coldstoicism

[coldstoicism]

❝ there is no redemption. can’t you see? it is too late. ❞ ( from hydro @kombatpacks )

Too late... He knows this, how could he not? He is beyond redemption, his path to power paved by actions unforgivable, the bond he once shared with his brothers lies in shambles, the trust his allies had held in him destroyed, his reputation damaged beyond repair. And still, his stubbornness persists.

He tenses, brows drawn together in a deep frown as he regards the other warrior with a look of annoyance, he does not need lecturing from a former subordinate. Least of all from someone who had left the Lin Kuei. No one leaves the Lin Kuei. ❝ It is not redemption I seek. ❝ He corrects Hydro through gritted teeth, the words a low rumble in his throat. ❝ I know I cannot right the wrongs of my past. But my mistakes are my own. I wish only to save my clan. ❝ If he is to be executed for his wrongdoings, so be it, but he will not let the Lin Kuei suffer the consequences of his foolishness.

[coldstoicism]

༘⋆｡ stirring the pot starters

a mix of arguments, tension, manipulation, gossiping, fighting, & general emotional messiness!

you  weren't  supposed  to  hear  that.

don't  look  at  me  like  i'm  the  only  one  lying.

want  to  tell  them,  or  should  i?

you  think  i  don't  know  what  you  did?

i've  hit  people  for  less.

oh,  i  thought  you  already  knew.

that's  funny,  you  didn't  say  that  last  night.

say  that  again.  i  dare  you.

you  wanna  talk  about  loyalty?

no  offense,  but  if  you're  the  last  to  know,  that's  on  you.

go  ahead  -  pretend  like  it  wasn't  your  idea!

they  deserve  to  know  the  truth.

you  didn't  hear  this  from  me,  but  -

oh,  so  now  you  care?

don't  flatter  yourself.  you  were  just  convenient.

you  crossed  a  line.

we  had  bets  on  how  long  it  would  last.

it's  not  even  a  secret  anymore.

you  don't  get  to  cry  about  it  now.

touch  me  again  and  see  what  happens.

say  it  again.  louder  this  time.

you  really  thought  nobody  would  find  out?

don't  act  so  innocent.

okay,  but  am  i  the  villain  for  laughing?

tell  me  who  else  knows.  right  now.

this  whole  time,  and  you  didn't  say  a  word?

don't  act  brave  now.

you're  really  gonna  do  this  here?

it  wasn't  supposed  to  get  this  far!

you  can't  rewrite  history.

oh,  i'd  never  say  it  to  their  faces.

it  was  supposed  to  stay  between  us.

we're  all  thinking  it,  i  just  said  it.

you're  not  as  untouchable  as  you  act.

do  you  even  feel  guilty?

they  warned  me  about  you.

go  ahead,  make  it  worse.

if  you  repeat  this,  i'll  deny  everything.

the  next  thing  out  of  your  mouth  better  be  an  apology.

you're  about  three  seconds  away  from  regretting  this.

you  keep  pushing,  and  i'll  push  you  back.

they're  going  to  find  out.

one  more  lie,  and  i  walk.

they're  lying  to  you.

you  need  to  back  off.  now.

you're  defending  them?  after  everything?

don't  try  to  hide  it.

tell  me,  was  i  just  a  placeholder?

you  really  think  sorry  fixes  this?

there's  nothing  left  to  say.

don't  act  like  you're  the  one  hurting.

i  don't  owe  you  any  explanation.

whatever  helps  you  sleep  at  night.

you  should've  seen  this  coming.

i  hope  it  was  worth  it.

i  told  the  truth.  just  not  all  of  it.

you'll  miss  me  before  i  miss  you.

smile.  you're  ruining  the  mood.

i'd  watch  that  tone  if  i  were  you.

it's  not  my  fault  you  believed  me.

you  have  such  a  talent  for  pretending  you're  innocent.

we  both  know  this  is  over.

i  never  said  i  was  a  good  person.

i  thought  you  were  different.

[coldstoicism]

I made another blog for Tanya! Feel free to interact!

GUARDIAN OF OUTWORLD'S ROYAL FAMILY.

#DELIADEVOTED: Independent, literate & highly selective Tanya of the Mortal Kombat universe written by Snow (24). While my portrayal of Tanya is mostly based on Mortal Kombat 1 (2023)'s new era, other versions of her from earlier games can be found on this blog as well. Crossover and mutlmuse friendly. Only interact if you're 21+. RULES. (please read before interacting.)

