#and then you have bi-han and kuai liang where it’s just hard to read what’s going on

[ntaras]

kuai liang and bi-han are such parallels of kitana and mileena in the way their siblinghood is presented: bad vs good. but it's purely bad vs. good and barley has any nuance provided

[chiqelatasblog]

In the Middle of the Night🌙

-> Ao3 link is here.

-> Part Four is here.

Pairings : Bi-Han/ Sub- Zero x Reader, Kuai Liang/ Scorpion x Reader, Tomas Vrbada/ Smoke x Reader

Author’s Note : I apologize for the delay! The past couple of weeks have been incredibly stressful for me. I had several meetings and had to write protocols for my client’s case. Additionally, I visited a friend who was staying in a different province, four hours away from where I live. Everything seemed to overlap (and to top it off, even my menstrual cycle was 17 days late due to the stress). But now, everything seems to be settling down, and I’ve managed to clear my mind and focus on writing this chapter as soon as possible. I decided to split this chapter into two parts because I felt it would have a better impact, and I wanted to give the final chapter its own spotlight. I hope you enjoy reading it! Thank you for your patience and understanding.❤️

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CHAPTER FIVE : (READER)

Until now, you never thought that you could fall in love with three people at the same time.

You didn’t realize a few months ago that such a thing was possible, but now it felt as natural and normal to you as breathing. It was as if Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas had always been a part of your life. You got used to their presence so easily that now it’s hard to imagine your life without them; you were so attached to them. It was a fact that you didn’t know them until a few months ago, but although you couldn’t quite describe it, it felt as if your souls had known each other for a long time. Your movements resembled pieces of a jigsaw puzzle—they were so complete. There was a nonverbal communication between you; sometimes you could effortlessly communicate without speaking, even just by looking. This situation was very special and unique for you, as you had never made such a connection with anyone before.

Each moment spent with them felt like a blessing. When Bi-Han’s stern gaze softened just for you, it made you feel cherished in a way you had never experienced before. Kuai Liang’s calm presence was a sanctuary, a steady anchor in the chaos of life. And Tomas, with his unyielding loyalty and kindness, filled your heart with warmth and light. The bond you shared with them was deeper than mere friendship. It was an unspoken promise, a silent understanding that no matter what happened, you would stand by them. You hadn’t yet said it out loud to any of them, but you loved all three with a special bond and emotion. Your actions and looks might have betrayed your feelings, but you lacked the courage to put it into words.

You would find yourself watching them, feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude and affection. The way Tomas’s eyes glinted with mischief when he teased you, or how Bi-Han’s rare, gentle smiles made your heart flutter. Kuai Liang’s reassuring touch or kiss on your shoulder during moments of doubt spoke volumes about his unwavering support. Each of these little things cemented their place in your heart, making it impossible to imagine a future without them.

They had become a part of you, woven into the very fabric of your existence. And even though the words were yet to be spoken, your heart had already made its choice. They were the kind of people you would want to keep hidden in your heart forever, to protect and watch over.

Loving Tomas was like experiencing spring. He wasn’t as serious as his two brothers; he was polite, with a naivety that softened the expression in his light gray eyes, making them irresistible to look at. Despite the scars on his soul from a very young age, Tomas was brave. He was the first person to choose to trust you, and that trust felt like a precious gift. His sense of humor was not only funny but remarkably similar to yours, making your conversations a source of endless delight. His presence was like feeling the gentle warmth of the sun after the harsh cold of a long black winter. Every moment spent with him was filled with hope and joy, like the first flowers of the season blooming and signaling new beginnings.

His love was tender and kind, much like the soft rain that revives the earth after a prolonged drought. Being with him allowed you to embrace your inner child, escaping the harsh realities of life. You found joy in the simple pleasures of watching TV shows or movies together, taking care of mundane tasks, having small, meaningful conversations, and spending time with Ninja. His ability to bring simplicity and happiness into your life made every moment with him feel like a cherished memory in the making.

