, it's almost eerie.

It's the loneliest Tomáš has ever felt since the night he lost his family. Only back then, he had been given a new one. This time, he knows, he will lose whatever is left of that family too and then he will have nothing. The day is gray to fit his mood, dark rain clouds obscuring the sun and a cold wind blowing, making his teeth chatter as he hurries to get inside. If he had thought the Shirai Ryu's training grounds were quiet, the main building housing the grandmaster's office is as silent as a grave in comparison. Coming back here doesn't feel like coming home. He still puts on as much of a smile as he can muster, not wanting to worry Kuai Liang and Harumi.

Tomáš doesn't encounter anyone as he makes his way to Kuai Liang's office. He doesn't need to knock. The door stands open wide.

"Kuai Liang?"

At the sound of his voice, his brother looks up from the large stack of paperwork in front of him. "Tomáš. You're back. How did the mission go?"

Before Tomáš can respond, Kuai Liang's focus has already returned to the papers on his desk. He signs another mission report and sets it aside on a seperate stack next to the bigger one.

"There was no mission."

"Oh."

Tomáš waits to see if his brother has anything more to say. He doesn't.

"Where is everyone?", he asks.

"I've sent our recruits to Outworld", Kuai Liang replies as he gestures for him to sit down. "The Umgadi were generous enough to agree to show them around. The sooner they familiarize themselves with Outworld's dangers, the better."

"I see." Tomáš takes a seat across from his brother. "How have you been holding up?"

Kuai Liang sighs. "As you can see, I've been busy going through all these mission reports. Now that you're back, maybe you can help me look through some of them too."

"Of course, brother."

He reaches for the stack of papers, but his brother stops him by quickly placing his hand on top of the stack.

"What are you doing? You just came back and you haven't rested. You can help me with this later too, you know."

"Right."

Tomáš doesn't want to rest. His mind is racing, his thoughts wandering back to his stay at the fire temple. He feels guilty for leaving, the same way he had felt guilty a few days ago when he had left the Shirai Ryu after receiving Liu Kang's invitation. He knows that both his brothers need him. Kuai Liang cannot possibly shoulder the challenges and responsibilties of leading his new clan alone and it doesn't feel right to him that Bi-Han has no one by his side to help him through his recovery. One of his brothers is on his deathbed and the other drowns himself in work to avoid speaking about it. The family Tomáš had been so desperately trying to hold together is falling apart, leaving him behind in the abyss of it all, alone and with nothing. Bi-Han will have peace in death, the satisfaction of going out by no one else's hand but his own and Kuai Liang has Harumi, they will have offspring one day, their own family. Tomáš realizes that in the bitter war between his brothers, he will be the only one to lose.

"So what was it that Lord Liu Kang needed you for?", Kuai Liang finally asks, pulling him out of his thoughts.

There it is, the question he had been dreading.

Tomáš clears his throat.

"We need to talk."

The serious undertone in his voice is enough to get Kuai Liang's attention once again. He looks exhausted, Tomáš notices, though that doesn't surprise him given the circumstances. Despite the initial difficulties, their new clan is growing faster than expected. Training the new recruits is taking a tall on all of them. On most days, sleep is hard to come by, even for him. He stays up late, helping Kuai Liang set up makeshift beds for the Shirai Ryu's newest members and by the time their work is finished, he can already see the pale light of a new day on the horizon. Sometimes, Tomáš wonders why Kuai Liang still stubbornly refuses to accept any of the help offered to him by their friends and allies. He doesn't understand what his brother is trying to prove.

"Is everything alright?"

Tomáš feels a pang of guilt in his stomach at the concern in Kuai Liang's voice. What he is about to say will undoubtedly upset his brother, he knows this, and yet he has no other choice. This is important to him. He wants to save Bi-Han's life. He wants to reunite his brothers. At the very least, he's determined to try.

"We need to talk", he repeats and more quietly he adds: "About Bi-Han."

Kuai Liang's expression hardens instantly. The concern gone, replaced with hatred. His grip on the pen tightens, turning his knuckles white. "I'd rather not be reminded of his existence."

Tomáš sighs. "I understand, but please, just hear me out."

He watches Kuai Liang's gaze return to the paperwork once more and knows he lost his grandmaster's interest by bringing up their estranged brother's name. Maybe he should have waited. He should have tried a more careful approach. He knows he should have... But he's tired. Walking on eggshels around Bi-Han for two days had been exhausting enough. He doesn't have the energy to continue doing it around Kuai Liang too.

"He's dying." Tomáš finally says.

"He's already dead to me."

Tomáš doesn't comment on his brother's harsh words. Instead, he watches Kuai Liang closely, desperately looking for a hint that he still cares, some sign of sadness or regret. To his disappointment, he finds none.

"Liu Kang is asking us to bring him the Arctikan Hailstone", Tomáš continues. "He believes it can still save Bi-Han."

Kuai Liang calmly puts the pen down, reaches for the cup of tea next to him and takes a sip. "I don't have it."

Tomáš clenches his jaw so hard it sends a spike of pain through his skull. "What do you mean? You've been searching for it for two years and you still haven't found it?"

"I had other responsibilties. Building this clan into what it is today. Helping with Raiden's training. Protecting Earthrealm."

"Lord Liu Kang told you to prioritize the search for the stone." Tomáš grips the armrests of his chair tighter. "We can still find it. Tell me where you left off and I can help."

Kuai Liang doesn't meet his eyes. "There was never a search, Tomáš."

"What?"

"You heard me."

All of a sudden, Tomáš feels the urge to scream, to grab the cup Kuai Liang is drinking from so smugly and shatter it into pieces. "What do you mean? Have you lost your mind? You betrayed Lord Liu Kang?"

"Betrayed him?" Kuai Liang slams his hand down on the table, nearly making Tomáš jump. "Who do you think I am? I agreed to search for the stone. Nothing more. I'll do it when the time is right. And then it will go to Hanzo."

Tomáš stares at Kuai Liang and finds another stranger looking back at him. Cold, unforgiving eyes, a face twisted with hatred and rage... It's like he's talking to another version of Bi-Han.

He swallows. "So you will just let our brother die?"

"As he did with father. It'll be a fitting end."

"If Bi-Han dies, we'll never learn why he didn't save father. Don't you want closure?"

"He let father die for the same reason he did this." Kuai Liang gestures to the angry red scar across his face. "He's insane. He would do anything for power."

"Even if that's true, he's still our brother. He's still family."

Kuai Liang glares. "I already have a family and he's no longer part of it."

"Am I?"

His brother's expression softens for a moment. "Of course you are. We're brothers, Tomáš. How can you doubt that?"

"Then why did you lie to me? You said you would find the Arctikan Hailstone. You lied and betrayed Lord Liu Kang." He pauses for a moment. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"You compare me to him? After everything he did to us? How can you still speak on his behalf?"