[coldstoicism]

The moment he is freed from his bounds, Scorpion could easily escape, Noob Saibot is aware of that chance and he willingly takes it as he destroys the chain, waiting to see what the other will do. Something tells him that Scorpion knows he cannot do this alone, that he needs him if he wants to get the answers he is looking for, especially if his allies refuse to hand out that information to him. Durable as he may be, Scorpion is still mortal, his body still recovering from poisoning and blood loss.

❝ One I shall tell you of when the day comes, Hanzo. ❝ The wraith evades the question nonchalantly, ignoring the other's irritated tone. It surprises him that Scorpion had chosen to stay, that he hadn't left the very moment he got the chance to do so. ❝ What if they refuse to answer? Will you still only speak to them then? ❝

Even now, Scorpion hardly manages to control his anger. It simmers away beneath the surface, waiting to be released the second a suitable target for his wrath is found. It is pitiful, almost, but the wraith cannot find it in himself to feel any sympathy towards the other.

The fact that he is now freed of the chain that bound him here gives him the strong temptation to merely teleport away, deal with this himself no matter the consequences that await him, but seeds of doubt and awareness of his still weakened state had already been buried into his thoughts, and they were not compatible with the thought of waiting until he was healed properly, until he could face their resistance at his questioning with more than just violently stubborn determination.

"What favor could you possibly want of me?" His tone is irritated, but it is telling that he is still here, and has not left the moment he was no longer tethered physically to the location. "I can speak with them on my own terms." He growls, and it is almost funny how what he says he intends to do is merely 'speak' when anger rolls off him in heat waves.

He is trying so hard to stay together.

[coldstoicism]

@soulforfeit ❛  i will haunt you for the rest of your days.  ❜ 𝑭𝑬𝑨𝑹 / 𝑯𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑶𝑹 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.

Before him stands the ghost of a man he had not expected to see again in this life... Hanzo Hasashi. The Shirai Ryu he had killed at the Temple of the Elements, now following him around at the heel, much like a dog would. Bi-Han is unsure of what the other's intentions are, nothing beyond revenge he assumes, grimacing at the thought. Such unwillingness to accept defeat... Only a Shirai Ryu would be so dishonorable.

❝ Begone, Scorpion. ❝ He growls, clenching his fists as he assumes a defensive stance, prepared to fight the other once more if given no choice. ❝ I have bested you fairly in combat. What more do you want of me? ❝

Bi-Han had not feared Scorpion when the other was still alive and he did not fear his vengeful ghost now. He had killed Scorpion and sent him to the Netherrealm once, he could easily do it again if it ever came down to it. Ghosts should not roam the realm of the living. Maybe it is best if he ends this now, if he banishes this evil spirit back to the Netherrealm. Even as a ghost, Hanzo would not be able to best him.

[coldstoicism]

He is a stern teacher, unforgiving, too harsh at times, as his own Lin Kuei would say when he is not around to listen, his expectations almost impossible to meet, but he recognizes potential when it is present and Takeda has an abundance of such potential. Bi-Han finds it needless to give him pointers. It is better if the student recognizes the mistake himself, finds the flaws in his moveset and corrects them.

Takeda's technique is getting better, he observes, and still he lets the other continue to practice the form. Kuai Liang's training methods, according to Bi-Han at least, are too gentle to be effective. He is coddling their initiates too much. It makes them soft and softness is a flaw that kills.

❝ Hanzo has taught you well, I see. ❝ Rare praise from the grandmaster, but genuine despite his dislike for the Shirai Ryu. The only fault he finds is that Takeda is too emotional to be a flawless fighter, though it had to be expected given who he has as his mentor.

❝ not bad, but only half-good. ❞ // for Takeda

ghost of tsushima starters

Man, was Grandmaster Bi Han a hard man to impress. Kuai would've offered some words of encouragement by now, some notes on where he could improve, but with his brother? Forget it, guy was as unmovable as a rock.

Still, he didn't let it demoralize him, instilled with the same stubborn nature as that of his own Grandmaster. He'd find a way to crack through the ice somehow, even if it was an uphill battle.

"Half-good is halfway there." He chirps, but doesn't stop to chatter, moving instead to practice the form he was shown with more vigor, motions slow but fluid as he breaks it down step by step and moves from one move to the other. Once he had it down again, he steps up the pace for another round. He only stops once he feels like one of his attempts is the closest he can get to Bi-Han's own example.