Loving Kuai Liang was like experiencing summer. His body was warmer than normal due to his pyromancy, and you found yourself surrounded by a gentle, safe warmth next to him, especially when wrapped in his strong arms. It was such a soothing feeling that most of the time, it made your eyelids feel heavy and sleepy because of the peace you felt. Although touching Kuai Liang was wonderful, he was afraid to touch you because of his dark past, fearing that he might tarnish you. When you heard that, it felt like you had been shot in the brain, and your heart painfully squeezed thinking about what this strong man had been subjected to. None of them had told you exactly what they had been through in the past—you knew bits about what happened with Leilani and a few other masters, but nothing more—but it wasn’t difficult to guess. So you left it entirely up to them to control the speed at which they wanted to move forward in the process. You wanted them to know that they had this power, that they had a say.

Every time you spent with Kuai Liang filled you with a vibrant energy, warming you to the core like basking in sunlight. His love was wild and passionate, yet he was also incredibly kind; it set your soul ablaze, much like the intense heat of a scorching day. You felt comfortable next to him, his presence enveloping you like warm summer nights. You enjoyed walking outdoors with him, cooking together with his help (especially since discovering his distinct fondness for sweets last week), chatting about past missions, and witnessing the proud expression on his face when you asked him to show his powers.

Loving Bi-Han was like experiencing winter. His true self, which emerged after overcoming his initially harsh and inaccessible exterior, exuded a unique warmth that demonstrated winter was not just about coldness. Like soft snowflakes falling to the ground in the serene beauty of a winter landscape, his touch was gentle and filled with longing. Though not as openly expressive as his two brothers, you could sense his love in the way he touched you or looked at you every time. Despite the coldness that seemed to envelop him, his gaze held a warm invitation that melted away the chill, filling you with a warmth that drew you to him.

Unlike Kuai Liang, Bi-Han was not one to avoid contact. Although the ice forces surrounding him usually caused harm to both himself and others, this rule didn’t seem to apply to you. Since realizing this, it was as if he couldn’t stop touching you. He never verbalized it, but every time a part of his body—his arm, hand, or leg—came into contact with yours, it was evident how much he cared. Though his touch initially felt cold and eerie, you soon grew accustomed to it, even finding it addictive. Despite appearances, Bi-Han served as the cornerstone among the brothers, keeping them united and shielded with his protective and steadfast demeanor. Being included in that circle filled your heart with love and made you feel special.

Even though Bi-Han was the last to let down his walls around you, getting used to him was quick and effortless, much like with the other brothers. You enjoyed conversing with him about his clan, listening to him describe his daily routines, and especially watching the city view in the evenings. The silence felt peaceful rather than suffocating, allowing for a range of unexpressed emotions to be felt in that moment. Moreover, witnessing his moments of care for Ninja when he thought no one was watching was another detail that melted your heart.

You were deeply connected to three men in a way that scared you a little. Your emotions were incredibly intense—the love you felt for them, their choice to trust you despite their painful pasts, the respect you held for their strength and courage, your anger at the injustices they faced, and your desire for revenge. You had never experienced such emotions so clearly and intensely, shaking you to the core. It was somewhat frightening, as your priorities suddenly shifted to them instead of yourself. Your sole focus became freeing them from the clutches of the book and its curse, with less than a week and a half remaining until the deadline.

Despite your efforts, you hadn’t found a solution yet. Since the owner of the book could only summon them once, you wouldn’t be able to see them again after the time limit passed. The thought of this damned you, filling your heart with great fear at the prospect of what they might face if Sektor failed to protect them when he came to retrieve the book after you, and it fell into the hands of a new person.

You were prepared to do whatever it took to prevent this outcome, but the lack of a solution filled you with terrible anxiety and drove you to the brink of madness. Just two months ago, your biggest concern was unemployment and paying rent, but now your problems had evolved into something entirely different. Your own worries seemed insignificant compared to the future of the men you loved. Breaking this curse had become the most important thing in your life right now.