He protected me, Tomáš wants to say, but he knows that it would mean having to tell his brother about his nightmares and he doesn't want Kuai Liang to needlessly worry about him, even if he's furious at him right now.

"I'm not doing this for Bi-Han!" Tomáš jumps to his feet. "I'm doing this for you as well! If he dies, will you ever be able to forgive yourself? If you don't see him one last time, won't you regret it?"

For a second, a look of uncertainty passes over Kuai Liang's features, but it's already gone the next. "Why save him? So he can betray us again at the first chance he gets? Have we learned nothing?"

"That's not up to us to question! Lord Liu Kang has asked us to save him. Have you forgotten why we founded this clan? The Shirai Ryu are loyal to Lord Liu Kang... We built this clan to serve him and Earthrealm." Tomáš narrows his eyes. "Or have you lied about that too? Do the Shirai Ryu only exist for your vengeance?"

He had trusted his brother. He had trusted both his brothers and both of them had lied to him.

Kuai Liang shakes his head. "Look at you! Look at how we're arguing! This is what Bi-Han wanted. He placed these poisonous words in your mouth! He wants to divide us and weaken the Shirai Ryu. Can't you see that?"

"I don't need anyone to put words in my mouth!", Tomáš snaps. "You think so little of me? That I need others to think and speak for me? Is it because I'm your younger brother or because you think of me as a fool?"

"That's not what I meant, Tomáš. You need to calm down."

"I'll calm down when you agree to do your duty."

"What is going on in here?"

They both turn around at the sound of Harumi's voice. She stands in the doorway, holding a tray with teacups and small colorful cakes. "I could hear you two yelling from down the hallway." She sets the tray down on Kuai Liang's desk and turns to face them, crossing her arms. "What will our recruits think when they return to you two arguing like this?"

Tomáš knows she's right. The last thing they need is to demoralize their recruits, but he can't help being angry at Kuai Liang for lying to him, for how little he cares that his own flesh and blood is dying.

"Don't worry, Harumi", Kuai Liang responds. "Tomáš is tired. I'm sure he wants to retreat. Right, Tomáš?" His brother turns to look at him. "You've been gone for a few days and I know we're all under a lot of pressure. As your grandmaster, I won't hold it against you that you spoke out of line today. You're dismissed now."

Tomáš grits his teeth. He feels his hands trembling with rage, so he clenches them into fists. "I will retreat then. Grandmaster. Grandmistress." He bows stiffly, turns on his heel and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. As he hears the sound of their voices behind him fade, he can feel the last bit of his hope die, extinguished like a candle by a sudden gust of wind.

[arinqiart]

Bi-Han's fate - Pt.1

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of canon-typical gore and violence, mentions of depression and s*icidal thoughts.

Disclaimer: I decided to write this after hearing MK1 has officially come to an end because I believe Bi-Han and his brothers deserved a better ending than what we've seen in the story mode. This is just me sharing my thoughts on how the story should have ended. It's purely written for entertainment purposes. I don't plan to upload it to ao3 as I don't have an ao3 account, but if someone wants to share it there, they have my permission and encouragement. All I ask is that you credit me. If anyone in this fandom is still alive, feel free to leave feedback. Also this shouldn't even need to be said, but don't reblog this with weird ship tags. The pairings that are canon in MK1 will be canon in this fic too (Bi-Han x Sektor, Kuai Liang x Harumi etc.)

Summary: Despite his best attempts to cure Bi-Han of the dark magic corrupting his soul, Liu Kang finds himself at a loss of what to do when he discovers that the former grandmaster has lost all his will to live and won't accept the help offered to him. By reuniting him with his brothers, Liu Kang hopes to save Bi-Han's life, but when haunting secrets surface, not even the fire god can forsee what happens next...

He doesn't remember dying, not in the way one would expect with a death that came to him so violently.

His final moments are a blur, too fleeting for him to be able to pinpoint the exact moment it happened. One second he can feel his heart hammering against his ribcage and – for the very first time in his life, fear – and the next that heartbeat is gone, silenced forever. Though hours pass before that happens. Reality becomes distorted. His head spins, ears ringing from the sound of his own screams echoing off the stone walls, his stomach lurches, sickened by the stench of his own blood, sweat and bile leaking out of his body, dripping and staining the wooden contraption he is strapped to. With gruesome precision, lines are etched into his skin. Needles drilling into flesh, piercing it, tearing it open. Agony. A pain so excruciating that no amount of screaming can bring relief. He drifts in and out of consciousness. Through some stages of it he's more awake than through others. The torture seems never-ending, the pain relentless, unlike anything he's ever felt before. The droning of the drills turns into laughter, mocking him with painfully familiar voices.

He remembers seeing his brothers in a memory of earlier days.

Books stack up in front of him, their pages yellowed with age. Father wants them transcribed before dinnertime. He hasn't even made it through half of them yet. His fingers hurt from holding the quill. Each character has to be perfect. Not a line too shaky, not a stain on the page. He knows what awaits him if he doesn't finish the work in time. His brows knit together as he tries to focus, but the noise outside keeps distracting him. Laughter. Humming, drilling, laughter. Lifting his head, he glances out the window and catches a glimpse of Kuai Liang and Tomáš in the yard, chasing each other in a game of tag.

They look happy without him.

The memory doesn't fade, it is torn from him as more skin gives way beneath the drills. Bi-Han tastes blood. Feels the urge to vomit as something tears at his insides. He looks down at what used to be his chest, now a repulsive mass of dead, discolored flesh and bright, oozing green. Disease. His once dark blue Lin Kuei uniform is no more. Bloodied strips of fabric dangle from his body, some of the cloth sewn into his skin and flesh. When the torment ends and they finally release him, they bring him new clothes and he wears them obediently. His fists clench in silent rage at the memory.

When he doesn't think of what happened, he dreams of it.

With every fiber of his being, Bi-Han resents Liu Kang for sparing him. For robbing him of his vengeance. But most of all, for letting him live.

There is mercy and solace in death.

He grants that mercy to his enemies, a quick, dignified end, without humiliation or suffering.

Liu Kang has no such thing in mind for him.

Bi-Han stares at the plate on his bedside table, a meal long gone cold. He hasn't touched it yet and doesn't plan to do so. In his current state he does not need to eat. Liu Kang urges him to do so regardless, claiming that his stomach needs to get used to food again for when the dark magic currently coursing through his veins is permanently removed from his body.

He doesn't care.

He is no longer Sub-Zero. No longer the proud grandmaster of his own clan. Not feared, respected or admired. Sektor leads the Lin Kuei now. Perhaps it's for the better. After all, he had failed to lead his clan into the glorious future he had promised them. He is nothing now, a husk of his former self, stripped of all his glory. Whenever Liu Kang or any of his worthless lackeys come to check on him, examining his scars, applying ointment to them, he sees pity in their eyes. Each time, he wants to rip their spines out for it.