The man might just be slightly biased against Shirai-Ryu still if he won't acknowledge the ninja's a quick learner...

[coldstoicism]

Kuai Liang's friendship with Scorpion had been a bitterly aching thorn in his side for far too long, his hatred for the other fueled by the fact that he had stolen his brother from him, taken not only his life but even the only family he had from him, turning Kuai Liang against him. Were it not for Scorpion's manipulation, why would Kuai Liang ever choose to forgive him? Perhaps he is fooling himself, refuses to believe his brother can indeed be so despicable and disloyal as to forgive his murderer.

Seeing how mentioning Kuai Liang did not cause Hanzo's resolve to falter, the corners of his mouth twitch up into a malicious grin, concealed only by the mask he wears, an obvious giveaway of his ulterior motives and his intention to drive Scorpion and his brother apart. But Hanzo cannot see it and so Noob Saibot's plan remains known only to himself.

The other's mistrust comes as no surprise to him. Scorpion hardly has reason to trust him after Noob Saibot had nearly tortured him to death and so he cannot blame the other for doubting the earnestness of his sudden change of heart.

❝ A favor. ❝ The wraith responds bluntly. ❝ I have already saved your life and cured you of the poisoning. If I help you in this matter, you must grant me a favor in return. ❝ He already knows Scorpion will be hesitant to accept the deal, but given his current condition he hardly has a choice. The true reason as to why he is offering his assistance, however, he keeps to himself. His wish to see the other suffer further as he kills his allies in his rage, burns the bridges he had so carefully mended... Only to then find out Takeda was alive all along. Noob Saibot wants to break Scorpion and wants to be there to watch it happen.

The moment the name of Kuai Liang is spoken, Scorpion stills, even if for just a moment, and a weary look overtakes his expression. Even Kuai Liang had no means to know where Takeda was, telling him he had received the same answer as Hanzo: it was classified. But where otherwise Kuai Liang would be there to reassure Hanzo, remind him that Takeda was a capable warrior of his own right, that Hanzo should trust in his capabilities…

He is not here. Bi-Han is. And bitterly is Scorpion made to think of how Kuai Liang made him wait, pause in his pursuit of Takeda, for "his own sake". The man was a dear friend, but just as Kenshi is, that would not be enough to stop him in his pursuit this time. He had to have his answers.

What gets his attention next, however is the offer. Noob Saibot wants to assist him.

Suspicion flares immediately, but the treatment going from torture to healing to cure makes a mess of his understanding of Noob Saibot's intentions - the wraith clearly loathes him, a feeling that is staunchly mutual, so why this?

"What have you to gain from that?" To leave Scorpion indebted to him? To be a macabre voyeur as Scorpion gets confirmation of his worst fears? Neither appeals to him, but he cannot deny the truth of Saibot's words - he looked a mess, he felt a mess, and were it not for his anger burning through all other senses, he would still feel weakened and faint, still suffering from the drawbacks of blood loss.

[coldstoicism]

How he enjoys watching Scorpion suffer, seeing him cornered like this, like an animal, resorting to anger when he finds no way out of his current situation. His enemy is trapped with nowhere to escape to, unable to get away, left with no choice but to believe the lie Noob Saibot had crafted for him. When confronted with his past wrongdoings, it does not surprise Bi-Han that Hanzo tries to excuse his actions, to act as if they were justified.

Honorable as Hanzo may believe himself to be, the wraith knows he is no better than him, causing only death and pain wherever he went.

❝ They will try to stop you. Kuai Liang will try to stop you. ❝ Bi-Han reminds the other, gently almost, as if he is warning an old friend of a stupid mistake he is about to make. ❝ Free you? Your body is still weakened. If you go and confront the Special Forces right now, alone, it will not end well for you. Allow me to assist you. ❝

When he is let go, the wraith stumbles back, growling lowly in his throat to express his annoyance with the other before retrieving his weapon from where he had dropped it earlier. Maintaining eye contact with the other, Noob Saibot makes his way over to where the chain binds Hanzo to the wall, severing it with a quick slash of his sickle. The chain rattles as it falls to the ground and Scorpion is free once more.

❝ I know where we can get the answers you want. ❝

Scorpion bristles, both at the accusation and at the appearance of the shadow clones, feeling increasingly cornered both physically and emotionally, poked and prodded with his past mistakes… but indignant anger, with nowhere to turn it other than Saibot's haunting presence, makes him bitter, makes him stubborn.

