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evilbihan · 3 days ago

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Bi-Han's fate - Pt. 4

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of canon-typical gore and violence

Notes: I know I've been taking ages to update the story and I apologize, I'm in the middle of my exam week and I'm really busy and stressed at the moment. I also haven't slept the past two days, so please forgive me if I made even more spelling or grammar mistakes than usual. The next chapter will definitely be the last chapter of this story. I already feel like I'm dragging it on for too long. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it despite it being such a rushed chapter due to my hectic schedule last week. As always, please feel free to leave feedback.

Disclaimer: see previous posts

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

Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Tags: @yandere-transformers-rock @lacymarygold chapter 4 is out!

His happy memories are few.

Life within the Lin Kuei is harsh, each waking moment consisting of brutal training and meticulous studying, every failure punished mercilessly. He gets up before sunrise and doesn't return to his quarters until the sun sets again late in the evening, when the sky is a mush of purple and red, almost resembling the pattern of injuries all over his battered body. His muscles and bones ache unbearably by then, bruises beginning to form where his opponents' hits had landed. It only means he needs to train harder, push his body further beyond its limitations. Sometimes he bleeds from cuts he doesn't even remember obtaining. It's his cryomancy, he knows. Countless of times he ends up cutting himself on the sharp edges of the ice weapons he summons. It had only taken him a few years to master his powers, a mere fragment of how long it usually takes to become an expert cryomancer. The Lin Kuei elders had praised him for it, telling him he is exceptionally gifted, his discipline admirable – his father had never acknowledged any of that. At the end of each day, he's so tired he collapses on his bed and falls asleep in an instant, exhausted from hours of training outside in Arctika's unforgiving cold, practicing every punch, every kick, every stance and technique to perfection. Anything less than that is unacceptable for the grandmaster's eldest son and heir.

The happiest day of his life is the day Kuai Liang was born. He had wished for a little brother for so long he had almost given up hope entirely – until one day when his parents had finally announced that they were expecting a second son. He had been overjoyed then, eager to meet his new sibling, to take on the role of the older brother, guiding and protecting his younger brother. It had encouraged him to work even harder on his skills, practicing moves to the point of exhaustion. On most days, he had trained well past sunset, until he had no choice but to stop striking the wooden training dummy because his eyes could no longer make it out in the dark.

One morning, as he's on the way to another early training session, he sees the midwives rushing to his parents' private chambers. He follows them, waiting anxiously outside while his mother gives birth to his little brother. After what feels like hours, the doors finally open and his father steps out to let him know he can come in now. A tiny bundle of towels rests in his mother's arms. She looks happy, albeit tired, a wide smile spread across her face.

He approaches carefully to take a closer look, gawking at the tiny creature wrapped up within the cloths. The head is far too big on the shoulders carrying it, the face wrinkly, the eyes wide and curious. His little brother looks so fragile as though a single gust of the harsh Arctikan wind could extinguish his life. Bi-Han wants to ask if he can hold him, but he doesn't dare. He's well aware of his own strength, afraid to accidentally break his brother's bones if he hugs him too tightly.

Bi-Han had never seen a newborn before. Part of him worries that his little brother won't survive the ruthlessness of Arctika's winters. Cryomancers develop their natural resistance to the cold alongside their powers. In the first years of their lives, they are as vulnerable to it as any other being.

"Do you want to hold him?", his mother eventually asks, giving him an encouraging smile when she sees the hesitation in his eyes. "It's alright. Just be mindful of the head. We have to support it when we hold him. See? Like this." She nods to her left hand cradling the back of the baby's head.

Bi-Han nods, making sure to support his brother's head just like she had shown him as he carefully takes the baby out of her arms. It's surprisingly light.

"Your mother and I want you to choose a name for him", his father says, his expression as stern as it always is, even on such a joyful occasion.

"Me?" Bi-Han looks down at his brother's round face, trying to come up with a name that would fit him. With its small hands, the baby grabs onto his little finger. "He will be a cryomancer too one day, right? So... How about Kuai Liang?"

"Kuai Liang", his father repeats. "It's a good name. We shall keep it."

He had made a promise to himself that day – to both himself and to Kuai Liang. To protect him, to never let any harm come to him.

When Kuai Liang became old enough to begin his training, Bi-Han had insisted on training him personally. His father had been against it at first, claiming that he was too young and too inexperienced to be training other Lin Kuei warriors. Bi-Han had proven him wrong by working even harder, becoming the only cryomancer to have fully mastered his powers before reaching adulthood, the only Lin Kuei who could effortlessly best warriors twice his size with double the years of combat experience. At the age of fifteen, he had earned the reputation of being undefeated in training matches, rising to become the most respected among the Lin Kuei. It was then that his father had finally given in, allowing him to train Kuai Liang.

All his efforts, everything he had done... it had all been to protect his brother. After experiencing the Lin Kuei's ruthless training first hand, he had known it was something he'd never wish upon his brother. He would have never allowed the Lin Kuei instructors to use the rod on Kuai Liang as they did on him. He would have done anything to shield his brother from any hardships or suffering.

And now...

His own hands had scarred Kuai Liang.

His brother bears a constant reminder of the promise he had broken. Nothing is left of their brotherly bond, only betrayal, grief, anger and hatred...

How could it come to this?

"I was supposed to protect him." His chest feels heavy with anguish and guilt. He clenches his fists helplessly, squeezes his eyes shut to hide the tears he's too ashamed to shed. "I failed him."

"No, Bi-Han, you didn't fail him", Tomáš tries to reassure him. "You couldn't know this would happen. It's not your fault."

He shakes his head, but can't find the strength to utter any words. It is his fault, all of it.

Time itself seems to taunt him, it rushes by like rapids down a river, moving impossibly fast, yet agonizingly slow. Every hour he spends here, uselessly pacing back and forth, Kuai Liang is living through further torment. It pains him to imagine what his brother must be going through right now. A captive. At the mercy of the Tengu clan. The very people who had killed his mother. The thought alone causes Bi-Han's stomach to lurch, sending him into another coughing fit.

From where he's sitting, Tomáš regards him with a concerned look. Bi-Han quickly waves his hand to let his brother know he doesn't need help. In fact, Tomáš doesn't seem like he's faring any better than him. He looks paler than Bi-Han had ever seen him, clutching the armrests of his chair in a white-knuckled grip. The envelope is lying on the table between them. Neither of them can bear to look at it.

"They will pay for this", Bi-Han growls. "I will kill them. Every last one of them."

The concern in Smoke's eyes doesn't disappear. "Brother, we must inform Lord Liu Kang."

"What for?" Bi-Han snaps. "He would only try to stop us. We need to leave. Now." He turns around to head for the door, but his brother jumps to his feet and grabs his arm to stop him before he can reach it.

"Even if we leave now, we would achieve nothing", Tomáš tries to reason with him. "Without Liu Kang's help, it would take us days to even get to the Tengu clan's fortress. And what would we do then? You're in no condition to fight. The two of us alone wouldn't be able to save Kuai Liang. We need Liu Kang's assistance."

"Liu Kang's priority is this timeline, not our brother", Bi-Han cuts him off harshly as he wrenches his arm free and proceeds past Tomáš towards the door. With or without his brother's help, he would go and rescue Kuai Liang.

Tomáš has no choice but to chase after him. "Where are you going? Geras won't let you leave the fire temple."

"I won't be asking for permission."

"Bi-Han, wait!" Once again, he feels Smoke's hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop in his tracks and turn around. "I want to save our brother too, but we can't act without a plan."

"Every second we spend here arguing, they are torturing Kuai Liang!"

"And if we make a mistake now, they'll kill him!"

Bi-Han goes quiet. He doesn't care if the agony in his voice gives away how much he still cares about Kuai Liang, despite the bitter feud between them. He knows Tomáš is right, however. A single misstep might cost their brother's life. The Tengu are known for their mercilessness. If provoked, they won't hesitate to assassinate their captive. Tomáš and him can't afford it to act thoughtlessly, not with Kuai Liang's life on the line.

"They took mother from us", Bi-Han says quietly. "I won't let them take Kuai Liang too."

"They won't", Tomáš assures him. "But for now, we should wait for Lord Liu Kang's return."

It's the only reasonable course of action, he knows this, but how can he sit here and wait while his brother suffers? What if, by the time they come to his rescue, there is nothing left to save?

"I don't understand", he mutters to himself as he resumes pacing back and forth. "Why Kuai Liang?"

The more he thinks about it, the less sense it makes. Maybe the answer doesn't matter, but he needs something to occupy his mind with while waiting. He needs to feel like he's making some kind of progress to stay sane, to keep himself from storming off and getting both Kuai Liang and himself killed.

"The Lin Kuei and the Tengu have always been at odds with each other", Tomáš responds. "Kuai Liang used to be Lin Kuei. Perhaps that made him a target to them."

"Impossible", Bi-Han huffs, stopping for a moment to face his brother. "Kuai Liang is Shirai Ryu now. Everyone knows he founded his own clan to destroy the Lin Kuei."

"Maybe the Tengu don't know that", Tomáš muses.

Bi-Han shakes his head. "They knew where to find me. They must know about you and Kuai Liang leaving the Lin Kuei too. That envelope had my name on it. They wanted me to see it. But why? I'm not grandmaster anymore, Sektor is. If they meant to send a message to the Lin Kuei, they wouldn't have sent this to me."

"Sektor listens to you", Tomáš reminds him. "So do the other Lin Kuei."

"Even so, I can't leave this place and I cannot command them from here."

His brother frowns. "So it's personal then... Maybe it's vengeance they're after. Vengeance against you."

"If that was the case, they would have simply killed him." Saying it out loud feels like twisting the knife around in the wound. For all he knows, the Tengu could have already killed Kuai Liang by now. "They must have a reason to keep him alive."

"Could it be a trap? To lure you in and capture you instead?"

"Maybe. But what makes them think I'd care about saving Kuai Liang? He broke his oath to the Lin Kuei. He left me to die. No, they'd be taking too big a chance with that."

Tomáš tilts his head. "What are you trying to say?"

"That I'm not the one this envelope was meant for", Bi-Han mutters grimly, glaring at the piece of paper as if he expects it to come alive and attack him.

His brother draws in a deep breath. "Who else was it meant for then?"

Bi-Han opens his mouth to respond, but something else catches his attention. He looks out of the window to see a portal opening outside in the yard. Two familiar figures step out of it. Liu Kang and Ashrah. Never before had he felt more relieved to see the fire god. He exchanges a quick look with Tomáš before rushing out of the room, his brother following close behind.

Liu Kang and Ashrah are still conversing by the time they make it outside, their faces stern and serious. Geras had joined them, standing off to the side at some distance like a watchful shadow. Whatever matter they're discussing, it seems to be of importance. Bi-Han doesn't care that he's interrupting them.

They turn their heads as he approaches them.

"Liu Kang. I need to speak to you", he demands, paying the other two no mind at all. "Now."

His serious tone alone is enough to immediately get the fire god's attention. "Bi-Han, what's wrong?"

"Kuai Liang..." He swallows, struggling to bring himself to say the words out loud. "The Tengu clan captured him."

In an instant, Liu Kang's face falls. "What? How could that happen? How do you–"

"See for yourself."

He leads Liu Kang back inside, to the library where the envelope still rests on the table where he had left it.

Bi-Han can't bring himself to touch it. He averts his gaze as Liu Kang picks it up himself, gritting his teeth at the sound of the paper rustling quietly. The sudden shocked gasp coming from the fire god lets him know Liu Kang has seen the envelope's contents. When Bi-Han lifts his gaze to look at him, an expression of horror still lingers on the fire god's face. Ashrah who had followed them inside appears no less shaken. Only Geras remains collected despite the ghastly sight before him.

"You have to help us save him", Tomáš pleads as silence fills the room.

With obvious effort, Liu Kang tears his eyes off the envelope, forcing himself to regain his composure as he nods. "Of course. I will do what I can to help you get your brother back."

"Allow me to return to my clan then", Bi-Han cuts in, his patience wearing thin the longer this goes on. He has no need for reassuring words or empty promises. With every second they waste here talking, the chances of Kuai Liang's survival dwindle further.