His body had become a coffin, trapping him alive. He won't regret what he is about to do.

Carefully, Bi-Han retrieves the ornate dagger from underneath his pillow. He had accquired it this morning when he met another one of Liu Kang's "projects". A demon from the Netherrealm. She had introduced herself to him as Sareena, sister of Ashrah and a former assassin for Quan Chi. Initially, Bi-Han had held little interest in speaking to her. He despised all Netherrealmers, demons and wraiths and other beings, anything that crawled its way up from these pits to cause suffering and discord among mortals. However, he came to recognize that Sareena is... different. There is something oddly human about her and the way she shows interest in even the most mundane things around her, eager to learn more about the mortal world, not in pursuit of absolution like her sister, but rather to find her own way in the world she was introduced to. It is easy for him to engage in conversation with her. She asks him many questions and he answers them with a patience he usually doesn't possess. It is only because she has something he wants. To his disgruntlement, Liu Kang seems to trust her enough to let her keep weapons on her. She carries a pair of sickles and a much more concealed dagger on her belt. That one, he figures, she will hardly notice missing. By the end of their conversation, he holds the dagger in his hand. At least, he can still take some pride in the fact that even in his current weakened state, Liu Kang fears him enough to not allow him to carry weapons himself. He doesn't want to consider the other option, that Liu Kang is concerned he would use them against himself.

Bi-Han had never been the kind of person to sit idle. It makes his captivity unbearable. He hates the treatment. Not because it's agonizing, he had endured far worse than that. He hates how humiliating it is when he gets sick, over and over and Liu Kang patiently wipes the sweat from his forehead, whispering reassuring words to him. He hates it when the fire god helps him rinse his mouth with water after he's done vomiting, holding the cup for him and lifting it to his lips because his shaking hands are too weak to allow him to do it himself.

He would rather endure the Netherrealm's torment than continue this useless existence.

A strand of hair falls over his eyes and he blows it out of his face angrily.

His hair had grown back. Not quite to the length it used to have before his demise, but long enough to allow him to tie it back again. However, some strands are still too short to fit into the bun and he hates to feel them brush against his face. The earlier stages had been even more vexing. He couldn't stand how short his hair had been back then. He must have looked ridiculous.

His skin is the color of ash now. His appearance far more human and yet not human enough. His teeth are no longer black with rot and his eyes had lost their eerie white glow. Even he had to admit that Liu Kang's work at restoring him was remarkable. Were it not for the scars across his body and the undead color of his skin, one would not know what he had gone through. The green was still there, the color darker and dull, but still visible enough to sicken him. Bi-Han still can't bear it to see his own reflection. He is broken now, like an old toy covered in ugly patches and stitch lines because its owner refused to part with it.

When he points the blade at his own heart, he finally feels like he is in control again. He feels powerful again. His fate is back in his own hands, where it always should have been. The choice is his now. Not Liu Kang's. Not anyone else's. Only his alone. And it was a choice already made two years ago, the very moment Liu Kang had cured his mind of Havik's influence.

Despite his determination, he's not entirely sure that this is going to work. After all, he is not completely cured yet. Maybe it would be wiser to wait longer, but he doesn't want to wait anymore.

Bi-Han is not a sentimental man.

He has no intention to say his goodbyes to anyone.

Still, a small part of him misses his brothers. He thinks back to the summers of their youth, thunder roaring outside as the three of them hugged each other tightly, huddling together for warmth and safetly like a litter of newborn cats. He had never been afraid of the thunderstorms himself, but he had been happy to provide comfort for his brothers. His mind wanders back to a sparring session against an older Lin Kuei warrior, Bi-Han expertly weaving through the attacks, dodging and side-stepping punches and kicks while his brothers watched from the sidelines, eager to learn from him. Although the other warrior had been taller than him, Bi-Han had ended up throwing him over his shoulder and off the mat with ease. When he had stepped back, his face red and chest heaving, he had noticed his brothers cheering loudly, waving their arms and shouting his name. As he had approached them, Tomáš had grinned widely. "I want to be as strong as you one day, brother."

Bi-Han had merely scoffed in response. "You would not be able to handle the harshness of our training."

He had watched Smoke's face fall, but had not bothered apologizing for his words. He hadn't said them out of cruelty or to discourage his youngest brother. Back then, Tomáš had simply seemed like he was not cut out to be a Lin Kuei warrior with his spindly arms that wouldn't grow an ounce of muscle no matter how much food he scarfed down at dinner. It had taken him far longer to accquire the physique Kuai Liang and him possessed. But ultimately, he had caught up with them, his skills now matching theirs and perhaps, to some point, even exceeding them. Tomáš had truly become the warrior he had always wanted to be. Bi-Han knows it means nothing now, but he is proud of his brother. He wishes he could have told him that.

He knows he had been wrong to understimate Tomáš back then.

He had been wrong about many things.

His Lin Kuei training had taught him not to fear death. Still, it requires all his willpower to follow through with what he has planned. There is still a part of him, shockingly human, that doesn't want to perish. Is it not within the very instinct of every living thing to preserve itself? Even the most primitive beings desire to live. Today, he finds out he is no different. He looks back on all his failures, the bridges he had burned, the sacrifices he had made in vain... All to achieve nothing. The Lin Kuei were not stronger for it. Would Sektor be able to free them and lead them to greatness? Bi-Han wants to believe so. He knows Sektor is strong, a more than capable leader, ressourceful and brilliant. If anyone can do it, it's her.

The tip of the blade cuts into his skin, but draws no blood, only oily black liquid.

He despises what he is now. A creature of nightmares that shouldn't exist. The reminder of what he has turned into encourages him to push the blade in deeper. His mind barely registers the pain. The dagger slides effortlessly through muscle and flesh. Black blood streams down his hands. He doesn't want to waste his final moments thinking of the people who betrayed him and yet their images come alive in his mind.

Regret, buried so deep within him, it is easy for him to fool himself into believing he feels none at all.

The edges of his vision darken. His hands slip off the dagger's hilt.

If there is an afterlife, perhaps he will see his mother again...

The corners of his mouth lift into a smile as he finally embraces the coldness of death.

-

He hears the snap of a bone and a scream that follows.

"Hold him down!", someone commands.

The words make him panic. Suddenly, he is tied to the wheel again, hostile faces grinning down at him, mocking his suffering. He struggles with all the strength he has. His elbow connects with something soft and he hears a pained gasp. However, the tight grip on his shoulders doesn't loosen. He tries to kick his feet. Another sharp hiss of pain. His right leg is free now. He tries to throw himself against the hands pinning him down. Desperate. Furious.

"Bi-Han! Stop!" A voice, sharp and familiar, cuts through all the noise around him.

His eyes fly open wide and stare right into Liu Kang's concerned face.