He has his reasons for what he's done, and given the chance, he would have murdered Quan Chi again, dammed be the revenants.

"I do not care. I will kill as many as it takes." A resolute non-answer, all he cares about now is leaving this place, abandoning Noob Saibot and his twisted, torturous games, in order to search for the truth, in order to search for his son. "And you will free me."

Takeda…

It is clear that rage and anguish are becoming a dangerous mix in Scorpion's mind, an echo of the turbulent existence he led when undead, and frustration peaks when Noob declares he will give him no further information, leaving him only with the limb he holds in a shaking grip. He reacts not to the pain of the grip around his wrist, beyond the worries for his own well being, but Scorpion does let him go with a shove of frustration.

[coldstoicism]

As the other backs away from him, Noob Saibot continues advancing, cornering Scorpion, the shadows behind him suddenly coming alive, writhing and whispering as they take the shapes of his shadow clones, a dozen more pairs of eyes staring back at the other from the darkness.

❝ I am a plague on the realms? And yet my pursuit of power has claimed fewer lives than your thirst for vengeance, Scorpion. ❝ The wraith spits, his own voice as venomous as the other's, filled with nothing but hatred and disdain. ❝ How many revenants have you doomed with your selfishness? How many more lives will be lost now to avenge Takeda? Tell me, which one of us is the greater plague after all? ❝

At the mention of Kuai Liang he flinches slightly, though he remains unmoving, refuses to back down now that he has the upper hand. ❝ Brother? What brother? ❝ He raises his arms, gesturing at the shadow clones behind him. ❝ I have many brothers now and unlike Kuai Liang, they are loyal. ❝

His patience begins to wear thin, first as Scorpion's accusing finger pokes his chest, then as he finds himself grabbed by the other. The wraith growls, a final warning, and as he is not being let go, his own hand comes up, wrapping itself around Scorpion's wrist, metal claws cutting into skin. ❝ You have nothing to demand of me, Scorpion. What I know, I have told you already. The only proof I have of my words is what you hold in your hands right now. Takeda is gone. There is nothing else. ❝

When Noob Saibot steps closer, Scorpion steps back, the rightful accusation of his past actions making him briefly bite his tongue - but this leaves him with no one to blame, no one to take out these turbulent emoticons on.

"Do not goad me, Bi-Han." Scorpion growls, reflecting back the same vitriol with which the other gazes at him with. "I am repentant for your original death, but as you are now you are not without guilt. You are a plague on the realms, and I have not acted in mercy by ridding them of you only because your brother wills it so, wishes you restored." He speaks with complex emotion, maintains eye contact with the mummified face that looks back at him.

"If not you, then you will tell me who, you will tell me where." Anxiety was clearly making itself known in the way Scorpion grew restless, choosing that moment to step forward towards Saibot until he was close enough to jab a finger into the other's chest before clenching a fistful of the wraith's robes. "You will prove your words." He speaks as if he does not believe in the other, as if he harbors any sort of doubt, but the hand clenched in his own shows part of him had already grimly accepted the "truth".

[coldstoicism]

༘⋆｡  seeing  double.

sentence  starters  for  duplicates  -  twin  aus,  clones,  alternate  universe  selves,  etc.  for  other  versions  of  yourself,  for  looking  in  the  mirror,  for  wondering  about  who  you  could  be  & who  you  could've  been  &  who  you  are  now.

if  you're  me,  who  am  i?

i  wonder  which  of  us  is  the  better  version.

are  you  here  to  replace  me?

in  your  world,  are  we  the  bad  guys?

you  took  my  VOICE,  too?

nobody  else  gets  what  it's  like,  except  you.

you're  not  alone  anymore.  we're  not  alone  anymore.

if  we  traded  places,  would  anyone  notice?

they  think  i'm  you,  i  didn't  correct  them.

the  world  isn't  big  enough  for  the  both  of  us.

i  didn't  ask  to  be  your  shadow.

we  came  into  this  world  together.

we're  not  the  same,  but  we  don't  have  to  be.

we  were  never  meant  to  meet,  were  we?

i  didn't  expect  to  trust  someone  with  my  face.

we're  different  versions  of  the  same  book.

i'm  not  the  original,  am  i?

you  don't  have  to  prove  you're  real,  i  believe  you.

i  am  NOT  covering  for  you  again.

we're  not  the  same,  &  we  never  have  been.