The fire god regards him with an almost sympathetic look, but then he shakes his head. "You're not yet cured, Bi-Han. My champions will take care of this matter instead. Worry not, I will–"

"Have you lost your mind? They would get slaughtered", Bi-Han interrupts him furiously. "Your champions have no experience fighting the Tengu. You would doom them and Kuai Liang."

"You underestimate them. They are more than capable of holding their own in a fight, Bi-Han", Liu Kang assures him calmly. "I have trained them for such missions. My champions have my utmost trust."

"Like the Lin Kuei, the Tengu are trained from childhood. They are already born warriors. Your champions are not prepared to face them." Bi-Han argues, despite knowing that Liu Kang won't listen to him. He forces himself to stay composed as he speaks, but there's an underlying tone of anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"You are concerned about your brother, I know, but please rest assured that he will be returned to you and Tomas safely."

To see Liu Kang this calm only infuriates him further.

"You don't know who you're dealing with", he growls, pushing past Tomas and Ashrah. "I'm going to go save my brother. You can either assist me or stand out of my way, but I advice you not to try and stop me."

As if to purposely mock him, Liu Kang positions himself in front of him, blocking his path.

"Step aside", Bi-Han hisses. "I won't ask again."

The fire god doesn't budge. "I understand your pain, but I cannot let you–"

"I said, step aside."

"Bi-Han, you're dying", Liu Kang says in a more solemn voice. "If you leave now, your chance of survival will be close to none."

"The time I have left will be enough to save my brother."

Liu Kang sighs. "You can barely walk. How do you intend to save him?"

"Let me return to the Lin Kuei. I'll take an army to the Tengu fortress and–"

"I won't let you start a war, Bi-Han", The fire god cuts him off sharply. The air in the room suddenly grows thick with the tension building up between them. All the progress they had made during the past few days, the small bit of trust and mutual understanding they had worked so hard to develop, it all shatters into pieces right before them now.

"You sent Kuai Liang out to search for the stone!" Bi-Han points an accusing finger at the fire god. "This is your fault!"

"I intended to save you!"

"By sending my brother to his death?"

"Enough, Bi-Han!", Liu Kang shouts, his voice booming like thunder. "Don't take this any further."

Instead of backing down, Bi-Han takes a step towards him. "Or what?"

"Geras."

He already knows what Liu Kang intends to do as the construct raises his hand to trap him in time – but to his surprise, it never happens.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap around him, thick smoke filling his airways and momentarily obscuring his vision. Instinctively, he holds his breath and when he can see again, he finds himself teleported to the other side of the room. To safety. An hourglass symbol floats uselessly in the air where he just stood seconds ago.

And next to him stands Tomáš.

Both Liu Kang and Geras look surprised, though neither of them are anywhere near as perplexed as Bi-Han who can only stare at his brother as Tomáš steps forward, in front of him. Shielding him.

"I'm sorry, Lord Liu Kang, but I won't allow this", Tomáš says firmly. "This is what led to Bi-Han's frustrations in the first place. And I... I think I finally understand them now. You can't treat human beings like this. You can't just pause time when their emotions are inconvenient to you."

"Tomáš, let us talk–"

"Talk? You saw what they did to Kuai Liang. We're past the point of talking. The Tengu have declared war on us first."

"You cannot answer violence with violence. Please see reason, Tomáš." Liu Kang lets out a sigh, looking back and forth between them. "You must calm down. Both of you."

"And you need to listen to us", Tomáš insists. "Bi-Han is right. Your champions alone can't save Kuai Liang. What do you even know of the Tengu? Getting inside their fortress requires skills and knowledge only the Lin Kuei possess."

"It's true", Bi-Han confirms, before Liu Kang can respond. "You want to assist us? Then you will do so on our terms. This is a family matter above all else. I won't sit idle while Kuai Liang's life is in danger."

Liu Kang shakes his head. "I cannot let you wage war on the Tengu, Bi-Han. The consequences your actions would have on this timeline..."

"There won't be a war", Bi-Han assures him. "No harm will come to this timeline, I give you my word."

As much as he wants to burn the Tengu clan's fortress to the ground, to take vengeance on them for his mother's death and Kuai Liang's pain, the man he is now knows better than to give in to his anger. He had almost doomed the Lin Kuei once. He would not make the same mistake again.

Liu Kang hesitates, looking torn between letting them go and opposing them further. Eventually, his shoulders slump down in defeat.

"Very well", he finally agrees. "You may return to your clan. I will come with you to aid in any way I can."

"Sareena and I will help too", Ashrah chimes in.

Bi-Han nods at her, a silent expression of gratitude. Any help they can get is valuable. He turns to leave, but the fire god stops him once more.

"Bi-Han, wait... I must warn you first. There is a reason I brought you here to treat you and wouldn't let you leave until fully cured."

He raises an eyebrow, waiting for Liu Kang to continue speaking.

"The temple grounds are imbued with a purifying magic of their own. It helps to keep the chaos within you at bay. If you leave... I do not know what will happen to you."

Bi-Han doesn't respond. He can feel the others' eyes on him, looks of concern, perhaps pity... but he chooses to ignore them. Whatever happens, saving Kuai Liang is the priority. He only needs to make sure he can last long enough.

"The medicine you make me drink daily...", he begins carefully, already knowing Liu Kang won't like what he has to say. "Can its dosage be increased?"

The fire god inhales sharply. "It is only meant to relieve your pain and slow down the effects of the chaos magic on your body. It won't save your life."

"Will it get rid of the symptoms for long enough to allow me to fight?"

Liu Kang frowns. "I am no healer, Bi-Han. All I know is... Even if you experience a temporary betterment of your symptoms, they would only return stronger once the medicine wears off. I believe it would speed up your body's decay."

At that quiet revelation, Smoke's face loses all its color. Bi-Han can't help but feel guilty. He knows he is the only family Tomáš has left now. If Kuai Liang dies... and if he dies too... Tomáš would be all alone once more.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take", he hears himself say.

He has no choice. Not if he wants to save Kuai Liang. Not if he wants to make things right.

Liu Kang nods. "Let us waste no more time then."

Returning to the Lin Kuei temple doesn't feel like coming home. This place holds bitter memories... The ghosts of his parents, ever present, yet long gone. At last, his own ghost had joined them in these halls. The ghost of Bi-Han, Sub-Zero, the grandmaster who died and came back a different man. Arctika's cold bids him a harsh welcome. It gnaws and bites and stings as if to punish him for leaving. As a cryomancer he had found strength and comfort in the cold. Ice and snow, the elements he had once wielded, they no longer obey him. Now he finds himself shivering and gritting his teeth to keep them from chattering. Even the one place he used to call home had become hostile towards him.

The guards at the gate drop to their knees and bow their heads as they recognize him.

"Grandmaster, you've returned."

That is not who I am anymore, he wants to say, but there is hope in these men's eyes, foolish hope that he can't bring himself to destroy. Even now, they gaze upon him with such admiration, as if he is some kind of hero, not a broken man, crushed under the weight of his choices. Even now, they await his guidance, as if he isn't as lost as they are.

"Let us in."

The two guards exchange uneasy glances at the sight of Tomáš, almost as if they're wondering whether or not they are supposed to deny him entry, whether this is a test designed by their grandmaster or an order they should follow without asking questions. They seem to have decided on the latter because the gates in front of them swing open, revealing snow-covered steps and an open yard. Lin Kuei warriors train there, sparring against each other as snow falls around them.

A familiar figure dressed in red stands before the initiates, her back turned to him as she shouts instructions and monitors every move. Bi-Han's heart aches with longing at the sight of her. They hadn't seen each other in so long... He approaches her slowly, his chest suddenly feeling tight. He clears his throat and she whips around, her eyes widening.

"Bi-Han!"

"Sektor!"

She rushes towards him and he opens his arms to embrace her.

"You came back!" Tears fill her eyes. She buries her face into his chest and he holds her, allowing himself to forget about the world around them, even if just for a painfully brief moment.

He feels a pang of guilt at the thought of how long she had been here, waiting for him, shouldering the heavy burden of leading their clan... and even now, there's still a chance that he might have to leave her again, for good this time. He knows he is undeserving of the love she holds for him. Arctika might no longer feel like home, but her embrace still does. Gingerly, Bi-Han kisses the top of Sektor's head, breathing in her familiar scent.

"I see our clan is flourishing under your guidance", he says with a small smile, one only reserved for her.

"Everything is as you left it." She returns the smile, but he can see the pain and sadness behind it. Slowly, she raises her hand to touch his face, her fingers tracing the scars painted across his skin.

He leans into her touch, pressing his cheek against the warm palm of her hand. It is unlike him to be this affectionate, especially in front of the other Lin Kuei warriors, but after all this time away from her, he yearns for the comfort only she can provide him.

"You look good", she whispers, sounding so hopeful it makes his heart ache. "Are you–"

"I am not cured", he admits quietly, eyes downcast in shame. How does he even begin to tell her that his condition had worsened, all because he wouldn't accept the help offered to him?

"Liu Kang told me you refused treatment."

There is no hint of blame or anger in her voice and that makes it all the worse. Bi-Han can't bring himself to meet her eyes. Of course, she understands, she had always understood him...

Suddenly, Sektor frowns, only now noticing that he didn't come alone. "Why is Smoke here?", she asks. "You banished him for treason."

"Tomáš is no longer our enemy."

When he notices Sektor's confused expression, he quickly fills her in, telling her about the conversations he had with his brothers over the last few days, how Tomáš had gone out of his way to try and save him and ultimately, what had brought them here today.

"Kuai Liang got taken by the Tengu?" Sektor's brows furrow. "Why should we care? The Shirai Ryu can save him."

Bi-Han swallows. "There is no time to inform them."

"Kuai Liang had no mercy to spare for you."

"I know."

Part of him still resents his brother for it. He doesn't believe he will ever forgive Kuai Liang, but he knows he would regret leaving him to die, despite everything. He wants his brother to live, so Kuai Liang can regret his betrayal for the rest of his days. Bi-Han won't give Kuai Liang the satisfaction of dying on the search for the one thing that can save his life. He won't let his brother go out with a good, selfless deed. Kuai Liang isn't good, Kuai Liang isn't selfless, even if he had deluded himself into believing he is. Kuai Liang won't get to make this sacrifice for him to absolve himself of his guilt.

"If we lose Kuai Liang, we lose Bi-Han too", Tomáš suddenly says.

Bi-Han shoots him a glare, but his brother ignores him.

"Our only hope is that Kuai Liang already has the Arctikan Hailstone on him. If not... There won't be enough time to send out someone else to search for it."

Sektor purses her lips in thought. Bi-Han attempts to place a calming hand on her shoulder, but she steps away from him, instead turning around to glare at Liu Kang.

"You said you would save him and you left his life in Kuai Liang's hands? You let it come to this. You–"

"It's not his fault. It's mine", Bi-Han defends the fire god. "I refused to let Liu Kang help me."

Sektor blinks. "Why?"

"After what Havik did to me... I no longer knew who I was." He hates how his voice shakes as he continues talking. "I only knew I didn't want to exist like this. I despised what he turned me into. I knew I could never go back to being who I was before... I had much time to think about what I've done. What we have done, Sektor. You've taken on more than just the burden of carrying the grandmaster title for me. You inherited my mistakes and my enemies' grudges with it. I was hoping my sins would die with me. I didn't want to be a stain on you or our clan anymore."

"You don't understand, do you?", Sektor's voice cracks. "Maybe you forgot who you are, but I remember. The Lin Kuei remember. All my life I was ridiculed for my dreams. When everyone else laughed at me, you were the only who didn't. You believed in me. You saw my potential. You encouraged me to keep working on my inventions. No one understood, not even my mother. But you did. You alone understood my ambition because you shared it. Everything I did, everything our clan did was out of our own will. You never forced us and you don't have to take blame for it. We followed you because we believed in you. And we still do."

"Sektor, I..."

He had never been good at this. At talking about his feelings. At apologizing for his mistakes. Since the words seem to escape him, he seals her lips with a kiss.

The moment doesn't last long enough.