Surrounding him are healers, some of them holding injured limbs. It takes him a moment to understand he is the one who injured them. He tries to sit up, but the attempt is cut short by a stabbing pain piercing his chest, paralyzing him. A growl, low and threatening, escapes his throat. It is coming back to him now. What he did... What he had failed to do...

He is still alive. Still imprisoned in this rotten body. In this temple.

"Are you aware of what you have done? You undid months of progress in your recovery."

He wants to laugh. Does Liu Kang still expect him to care? He has no one and nothing to return to. He's powerless now, declawed like a cat and turned into a pet for the fire god. A lap dog, as Shao had worded it. Liu Kang doesn't sound angry as he scolds him. Instead, there is an undertone of sadness in his voice, a hint of disappointment maybe. It only enrages Bi-Han more.

"You said that you would cure me", he snaps.

"It takes time, Bi-Han", Liu Kang responds calmly. With a nod, he dismisses the healers and takes a seat at his bedside. Only now, Bi-Han notices the bandages wrapping around his chest. Liu Kang follows his gaze and sighs.

"You were fortunate to have missed your heart by a few inches. Otherwise, not even my powers could have brought you back." The fire god pauses and meets his eyes. „Is that what you wanted?"

Bi-Han scowls. "I have lost my cryomancy and my shadow magic."

"Your cryomancy can be brought back. As for your shadow magic, it was corrupting you. It had to be removed."

He narrows his eyes at Liu Kang. "It made me deadlier. Is that why you removed it? Because you feared it?"

"Because it was destroying your soul, Bi-Han", Liu Kang explains patiently. He sounds like a father talking to his stubborn son now, stern, yet forgiving. It makes Bi-Han livid.

Silence follows. Bi-Han gazes out the window to avoid Liu Kang's eyes. He watches petals fall and trees sway gently in the breeze. He loathes this place almost as much as he misses the Arktican cold.

"Do you know why I stopped working with Shang Tsung?", Bi-Han asks. "I have seen the flesh pits. The twisted experiments these sorcerers conduct there. I knew I wanted no part of it."

Liu Kang nods understandingly. "You don't need to tell me that. I am aware that there is still good inside you."

"You misunderstand me." Bi-Han turns to face the fire god, glaring at him as though his hatred alone could pierce Liu Kang's heart. "This place reminds me of them. You and Shang Tsung have much more in common than you think. Keeping captives to experiment on. Mutilating others to fit your own design. So many similarities..."

Satisfied, he watches Liu Kang's perplexed expression.

"If you want to anger me, Bi-Han, save your energy. It won't work. You ran out of weapons, so you try to use your vile tongue against me. I advice you to get some rest instead." Liu Kang's voice sounds colder now, despite his attempts to seem calm and collected.

Bi-Han knows he found a weakness.

"I know why you're doing this", he continues. "You expect me to fall to my knees in gratitude and become your servant once again."

"I expect no such thing from you, Bi-Han. After you're cured and as long as you don't threaten the peace in this timeline again, you are free to go wherever you please."

"How generous of you", Bi-Han spits.

What is he supposed to go back to? The clan led by another that no longer needs him? His brothers who had turned their backs on him?

Liu Kang slowly stands up. "How soon you leave this place, is up to you, not me, Bi-Han. With your actions today, you have only prolonged the time you have to spend here."

"Why are you doing this?", Bi-Han growls. He doesn't understand why Liu Kang is so desperate to save him, to keep him alive at all costs. As some sort of punishment? Because he still believes he can force the Lin Kuei to surrender?

"Because Earthrealm still needs you", the fire god responds as if he had been reading his thoughts.

Bi-Han raises an eyebrow. "What for? I no longer have my cryomancy."

Liu Kang shakes his head as if to dismiss his argument. "Earthrealm needs your courage. You already saved this timeline once. Whether you like it or not, you already are one of its champions."

"I don't want to be Earthrealms champion."

"And I didn't want to be a god", Liu Kang admits with a small, almost sad smile. "We don't choose our fate, Bi-Han. Even the most powerful beings cannot do that. Resist your fate and suffer or accept it and prosper. I can't make the choice for you." He takes a few steps towards the door as if to leave, then stops and turns around again. "What you did today has proven that you are still unstable. I allowed you to roam the temple grounds and speak to others because I believed it would lift your spirits. I didn't want you to feel like a prisoner. Despite of what you may think, you are not being held captive here. And yet, you have abused my hospitality by looking for ways to cause further harm. Therefore, I have no other choice but to confine you to your quarters until you see reason. I am very sorry about that."

Bi-Han sits up straight, not caring if he's going to tear open his stitches.

"Confine me?", he hisses. "Why not just kill me? If I get my cryomancy back, I will use it to tear out your heart."

Liu Kang looks entirely unimpressed. "Your threats don't scare me. I won't kill you. Empress Mileena and I have already decided on a better punishment for you. You will live and spend the rest of your life making ammends for the damage you've done to this timeline by aiding in its defense."

"And if I refuse?"

"I hope for your sake that it won't come to that."

With that, Liu Kang turns around and leaves him to the deafening silence of his room.

-

"I don't know what to do anymore, Geras." With a long, heavy sigh, Liu Kang sits down at the desk in his study, its surface cluttered with tomes and scrolls. For months, he had studied them, trying to find out as much as possible about the magic corrupting Bi-Han and how it could be removed, yet he still doesn't know all the answers. Healing the former cryomancer is a long and complex process, one that requiers patience and trust from both sides. Bi-Han had run out of that within the first month of being out of the magical coma Liu Kang had placed him in for his own safety. Transferring him here, where he had more company and people he could speak to other than him had given him hope that Bi-Han would recover faster, that he would recognize his good intentions. However, it seems like Bi-Han still considers him the enemy.

"Tell me what I should do to save him. Feed him against his will? Put him in chains, so he can no longer resist the treatment? He would only hate me more for that."

"I cannot tell you what you should do, Lord Liu Kang", Geras responds calmly. "But it appears to me he does not want your help."

"If I give up on him now, I will never earn his trust." Liu Kang doesn't think he will ever be able to earn it, but he doesn't say so out loud.

"May I offer my advice?"

"Please do, Geras."

„You have asked me to look into Bi-Han's past because you believed it would help you better understand his motivations. I have made some discoveries that I cannot yet share with you. However, I am convinced that reuniting him with his brothers is the best course of action right now. They are vital to his recovery. To ensure the peace in this timeline, his brothers must learn the truth.“

Liu Kang knows that Geras has a point. However, he's also aware of Scorpion's temper and the grudge he holds against his older brother. The last thing he wants is a reunion that will end in bloodshed. Not to mention, he doubts that Kuai Liang will be willing to help him heal Bi-Han.

Regardless, Liu Kang nods. He has no other choice but to do what Geras suggested. If it's the only way to save Bi-Han, it's well worth the risk.

"I understand what I must do next."