Bi-Han’s change in attitude towards you had somewhat lessened the effect of the curse on you. However, it remained a relentless force, constantly gnawing at you in a corner of your mind. Whenever you were close to Tomas, Kuai Liang, or Bi-Han, it seemed to roar in your mind, filling you with a desire that was hard to resist. Your skin practically begged you to touch them, and sometimes the desire was so intense that it felt like you were engulfed in flames—it hurt and clouded your judgment, making you feel almost foolish. At times, the urge became so overwhelming that finding refuge in the bathroom seemed to be the only solution. While your fingers didn’t always provide the satisfaction you sought, they at least allowed you to regain some semblance of control. But the lingering feeling in your mind never disappeared. It was akin to eating without feeling satiated—it was relentless and unyielding.

Each passing day seemed to bring a new level of torment, as if the curse intensified with every sunrise. The pain became unbearable, almost akin to torture. You couldn’t eat, sleep, or even think properly in the last couple of days. Functioning normally seemed impossible, and at times, it became so overwhelming that even breathing felt like a challenge. You didn’t know how to endure this any longer. You were painfully aware that each day was worse than the last, and yet there seemed to be no end in sight. You were drowning in a sea of agony, struggling to keep your head above water.

Despite the agony you endured, you were determined to bear the burden alone. You knew that all three of them wanted to help you, hating to see you suffer. Yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to accept their help. You didn’t want them to be involved with the curse in any way. Forgiving and moving on with your life would be impossible if they intervened, so you chose to ignore them and continue caring for yourself in your own way.

Thrusting your hands into the pockets of your raincoat, you gazed up at the reddening sky, returning from yet another unsuccessful job interview. How you wished the answer lay somewhere out there. You had tried everything written in all the sources you could access, masking your disappointment even as each failure chipped away at your hope. Trying to guess how they felt and what they were thinking only added to your frustration, yet you refrained from showing it, knowing they needed your support more than your despair. In the ten years since they were cursed, they had endured far more disappointments than you had faced in two months. You could imagine how futile it must have felt for them to continue hoping. They had exhausted their strength fighting disappointment after disappointment, opting instead to cherish the present moment—a reality that broke your heart a little.

The fact that they had accepted their situation and grown tired of fighting weighed heavily on you. Yet, you couldn’t blame them for choosing this path. Instead, you took it upon yourself to fight for them. However, with each passing day and no solution to the curse in sight, a heavy weight descended upon your shoulders, threatening to crush you. Despite the growing despair, you knew you had to keep fighting for them. You were their only hope, their only chance at breaking the curse.

Witnessing them struggle against the influence of their past only intensified your own turmoil. Despite Tomas sometimes managing to fall asleep, there were nights when he woke up with unfamiliar eyes, as if he didn’t recognize where he was, his body stiffening as if his breath would be snatched away. Occasionally, you were able to calm him down in the morning, but even then, Tomas seemed powerless against his own imposing body.

Kuai Liang, on the other hand, often woke up drenched in sweat from nightmares, avoiding your attempts to soothe him. He repeatedly muttered about his fear of contaminating you too, leaving you barely holding yourself together as you fought the urge to tightly embrace him. His pain was palpable, almost physically hurting you.

As for Bi-Han, there were times when he hadn’t slept for days, his body tensed with the need to protect them from imagined external dangers, leaving small traces of ice and freezing cold wherever he passed. Rings of exhaustion encircled his eyes, his face taking on a statuesque and lifeless appearance, his gaze fixed on the windows and doors. It took you hours to convince him that there was no imminent danger and coax him into relaxation.

All three of them exuded danger; their capabilities to take lives were apparent from their looks and the threatening aura they emitted. Their muscular, powerful bodies spoke of a lifetime of training for combat. This reality became especially clear when they touched you—it was too easy for them to cause harm if they chose to. They possessed a suppressed power that pained you to witness. Despite being honorable men, it must have wounded their pride and soul to see themselves in such a vulnerable state.

Your train of thought was abruptly halted by the sound of someone calling your name. As you lifted your gaze from the sidewalk, you were met with the sight of a stranger standing beside Sektor, the same man you had encountered weeks ago under rather peculiar circumstances. Sektor, as formal as ever, greeted you, his black hair streaked with long gray tufts and his neatly trimmed beard suggesting recent grooming. Standing beside him was a figure who exuded an otherworldly aura, his piercing blue eyes unsettling and filled with an uncanny intensity. With a formal gesture, he crossed his arms, revealing intricate dragon tattoos that seemed to shimmer with an ethereal glow, mirroring the luminance of his gaze. Despite the chill in the air, there was an unexpected warmth in his smile as he uttered your first and last name, as if he had been anticipating your arrival.