With a small smile, Liu Kang clears his throat. "I believe you two have much to catch up on. I will leave to gather more of our allies. Ashrah, Sareena, Tomáš. Please join me. There is something I would like to discuss with the three of you."

Bi-Han waits for them to leave before taking Sektor's hands into his own, holding them tightly as if to assure himself that she's real.

"Shall we go inside?"

"Hell no!" Johnny slams his fist down on the table and a few map markers tumble over. "They're not getting away with this! Let's make these bastards pay for what they did to Scorps!"

They had gathered around the large table in the grandmaster's office, Bi-Han's own office, though it almost feels like a foreign place to him now. Sektor had indeed not moved a thing in his absence. Even the pens on his desk are still arranged into the same neat formation, just like he had left them. Oddly enough, it doesn't comfort him, doesn't provide any sense of familiarity. Everything had stayed the same in the Lin Kuei temple, only he is not the same anymore. If anything, it makes him feel even more out of place.

He lets his eyes wander around the room. In the short time he had been given, Liu Kang hadn't been able to return with much support. Three more people had joined their group. Bi-Han tells himself it has to be enough.

He's surprised to see Kitana among the champions willing to help, considering the animosity between the Lin Kuei and Outworld's royal family.

"My sister doesn't know I'm here." Kitana looks down at her lap, fidgeting with her hands. "She will be furious when she finds out."

Sektor crosses her arms. "Are you in or are you out, princess?"

"I'm in." Kitana says, tilting her chin. "Kuai Liang is our ally and Outworld won't abandon an ally in need."

"Very well then." Bi-Han clears his throat to get everyone's attention. The uneasy glances cast his way don't go unnoticed by him. He's well aware that Liu Kang's champions don't trust him. They seem reluctant to work with him, a mutual feeling. In fact, it amazes him that the fire god had managed to convince them to agree to this in the first place.

"I take it Liu Kang has already filled you in on what happened", he begins, addressing the others. "This is no easy task. At the slightest suspicion that they might be under attack, the Tengu will kill Kuai Liang. This mission will require each and every one of you to be discreet." He glares in Johnny Cage's direction specifically.

Were it for him, he would not have selected the actor for such an important venture, but he bites his tongue this time, keeping his displeasure to himself.

"Hey, I'm the definition of discreet, dude. I played a mime once."

Next to Cage, Kenshi scoffs. "Mimes aren't discreet, Johnny."

"But they're quiet."

Once again, Bi-Han wonders what potential Liu Kang sees in these insufferable people.

"Allow me to disclose the plan." Ignoring the irritating banter, he points to the map in front of him. "The Tengu will expect us to attack them with everything we have. Our advantage lies in making them believe we will do just that. Sektor, you march the Lin Kuei army to the front gate. Do not attack. Provoke them into coming out instead. Claim you want to negotiate."

Sektor nods.

"The fortress will be heavily guarded", Bi-Han continues. "Apart from the front gate, there is only one other way inside. A supply tunnel. That will be our entry point. Once inside, we split up. From there on, we will be opperating in groups. Cage, you and the swordsman follow the supply tunnel all the way to its end. It will take you to a storage room. Set a fire there. The guards nearby will abandon post to go and extinguish the flames."

"Follow the tunnel. Set a fire. Got it."

Bi-Han gestures to another area on the map. "This part, where the dorms lie, will be left unguarded amidst the panic. Kitana, Ashrah, Sareena, you will come in from there. Take out the remaining guards to clear our escape route."

"Understood."

"Kuai Liang will likely be kept in the most secure part of the fortress. The throne room. Tomáš and I will go free him. We meet up again at the point where we split, then exit the fortress together. Liu Kang, you keep a portal open outside. We must be able to escape quickly."

"The portal will be there when you need it."

"Any questions?"

Johnny clears his throat. "Just one."

"What is it?"

"This Tengu clan... How do you know they're gonna do what you want them to do?"

"I don't."

Silence follows his words.

"I know our plan is risky", Sektor says as she gets up to stand at his side. "If anyone doesn't feel up for the task, there is no shame in staying behind. You're free to leave if you please."

"Absolutely not", Johnny says firmly, earning nods of agreement from all sides.

Look at them. All these people willing to risk their lives to save your brother. Yet none of them came to help you.

Bi-Han ignores the thought and the mocking voice in his head that resembles Havik's. It makes his skin crawl, but the more he's trying to pay no attention to it, the louder it becomes.

When you got captured, no one cared. Not even your own brothers.

Kuai Liang had always been loved by others, unlike him. His brother was more agreeable, better at choosing his words when speaking to others, better at knowing when to stay quiet, more mindful not to offend anyone. To most people, Bi-Han's bluntness, impatience and hot-headedness make him unpleasant to be around.

Given his deeds, he can hardly blame his former allies for their resentment towards him. He should have never trusted Shang Tsung.

Bi-Han shakes his head, trying to clear his mind. He can't dwell on these thoughts for long. He can't let the chaos magic get a hold of him once again.

Instead, he straightens himself to address the others once more. "Prepare what you have to. We leave in an hour."

As soon as their allies scatter, Sektor pulls him aside. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

She sighs, giving him a long look he knows all too well. Whatever she's about to say, he's going to hate it. "Your cryomancy is gone and you can't summon shadow clones anymore. How will you fight?"

"I'm aware", he snaps, ignoring her question. "You don't need to remind me."

Sektor frowns. "I worry about you, Bi-Han. Without your powers, you'll be unarmed."

"No, he won't be."

Bi-Han turns around, baffled when Tomáš holds out his mother's hunting knife to him. He looks down at the blade, then back up to meet his brother's gaze, to see if he's really serious about this... He is.

"I... I can't take it." I know what it means to you.

"You can", Tomáš insists. "I know how good you are at knife combat."

Bi-Han shakes his head. "But that would leave you unarmed."

Behind them, Sektor clears her throat. "Actually, I do have a spare armor you can wear, Tomáš. It's not quite as advanced as the latest models, but it'll do."

At her offer, there is a glimmer of excitement in Smoke's eyes. "Really? I'd get one of these armors? Like the one Cyrax has?"

Sektor grins. "If you want it, it's yours. I'll go and get it, so you can try it on."

Bi-Han watches her walk away, waiting for her to leave before turning his attention back to Tomáš. "Brother... I wanted to speak to you."

"Now?", Tomáš asks. "We have to leave soon. If you want, we can talk later."

"Later... there might be no time."

The smile disappears from his brother's face. "No. We'll save you. And we'll save Kuai Liang too."

"Just let me say it. I regret what happened to your family. And to you. I was unkind to you and I... I'm–" He pauses, grits his teeth in silent frustration. Why is it so difficult for him to apologize? Why won't his damn pride allow him to tell his brother what he deserves to hear?

"You're sorry. I know. You don't have to say it." Tomáš offers a small smile.

"That's not all... I... wanted to say I'm proud of you."

Tomáš raises his eyebrows, flabbergasted.

"The way you stood up to Liu Kang earlier. That is the courage of a true Lin Kuei."

He stumbles backwards when Tomáš suddenly throws his arms around him, hugging him so tightly he lets out a gasp of pain due to his broken ribs. Bi-Han had never hugged his brother before. Instead, he gives Tomáš an awkward pat on the back. Tomáš lets him go as footsteps approach.

Sektor comes back, wheeling in a purple armor propped up on a stand. "I originally made this prototype for Kuai Liang. It has his rope spear and a few other gadgets."

Tomáš tilts his head to the side as he examines the armor with interest. "And... how do I use it?"

"Let Sektor show you how to pilot it", Bi-Han suggests.

Tomáš smiles. "Yes, grandmaster."

With that, his brother follows Sektor out of the room, leaving Bi-Han with the karambit in his hand.

Bi-Han stands at Sektor's side, watching line after line of Lin Kuei warriors disappear in the portal's swirls of fire, their footsteps shaking the ground. The sound becomes his heartbeat.

He yearns for combat. It's in his blood.

For the first time in years, Bi-Han feels alive.

He is where he belongs, with Sektor, with his clan, basking in the tension before a battle. The quiet. The illusion of peace. He can almost smell it in the air, like rain before a thunderstorm.

Only the memory of Kuai Liang dims this moment. Maybe one day, both his brothers will be by his side again...

Once their army has moved through the portal, their allies follow, with Sektor and him going last, just before Liu Kang himself.

Before he goes, Bi-Han casts one last look over his shoulder, back at the Lin Kuei temple.

He doesn't expect to ever see it again.

One after the other, they squeeze into the narrow space, Ashrah's kriss being the only light source in the darkness of the tunnel ahead. They stick together closely, moving as quickly as they can without making too much noise. Above them, footsteps thunder through the fortress. The Tengu seem to prepare to meet the Lin Kuei army outside. Finally, the tunnel becomes wider and Bi-Han spots light up ahead. Torches mounted to the walls. Briefly, a memory of a similar corridor flashes through his mind. He's being dragged... There are faces above him... Faces familiar, yet twisted into grotesque caricatures of the people they resemble... They are the last faces he sees in life...

With nothing but willpower alone, he fights back a cough, tasting blood on his tongue. He can tell the effects of the medicine are slowly wearing off. He is running out of time.

They separate.

Tomáš and him stick together while the rest of their allies split up into their teams and head off into other directions. Bi-Han leads his brother down another corridor branching off of the main tunnel, ending in stairs going upwards.

Tomáš deactivates the visor of his armor to look at him. "What now?"

"We wait."

It takes far longer than it should have. Bi-Han already starts to wonder if Kenshi and that incompetent actor got into trouble on the way, but then he hears distant shouts and the echoes of footsteps. Soon after, an alarm goes off, the sound of a gong being struck repeatedly.

Bi-Han turns to Tomáš and with a nod, he lets his brother know they need to keep moving.

Not knowing where their enemies are keeping Kuai Liang makes their mission all the more difficult. Bi-Han assumes they would keep him in the center of the fortress, where getting to him would be most challenging for anyone daring enough to attempt it. However, there is also a chance that Kuai Liang is being held elsewhere. Bi-Han hopes his initial assumptions are correct.

Tomáš and him ascend the stairs quickly, opening the door they find at the top and stepping out into a long hallway.

A single guard patrols it, humming a tune.

Bi-Han sneaks up behind him, places one hand over the man's mouth to keep him from screaming and uses the other to slit his throat. He drags the body behind a collumn, out of sight in case someone comes by. Then they proceed, past open doors and eeriely quiet rooms.

"Something feels wrong", Bi-Han says grimly.

From downstairs, he can still hear commotion, Tengu clan warriors barking orders at each other, rushing to carry buckets of water from the yard to the storage room.

"Let's keep going."

Despite the lingering bad feeling, he knows they can't waste time.

Getting to the throne room is too easy.

They encounter guards here and there, alone, moving in patterns that make little sense to a trained strategist like him. All of them are easily overpowered, barely putting up a fight. He wants to believe it's the element of surprise or perhaps leniency on the Tengu clan's side, but his years of combat experience taught him better than to be so easily fooled.

They are being let in.

"It's right there. Up ahead." Tomáš nods towards the ornate double doors at the end of the corridor, opened wide without a guard in sight.

"This is a trap", Bi-Han mutters.

"I know."

They continue on regardless. Bi-Han dreads what they might find inside that room. Their brother's body... lifeless and broken. Or worse... alive, twisting and writhing in agony... With each step, that feeling of dread grows stronger.

He spots Kuai Liang before they even reach the doors. Forgetting all caution, he bursts into the room and freezes.

At the sight of his brother, bloodied and beaten, only held up by the chains around his wrists, Bi-Han feels sick to his stomach. Mere weeks ago he would have thought that seeing Kuai Liang suffer, watching his brother live through a hell similar to the one he had endured, would bring him joy... But he feels none of that joy now.

Where the skin on Kuai Liang's arm had been removed, raw flesh glistens damply in the light. Even from where he stands the wound looks infected. A dozen more wounds cover Kuai Liang's body, cuts and bruises, blood mixed with sweat and dirt. As he takes a closer look to assess the damage, he notices some smaller wounds on his brother's skin, marks of something he cannot quite identify the origin of. Bi-Han swallows hard, taking a careful step towards Kuai Liang.

"Brother?"