they  said  two  heads  were  better  than  one...

i  can't  believe  people  think  we're  identical.

are  you  evil  me,  or  am  i  evil  me?

i  guess  i'm  the  reason  i  have  trust  issues.

you  think  being  the  'original'  means  anything?

it's  not  identity  theft  if  we  share  dna!

you're  like  looking  in  a  mirror  i  wish  i  could  break.

you  feel  like  a  stranger,  even  though  you're  me.

i'm  tired  of  being  a  worse  version  of  you.

you're  still  my  other  half.

you're  wearing  my  skin.  it's  not  yours.

i  guess  two  of  me  means  double  the  fun...

looking  at  you  reminds  me that  i  didn't  lose  myself.

[coldstoicism]

So easily Scorpion falls for his deception, does not even question it twice if the severed hand truly belongs to Takeda or how it could have possibly ended up in his possession. Hanzo had always been a fool to his emotions, his anger easily awakened by Noob Saibot's gloating and threats made towards the Shirai Ryu. How such a simple man could call himself grandmaster of a clan is beyond him.

With malicious joy, the wraith observes as Scorpion holds the severed hand close to his chest, truly believing it belongs to his deceased protegee. Seeing the other so griefstricken, so devastated, it is almost healing to him. Finally, Scorpion gets to experience the pain he deserves to feel. Finally, he pays for all the suffering he had caused him.

❝ He did not die by my hands. ❝ Noob Saibot explains calmly, unperturbed by the other's anger and the accusations thrown at him.

I will end you where you stand.

❝ Again, Hanzo? Was once not enough for you? ❝ He asks wearily, taking a step towards the other, coming closer, so the other can reach him despite the chain around his ankle binding him to the wall. ❝ Go ahead then. Kill me. You have killed me innocently before. What will Kuai Liang say, I wonder... With Quan Chi gone, who will you blame your own mistakes on this time? ❝

His voice turns icy towards the end, white eyes glaring at the other with unconcealed hatred. Surely, he may be lying about Takeda being dead, but to see Hanzo blame him once again for something he hadn't done enrages him more than he had expected.

He could be tortured to the brink of his life, he could be threatened with na afterlife of servitude, Hanzo's pride and stubbornness would demand he stand strong, face his fate with the same grim determination he had always held when doing assignments for his clan. No matter what, he would always fight.

… But who does he fight here, now, when the matter spoken of was over and done with, nothing he could do to change the outcome?

This is all there is left of him. It is like a punch to the stomach, Scorpion able to feel the way everything inside of him freezes in horror as his eyes settle on the wrapped object. It had rolled over after being tossed, exposed na expanse of what was clearly skin and a wound of severance. This was a limb. A haunted expression. slowly settles in as he hesitantly reaches forth and picks it up, and a shudder does go through him as he is able to feel through the cloth that this is clearly a hand - and he stalls at the notion of unwrapping it, of actually seeing it.

"How dare you…" It is all he can say in the moment, unconsciously holding the hand closer to his chest, to na increasingly panicked heartbeat. A tremor makes itself noticeable as Scorpion faces Saibot once more, his whole body barely holding in the destructive swell of emotion within. "Did you do this?!" Of course, that is where his mind would first go, well aware of Noob Saibot's own gloating that he would bring him members of his clan before him. "I will end you where you stand!" The echo is back in his voice, a testament to the dark place his emotions are taking him.

[coldstoicism]

Such anguish... Fleetingly, he imagines himself in the other's position, wondering what his own reaction would have been had someone told him Kuai Liang was dead, had he ever lost his brother... He may loathe Kuai Liang now, but back when he was still alive, when they were brothers, it would have destroyed him. Within the deepest depths of his soul, he almost feels sympathy towards the other. Then he catches a glimpse of his own reflection in the blade of his sickle, unsightly and mangled beyond recognition. He drops the sickle onto the crude table in front of him as though he had burned himself on the weapon he carries inside his own undead flesh. Nauseated by the sight of it, his eyes settle on Scorpion once more and all sympathy is gone.

Even if it were true, even if Takeda was dead, Bi-Han would be entirely indifferent towards it. Why would the fate of a Shirai Ryu concern him? He despises them all equally, Scorpion above all others.

Once again, he savors the look of pure suffering on the other's face, knowing he had wounded him where it hurt the most. ❝ His choices have led him to his grave and you allowed it to happen. ❝

Without breaking eye contact, the wraith pulls out a small package, an object wrapped up in the torn black fabric of his own robes and carelessly tosses it at Scorpion's feet.