-

Tomáš used to wake up to a cup of tea by his bedside every morning. He doesn't know where it comes from, only that it's been like that for as long as he can remember. Whoever puts it there wakes up early, earlier than him even, and they somehow make it in and out of his room without disturbing his sleep. By the time he's awake, the tea is sitting there on his nightstand, still warm but no longer steaming, just the right temperature to drink, even on the rare days when he allows himself to sleep in, almost as if whoever leaves it there knows exactly when he's going to wake up.

Every morning, he finishes the cup before going downstairs to join his brothers for breakfast.

"Good morning, Bi-Han. Good morning, Kuai Liang."

He only ever gets one response. Bi-Han greets him with the usual scowl. Tomáš doesn't take it personally. His eldest brother rarely smiles. That scowl seems to be a lingering expression on Bi-Han's face. They eat in silence. Not the awkward, uncomfortable kind of silence, but rather the quiet appreciation of each other's company, a meal and drink shared among family, among brothers.

That cup of tea is always there to help him begin his day, always – until it isn't. Tomáš can't help feeling disappointed. Along with everything else familiar to him, that one constant in his life is now gone too. He knows it's ridiculous to be upset over something so small, but for some reason the smallest things are the ones that hurt the most. He misses his old room, he misses the shared meals with his brothers, when Kuai Liang would tell a joke and Bi-Han's face would light up ever so briefly, reminding them that somewhere underneath the cold, stern exterior of the Lin Kuei's grandmaster, their older brother who used to read bedtime stories to them and help them tie the knots on their uniforms, was still alive...

Until he wasn't.

He is almost grateful when a voice interrupts his thoughts.

"I am glad you accepted my invitation, Tomáš." Liu Kang leads him down a quiet hallway, only briefly stopping to turn around and give him a reassuring smile as though the fire god had sensed his uneasiness. It doesn't calm him, but he has no time to dwell on his conflicting emotions as Liu Kang continues on and rounds a corner.

Anxiously, Tomáš follows him. Even at this early hour, the temple is busy. Monks are sweeping the ground, carrying laundry, some gathering outside in the yard for their training, the sound of wooden staffs clashing reduced to only a dull echo within the thick walls of the temple. It smells of spring blossoms and freshly cut grass. Normally, Tomáš finds comfort in the serenity of this place, but not today. Today, he will see Bi-Han again and he is not prepared to face him.

"I appreciate your trust in me, Lord Liu Kang, but I doubt that he wants to speak to me", Tomáš mumbles as they ascend a short staircase.

In all his years with the Lin Kuei, Tomáš cannot recall one occasion where Liu Kang had spoken to him directly. Maybe it was his new position as second in command of the Shirai Ryu that had finally convinced the fire god he was worthy of the same respect that was usually reserved for his brothers. Naturally, Tomáš was surprised when he received an invitation from Liu Kang. Addressed to him personally, not to Kuai Liang or their new clan. The letter didn't mention why he was being summoned, but he had assumed he was needed for a mission.

He shows the letter to Kuai Liang.

"It seems Lord Liu Kang might have an important task for you."

"For me?", Tomáš questions. "Even so, you're my grandmaster. Shouldn't he approach you with it first?"

Kuai Liang shrugs. "Lord Liu Kang must be aware that I'm busy training the new recruits. I can't leave the Shirai Ryu right now. I'm sure that you will do well on your own."

So, Tomáš packs a bag with only the necessities and leaves for the fire temple. It surprises him that Bi-Han was moved here from the Temple of the Elements. Maybe that means his recovery is going well, even though his conversations with Raiden so far have suggested otherwise. Whenever Raiden visits the Shirai Ryu to train with Kuai Liang, Tomáš asks about the progress of Bi-Han's treatment. Raiden knows disappointingly little about it, but from what he can gather, Bi-Han is doing everything in his power to complicate things for Liu Kang. Refusing help. Even going as far as to attack the healers.

Once again, he is pulled from his thoughts by Liu Kang's voice.

"I apologize for being so secretive in my letter. I feared you would not want to come had I mentioned why I need you here."

Tomáš raises his eyebrows. "And why is that exactly? You mentioned earlier that I am to see Bi-Han today."

Liu Kang nods. "Yes, you may indeed see him. I believe that having his family around would aid Bi-Han in his recovery. He seems... unwell lately." A short pause follows in which he seems to try to find the correct words to continue. "A few days ago, he injured himself."

The fire god must notice his worried expression because he quickly raises his hands in a soothing gesture. "He is safe right now. The injury was not life threatening. But I fear that Bi-Han had intended for it to be."

Tomáš doesn't know what to say, but he feels something deep within him ache at the thought. Bi-Han is the strongest and most resilient person he knows. Not just physically, but mentally too. The kind of person nothing can shake. Someone who never even considers giving up, even if all the odds are against him. If anyone out there can defeat even death itself, it's Bi-Han, the man Tomáš used to idolize and look up to almost all his life. He cannot imagine a world in which Bi-Han has given up. He doesn't want to.

"But why me? He hates me", Tomáš says quietly. "Maybe you should have asked Kuai Liang to come instead."

"I'm afraid Kuai Liang lacks the tactfulness needed in this situation", Liu Kang replies. "You seemed like the better choice."

"What about Sektor?"

"She is currently in charge of the Lin Kuei. If she were to leave, someone much worse might try to take control over the clan. We cannot take that risk."

"I see." Tomáš watches Liu Kang stop in front of a simple wooden door and gesturing towards it.

"You can go in whenever you're ready. I will wait for you here."

Tomáš nods, hesistantly lifts his hand and knocks. There is no response. He had expected none.

Slowly, he pushes down the handle and watches the door open.

Bi-Han is laying in bed, with his face turned towards the window. Only the back of his head is facing Tomáš, dark hair pulled up into a familiar low bun. He's dressed in the bright orange robes of the Wu Shi academy, an attire Tomáš would have never expected to see Bi-Han wear, but he figures it's out of necessity rather than choice. Bi-Han's senses have always been sharp. Surely, he must have heard the knocking and the sound of the door opening. Tomáš can tell he just doesn't care to turn around and see who came to visit him. At least, that gives him more time to look around. Not that there's much to see anyway. The room is almost empty, except for the bed and a small table next to it. A sheet had been thrown over what appears to be a mirror in the corner of the room. There are markings on the floor where furniture used to be. Judging by the lack of dust in the empty spots left behind, those furniture pieces must have been removed recently. He assumes it's to ensure Bi-Han won't use any parts of them to hurt himself. His heart becomes heavy at the thought. Despite everything, it saddens him to see his brother like this.

Awkwardly, Tomáš stands in the doorway, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Hello, Bi-Han. How are you feeling?"

It's the best he can come up with, even if he feels stupid for it. He regrets not having spent more time trying to come up with better words to say.