He gets no response. Kuai Liang is unconscious, but to his relief, his brother's chest still rises and falls weakly. He is alive.

"Tomáš, quick! Help me untie him."

The throne room is empty, the grandmaster's chair abandoned, Bi-Han notices while Tomáš and him work on freeing Kuai Liang from the chains. No one else is here except for them. The trap could not be anymore obvious, yet all he can do is wait for the moment it snaps shut.

With the last piece of chain broken open, Kuai Liang's body falls forward. Tomáš and Bi-Han catch their brother carefully, each of them draping one of Kuai Liang's arms over their shoulders.

"Let's get him out."

They barely manage to take a step as Kuai Liang suddenly stirs with a groan. Then, with a strength Bi-Han had not expected, Kuai Liang shoves him aside.

"Fool!", Bi-Han snaps. "What are you doing?"

Kuai Liang shakes his head weakly. "Can't... leave." He croaks out between coughs. "The... stone... They... have... the..."

"To hell with that stone!", Bi-Han hisses as he grabs hold of Kuai Liang's arm again, ignoring his brother's pathetic attempts to push him away. "We are leaving. Tomáš, help me."

Tomáš doesn't move. "If we leave without the stone, you–"

"If we stay, all three of us die!"

"How very touching."

He nearly drops Kuai Liang, his blood running cold at the sound of a familiar arrogant voice, followed by quiet mocking applause.

"Grandmaster, I knew we would see each other again." Shang Tsung smirks as he steps out of the shadows, clapping his hands as if to taunt them. Behind him stand two other figures. The Tengu's grandmaster. And Quan Chi.

"You're behind this!", Tomáš growls.

Shang Tsung looks bored as he shrugs. "You see, after the Lin Kuei turned down my generous offer, I had to find another clan to assist me. Unlike you, the Tengu couldn't resist what I had to offer them.“

"And what is that, sorcerer?", Bi-Han asks, his voice trembling with barely contained rage.

"You should know, grandmaster", Quan Chi replies in Shang Tsung's stead. "In fact, we owe it all to you. You've given us something far more valuable than the Lin Kuei's services." The sorcerer gestures towards Kuai Liang. "Information."

"What information?", Bi-Han snarls.

"About how your brother obtained his pyromancy." Shang Tsung grins. "The Tengu were very interested in learning that secret too."

"And since you upheld your part of our deal, Scorpion is all yours now." The Tengu grandmaster strides towards Kuai Liang, waving his hand as if to give an order.

Suddenly, Tengu clan warriors step out from behind collumns, flooding in from secret passageways and hidden corridors, filling the room and surrounding them.

Bi-Han steps in their grandmaster's way. "You'll burn in the Netherrealm for what you did to Kuai Liang."

"Sub-Zero." The man in front of him smiles calmly. "I heard stories of your might. It is a shame you have been reduced to... this now." He clicks his tongue in disappointment.

Bi-Han lunges at him, but a Tengu warrior's spear pointing at his throat stops him quickly.

"Don't be hasty now, grandmaster" The other holds up a small object, a gem, bright blue and made of the purest ice Bi-Han had ever seen. The Arctikan Hailstone. "Your life and your brother's life are both in my hands."

"What do you want?", Bi-Han spits.

"I already have what I want. You should be asking them instead." The Tengu grandmaster gestures to the two sorcerers.

"Your brother is as stubborn as you are", Quan Chi smirks as the Arcikan Hailstone is handed over to him. "But I'm sure he will be much more compliant as a spectre under my control."

Bi-Han's grip on the karambit tightens. He wants to tear out Quan Chi's heart, he wants to tear through every last one of these Tengu clan warriors... But no amount of blood and death would erase the truth. That his choices had brought them here.

He opens his mouth to speak... but only sputters, blood dripping from his lips.

From very far away, he hears Tomáš exclaim his name.

Not now. He needs more time... Just a little... more time.

"It is not too late to reconsider", Shang Tsung reminds him. "Think about it, grandmaster. Liu Kang wants to restore you as his loyal servant. Why even bring the stone to him? He fears Havik's gift to you. He weakened you to control you. Quan Chi can resurrect you with your cryomancy and your chaos magic. You would become the most powerful being in this timeline. With your shadow magic and your cryomancy combined, who would be able to stop you?"

"No." Even through the fog in his mind, he knows to make the right decision this time. "I won't fall for your lies again. I was a fool. I let my ambitions deceive me into trusting you. My desire for power made me blind to your schemes. You will never use me again."

Shang Tsung sighs. "Kuai Liang abandoned you. He broke his oath to you. Why save him?"

He's right. Kuai Liang stood over your dead body and he would have walked away.

You wanted power. Now it's being offered to you. Take it.

Betray them. This is who you are. A traitor.

You will always be a traitor to them.

He glances over at Kuai Liang, barely alive and breathing. But holding on.

If Kuai Liang can hold on, Bi-Han will hold on for him.

"Let us leave."

"You're in no position to make demands, grandmaster."

Bi-Han raises an eyebrow. "Is that so? I've brought an army. Even if you kill me, they will storm this fortress."

"I dare to say, I doubt it."

Shang Tsung steps aside as two Tengu warriors make their way to the front, dragging an unmoving figure behind them.

"Liu Kang!"

Bi-Han makes another attempt to attack the sorcerer, but a kick to the back of his knees sends him stumbling to the ground instead. Hands grab him, pinning him down before he can get back up.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him, Shang Tsung!"

The sorcerer grins. "Tell your army to retreat and he won't be harmed. Who knows? Maybe I will even let young Tomáš go if you behave."

Bi-Han knows they are defeated.

Liu Kang was their way out. Now he is here, captured.

It will only be a matter of time until the rest of their allies are brought here too, if they hadn't been caught already.

He could give Sektor the order to attack, but that would mean betraying Liu Kang, breaking the promise he had given him. Starting the war the fire god had asked him to avoid.

Unless, there is another way...

To embrace chaos.

Bi-Han smiles, a peaceful smile, knowing he won't be going in vain...

And one last time, he gives in to the darkness.

#bi han #bi-han #mk sub zero #mk1 bi han #mk1 sub zero #mk1 sektor #mk1 tomas vrbada #tomas vrbada #mk smoke #kuai liang scorpion #lin kuei brothers #mk1 kuai liang #kuai liang #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 #noob saibot #sub zero #mk1 fanfic

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evilbihan · 9 days ago

Note

Are you taking requests?

I don't really take requests, sorry. I'm far too busy with work and also studying to get a second degree at the moment.

However, I do take suggestions and if the idea really resonates with me, I might write it, but only after I finish the current story I'm working on.

#answered

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evilbihan · 9 days ago

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Ok so I love how you elaborated more on kuai liang's reluctance to save bihan in KR by giving him a very callous and harsh demeanor similar to bihan. I caught on to that very quickly, and I liked how Kuai is being portrayed as more than just a "goody two shoes" because honestly, he didn't experience the harsh father that bihan experienced. I think in older/younger brother dynamics like that, the younger brother never realizes that the older sibling was there first. It reminds me of Itachi and Sasuke from Naruto, one of my favorite stories. Thank you again for making part 3 and elaborating so beautifully why bihan let his father die! You are truly gifted and if it's ok with you, can I make a PDF out of the parts? (I promise I am not trying to steal anything, I just want to read it offline sometimes and I like keeping collections of writing I really like lol)

I'm always looking forward to reading your feedback, so thank you once again for that and of course for reading the story! It always bothered me how NRS tried to portray Kuai Liang as the good guy when he did just as many awful things as Bi-Han. They're brothers and I thought it would make sense for them to be similar in personality and even have some shared mannerisms. And yes, I totally agree with you that Kuai as the younger brother never got to see the harsher side of his father that Bi-Han saw as the eldest. I'm happy to hear you liked how I wrote the part where Bi-Han let his father die. I wanted his choices to feel human and real and add the depth to his character that he deserved. Of course, you can go ahead and save the story as a PDF as long as it's only for personal use. I also like to save the stories I enjoy, so I'm perfectly okay with that.

#answered #bi han #mortal kombat 1 #bi-han's fate

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evilbihan · 11 days ago

Text

Bi-Han's fate - Pt. 3

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of canon-typical gore and violence, mentions of illness and character death

Notes: As it's often the case with passion projects, they tend to take on a life of their own after a while. This story has turned out far longer than I initially anticipated. Originally, it was only planned as a oneshot, but now we're on chapter 3 already and there's at least one more chapter coming after that. This particular chapter will reveal a lot and elaborate on things that were never really talked about or explained in the main story. This chapter is also emotionally heavy, so be prepared for that.

Disclaimer: see previous posts

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

Previous parts: Part 1, Part 2

Tags: @yandere-transformers-rock @lacymarygold chapter 3 is out!

He feels the unevenness of his own skin beneath his fingertips, the scars, pale and faded, a painful reminder of his suffering forever engraved into his flesh. When the drills whirred to life and descended towards him, he still held onto the foolish hope that his brothers would come to save him. Even as the needles began to tear his skin to shreds, a part of him still expected to see two familiar figures burst through the doors, a flash of silver and one of gold, both rushing to his side, coming to his rescue.

He died thinking of his brothers. He remembers it now.

Bi-Han closes his eyes, letting the gentle stream of warm water rinse those thoughts away. He doesn't want to remember.

There is no point in dwelling on these things anymore. He doesn't intend to spend his last days pitying himself or thinking of those who abandoned him. But then again... He's not sure how else to spend them. He realizes now that he doesn't know who he is anymore. Without his hatred, his bitterness, his ruthless ambition... What else is left of him?

He tells himself that it no longer matters.

He hates that the cold affects him now. Goosebumps have spread across his skin, annoying little bumps reminding him of just how weak he is now. Even the element he once wielded had turned against him.

He, Sub-Zero, is shivering. How humiliating.

He turns off the water, steps out of the shower and reaches for the towel. His wet hair sticks to his face, but he doesn't bother to brush it back. After drying himself off, he wraps the towel around his waist and returns to his room to find clean, new robes sitting on his bed. Liu Kang had them delivered to him earlier this morning, after stopping by to let him know he's being released from his confinement – and to tell him that Tomáš had returned to the Shirai Ryu. Bi-Han is surprised about the first and relieved by the latter. He doesn't want his brother to stay with him and watch him waste away slowly. Without his cryomancy and without the chaos magic to keep him alive, he assumes he will eventually decompose. It won't be pretty and it won't be a dignified end, he knows, but choice is a luxury he can no longer afford. It's better if Tomáš doesn't see him like that. And yet, a part of him can't help feeling disappointed that his brother had left.

To distract himself, Bi-Han takes a closer look at the new clothes. It's a uniform, different in style than his old one, lighter in color, white and pale blue, with a collar not quite as high and made from softer fabric. Hesitantly, he picks up one of the thin bands meant to be worn on his bicep and notices it lacks the Lin Kuei symbol. He doesn't know why Liu Kang would have this made for him, but he has to admit he likes this new uniform better than the Wu Shi academy robes. At least, he won't have to walk around looking like one of the fire god's lackeys anymore. Bi-Han ties his still slightly damp hair back into the usual bun and gets dressed without haste. He glances over at the mirror in the corner of his room, still covered by a sheet. For a moment, he's tempted to remove it, to take a look at who he is now. There's no use in holding onto the memory of who he once was. A proud grandmaster, powerful and feared. That man, he knows, is long dead, even if his body persisted.

With a deep inhale, he grabs the sheet and tears it off.

His reflection stares back at him with familiar eyes and the same stern face he had watched growing older over the years. There is no monster, no mutilated, horrifying demon looking back at him. He's the same he always has been, scarred, pale, but human. Barely a trace of Havik's grim work is left on him now, only a few faint green lines along his scars. But it doesn't matter if he still looks the same. He is someone different now. Not fully dead and not alive. No grandmaster. No cryomancer. Not even a wraith. Nothing.

He tosses the sheet back over the mirror, turns around and leaves the room, hurrying to get out of the temple.