❝ This is all there is left of him. Bring it home for a burial if you please. ❝

And he would. He would and Hanzo cannot argue otherwise because the mere thought of being kept purposefully in the dark about this feeds the flames of his indignation, of his rage. Were he freed right now, what would he do? He would seek the Special Forces, and he would not take a non-answer as to Takeda's whereabouts, resolving to use violence to get the answers he demands.

Even if Takeda… Hanzo would not let him rest in na unknown location, left to be forgotten. He would be brought back to the Shirai Ryu.

But he is not freed. He is stuck here, made to wallow in these fears, in the doubts he held close to his heart. And the apathy the other shows to the heavy News he is sharing brings with it a false sense of validity, of course Bi-Han would find this permissible, speak with such detachment at the posible death of another Shirai Ryu.

Takeda was. Was. Hanzo's breathing picks up as he feels a surge of emotion threaten to overwhelm him, and silence stretches on as it is clear every single word and jab digs into his psyche. His hands clench, shaking as he turns to face the wraith with the look of a wounded animal in his eyes. "It was his choice. He is a grown man, he can make his own decisions." Stubbornly does he cling to anger… for if he let it go, despair would threaten to take hold.

[coldstoicism]

He finally has the other where he wants him, alone and isolated, in a position of vulnerability where his mind is easily susceptible to lies and deceits. The wraith can tell just from observing the other that the bait has been taken, Scorpion's own anxious mind filling in the gaps, painting its own grim scenarios, even without his input.

❝ You may be his grandmaster, but the Special Forces do not trust you. ❝ Growing weary of watching the other pace back and forth, Noob Saibot retreats further into the shadows, only the faint glow of his eyes still visible as he removes the sickle from his shoulder and begins busying himself by cleaning the blade. ❝ Can you fault them for it? You broke into their compound to kill Quan Chi. They must assume you would burn it to the ground in your rage should you find out about Takeda's death. ❝

He is nothing if not convincing and he does not even give it his best effort. Hanzo, a man already tormented by guilt and past failings is all too easy to fool. Noob Saibot enjoys playing this cruel game, watching the other fall apart, watching his calm resolve give way to self-loathing and despair.

There is one more thing he has to say, a final, well-placed stab of the blade he had already punctured Scorpion's heart with. Now all that remains is to twist it.

❝ Takeda was one of your Shirai Ryu. Why did you let him go with them? ❝

Weariness grows within the more the other speaks, claws digging themselves into him, picking at every worry he holds like scabs to be torn away, wounds of his heart reopened. Hanzo does not look at Saibot directly, leaving the other in the corner of his vision like the rest of the shadows in the room, and for a moment he can convince himself he is alone, reins his increasingly turbulent emotions in with a tense breath.

But Noob Saibot keeps talking. And his mind cannot help but fill in the details.

The way they all tensed at his questions, avoided them and refused to answer, unable to assure him of something as simple as Takeda's well being. The Special Forces were never meant to overtake Takeda's place in his clan, and yet they demanded all his time and energy, and although it had been Kenshi's idea to let him join Cage's team, although it was on that same team that Takeda came to meet his beloved Jacqui…

Regret lapped at Hanzo from time to time, wondering if he had not pointlessly endangered his surrogate by allowing him to join them.

Where is Takeda Takahashi? Sorry, that info's classified.

"I…" What can he say to that? Argue that it is not true, say he would not be consumed by rage if… if it were true? Hanzo glares at the other now, but the expression is not as sharp with how worry begins to overtake his expression, a growing sense of guilt gnawing at his senses as the wraith stands there idly, with a calm befitting a man certain of his word. "I am his Grandmaster, they would have no right to hide it from me!"

Kenshi at the very least would have told him so if it was true… if he were not missing just as Takeda is, no means of contacting him, no way to know if he was still alive.

Dread begins to settle in.

[coldstoicism]

Rage, mindless, thoughtless rage.

It always circles back to this in the end, to that one ruinous emotion the other cannot seem to escape, be it in life or in death. Scorpion is still a slave to his fury, no matter how much he insists that he is a changed man now. Noob Saibot knows him better than that, knows his weak spots, where to sink his claws into, injecting his poison to feed the other's already existing doubts.