Bi-Han's head whips around so quickly it nearly makes him jump. First, his eyes widen in surprise, then they narrow in suspicion. "You!", he snaps. "You dare show your face here?"

Tomáš sighs. "I didn't come here to argue."

"If Liu Kang sent you, you might as well leave again." Bi-Han's voice is just as cold as he remembers, devoid of any emotion.

Although Tomáš had expected no other reaction, he can't help feeling disappointed that his brother already wants to send him away.

"We haven't seen each other in two years. This is how you greet me?"

"What's the proper way to greet a traitor?"

Tomáš sighs. Since he has no intention to leave yet, he shuts the door behind him and steps closer. There is nowhere to sit for him, unless he wants to sit on the edge of the bed and he's pretty sure Bi-Han will snap his neck if he dares to take a seat next to him.

He is surprised at how human Bi-Han looks now, compared to the last time they had seen each other. He is so nearly back to normal, back to how he used to be before his gruesome death. If one were to ignore the green mess of scars along his body, that is. Regardless, the treatment must be working well. Shouldn't Bi-Han be happy about that?

"You look healthier."

It's true, Tomáš thinks. Bi-Han's cheeks look sunken in and his skin is paler than he remembers it, but he assumes it must be due to the fatigue the treatment causes. He still looks a lot better than the last time Tomáš had seen him.

Bi-Han glowers at him. "Have you come to mock me?"

"What? No... Of course not", Tomáš stammers quickly. "I'm concerned about you. That's all."

"I don't need your concern. I'm fine."

"You seem unwell."

"Come closer then", Bi-Han hisses. "Perhaps a broken nose will prove you wrong."

Tomáš knows Bi-Han well enough to see through the empty threat. His brother had always been more bark than bite. Still, he doesn't want to take his chances, out of regard for Bi-Han's wellbeing, not his own. The last thing he wants is for Bi-Han to injure himself further trying to attack him.

"It's good to see you", Tomáš says sincerely. "I have wanted to speak to you for quite some time."

"Yet you didn't care to come earlier." Is that hurt in Bi-Han's voice?

"I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"You assumed correctly."

"Kuai Liang and I have also been very busy building our new clan", Tomáš says against his better judgement. He feels like it's a mistake to bring that up to Bi-Han. If anything, it will probably anger him more, but he simply doesn't know what else to talk about. "You know how difficult it can be to find new recruits. We had to set up rooms for them as well."

"Have you also dug their graves?"

Tomáš sighs. "Bi-Han, please... It doesn't have to be like that. Our clans don't have to be at war with each other. Is that really what you want? Pointless bloodshed? Where will it end?"

"In your defeat or mine."

Exasperated, Tomáš pinches the bridge of his nose. He's too tired for this. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the Shirai Ryu at all. However, he feels like it's on him to keep the conversation going and he doesn't know how to do that when Bi-Han and him have so little in common. While he desperately tries to search his mind for another, better topic, Bi-Han's voice interrupts the silence.

"Why did you come here?"

"Because you're still my brother." Tomáš swallows past the painful lump forming in his throat. "You might have never considered me your brother, but you have always been family to me."

Bi-Han's eyes narrow. "And yet you disobeyed me and betrayed me."

"We didn't betray you. We never intended for any of this to happen", Tomáš argues. "What did you expect us to do when we heard that you let father die? How could you expect us to still trust you? Why, Bi-Han? Why did he have to die?" He hates how his voice cracks towards the end.

"Because he was a weak old fool", Bi-Han seethes. "He was ruining the Lin Kuei."

"If you had waited a few more years, you would have succeeded him naturally. Father didn't have to die. Why did you refuse to save him?"

Bi-Han falls silent. He looks away, out of the window again. Does he feel guilty? Does he regret what happened or does he care so little that Tomáš is merely boring him with his questions?

"Please, answer me." Tomáš doesn't care that he's begging. He wants answers, he wants to be able to understand his brother. "I came here, so we can talk. The least you can do is–"

"I didn't ask you to come here“, Bi-Han cuts him off harshly. „I owe you nothing."

"That is not what I meant!" Tomáš throws his hands up in frustration. "Can't you see that this is why we fell out? You never talked to us! You never told us about your ambitions. If you had spoken to us, perhaps we could have figured out a solution together."

"What difference would it make?"

"All the difference. Please, Bi-Han, I'm just trying to understand." Tomáš knows it's pointless to try and reason with his brother. Even Kuai Liang had never really managed to get through to him. How is he supposed to achieve that now?

"You and Kuai Liang left me", Bi-Han spits out bitterly. "I have nothing more to say to you."

"We never left you. It was you who banished us. We had no choice."

He gets no response. Tomáš lets out a sigh. "What happened to you, Bi-Han? You used to be kind once." Maybe Bi-Han just needs to be reminded of that. That he's capable of kindness. Maybe he just needs to keep talking. "I remember you staying up whenever Kuai Liang or I got sick", he trails off, involuntarely smiling at the memory. "You brought us soup and our favorite snacks, even when father scolded you for stealing from the kitchen. You were so generous and caring. What happened to you?"

Still no reaction. Bi-Han stares out the window. Tomáš doesn't know if he's zoned out or if his brother is ignoring him on purpose. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to say and the reaction it might trigger.

"Liu Kang told me that you've hurt yourself."

Finally, Bi-Han turns his head to glare at him, his face twisted with barely contained rage. „It is none of your concern.“

"If you want to talk about it, we can–"

"Hold your tongue, Tomáš", Bi-Han growls. "I don't need your pity."

Tomáš shakes his head. They are getting nowhere with this.

Still, he's not willing to give up just yet.

"I know what it feels like to lose everything", he continues in a low voice. "To survive, but wish you hadn't. When my mother and sister died in front of me, I wanted to die with them. I didn't want to be spared. I was alive but I felt like my life had ended. But then I was taken in by father. I met you and Kuai Liang. I was given a family again. A second chance. Second chances matter, Bi-Han. Why are you trying to throw yours away? And why did you have to take mine from me?"

At his final sentence, Bi-Han looks up and for the first time, his eyes aren't cold like frozen ponds. They're no longer full of hatred or disdain. Perhaps he's imagining it, but he belives that Bi-Han looks almost sympathetic for a moment.

"You mentioned you have questions", Bi-Han says quietly after what feels like an eternity to him. So quietly, Tomáš nearly misses the words entirely. "Ask them."

This is progress, Tomáš tells himself. His brother is willing to talk now. Perhaps he is getting through to Bi-Han after all.

Tomáš swallows hard. "Why did you let father die?"

"I already told you. He was weak."

"That's it? You wanted him dead because he was weak to you?" Maybe that really is the sole reason for Bi-Han's actions. Tomáš doesn't know what other response he had hoped for. Something, anything, to at least help him understand why Bi-Han did what he did, so Tomáš can sympathize with him, even if he cannot forgive him for it.