Outside, the warmth of another late spring day greets him. Bi-Han doesn't quite know what to do with his newfound freedom. He could go to the library to read, he enjoys the quiet solitude and the smell of books, but after being inside for so long, he doesn't plan to return there just yet. Instead, he decides to take a walk through the temple gardens. Without the daily treatment, some of his strength had returned, even if only temporary, as if his body wants to remind him of just how powerful he once was before the inevitable collapse. He is still frail, still shaky on his legs, but at least he doesn't need anyone's help to walk anymore. It almost makes it worth the price he will ultimately pay, to let the chaos magic within him destroy him from the inside. For a while, he follows the winding paths, passing shrines and statues until he gets to a more quiet section of the gardens.

Further up ahead, the path ends. Someone had set up an easel there, a small table for snacks and drinks as well as benches with pillows to adorn them. A small cozy seating area in the shade of a maple tree. Bi-Han can't deny that it looks inviting. He finds a familiar shape sitting there in front of a canvas, painting.

He clears his throat and Liu Kang turns around.

"Oh, Bi-Han..." The fire god greets him with a warm smile. "I didn't hear you approaching. Please sit down. Help yourself to some tea."

"You paint?"

"You sound surprised."

Bi-Han scoffs. "I didn't think a god would take interest in something so trivial."

"Creating this timeline was a lengthy and tedious process. Before I had Geras to keep me company, I felt lonely. To preserve my own sanity, I decided to take up a... What do mortals call it?" He pauses to search his mind for the right word. Then, a smile spreads across his face. "Ah, yes. A hobby."

Bi-Han raises an eyebrow, but chooses not to comment on it.

He finds it ridiculous to mindlessly scribble on paper. An entirely useless activity. And messy, he thinks to himself as he scrunches his nose at the sight of the colorful stains on Liu Kang's hands. However, he decides to keep his thoughts to himself this once.

"Since you're here now..." Liu Kang gestures towards his unfinished work on the easel. "Tell me what you see."

"Lines of paint on a canvas. What else is there to see?"

"They're memories", Liu Kang corrects him. "Take a look at this tree. Next spring, these leaves won't be the same. Once they are gone, we can only cherish the memory of them. Human lives are much the same. You should value yours more."

Bi-Han crosses his arms and decides to ignore the last part. "I'm familiar with the concept of mortality."

Liu Kang smiles. "Of course."

Although he has no interest in it, Bi-Han steps closer to inspect the painting. To him, it's meaningless. He recognizes that the fire god had indeed drawn the maple tree in front of him, some of the lines depitcting its thick branches with the finer strokes resembling leaves. He has to admit Liu Kang is good at this, even if he fails to see how such passtime activities serve any purpose.

"Your words the other day... I've been thinking about them. You were right, I have failed to save many." The fire god's tone and expression suddenly become more serious. "I've always valued your honesty with me. So tell me, have I doomed this timeline?"

The question perplexes him. Why is Liu Kang asking him, of all people? Liu Kang rarely cares to hear his opinion – one of the reasons why Bi-Han had taken issue with working for him in the first place.

He doesn't answer right away.

For the longest time, Bi-Han had held a grudge against Liu Kang, for causing the rift between his brothers and him, for refusing to give the Lin Kuei what they rightfully deserve, for not allowing him to kill Havik, for insisting on curing him and forcing him to live through the agonizing process of becoming human once more... And yet... He thinks back to how tirelessly Liu Kang had cared for him. When Bi-Han had lashed out at the healers, Liu Kang had patiently taken on the task of tending to his scars himself, bringing him food and medicine, even guiding him through breathing exercies to help calm him down when his mind was taking him back to Havik's dungeons. Everything Liu Kang had done for him, Bi-Han knows he cannot repay it in this lifetime. He understands now that Liu Kang isn't at fault for what happened to him. He knows he has no one to blame for his mistakes but himself. Even if his pride doesn't allow him to admit it, he is grateful that Liu Kang hasn't given up on him.

"You haven't doomed your timeline", he responds after some time had passed. "But you are too merciful with its enemies. You believe you can save lives and still be good and just. There's a cost to each live you save. When I became grandmaster, I understood I had to make impossible choices and live with them. Sometimes that meant striking preemptively and punishing harshly to not allow a threat to come back. You show kindness even to those undeserving. It's... foolish."

"It's not foolish to show kindness, Bi-Han."

"To assume it will be returned is."

Liu Kang puts the brush down with a sigh and turns to face him fully. "What do you mean?"

"You cannot save everyone, Liu Kang. It's a noble goal. But it's unattainable. Spare your enemies once and they will return stronger. More will die. Is that what you want?"

Liu Kang shakes his head. "If I answer bloodshed with bloodshed, how will I be different from those seeking to destroy this timeline?"

"The difference is your intention."

The firegod doesn't respond. He seems lost in thought for a while, pursing his lips as he stares off into the distance with a slight frown. Bi-Han can tell his words have sparked doubt. Liu Kang must know that he's right, even if he's not willing to say so out loud. Eventually, the fire god's attention turns back to him and he smiles.

Bi-Han narrows his eyes. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Now I finally understand. This is why this timeline needs you, Bi-Han."

"To do the dirty work for you?"

"To protect it when I cannot. This is what you're meant to do." Liu Kang casts his eyes down and sighs. "I regret that I wasn't able to save you."

Instead of responding, Bi-Han sits down on one of the benches and reaches for a cup of tea. "I don't blame you anymore. My choices were my own."

"I should have tried harder to stop you, for your own sake. I believed that mortals must make their own decisions. I never intended to control them, despite of what you might believe. You were always free to pursue your own ambitions."

"Then why did you try to stand in my way?"

"Because your ambition blinds you, Bi-Han. The greatness you strive to achieve, you have already achieved it, even if you fail to see that. It was always there. In the admiration your brothers had for you. In your Lin Kuei's reverence for you. To them, there was never a greater warrior or a worthier grandmaster. When you chose to resign from your duties, your clan didn't hesitate to follow you. All of your Lin Kuei were willing to lay down their lives for you in a heartbeat. That is power, Bi-Han. You have always held power." Liu Kang shakes his head sadly. "Was it not enough to you? Whose approval do you seek? What is it that you want?"

It doesn't happen often that he finds himself speechless, but this time Bi-Han doesn't know what to say. He had never thought of it that way. His father's words echo in his mind, words he wishes he could forget. He remembers how his brothers used to compare him to the late grandmaster, criticizing his every decision when all he had wanted to do was to prepare their clan for the future. They can't continue to fight their enemies with spears and daggers. The Lin Kuei need to keep up with the world around them, a world that constantly evolves and changes. To his brothers, however, his visions had only been a stain on their father's legacy and an insult to the Lin Kuei's traditions. To them and to his father, his efforts hadn't been good enough. Never good enough.

"You wouldn't understand", Bi-Han mutters bitterly.

"Then help me to understand."

Bi-Han grits his teeth. "What's the purpose of greatness when no one knows of it?"

Liu Kang sighs. "Earthrealm cannot know about the Lin Kuei. It would only lead to chaos and you've seen the damage chaos causes first hand. Believe me, it is also in the Lin Kuei's interest if their existence remains a secret. If you truly wish to protect your clan, you must understand this."

The fire god watches him, almost as if he's waiting for him to protest. He doesn't.

"If you're still unhappy, I am willing to discuss new terms with you."

"It's Sektor you should be discussing terms with, not me.” Bi-Han tries the tea. It's surprisingly good, pleasantly warm and not too sweet.

"I still haven't given up on saving you", Liu Kang reminds him with a small smile.

Bi-Han snorts in disapproval. "You already know what I want. A part of Earthrealm."

"I do not own Earthrealm, Bi-Han. I'm its protector."

"Then you have nothing to give me."

"I regret that you think so."

Bi-Han watches Liu Kang pick up a cup of tea himself. He doesn't know if gods need to eat or drink and he also doesn't care to ask.

"I want my clan's freedom."

"Your clan has always been free."

"Yet you expect us to serve you."

The fire god shakes his head. "No, I've never asked that of you. Protecting this timeline is in your interest as well. I never asked for servitude or worship, Bi-Han. If that is what you believe, you must have misunderstood my intentions."

Bi-Han falls silent. Perhaps he had indeed misjudged Liu Kang.

"I've always considered you an equal." Liu Kang admits. "In fact, I have come to think of you as a friend."

"I don't have friends."

"Then consider me your ally."

Two years ago, Bi-Han would have been convinced that Liu Kang's words are nothing but empty lies, a clever attempt to manipulate him and earn his trust. But now... He doesn't know anymore. If it weren't for the fire god, he wouldn't still be alive, so nearly restored and human again. Even when his own brothers had turned their backs on him, Liu Kang had refused to give up on him, making pleas to Empress Mileena to ensure his life would be spared, agreeing to restore him, even after Bi-Han had continuously disobeyed him.

"I was a fool to believe Shang Tsung's lies", he finally admits. It takes all of his willpower to do so. His pride rarely allows him to acknowledge when he's in the wrong.

"You were tempted by his false promises. Don't blame yourself."

He does blame himself, but he doesn't say so out loud.

"You seem much more at peace now. I can see that talking to Tomáš has helped you."

"The paint on your brush is drying."

Liu Kang smiles. "I hope you can reconcile with your brothers, Bi-Han."

"Why? Tomas has left to rejoin Kuai Liang. They've made their decision and I've made mine."

"Tomáš didn't leave. I sent him away to ask Kuai Liang for the Arctikan Hailstone. He left because he's trying to save your life."

Again, he's left speechless. Why would Tomáš try and convince Kuai Liang to save him? In all these years, Bi-Han had never been a good brother to him. He knows this. Tomáš should hate him. He has plenty of reasons to. Bi-Han doesn't understand why Tomas would do this for him. Why go through all this effort to save someone like him? He doesn't deserve it.

"Kuai Liang won't give the stone to him."

Liu Kang raises his eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"

Bi-Han takes another sip from his cup and grimaces. The tea suddenly tastes bitter. "If anyone wants my death more than Shao, more than Empress Mileena, even more than I do... it's Kuai Liang."

He crouches into a low fighting stance opposite from his grandmaster, his gaze following Kuai Liang's every move, bracing himself for the incoming attack. When his brother hesitates, he decides to strike first, the punch a mere demonstration of technique, not a blow aimed to land. Kuai Liang will easily be able to dodge or block it, and yet he puts much more force behind it than necessary, his lingering anger from yesterday manifesting in a more aggressive fighting style. Kuai Liang catches his fist and Tomáš notices the brief look of surprise on his face before his brother counters with a kick aimed at his ribs. Tomáš uses his forearm to block it. Pain shoots all the way up into his shoulder, but he doesn't let that slow him down. They trade a few more blows while their recruits watch in stunned silence, their eyes wide and mouths agape. This sparring session is meant to teach them how to utilize the basics they had already learned, how to find the opening in an opponent's defense and how to dodge even the most vicious attacks.

Throughout most of the training match they don't talk to each other.

They hadn't spoken again after their heated argument yesterday and Tomas can tell Kuai Liang has no interest in picking up the topic that had caused their dispute once more. He also hadn't seen Kuai Liang during breakfast this morning. Usually, they would warm up with a friendly spar before the actual training starts, they would talk about upcoming missions or discuss the progress of their disciples, but this time it's different. It is obvious to him that Kuai Liang avoids him. Tomáš had planned to return to the fire temple today, but he knows there is no point in returning without the Arctikan Hailstone. He has no choice but to stay and convince Kuai Liang to help him if he wants to save their brother's life. Time is running out, he knows. If he can't get the Arctikan Hailstone soon–

His thoughts are interrupted when Kuai Liang's fist connects with his nose, sending sharp pain through his skull. Tears well up in his eyes. With a groan, Tomáš stumbles back. He shakes his head, blinking rapidly to clear his sight and get rid of the dizziness threatening to overwhelm him. It takes him a moment to regain his composure.

"You're not focused", Kuai Liang scolds him.

"At least one of us should care that our brother is dying."

"This again?"

"You still won't hear me out?"

"We're done talking about this matter."

"I don't think so."

They begin to round each other.

"I thought I had made my stance on it clear yesterday."

"It's still not too late to look for the stone, brother", Tomáš says almost pleadingly. "I know you're angry, but please reconsider."

Kuai Liang's expression only hardens further. "My choice is final."