You stood frozen, momentarily taken aback by the presence of the enigmatic figure before you. Tentatively, you ventured, “Lord Liu Kang?”

“Yes,” came the calm reply, confirming his identity. Despite his formidable stature and commanding presence, his voice carried a soothing timbre, putting you somewhat at ease. Strands of his long, obsidian hair were gathered in a half bun behind him, dressed in traditional Far Eastern attire, his hands were swathed in bandages, to his hand to elbow. It was surprising to see him in such ordinary garb, far removed from the divine image you had conjured in your mind. Yet, there was an undeniable aura of power and authority that emanated from him, accentuated by the eerie glow of his tattoos and the intensity of his gaze.

“Sektor has briefed me on the situation and the curse,” Liu Kang continued, taking a deliberate step forward. “May I have a word?”

As you silently nodded in agreement, Liu Kang motioned for you to follow him, leaving Sektor behind as the two of you made your way to a more secluded area, away from the crowd.

“Do you know how to break Quan Chi’s curse?” you voiced the question that had been weighing heavily on your mind since you first laid eyes on him. As a god, you assumed he held the answers to questions and problems that eluded mortals.

“It’s a curse I’ve encountered before,” he replied, his demeanor calm yet tinged with a hint of anger that simmered beneath the surface. “An ancient and demonic curse, leaving behind lasting damage, particularly to the mind. I am familiar with how to dispel such curses, but the solution is not one you will easily accept.”

“I want to save them.” Your voice suddenly became muffled, the tears that filled up as you thought about this situation and tried to hold them back, now that the three of them were not around, instantly began to flow down your cheeks. If you were a little embarrassed that you were crying in front of this man-god you never knew, the helplessness and grief you felt was even greater. “I can’t let them go back to the book again. What needs to be done to lift the curse? Please tell me, this has to stop.”

“You possess a pure heart,” The Fire God’s gaze fell upon you, a mix of sorrow and compassionate understanding that softened his features. “It has become increasingly rare to encounter individuals like you in this day and age… Black magic is inherently cruel, and so are its remedies,” he continued, his expression growing solemn. “There is only one method to lift the curse: the owner of the book must make a sacrificial offering of themselves.”

You fell into a stunned silence, grappling with the weight of his words as they reverberated in your mind. Your lips parted, but for a moment, it felt as though words had deserted you. Eventually, you managed to utter a whisper-like voice.

“So, what you’re saying is…”

“Death,” Liu Kang interjected sharply, his tone cutting through the air with finality. “This curse, rooted in ancient and potent sorcery, is designed by practitioners of black magic like Quan Chi to be unbreakable. The spell binds not only the cursed individuals but also the owner of the book, tethering your life energy to its pages until they return to its confines. Thus, any attempt to resist only serves to intensify the curse’s grip, compelling you to act against your will. The only path to freedom is through the ultimate sacrifice.”

Liu Kang’s gaze darkened with anger, a muscle twitching on his chin as his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His eyes, which seconds ago were warm and comforting, now blazed with righteous fury, their intensity piercing through the air like a searing flame.

“The curse is insidious,” he began, his voice laced with frustration. “It draws power from your life energy and intertwines it with their fate. As long as the owner of the book lives, the curse will persist. However,” he continued, his tone lowering to a solemn register, “if the owner willingly sacrifices their life, the curse will vanish along with the book, its source extinguished forever. It’s a trade-off, a cruel exchange that inevitably claims one side or the other. That’s the essence of black magic.”

You found yourself speechless, unable to even swallow past the lump in your throat. The gravity of Liu Kang’s words hung heavy in the air, casting a pall over your thoughts. Sacrifice your own life? The notion seemed incomprehensible, unfathomable, yet here it was, staring you in the face like an immutable truth carved in stone. With your family, dreams, and aspirations still within reach, could you bear to relinquish it all? Could you summon the courage to make such a sacrifice?