"Because he was destroying the Lin Kuei", Bi-Han snaps. "Do you want to know why your family died?"

"Don't bring them into this."

Bi-Han ignores him. "It was because of father's failures. He made a mistake, sent out a group of inexperienced Lin Kuei novices on a mission they had not been trained for. He told them there were no civilians in that village, only members of a rival clan. They had orders to kill anyone they came across. Anyone who was armed." Bi-Han nods to the karambit at his side. "The intel he got was wrong. He... miscalculated, as he had put it. His miscalculation cost lives. The lives of your mother and sister and many others. It was not his first mistake and not the last one that caused people to die. Eventually, I understood he needed to be replaced."

Tomáš only stares at Bi-Han. He knows he should feel shock, anger, maybe even hatred, but he had buried those emotions a long time ago alongside the ghosts from the past. He knows that Lin Kuei warriors killed his family. Even if it's true and the former grandmaster was at fault for what happened, he hadn't killed his mother and sister intentionally and he had still taken Tomáš in.

"Don't pretend that you did what you did to protect innocent lives. Last time I checked, you were fine with using the soul stealers for your own gain, regardless of the cost."

Bi-Han scoffs. "I wanted to protect the Lin Kuei's reputation. Our legacy. All I ever cared about were the Lin Kuei. You're right, I didn't care about those lives. I didn't care that your family and the people in your pathetic village were slaughtered like wild beasts... They never mattered to me."

He says this with an almost gleefull expression and something inside Tomáš snaps.

He lunges at Bi-Han, but with impossible speed, Bi-Han dodges, grabs hold of him and throws him against the wall. He collides with it painfully, slides down and crumples to the floor. Suddenly, his mother's hunting knife is pointed at him, the cold steel pressing against his throat. He has no idea how Bi-Han had managed to disarm him so quickly.

"You were wrong, Tomáš. You don't know what it's like to lose everything. Allow me to show you." The knife in Bi-Han's grip begins to shake as green veins spread across the surface of the blade. He can almost hear the metal straining under the magic trying to eat its way into the material. Tomáš watches, his eyes wide in horror. The only thing he had left to remind him of his mother... And Bi-Han is about to destroy it.

"Bi-Han! Don't!", He begs. "Stop it!"

To his surprise, the advancing of the green veins pauses indeed, but they don't disappear fully.

Bi-Han watches him with raised eyebrows. "You want me to stop? Then kill me."

Kill him, a voice in the back of his head whispers. Do it.

A change comes over him. He can feel something in his mind shift, a toxic vapor obscuring his thoughts, taking control, so sudden and quick, he doesn't even have a chance to resist. His limbs move on their own as he rushes forward, grasping Bi-Han by the shoulders and slamming him down into the wooden bedside table. Splinters of broken furniture fly past him as the table shatters with the force of the impact. However, he's unable to hold Bi-Han down for long. A kick to his chest sends him flying backwards and knocks the breath out of his lungs. Even in his current state, Bi-Han possesses an incredible amount of strength. Tomáš doesn't want to fight or hurt him, but he finds himself no longer in control of his own body. He lunges at his older brother again, this time managing to wrestle his mother's knife out of his grip. The karambit clatters to the ground and slides across the floor. A punch lands in Bi-Han's gut, but he shows no reaction, no sign of pain. Another punch connects with his jaw. His older brother doesn't fight back. He makes no attempt to dodge or block the hits. Horrified by what is happening, Tomáš watches on, unable to do anything as he lives through one of his worst nightmares. He is attacking one of his brothers. Hurting him. Trying to kill him. In the back of his mind, he can feel the Enenra's influence on him grow stronger. He tries to fight back. He knows he has to resist somehow... He doesn't want to kill Bi-Han.

Suddenly, the door flies open and Liu Kang rushes into the room, followed by Geras who extends his hand, stopping time as Bi-Han is about to throw himself at him, hands shaped into claws like he wants to strangle him.

Tomáš finds himself unable to move either. In his head, the Enenra roars with fury, hating to be restrained. Finally, the fog in his mind clears, retreating for now. Were it not for the time freezing spell, Tomáš is convinced he would have collapsed on the spot.

"What is going on here?" Liu Kang looks at him first, then at Bi-Han.

Horrified, Tomáš notices the blood streaming down Bi-Han's chin. Had he broken his brother's nose? He almost hopes so as he thinks back to how Bi-Han had used his mother's knife to threaten him.

"Geras, let Tomáš go."

Finally, he's released. Tomáš falls down to his hands and knees, coughing as he reaches for the karambit. Across the room, he briefly meets Bi-Han's gaze. Hatred so deep burns within his brother's eyes, it causes Tomáš to shudder and look away first. Bi-Han might have been kind once, but there is no trace of that kindness left in him now. All Tomáš sees is malice and evil.

He stands up on shaky legs, wipes his sweaty palms on the trousers of his uniform and grips the hunting knife tightly as he stumbles away from the frozen image of Bi-Han. He looks down at his blade instead. It doesn't appear damaged as he inspects it. A wave of relief washes over him though it doesn't calm his anger.

"I want to leave", he chokes out.

"Please tell us what happened first." Liu Kang gently guides him out of the room, away from Bi-Han. Tomáš instantly feels better once the door closes behind them, even if only a little bit.

Once he no longer feels like he's suffocating, he tells Liu Kang about his conversation with Bi-Han, how his brother had threatened and provoked him and how the fight ensued... but the part about the Enenra possessing him, he keeps to himself.

"I'm sorry about what happened", Liu Kang says when he is done talking. "It is my fault. I should have known better... You should consider staying for the night to get some rest. Tomorrow morning, if you still wish to leave, I will open a portal to take you back home."

Tomáš hesitates to respond. Everything inside him is screaming at him to leave right now, to put as much distance between Bi-Han and himself as possible. He had been a fool to think he would be able to mend their bond, to guide Bi-Han back onto the path he strayed from, to save him. He is fully convinced now that Bi-Han is every bit the cruel and calculating monster everyone else makes him out to be. Using his family's keepsake against him. How could he?

"I'd rather leave now."

Liu Kang nods, his expression serious. "I understand and I won't stop you. However, if you leave now, I fear Bi-Han will not have much longer to live."

Tomáš feels guilty, but he can't find it in himself to care right now. Not after what happened today. But even then... There's still a part of him that wants his brother to live. He doesn't want to and yet he finds himself asking: "What do you mean?"

"He refuses to eat and he won't take the medicine I give him." Liu Kang exchanges a quick look with Geras before continuing: "I'm afraid his body won't last much longer."

Tomáš doesn't know how to respond to that, how to even feel about that. Bi-Han seems eager to continue down this path. He had chosen it for himself, all of this... No matter how much Tomáš wants to believe that his brother's soul can still be salvaged somehow, he knows better after today.