"So is mine", Tomáš says firmly. "If you won't help me, I'll search for the stone myself."

"As your grandmaster, I forbid it."

"Forbid it? You can't do that."

"Yes, I can!" Kuai Liang snaps. When Tomáš only glares at him in response, he shakes his head with a sigh. "What happened to you, Tomáš? I thought you were on my side."

"I am on your side."

"Then let this go."

"I can't."

This time, it's Kuai Liang who initiates the first attack. Tomáš parries it effortlessly and manages to catch his brother in an armlock.

"Bi-Han is the reason father died", Kuai Liang grunts as he struggles to free himself from his grip. "How do you still dare to defend him? You and I both owe father our loyalty."

"I owe father my loyalty?" Tomáš twists his brother's arm slightly. "Did you know that his mistakes killed my family?"

Kuai Liang's eyes suddenly flash with anger. "Is that what Bi-Han told you? How can you say such awful things? Father would have never allowed innocent people to die! He took you in and this is how you honor his memory? You believe Bi-Han's lies?"

"Right", Tomáš hisses. "Father took me in. You and Bi-Han are always so eager to remind me of that. Do you think I asked for my family to be murdered, so I could be taken in by your clan?"

"What? No, brother, you know that's not what I–"

"Save it."

Tomáš pushes Kuai Liang back and steps off the mats. The room suddenly feels suffocating.

"Tomáš."

He ignores Kuai Liang's voice calling out to him. He needs to get out of here.

The confused faces of their recruits staring at him become a blur. Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back and forcing him to turn around. His hands twitch.

Kuai Liang says something, but he cannot discern what it is.

He cannot hear his brother's voice over the Enenra's quiet laughter.

Not now. Not again.

Darkness seeps in from the corners of his vision, twisting the shape of Kuai Liang into a sinister silhoutte, distorted and hazy. Smoke coils around his fists. He can smell it, taste it. The Enenra whispers to him, a chorus of voices, both foreign and familiar. Two of them he recognizes. His mother and sister. The Enenra knows it found a weakness, it digs its claws into that scar and tears it open. Tomáš tries to fight it. The Shirai Ryu never use weapons during their sparring sessions, but he finds himself reaching for his hunting knife.

The angry frown disappears from Kuai Liang's face, instead replaced with a look of concern.

"Tomáš? Brother? What's wrong?"

His brother takes a step towards him. Tomáš backs away. He doesn't want to hurt Kuai Liang. "Stay back", he warns. "Don't come closer!"

Kuai Liang doesn't listen.

Tomáš attacks him. His karambit slashes through the air, inches away from Kuai Liang's chest. His brother's eyes widen as he stumbles back. The Enenra shrieks and forces him to attack again. His arm darts out to stab Kuai Liang, but in an instant, his brother's rope spear wraps around his wrist. Tomáš is pulled forward as Kuai Liang tugs on the rope. He uses the momentum to bring his knee up and kick Kuai Liang in the stomach. With a groan of pain, his grandmaster doubles over. Another slash of the knife. This time, he draws blood.

"What has gotten into you?" Kuai Liang clutches his bleeding arm.

He doesn't react, his eyes trained on the tip of his hunting knife pointing shakily at Kuai Liang's throat.

Your brothers think so little of you. Go ahead. Teach them to fear you.

With every fiber of his being he fights the urge to give in to the Enenra's voice.

Get out of my head!

All he hears is quiet, distant laughter.

He staggers back as if pushed by an invisible force. This time, he doesn't wait for another word from Kuai Liang. He turns around and flees the training room, running and running, through hallways and past startled Shirai Ryu recruits, until he's finally outside, breathing in the cool morning air. He takes a seat on the steps of one of their makeshift barracks and buries his face in his hands. No one else is here except for him. Good, Tomáš thinks to himself. That means he won't be able to attack anyone else.

To calm down, he squeezes his eyes shut and tries to focus on his breathing. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. Today, he gets lucky. Slowly, the Enenra's grip on him loosens, the dark fog in his mind disappears, allowing him to think clearly again. Regardless, he doesn't dare to return yet. He almost feels sick with guilt as he remembers that he injured Kuai Liang. Maybe he should go back to check on him, but he still doesn't fully trust himself.

"Tomáš?"

He jumps at the sound of the familiar voice behind him. How did Kuai Liang follow him here so quickly? He turns his head, brows furrowing as he spots the fresh cut on Kuai Liang's upper arm, crudely bandaged with a piece of cloth torn off a Shirai Ryu uniform.

"What happened to you back there?" His brother sits down next to him, his eyes full of concern.

All Tomáš can do is shake his head. How can he even begin to explain what happened? He should have never kept this from Kuai Liang in the first place. Would his brother be angry at him because he didn't say anything sooner? Or worse, would he be worried about him? Tomáš already feels like a stain on Kuai Liang's happiness. His brother had started a family of his own now, he shouldn't have to worry about him too. However, Tomáš doesn't want to lie to Kuai Liang. Sooner or later, his brother will find out about the Enenra anyway. At least, Kuai Liang can better protect himself and the Shirai Ryu if he knows what he's up against.

Tomáš takes a deep breath... and, step by step, he fills Kuai Liang in on everything. He tells him about the Enenra, about the nightmares he had been having as a boy and how those nightmares had returned after they had left the Lin Kuei. He even mentions how Bi-Han and the Lin Kuei's master of arcane had come up with a way to weaken the Enenra's influence on him and how the reason he easily loses control now is that he no longer has access to the potion he used to drink daily with his morning tea.

By the time he's done, Kuai Liang looks even more concerned than he did before.

"Why haven't you told me about this earlier? I could have helped. I could have-" His brother stops mid-sentence and shakes his head with a sigh. "I wish I had known."

"I was planning to tell you", Tomáš mumbles. "But you were so busy with your grandmaster duties, with the preparations for your wedding. Then the Lin Kuei attacked us and this whole mess with Havik happened. I didn't want to burden you with my own struggles."

Carefully, Kuai Liang lifts his injured arm to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. "You're my brother, Tomáš. You'd never be a burden to me."

It feels good to hear those words. Perhaps he needed to hear them, to know that Kuai Liang still cares, that they're still brothers. Slowly, Tomáš nods.

"I wanted to apologize", Kuai Liang says quietly. "I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you yesterday."

"It's okay. I want to apologize too." Tomáš offers a small smile. Then he nods towards Kuai Liang's injury. "How is your arm?"

"It's just a scratch. Don't worry about it." Kuai Liang sighs. "You should bring this up with Lord Liu Kang. He must be able to help you somehow."

Tomáš shakes his head. "No, I can't trouble him with that right now. He's already doing his best to heal Bi-Han. He needs to focus on that first."

Kuai Liang lets out a disgruntled huff. "He shouldn't bother."

Not this again.

"You shouldn't say that. And you should have searched for the stone, Kuai Liang", Tomáš says in a more serious tone. "This isn't only about Bi-Han. Can't you see that? If Bi-Han dies, Sektor will seek blame from Lord Liu Kang. She's going to demand answers and when she finds out that she lost Bi-Han because you refused to look for the stone, our clan and the Lin Kuei will be at war again. The peace in this timeline will be disrupted once more. You and I both know that the Shirai Ryu aren't strong enough to take on the Lin Kuei yet. Dozens of our recruits would be slaughtered in vain. You're gambling away their lives too, Kuai Liang.”

His brother sighs. It seems like he wants to disagree, but to his relief, he doesn't. Maybe he can get through to Kuai Liang this time.

"I'm not asking you to forgive Bi-Han", Tomáš explains. "I could never ask that of you. In fact, I don't know if I can ever fully forgive him myself. All I'm asking is that you help me save his life."

He can see Kuai Liang is fighting an inner battle, torn between wanting vengeance and doing what is expected of him. Perhaps, there's still a part of him that cares about Bi-Han, even if Tomas is beginning to doubt that more and more.

Finally, Kuai Liang opens his mouth to respond. "I-"

"Grandmaster!"

Tomáš turns around to see another Shirai Ryu warrior running up to them.

"You're required at the gates immediately", the man chokes out between heavy breaths. "We have... visitors."

Tomáš doesn't have the slightest clue who those visitors could be, but he can tell from this man's expression that they aren't allies or any welcomed guests. He gets up and anxiously follows Kuai Liang.

As they get to the gates, they are met with a group of Lin Kuei warriors waiting to be let in. Three of them in total, two men and a woman. At first glance, they appear unarmed.

Kuai Liang narrows his eyes in suspicion as he approaches them.

"State your business."

The woman steps forward and bows to greet them. "We are here on behalf of our grandmistress. Our intentions are peaceful."

"Like the last time you came here?", Kuai Liang growls.

"We should at least hear them out, brother." Tomáš can tell that Kuai Liang has no interest in doing so, but the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei had been at peace with each other since Sektor took over the clan. She had earned the right to at least be heard out by them.

"We have come to deliver a gift. From the Lin Kuei's mage to the Shirai Ryu's mage." One of the two men holds out an ornate wooden box to them.

"What is this?", Kuai Liang asks.

"That information was not shared with us", the woman tells them. "We've only been told to deliver it here."

Kuai Liang glares at the box. "Whatever it is, take it back with you. We have no need for it."

Instead of retreating, the woman steps closer. "Our grandmistress already agreed to a truce between our clans. Do you mean to insult her?"

Tomáš recognizes the hint of a threat in her voice, so subtle he almost misses it.

"Tell us what's inside", Kuai Liang demands.

"I already told you. We do not know."

"Talk“, Kuai Liang hisses. "You'll regret it if you don't."

"Brother, they're just messengers", Tomáš attempts to diffuse the situation. "They might not know what's in the box."

"What if they're spies? Lin Kuei can't be trusted."

"Some of us can't be." The woman gives Kuai Liang a pointed look.

"What are you implying?" It's Kuai Liang's turn to take a threatening step towards her now. Suddenly, the air feels thick with tension.

"Kuai Liang, they've done nothing to offend us", Tomáš says calmly. "Our code of honor demands that we let them go."

"They set foot on Shirai Ryu ground." Kuai Liang crosses his arms. "That goes against the terms we agreed on."

"We were invited in", the woman says almost smugly.

Kuai Liang glares. "I don't remember inviting you in."

"Because I did."

Pushing her way past the other Shirai Ryu that had gathered outside, Harumi approaches the Lin Kuei messengers, putting herself between them and Kuai Liang. Behind her, Cyrax watches closely, seemingly just as wary of the Lin Kuei's intentions as Kuai Liang. She takes the wooden box out of the messenger's hands and studies it carefully.

"You're free to leave." Harumi waves her hand at the three Lin Kuei warriors and one of their recruits quickly leads them away.

Kuai Liang watches them walk away with a frown. "We just let them go?"

Harumi shrugs. "They have done no harm. Why should we keep them here?"

Glowering, Kuai Liang gestures towards the box. "We shouldn't have accepted this. Nothing good can come from people like Sektor."

"We'll know whether that's true or not in just a second", Cyrax chimes in.

Some kind of scanner on her armor beeps to life as she presses a button on her glove's control panel. Tomáš watches a pattern of green beams dance across the dark surface of the wood. Then the box is offered to him.

"My scan detected nothing unusual. It should be safe to open."

Tomáš takes the box and carefully lifts the lid, his eyes widening at the sight of what's inside of it.

A scroll. Handwritten notes. Messy sketches he cannot decipher.

Kuai Liang looks over his shoulder. "What is this?"

"I don't know." Tomáš picks up one of the notes and studies it briefly. "They look like... recipes." Then he takes out the scroll. It's surprisingly heavy, the paper ancient... He can't explain why, but he's almost certain he had seen it somewhere before.

The realization hits him like a punch to the gut.

It's the same scroll he saw in the flashback Geras showed him... The one about the Enenra. But how would Sektor know about it? Only two people in the Lin Kuei were aware of the Enenra. Master Xiaoqing... and Bi-Han. Tomáš nearly drops the box as all the pieces in his mind finally fall into place.