Strangely, these questions didn’t pierce your heart as much as the thought of never seeing all three of them again. Each day seemed more agonizing than the last, and you knew that the brave facade you wore didn’t fool anyone. Yet, you couldn’t bear the idea of burdening them with the curse’s weight and prompting them to take drastic action. You had found them too soon to lose them; the prospect losing them now felt unbearably cruel, like a dagger twisting in your soul. Their presence had became so integral to your life that you had actually forgotten what loneliness felt like.

You loved them, each with their own unique characteristics and qualities, with a possessive and fierce intensity unlike any love you had ever known. So when the answer came to you in a heartbeat, it didn’t scare you; instead, it settled on your shoulders like a comforting blanket, a peaceful weight that affirmed your resolve. Their needs, desires, and happiness were paramount to you, more precious than anything else in the world. As you reflected on the countless hardships they had endured, the thought of subjecting them to further suffering became unbearable. The power to end their torment lay within your grasp; you could not turn away from that responsibility. Though you couldn’t be with them in the way you longed for, you were determined to secure their well-being, even if it meant sacrificing your own life. They deserved nothing less than to reclaim the lives they had been denied for so long, to find happiness and peace in a world free from the curse’s grip.

“You don’t have to do this,” Liu Kang said, his voice soft yet filled with understanding.

“And shall I allow them to return to the book? No, I will never allow it,” you declared, your voice ringing with newfound determination. “I made a promise to them… My love for them eclipses all else, even my own life.”

Even as the curse neared its end, you couldn’t bear the thought of it being their final memory, tainted by your tears and suffering as each day brought more agony. You wanted to leave them with fond memories, to be remembered in a positive light. The idea of confessing your love to them seemed daunting until just ten minutes ago. Despite never feeling ready to bid them farewell, you knew it was inevitable.

“How am I to do it? With a knife?” you asked, your voice trembling with uncertainty. “I… I can’t take my own life. Will you help me?”

A myriad of emotions flickered across Liu Kang’s face, as if your question had unleashed a torrent of conflicting thoughts within him. You were taken aback by the sight of such ‘human’ emotions on the face of a god.

“I wish there were another way, one where you wouldn’t have to bear this burden alone,” Liu Kang sighed, his voice heavy with regret. “Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas aren’t merely my chosen warriors; they’re also my friends—more than just allies. You are sacrificing yourself to save them; of course, I will assist you in any way I can.”

“And will you make it as painless as possible?” you asked, your voice tinged with a slight fear.

With a solemn nod, Liu Kang replied, “They will remember this act of immense bravery and courage for the rest of their lives. Your sacrifice, while saving them, will also haunt them forever.’’ You acknowledged it inwardly. Yet, the moment Liu Kang proposed the solution, your decision was made. You meant every word you said; they meant more to you than anything else, and you wanted them to reclaim the life that had been stolen from them. If sacrificing yourself was the path to ensure their freedom, then so be it.

“I want to bid them farewell,” you said, your gaze falling to the ground. “But the final act… I cannot bear to do it in front of them, especially Tomas. After what happened to his family, it would be too traumatic for him.”

‘’Of course,” Liu Kang replied, his voice filled with understanding. You gulped and lifted your gaze to the sky, silently observing the clusters of red clouds and the golden sun, its light waning as it prepared to set. The realization that this would be your final sunset weighed heavily on your chest, a palpable heaviness that seemed to anchor you to the ground. As you tried to swallow past the lump in your throat, a tear escaped, tracing a solitary path down your cheek. Your voice emerged hoarse, almost strained with emotion.

“I wish it hadn’t come to this. I would have cherished more moments with them.”

“Sometimes, even a god cannot interfere in the complex fabric of life,” Liu Kang said, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky alongside you. “Each thread is woven with its purpose and outcome. There are two paths before you, and the latter entails your choice to end your life. While I respect your decision, I must ask one last time: are you certain about this?”

As Liu Kang’s luminous blue eyes bore into yours, a sense of calm washed over you, a tranquility that spoke of acceptance and resolve.

“More than anything.”