"I'm sorry, Lord Liu Kang, but you are wasting your efforts on him", Tomáš mumbles. "He is already beyond saving."

Behind him, Geras clears his throat. "If you want to leave immediately, Lord Liu Kang and I won't stand in your way. But since you came here already, allow me to show you something first. It will only take a few minutes."

Tomáš wants to protest, but he has a feeling Geras will insist and he already knows that arguing with the construct would be futile. At least, if he sits through whatever it is that Geras wants to show him, he can leave afterwards. "Alright", he says. "Show me."

-

They lead him to one of the temple's guest rooms and as the sand creates a canvas before him, images start to form in the mist, creating a scene from the past. The vision shows a younger Bi-Han, he is eighteen, nineteen maybe, his face not yet as stern as it is now. Back then, he used to wear his hair half up, the longer strands falling freely over his shoulders. His posture is tense, he seems troubled by something. Across from him stands a familiar figure. Xiaoqing, the Lin Kuei's master of arcane. The very man who had trained him and taught him the magic he wields today.

"This matter I asked you to look into... Do you have answers for me?", Bi-Han inquires, fingers tapping against the biceps of his crossed arms.

"Yes, Young Master, I was able to retrieve this from our archives." Xiaoqing hands Bi-Han a scroll. It looks old and brittle. Tomáš has never seen it before.

Bi-Han's frown deepens as he unrolls the scroll and scans the words written on the paper through narrowed eyes.

"Enenra... What is that? Some kind of... demon?"

"Beings from the Netherrealm.“ Xiaoqing points at something on the scroll. „They're particularly vicious and dangerous."

„What's the connection between them and Tomáš?"

"Enenra have the ability to possess or inhabit a mortal's body. His dreams might be a sign he has been chosen as a vessel“, Xiaoqing explains. „Perhaps it would be wiser to dispose of the threat right now. This is a serious matter. The grandmaster should be informed as well."

Bi-Han glares at him in response. „You will do no such thing. Father is a supersticious man. If he hears about this, Tomáš will be cast out."

"What do you propose instead, Young Master?"

There is a pause. Bi-Han's expression suggests he's weighing their options. „This will stay between us“, he finally decides, the familiar authority in his voice already present back then.

"But the grandmaster–"

"I will be the grandmaster one day", Bi-Han cuts him off sharply. "You would be best adviced to get used to taking your orders from me."

"Of course, Young Master."

"Can anything be done about the nightmares?"

Xiaoqing nods. "I have prepared a potion, like you instructed me to. The taste is subtle. If mixed with tea, it's barely noticable at all." He produces a vial and hands it to Bi-Han who quickly takes it and stores it inside the sleeve of his robe.

"Good. This should help suppress the Enenra's influence and keep his nightmares at bay. For now that's enough, but I expect you to find a permanent solution."

"I will do more research on this", Xiaoqing assures him.

"Do so descretely", Bi-Han responds. "I will not have harm come to either of my brothers, do you understand me?" With an imperious wave of his hand, he dismisses the master of arcane and the scene begins to dissolve into floating grains of sand.

Tomáš is too stunned to speak. His eyes feel wet as he blinks.

To either of my brothers... The words echo in his mind, they repeat, over and over.

Bi-Han had known about it. He had been aware of the Enenra's presence inside him all along. More than that, he had been trying to help him control it. This explains everything. Why his nightmares had returned after leaving the Lin Kuei. Why he had felt so unlike himself lately. Disoriented. Confused. Exhausted. Because he's no longer being given the medicine Bi-Han had the Lin Kuei's mages prepare for him.

You will regret leaving the Lin Kuei.

I advice you to return before it's too late.

All these things Bi-Han had said to him that he had brushed off as threats or attempts to intimidate him into surrendering had been warnings. Bi-Han had been trying to warn him...

Tomáš feels sick to his stomach.

The cup of tea he used to find by his bedside every morning... For the longest time he had assumed it was Kuai Liang who had placed it there for him. Not Bi-Han who barely spoke to him. Not Bi-Han who kept reminding him that his blood is not Lin Kuei.

"I... want to be alone", Tomáš hears himself say.

Liu Kang and Geras leave quietly. Tomáš is grateful for that. He doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. He slumps down on his bed, feeling overwhelmed and empty at the same time. He wants to go home, but he knows what will happen if he leaves. He cannot leave his brother. Not like this. Not after what he just witnessed. No matter how furious he is at Bi-Han, Tomáš doesn't want him to die. Bi-Han had saved and protected him from the darkness within him, in his own way, silently.

This time, Tomáš knows, it's his turn to save Bi-Han.

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mother

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mother

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Sometimes Bi-Han forgets he's the ELDEST.

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Liu Kang and Bi Han during Khaos Reings:

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Dumping some Bi-Han garbage art here~

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HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAACKKKKK

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Mileena

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Lots of my mutuals deleting/deactivating their twitter due to Elon's policies :""") should i do it too?

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i liiiike you *blushes*

Ahhh thank you anon ❤️❤️🥺 *blushes*

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your pictures are good 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 i like them thank you for existing and making

AAAAA 😭❤️❤️ Thank you for the compliment asdfghkl im glad my art (and existence? 😂) makes you happy ❤️

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Another batch of MK art pieces. The top pic i have been delaying for months so i wanted to finish it before moving to other things

2nd pic is a JunXBiHan gift art i made for @redara 's birthday! ❤️ pictured here is Bi Han laying with their OC Jun Tenshikiri, ty so much for being my friend ❤️ (and listening to me ramble on about my sad fics like a ted talk😭😂😂)

Last pic is a rain rough sketch i made for studying lighting

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Bireena doodles

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Putting it here Just in case of you are a fan of Sekhan please do keep in mind i am not a fan of the ship sadly 🙏

Im a huge fan of Sektor, but for me the ship makes me very uncomfortable. I dont mind if any of my followers ship Sekhan but if you plan to interact w me just putting it here just in case 👍

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MK1(2023) Bi-Han really feels like Dominic's revenge for not getting the reaction he wanted with Twindel. It's like he's taking what he wanted to do with her and shoving it onto Bi-Han. Even though it's just as nonsensical for him as it was for Sindel. He's lucky it kinda worked because, there seem to be far less people pulling a card about Bi-Han's ill-fitting characterization and just accepting it as is than there were over Sindel.

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Guys listen theres a way to satisfy the Bi Han redemption people(that includes me) and the "Bi Han was always evil" group at the same time. Just split Noob and Bi Han as two different entities born from the same soul, one is just vile and evil(Noob) like the "bi han always evil" group always wanted and the Sub Zero one is the one seeking for redemption, both believe themselves to be the original Bi Han, so if you dont fancy anti-hero Bi Han theres the other dude whos still pretty much the same guy but is pure evil and vice versa. Problem solved 😭

Anyways thank you for coming to my Ted talk imma shush now 😭😂