By the time he returns to his quarters, the strength he had felt in the morning had already left him, instead replaced by a dull, throbbing ache residing deep within his bones. Liu Kang had to help him settle back into bed, which was by far the most unbearable part of it all. Bi-Han had always loathed needing help. To make matters worse, Liu Kang had come back a mere hour later to inform him that Tomáš had returned... and that Kuai Liang is with him. At first, Bi-Han is reluctant to speak to his brothers. He tells the fire god that he doesn't wish to see them. His anger had been dormant for so long, but at the very thought of seeing Kuai Liang again, it resurfaces, bringing back the bitter taste of betrayal. Were it for him, they would only see each other again in the Netherrealm.

Unfortunately, the decision is made for him.

There's a brief knock on the door that he ignores, then it swings open and Tomáš steps into the room with Kuai Liang trailing behind him.

For the first time since the battle against Havik, they are face to face with each other again. Reunited at last.

It had almost been two years.

"Bi-Han."

"Kuai Liang." He spits out his brother's name like a mouthful of venom.

His brother looks different, yet all the same, his forehead marked by frown lines, just like Bi-Han's own. Hatred had carved deep lines into his face, making him appear older despite being a few years younger than Bi-Han himself. Even Kuai Liang's posture mirrors his own now, upright and tense, shoulders raised to carry the burden of leading his own clan. If anything, those subtle changes only highlight the resemblence between them, making the features they share all the more obvious. The irony of it, Bi-Han thinks. The more Kuai Liang pretends to be different than him, better than him, honorable and just, the more he begins to become him. Despite his anger, Bi-Han can't help feeling guilty at the sight of the ugly red scar over Kuai Liang's right eye. It is only right that he is scarred now too, he knows. All his wrongdoings... Fate had returned them to him tenfold.

Bi-Han has nothing to say to his brothers.

Kuai Liang's betrayal is embedded in his very soul like a thorn. The last person he had expected to turn against him had been the man he shared blood with. To think that Kuai Liang, his brother who he had helped raise, had been willing to leave him to die...

The hatred in Kuai Liang's eyes burns just as bright as it did the last time they had seen each other, an inextinguishable fire he assumes only his death could appease. Bi-Han's own resentment grows stronger by the second. It infuriates him, to see his younger brother living his life, holding his title. Kuai Liang is grandmaster. Kuai Liang still has his pyromancy. Kuai Liang is married to the woman he loves, while Sektor and him had been forced apart, separated, most likely never to see each other again. Kuai Liang is respected by all, while his former allies deem him a traitor now. He clenches his fists so hard his knuckles crack.

"How are you, brother?"

Of course, it's Tomáš who asks. Not Kuai Liang. The concern in his voice only annoys Bi-Han more.

"That's irrelevant“, he growls. "Why did you bring him here?"

"I came to hear the truth from you", Kuai Liang responds. "I want you to tell me how father died."

"The truth?" Bi-Han scoffs. "I'll happily take it to the grave with me if it means you won't get what you want."

"Brother, please..." Tomáš rubs his forehead in frustration. "I brought Kuai Liang here, so the three of us can talk. So we can fix this. We're brothers. We shouldn't be fighting each other. This is your chance to make things right, Bi-Han."

He resists the urge to laugh. His chance to make things right? He doesn't remember doing anything wrong. He had only ever wanted what's best for his brothers, for their clan... They had abandoned him. He owes them nothing now.

"I don't need to justify myself to you."

"You're still as despicable as you've always been." Kuai Liang spits. "Give me one good reason why I should save you."

"You shouldn't", Bi-Han says coldly. "I don't want to be saved. Least of all by you. The Netherrealm will have us both one day, brother. Then you'll pay for your betrayal."

"My betrayal? None of this would have happened, had you not sold your soul to Shang Tsung!" Kuai Liang points an accusing finger at him. "You even betrayed your own father! How could you let him die?"

"I did what had to be done. And you should be grateful."

Kuai Liang tries to lunge at him, but Tomáš holds him back. He watches Kuai Liang struggle to free himself from Smoke's grip, his face red with fury.

"How could you, Bi-Han? Why did you let father die?"

"Because he killed mother!"

It's a relief, to finally say it out loud. For years, the truth had haunted him. It had festered in his heart like a disease, poisoning him, eating away at his soul. Now he's finally free of it. He has nothing left to lose, no one left to lie for. No reason to continue protecting his brothers from the harsh truth about the gruesome fate their parents had met.

Silence follows his confession. His brothers stare at him, wide-eyed, shock written across their faces.

"What?", Tomáš breathes.

"Liar!" Kuai Liang's face twitches. "You'd stop at nothing to get what you want! Father is gone because of you and you still speak ill of him?"

"It's true", Bi-Han insists. "Mother's death was his fault! She died because of father's failures! Because of his foolishness."

"What nonesense are you talking?" Kuai Liang snaps. "It wasn't father's fault. Mother was ill–"

"Her illness was a lie."

There is no point in keeping secrets anymore. He might as well tell them everything now.

"Mother was never sick", he continues. "Father wanted you to believe that, but she didn't die of some disease. She died on a mission, one that he sent her on."

Kuai Liang narrows his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Bi-Han doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he sits up slowly and tries to gather enough strength to speak. There is much he needs to say and he's not sure if he still has enough energy for it.

Finally, he clears his throat. "A week before our mother's death, father got word that the Tengu clan was preparing for an attack on the Lin Kuei. Our spies got caught and had to flee before they could learn more about our enemy's plans. Without the details, the information they brought back to us was useless. We needed someone else on the inside to gather the rest of the intel. However, infiltrating the Tengu was no longer an option. They had already become too wary of any new initiates. So father decided on a different strategy."

"What kind of strategy?"

Bi-Han ignores Kuai Liang's question. "Our clan was vulnerable back then. In previous years, we had lost many good warriors. An attack from our rival clan at that time would have been devastating. Mother knew how much depended on the success of that mission, so she volunteered to let herself get captured by the Tengu in order to get inside their fortress. The mission was simple. Retrieve the intel needed and get out unseen. An easy task for any Lin Kuei. She was supposed to return the same day, but... she never came back." He pauses briefly, clenching his fists in helpless rage as he relives the memories. His father's blank expression as he delivers the news to him... The emptiness he had felt deep within him, first disbelief, then anger... At father's lack of care. At how calm and indifferent he had looked, talking about her death... At himself for failing to prevent it... Emotion seeps into his voice, nearling making it tremble. "A few days later, the Tengu sent her dead body back to us. I don't know what they did to her. Father wouldn't let me see her. He told everyone she died of a sudden illness. Those who knew what happened were told to never speak of it again. He wouldn't even let me mourn her. A future grandmaster doesn't weep, he told me." Another pause, longer this time. He grits his teeth. "I was furious. I asked him why he let her go on such a dangerous mission, why he didn't send out anyone to rescue her. Do you know what his response was? He told me that he couldn't remember. He simply forgot to save her. I didn't believe him. Mother always opposed him. She hated how attached he was to tradition. She wanted our clan to prepare for the future. I was convinced that father left her to die on purpose. From that day on, I resented him. I assumed that he had just waited for an opportunity to get rid of mother... But then I found the records."

"What records?"

"Medical records. After what happened to mother, I was determined to get answers. In my grief, I was blind to it at first, but eventually I started to see the pattern. In the last six years of father's reign as grandmaster, there was an increasing number of incidents that shouldn't have happened. Civil casualties. Lin Kuei getting captured or even killed on missions because they were given wrong intel and impossible orders to follow. I didn't understand why, so I went through older reports of failed missions, dating all the way back to your family's death in Prague, Tomáš. Mission after mission gone wrong. I had suspected that father was getting senile for a while. He was old and his behavior was odd at times."

Looking back at it now, he feels like a fool for not understanding the signs sooner. Once a calm and level-headed man, his father had become easily irritable in the last years of his life, even developing a tendency to forget names and misplace things. Maybe if he had learned the truth sooner, his father wouldn't have had to die.

Bi-Han takes a deep breath before continuing. "Initially, I didn't think much of it, but... Attached to those mission reports I found were test results and some old prescriptions... For medication preventing cognitive decline. Father... was suffering from dementia."

He watches all the color drain from his brothers' faces.

"You monster!" Kuai Liang suddenly yells. The finger pointing at Bi-Han is shaking now. "Is that why you wanted him dead? Father was ill, so you thought you could replace him?"

"I never intended for him to die", Bi-Han responds calmly. "Father tried to keep his ailment a secret. That is why he took you in, Tomáš. He couldn't risk anyone finding out that he made a mistake. When I learned about it, I went to confront him. I urged him to step down for the sake of our clan. I worried that more people would die because of his mistakes. His stubbornness already cost mother's life. I... I worried that the two of you would be next. I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. He claimed he was still fit to lead the Lin Kuei. Because I talked back to him, he punished me to kneel on the frozen lake behind our fortress. I knelt there for hours. The weather got worse and I was about to return when I saw a shape through the fog. I chased after it, only to see that it was father. I don't know what made him walk out into that blizzard. Maybe he was confused. Maybe he was looking for something. Regardless, I followed him. I shouted at him to stop, to turn around and come back, but he ignored me. I watched him walk out onto the lake, further and further. Out there, the ice was thinner. I tried to warn him, but the storm was too loud. I suppose he couldn't hear me over the noise of the wind. Ahead, I saw the ice crack and break, then a voice screaming for help, I ran towards it as quickly as I could. When I got there, I saw that father had broken through the ice. I held out my hand towards him, but he... He didn't even recognize me. He was babbling and speaking nonsense. He..." Bi-Han swallows hard. He doesn't know why his eyes suddenly burn. Why his throat feels tight and his chest so heavy. "I understood that saving him was pointless then. He would have doomed us. I had to protect you. I had to protect our clan. I couldn't let any more Lin Kuei die."

His brothers don't speak and he can't bring himself to look at them. Maybe they resent him more now. He cannot hold it against them.

"If you wish for me to suffer before I die, then go ahead", Bi-Han says quietly. "I won't resist. But even if you torture me, you won't hear me say I regret what I did. Because of my decision, you and Tomas got to live."

He feels so much lighter now, the last of the weight on his shoulders gone. He doesn't care if his brothers forgive him, he doesn't need their forgiveness.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kuai Liang's voice cracks. "All these years, you've kept us in the dark. You–"

"Now you know", Bi-Han cuts him off. "What good does it do you?"

Kuai Liang doesn't respond.

"I kept this from you because I meant to shield you from the truth." Bi-Han glares, his gaze boring into Kuai Liang's. "I hope it haunts you as it haunted me."

Slowly, his brother shakes his head. "No, you're lying... You never cared about protecting us. I don't believe a word out of your mouth!"

"He's telling the truth."

His brothers both turn around as Geras enters the room, followed by Liu Kang.

"I am willing to show it to you now", the construct says as he looks over at Kuai Liang.

"Show me what?"

"How your father died." Geras begins to shape a sphere of sand between his palms. "With your permission, Lord Liu Kang...“

The fire god nods.

A scene comes to life before them. A memory.

Bi-Han recognizes it.

A younger version of himself stands before the late grandmaster, eyes downcast and shoulders tense. The room is dimly lit by candleflames.

"You should retire, father", Bi-Han's voice sounds oddly loud in the quiet throne room. "You cannot continue leading the Lin Kuei like this."

His father glares at him. "And what would you know about leadership?"

"I know what you taught me", he replies. "A grandmaster should always act in the best interest of his clan. You have to step down. Let me lead the Lin Kuei."

His father descends the steps leading up to his throne, stops before him and with the back of his gloved hand, he strikes Bi-Han hard across the face.

Bi-Han watches his brothers flinch as he's slapped. Absentmindely, he reaches up to touch the small, barely visible scar above his upper lip, a permanent reminder of the very moment they're witnessing right now. He can feel his brothers' eyes on him, those stupid, sympathetic looks they're giving him... He averts his gaze. He doesn't want their pity.

His younger self shows no reaction to being hit. When he touches the corner of his mouth, his hand comes away red. Staring blankly at his father, he wipes the blood on his uniform.

"Ungrateful son!", the grandmaster growls. "You're looking to replace me! You just want the grandmaster title for yourself."

"I only worry for the Lin Kuei's future."

"It's not for you to worry about!" His father yells.

Bi-Han lowers his gaze. "My brothers' lives are."