***

As you returned home, it felt as though your body no longer belonged to you. You couldn’t recall how you had made the journey back; it was as if you had been moving through molasses, each step slow and heavy. Though your surroundings appeared blurred, your thoughts remained clear, cocooning you in a blanket of comfort and unwavering determination.

Upon softly opening the door, the scene that greeted you shattered what little remained of your heart. Bi-Han occupied the single seat he always favored, gently stroking Ninja’s head as the cat slept soundly in his lap. A rare, tender smile graced his lips, a sight that had become increasingly frequent in recent days. Meanwhile, Kuai Liang and Tomas sat cross-legged, engrossed in something on your laptop, their occasional laughter filling the room with warmth and joy. The serene atmosphere tugged at your heartstrings, leaving you both comforted and conflicted. How could you possibly break the news of your decision to them?

Caught in a state of frozen uncertainty, it was Kuai Liang who first noticed your presence. His expression of happiness dissolved into pure astonishment at the sight of Fire God and Sektor standing behind you.

“Lord Liu Kang?” he exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice. As his words hung in the air, the rest of the brothers turned their heads towards the entrance, mirroring Kuai Liang’s surprise. They remained rooted in place for a few seconds before Bi-Han took decisive action. Carefully lowering Ninja to the ground, he strode forward to stand before Liu Kang, bowing his head respectfully in greeting.

“Lord Liu Kang.” Bi-Han uttered, his tone a mixture of reverence and warmth.

Liu Kang’s gentle smile widened as he placed both hands on Bi-Han’s shoulders, lifting him upright. “Bi-Han, it has indeed been a long time,” he acknowledged. His glowing eyes shifted to encompass Tomas and Kuai Liang, who had gathered behind Bi-Han. “It is truly a pleasure to see the warriors of the Lin Kuei, defenders of Earthrealm, and my friends once again.”

“The pleasure is ours,” Kuai Liang replied, his voice infused with warmth and sincerity as Bi-Han’s. They all expressed their respect and embraced each other in a brotherly hug, a sight that surprised you, especially seeing a god joining in. Engaging in small talk, their camaraderie was palpable. Bi-Han’s gaze then shifted towards Sektor, who stood silently beside you. His brow furrowed slightly, silently questioning his right-hand man.

“Sektor? You didn’t come all the way here just to show Lord Liu Kang, did you? It’s still more than a week until you’re supposed to take the book.”

Sektor didn’t answer, instead, when he gave you an evasive glance, Bi-Han instantly caught his gaze and his expression hardened. As he crossed his arms on both sides, the cold waves of air that began to spread over him tingled your skin.

‘’What’s going on?’’

‘’Bi-Han,” you interjected in a gentle, strained voice, struggling to suppress your emotions while the curse writhed inside you more cruelly than ever. The pain surged higher and more severe than you were accustomed to, causing your knees to momentarily tremble. Bi-Han easily grabbed you by the waist and pulled you to himself, his expression shifting from one of composure to one of anxious concern in an instant, causing your heart to flutter. Knowing how strict he was with himself about showing his feelings compared to his brothers, it filled you with happiness to see how much he had progressed in such a short period of time. It was the greatest proof of the depth of his feelings for you. Bi-Han was a stoic man, never one to show vulnerability. Seeing him like this now was both heartwarming and overwhelming. He was laying himself bare before you, offering his feelings on a platter, and you realized you could easily hurt him if you chose to, because he was showing you his vulnerability so openly.

“Are you all right?” Bi-Han’s hand gently cupped your face, his calloused fingers stroking your cheek. “Did you cry?”

At his question, Tomas and Kuai Liang turned their gaze toward you. You quickly composed yourself, the callouses on his hand providing a comforting touch against your skin. With a slight tremble in your voice, you managed a reassuring smile, your eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and sadness. You wanted to remain strong until the very end, to etch a lasting impression in their minds.