❝ Why would I lie to you? ❝ He asks calmly, watching his enemy scramble to convince himself of the opposite, perhaps a first sign of panic setting in. ❝ I am death. How would I not know who death claims? ❝

The wraith does not interfere as the other gets up, instead rising back to his feet himself, willingly giving Scorpion the distance he so obviously wants. He had already achieved what he wanted, planting a seed of doubt in the other's mind, making him question what he knows, making him wary of those closest to him.

❝ Your allies have kept you in the dark. They still fear you. What you might do once you learn the truth. You believe yourself a different man now, but to them you are still the same. ❝

It feels as if another bucketful of frigid water was dumped on him, his frame tenses up and his breath gets caught in his throat as Noob Saibot's words enter his mind like yet another poison.

Takeda? Dead?

The immediate response is denial, anger, certainly this must be the wraith attempting to goad a reaction out of him, see the way aimless rage consumes him… but there is that one traitorous part of himself that had been expecting the worst.

"You lie." He growls, the heat of his surging anger palpable, protective of the mere thought of his protegee. "He is on an assignment with the Special Forces. They would contact me if so." He speaks firmly, and yet it is more to convince himself than anything else.

It spurs him to move, finally, getting up and tearing his eyes away from an expression that bore into his own with a mockery of pity, seeking distance from the other. He wants to pace, he wants to leave, he wants to find Takeda himself.

The chain on his ankle rattles. He is here with Noob Saibot instead.

[coldstoicism]

Ever so briefly, his eyes light up, satisfied to get the desired reaction from the other. He had indeed been right to assume that the matter of the young ninja's sudden disappearance is a sensitive topic to Hanzo, another weakness just waiting to be exploited. Who would have thought the other would care so much about a son that is not his own?

To some degree, Bi-Han can understand him, he had always understood Hanzo's pain of losing his wife and child, having lost family himself. It is a wound that scars over in time, but never fully heals. With his mother and sister gone, Bi-Han's will to live had been entirely tied to Kuai Liang, protecting his brother becoming the single purpose of his existence. Having someone left to live for can help ease the guilt, preserve one's sanity, give life meaning again, like some kind of anchor. Being given the task to raise Takeda must have given Hanzo's life a sense of purpose again.

❝ He is your protegee. Were you not supposed to be with him? ❝ The wraith asks, ignoring Scorpion's own question. ❝ Yet you do not know of his whereabouts and those who do... it seems they have not told you. ❝

Noob Saibot shakes his head in feigned regret, not bothering to conceal how much this amuses him, to "know" something the other does not. There is a long pause in which he merely observes Scorpion, drinking in the concern written all over his face, the anxiety with which he awaits a response, even if no question was asked. Noob Saibot can tell the other is hoping he will share what he knows with him.

❝ Takeda is dead, Hanzo. ❝

How sharply does his expression shift, from one moment to the next, where he was grappling still with the dreadful feeling of the antidote taken, suddenly his eyes widen and then set into a cautious but harsh glare, the topic of his charge clearly one close to his heart, his jaw set firm.

"Why does it concern you?" Defensive, it is not a proper answer, telling in of itself that some time has passed since they last met face to face. "You will not lay a hand on him." Back to the threats, he changes not, still prodded into action by the same topics as always... but it is clear he is tender on the subject of the child entrusted to him.

Easy to miss when speaking of his clan as a whole, Hanzo has been worried about Takeda specifically for quite some time, with no one to share his troubles with other than Fujin and Kuai Liang, being otherwise blown off and avoided by people that call themselves his allies.

Even now, it feels as if they see him only as Scorpion.

A pit forms in his stomach, a dreadful feeling of anxiety belonging to a worried parent, and Hanzo hates how easily it is fed by the mere act of having Noob Saibot of all people finally address this issue.

Why was he asking, what did he know?

[coldstoicism]

He tries to convince himself that his efforts to save Hanzo, to cure him of the poison in his veins, serve only the purpose of prolonging his suffering, watching the other continue to live a life of misery and guilt, longing for the family he had lost, haunted by the mistakes of his past. It is easy to pretend he is driven soley by his thirst for vengeance, not by loneliness and the desperate wish to be understood. Regardless of all the hatred between them, Hanzo and him had endured so many hardships together under Quan Chi's control, had suffered in similar ways and perhaps the only person who truly knows him, other than his now estranged brother, is his mortal enemy.

There is a moment of tension as Noob Saibot watches the other drink the contents of the vial, waiting for the antidote to take effect, hoping it is indeed what they both expected it to be: the cure to save Hanzo's life. Were it not to work, the wraith would have to think of another solution.