"You dare to talk back? The clan always comes first", his father reprimands him. "And the Lin Kuei are still my clan. Were it for me, it would never be yours."

He clenches his fists at his sides, though his expression remains the same. A mask, unchanging and unmoving. No matter how hard he tries to pretend he's unaffected by his father's harsh words, they hurt regardless.

"It should have been Kuai Liang", the grandmaster mutters to himself. "He should have been my firstborn son. But what I want doesn't matter. We must follow tradition."

Bi-Han exhales slowly. "If you want Kuai Liang to be your heir so badly, why don't you send me to the Tengu clan to die as you did with mother? Then Kuai Liang would be your successor."

"Watch your mouth, Bi-Han", his father warns him. "I should have you beaten for your impudence. Your mother already failed. You would fair no better." The grandmaster shakes his head. "Perhaps I should send Kuai Liang. He's always been more capable than you."

"Kuai Liang?" Bi-Han's eyes widen. "You can't send him! He's too young. He's still inexperienced. You'd be sending him to his death!"

"Enough! I've made my decision." His father turns around, walks back up the steps and takes a seat in the grandmaster chair. "For your audacity today, go and kneel outside until the sun sets. Maybe that will cool your temper."

"But-"

"Not another word! Now leave."

Reluctantly, Bi-Han bows his head. "Yes, grandmaster."

The vision fades, but the pain it brought back lingers. To his father, he had never been good enough. No matter how hard he had trained, how many times he had pushed himself past his limits to become stronger, to become better, his father had never noticed, had never praised him for it. All his efforts had gone unseen.

Bi-Han glances over at Kuai Liang, finding a twisted sense of comfort in how devasted and guilty his brother looks now.

"Bi-Han, I- I didn't know...", Kuai Liang stammers. "I had no idea that-"

"Father always favored you", he says grimly. "He considered you special because of your pyromancy. He wanted you to succeed him, not me."

"You could have told me!" Kuai Liang complains. "Why did you never talk to me? We were brothers."

"You're right", Bi-Han responds. "We were."

Before his brother can answer, the sand rearranges itself into a new scene. A frozen landscape, vast and barren. Glaring white as far as the eye can see. Ice and snow. His home.

"Father! Come back!"

Bi-Han runs towards the familiar figure behind the veil of snow and mist, or at least he tries to, but the wind pushes him back with unwavering fury. His feet find no hold on the slippery surface of the frozen lake. The faster he moves, the more cracks he can see forming on the ice below him.

His father pushes forward through the storm.

In his memories, Bi-Han cannot recall hearing him say a word. But now, over the raging Arctikan winds, he can make out a single word. A name.

"Bi-Han."

His father had been looking for him...

He has no heartbeat anymore, but he knows his heart, once frozen and unfeeling, still functions because he feels it clench so painfully in his chest, he finds himself gasping for breath. His vision blurs, the scene in front of him becoming unclear and faded.

He hears the sickening sound of the ice cracking... Then the shouts for help...

Bi-Han stumbles and falls to his knees at the edge of the gaping hole in the lake's icy surface. "Father! Give me your hand!" He reaches out his arm for the old grandmaster to take, but his father doesn't take it. He's stammering and muttering things Bi-Han can't understand while helplessly flailing his arms.

His father had been such a proud man once. To see him like this... useless and confused... It pains Bi-Han. His father deserves better than this, a dignified end.

He thinks of his mother. He thinks of Kuai Liang. If his father lives... Kuai Liang might die... And once his father's disease reaches its final stages, his father will die too. He will have no one left.

He cannot save his father. He can pull him out of the ice, but he cannot save him. All he would do is prolong his suffering.

Slowly, Bi-Han retrieves his hand.

The struggle doesn't take long. Within seconds, his father's head disappears, swallowed by the freezing water. The horrible gurgling noises he will never forget, die down, leaving only the howling of the wind to fill the silence.

He's still kneeling on the ice, shaking with the effort of keeping himself upright. His legs have long gone numb.

His shoulders shake, then his whole body jerks forward, almost as if hit by a sudden seizure. Then, finally, he sobs. Quietly at first, then, understanding he is alone, he sobs louder, tears streaming down his face, turning to snowflakes carried off by the wind. With no one left to tell him he needs to be strong, he finally mourns both his parents. The one that was taken from him and the one he let go.

To save his clan. To protect his brothers. It's the first time he ever allowed himself to cry. And it's also the last.

At the sight of his own tears, he feels ashamed. He had never cried in front of his brothers. He's the eldest, he has to be strong for them, always.

Something wet lands on his cheek, then on his lower lip... It feels like rain, but it cannot be, they're inside. Shakily, Bi-Han reaches up to wipe at his face, his eyes widening as he realizes the droplets are tears.

"Brother..." Kuai Liang takes a step towards him. "What have you done?"

"I showed him mercy", he whispers.

"Death isn't mercy, Bi-Han."

"If you had gone through what I went through, you'd think differently now."

Satisfied, he watches Kuai Liang's face fall and his shoulders slump. "I don't understand... You cried. You were... Why?"

"What did you expect?", Bi-Han taunts him. "That I'd stand over father's dead body, laughing? That I'd be as pleased with myself as you were when you left me to die?“

"Wait...", Tomáš interjects. "What do you mean?"

"Tell him, Kuai Liang."

Tomáš slowly turns to face their brother. "Kuai Liang, what does he mean?"

Kuai Liang's eyes dart back and forth between Tomáš and him. He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

"When I was under the influence of Havik's mind control, he wanted to leave me behind in the chaosrealm", Bi-Han responds in his stead. "Were it not for Sektor, Cyrax and the others..."

The confusion in Smoke's eyes turns into fury. "Is this true?"

"I-"

"He let father die", Kuai Liang stammers helplessly. "He scarred me. He banished us. He tried to kill me on my wedding day. I was angry. Can you blame me for that?"

"Two wrongs don't make a right. Even now, instead of apologizing, you try to justify it?" Tomáš shakes his head in disgust. "I left the Lin Kuei because I didn't want to follow a madman. Turns out, I was following one all along."

Bi-Han watches his brothers argue, but he feels nothing anymore. No triumph that Tomáš finally sees through Kuai Liang's facade. No anger at their betrayal. Only regret and an exhaustion so deep it almost physically hurts.

"Leave", he commands. "All of you. Get out!"

He gives that order as though he still has any authority, as though he is still grandmaster of his clan, not a hollow shell of who he once was. He doubts they will listen to him, but he can't even find it in himself to be angry about that anymore. He had been bedridden for weeks, Liu Kang's treatment draining him of every ounce of strength his body had possessed. The fire god had been careful, his healing magic probing around within the very depths of his being, trying to find the seams where his soul is still tethered to the chaos magic, separating them one by one, testing out the waters to see just how far he could go without killing him. It's humiliating, to be reduced to this, a mere lab rat for Liu Kang. Something broken that needs fixing. He's relieved that it's almost over.

Liu Kang and Geras don't oppose him. They retreat quietly, probably understanding that their work here is done. His brothers, however, show no intention of leaving.

"Brother, please." Kuai Liang takes another step towards him, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

Bi-Han slaps his hand away and shoots him a glare. "I said, leave."

He notices that Kuai Liang no longer looks at him with the same hatred. In fact, his brother almost looks... remorseful. How long had he waited to see this expression on Kuai Liang's face? To know that his brother regrets leaving him to die? That he still cares about him, despite the animosity between them... And yet it means nothing to Bi-Han now.

"I will find the Arctikan Hailstone", Kuai Liang says flalty. "I won't let you die."

Bi-Han says nothing in return.

"I'll come with you", Tomáš decides. "Someone has to make sure you keep your word this time."

Kuai Liang shakes his head. "Stay here with Bi-Han. I promise, I will bring the stone back. I will-"

"GET OUT!"

Bi-Han grabs the empty bowl of medicine next to his bed and hurls it at the wall. The porcelain shatters into hundreds of tiny pieces like a mocking image of his own existence.

"Impossible." Bi-Han grumbles as he tosses his hand of cards onto the table, reluctantly admitting defeat. "You won again."

Across from him, Tomáš grins. "I must be a natural at card games."

"That's highly unlikely."

"Are you saying I cheated?"

Bi-Han merely shrugs, leaving his question unanswered. He leans back to cough into the crook of his arm, frowning at the sight of the black spatters of blood dotting his skin. He quickly wipes them away before Tomáš can see them. His condition is worsening.

Three days had passed since he had revealed the truth to his brothers. Kuai Liang had left the same day to embark on a search for the Arctikan Hailstone. To save him, despite everything. Bi-Han still doesn't know how to feel about that. He's glad that Tomáš had stayed here with him. They had spent these past few days bonding, talking to each other and taking turns defeating each other at card games. Something inside both of them is healing now, he can tell.

"I wanted to thank you", Tomáš says after a while.

Bi-Han raises an eyebrow. "What for?"

"The scroll. I know you had Sektor send it to us." Tomáš smiles. "Our mage was able to recreate the potion. I've been taking it daily and I haven't had any nightmares since. So... Thank you. For looking out for me."

"If you mean to thank me, stop rigging the cards."

"Seriously, Bi-Han?" Tomáš grimaces, pretending to be offended. "I've done no such-"

"Bi-Han?"

At the mention of his name, he looks up to find Sareena standing over their table at the temple's library. She's hugging a small stack of books to her chest with one arm while extending the other one towards him with an envelope. "You have mail. Liu Kang asked me to give this to you."

A letter? Bi-Han immediately thinks of Sektor. Perhaps she had written back to him to let him know she did as he asked.

He takes the envelope out of Sareena's hand and frowns to see his name written on it in a handwriting he had never seen before. A little hesitantly, he opens it to take a look inside.

Before he can reach in to pull the letter out, something falls out of the envelope and lands at his feet.

At first, he believes it to be a piece of parchment, covered in blood.

Then he bends down to pick it up and recognizes a familiar motive drawn onto it.

A scorpion.

Not drawn. Tattooed.

It's not parchment. It's skin.

And branded into it is the shape of a bird's foot... The symbol of the Tengu clan.

Were he not dead, his heart would stop in that very moment.

"Kuai Liang!"

#bi han #bi-han #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 #mk sub zero #tomas vrbada #kuai liang scorpion #lin kuei brothers #mortal kombat #mk1 kuai liang #mk1 bi han #mk liu kang #mk smoke #mk1 smoke #mk1 fanfic #noob saibot #mk1 noob saibot

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evilbihan · 14 days ago

Note

Just wanted to pop in and say that part two was splendid as expected! I will be coming and leaving my feedback on every part you publish lol because I think you added some creativity in there that NRS did not even bother to tanker with. Thank you for sharing your talent with the fans and I look forward to reading part 3! ❤️

Thank you for the feedback! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed part 2 as well. It makes me so happy to see my work resonate with other fans of the franchise. The game and especially the characters had so much potential that doesn't deserve to go to waste. I'm hoping that, by writing this story, I can do these characters justice. Part 3 will be out very soon!

#answered

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evilbihan · 17 days ago

Text

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.

#bi han #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 #mk sub zero #bi-han #tomas vrbada #kuai liang scorpion #lin kuei brothers #mortal kombat #kuai liang #mk1 kuai liang #mk1 bi han #mk1 fanfic #mk1 tomas vrbada #mk1 smoke #tw: depression #tw: mental health

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evilbihan · 17 days ago

Note

I just wanted to say that your writing is superb! I loved reading part one of Bi-Han's fate. I hope part 2 is coming soon!

Thank you so much, that means a lot! Part 2 is very nearly finished, so I'm hoping to be able to upload it soon (maybe today, but no promises about that). I want the story to be the best it can be, so I'm trying not to rush through chapters.

#asks #answered #bi han #mortal kombat 1

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evilbihan · 21 days ago

Text

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.

#bi han #mortal kombat 1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 #mk sub zero #bi-han #kuai liang #kuai liang scorpion #mk1 kuai liang #noob saibot #mk1 noob saibot #tomas vrbada #mk1 tomas vrbada #lin kuei brothers #lin kuei #mortal kombat #mk1 fanfic #tw: depression #tw: mental health

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