A visible shudder seems to run through Scorpion's body and Bi-Han can see the pearls of sweat glistening on his forehead. He is unsure of whether this means the cure is working as intended or if this is a sign of the other's system rejecting it. Given that the other stays calm and does not seem to be in too much discomfort, he assumes it must be the former.

The display of gratitude, reluctant as it may be, comes entirely unexpected to Noob Saibot. Surely, it is more of a mock response than a genuine heartfelt 'thank you', but it is at the very least an acknowledgement of the troubles he went through to preserve the other's life. Not that he cares for Scorpion's gratitude.

❝ Do not thank me. You may yet regret your choice to live, Scorpion. ❝ Sensing a moment of weakness, an idea takes shape in Noob Saibot's mind. ❝ How long has it been since you last saw Takeda?❝

This could possibly be all in vain. And yet… Bi-Han cared enough to fetch it even so, bothered to trespass the fortress that haunts them both so in order to dig through the necromancer's collection. Was it to taunt him with the promise of a cure? Was it a desire to fix him as to prolong their time wretched together? Hanzo did not know, and hardly could he be convinced think on it.

The tincture is repugnant, even more so when mixed with the taste of his own blood in his mouth, but he drinks it in it's entirety, and it burns on the way down like a potente spirit - only to end with with a full body shudder as his body seemed to take to it… and violently begin it's attempt to expel the poison within.

Heat blooms, a fire in his veins, but it is not as acidic as it had been, feeling instead like water being brought to boil, and sweat is soon running down his face as náusea returns although he stubbornly keeps it down. It is uncomfortable, but it is healing him.

"Thank you." His voice is low, gravely, weighted down by the changes happening in his body. A show of gratitude, but it is entirely sardonic, merely another show that he expects only the worst from the other even after this show of 'good will' towards him.

[coldstoicism]

Their first encounter... Bi-Han remembers it vividly, even though decades had passed since. They had been young men back then, each with a reputation to preceed him and the blood of countless of nameless people on their hands. One, a merciless assassin, deadly and revered by his fellow clan members, the other a no less deadly ninja, belonging to a clan of traitors in the eyes of the Lin Kuei. They knew they were meant to hate each other, to fight to the death before they even knew each other's names.

To this day, Bi-Han still hates them. The Shirai Ryu are vermin, thieves, deluding themselves to be honorable when their clan is built on the secrets stolen from the Lin Kuei. Having been bested by one still weighs heavily on his pride.

Satisfied, Noob Saibot watches the other tense up as he approaches. Good. Scorpion would be well adviced to fear him, even if he choses to remain peaceful for the time being.

The other's mistrust is all too obvious as he holds out the cure to him, generously allowing him to simply take it, offering to save his life after he had so nearly ended it. Of course, it doesn't surprise him that Scorpion expects some ulterior motive behind it. Their eyes meet as the other looks up, but the wraith does not withdraw his hand.

When Hanzo finally reaches for the vial, Noob Saibot merely watches him take it out of his open palm, making no attempt to stop the other or change his mind at the last second. As expected, he is shown no gratitude.

❝ This cure has been preserved for a long time... I cannot speak on its potency. ❝

Watching Scorpion drink the antidote, he figures he should at least let the other know this much. He had not taken it from a particularly trustworthy source after all.

More insults, more goading, he expects as much but it does not stop it from being petty and grating, a constant show of the disrespect between them from the very moment they had laid eyes upon each other. Hanzo does not grace it with a response.

He, the prideful Shirai Ryu, the other, a cold blooded snake from the Lin Kuei.

Hanzo does not stir from his position, knelt on the floor, even as the other approaches him - but it is easy to notice the tension in his frame as they are met face to face, clearly bracing against whatever may come… only to be met with na extended palm, a familiar looking glass vial. One of a vast collection, the handwriting on it unmistakable, there was no doubt that whatever it might contain to be true.

An antidote. Quan Chi had always been one to collect oddities.

Suspicion fills his gaze, and his eyes flick from the vial offered to the wraith that offers it to him. If it is what it is, he would be cured of the draining feeling that lingers in his limbs, a constant sapping of his strength by what remains of poison in his system. It would give him more strength to resist, fight back, perhaps even escape should the other be distracted for long enough.

Silently, resolution sets in his expression as he reaches to take what is offered, no thanks offered. He wishes to live, if given the choice.