“I’m fine,” you replied, your voice surprisingly calm despite the turmoil within. You savored Bi-Han’s protective touch, the coolness of his skin a stark contrast to the warmth of his presence. The scent of cold and fresh snow emanating from him filled your senses, your fingers traced the contours of his strong features lovingly, committing each curve to memory. A lump formed in your throat, making it hard to swallow, as you fought back tears that threatened to spill over. Gently winding the few remaining tufts of his black hair into a small bun, you planted a tender kiss on his pale lips, conveying all your emotions in that fleeting moment. Stepping back, you caressed his cheek one last time, the rough texture of his short stubble a familiar sensation against your fingertips. Bi-Han’s expression grew increasingly worried, his furrowed eyebrows revealing his confusion as he searched your eyes for answers.

However, instead of offering an explanation, you gently slipped out of Bi-Han’s grasp and made your way to Kuai Liang, who stood beside him.

“What’s going on? Why are you acting like this?” Kuai Liang’s voice was laced with concern as he carefully cupped your face with both hands, his thumbs stroking your skin. You responded with a soft smile, kissing one of his palms before silencing him by placing your finger on his lips. His brow furrowed in confusion, the joy from moments ago fading from his face. You felt a pang of guilt for dampening his spirits, but you knew that everything you were about to do was for their well-being. They would no longer suffer, be exploited, or have their consent disregarded. They would reclaim their dignified lives, where they rightfully belonged.

As Kuai Liang fell silent, you withdrew your hand, savoring the warmth emanating from his body for what would be the last time. Despite his formidable appearance, he exuded a comforting aura, his skin radiating health, his stance unwavering. The faint scent of ash, a remnant of his pyromancy, mingled with the aroma of cedar reminiscent of summer nights, enveloping his bronze-toned physique. His amber-brown eyes, usually filled with determination, now held a soft, worried gaze as they met yours.

Struggling to maintain your smile, you rose onto tiptoe and pressed a gentle kiss to Kuai Liang’s lips. “It will be all right.” you assured him, though your voice faltered toward the end. Blinking back tears that threatened to cloud your vision, you swiftly moved to Tomas’s side before Kuai Liang could reach out to you once more.

There was an obvious panic on Tomas’s young face as he scrutinized you from head to toe with his gray eyes. You felt a pang of guilt for causing such distress. Though you kept your shoulders straight, reminding yourself of your purpose, and tried to maintain a smile, tears welled up in your eyes again when Tomas uttered your name in desperation. Instantly, you enveloped him in a tight hug.

“Talk to us, what’s going on? Did someone hurt you? Just give us their names,” Tomas pleaded, his muscular arms circling you protectively, as if he wanted to shield you from everything, even though you were the one who wanted to do the same for him.

You shook your head in response, planting a kiss on Tomas’s cheek. The faint scent of embers lingered around him, reminiscent of burning wood. Whether from his smoke magic or not, the smell defined Tomas—wild and free. Despite his formidable abilities as an assassin, his naive trust in you was evident. Stepping back, you met his gaze, his gray eyes almost appearing blue in the light. Though he possessed frightening strength and abilities, the vulnerability in his eyes told a different story. Swallowing back your emotions, you resolved that he wouldn’t suffer from the curse’s torment any longer.

You remembered how Tomas had reacted when the power went out a few days ago—it was as if everything had been reset that evening, despite the progress he had made since leaving the book.

“Tomas, it’s okay. You’re safe. You’re not in the book; look, I’m here. Your brothers are also here,” you reassured him, trying to calm his frantic state.

Thanks to the small fireball Kuai Liang created in his hands, Tomas became clearly visible. The silver-haired assassin stood frozen, breathing heavily, fists clenched, his gaze darting around erratically. Sweat matted his short hair against his forehead, glinting in the dim light of the room.

“Tomas,” you called softly again, reaching out to him, but Bi-Han stopped you, gripping your wrist firmly.

“He might hurt you,” Bi-Han warned, his voice harsh and protective. “He’s out of his mind right now, more like a cornered animal than a human being.”

“He’s just scared, that’s all,” you countered, disregarding Bi-Han’s warning. Carefully, you approached Tomas, making sure not to startle him further. “Tomas? Let me touch you, let me show you that you’re not there anymore.”

As you raised your hand to touch him, Tomas’s gaze fixed on you, his jaw clenched tightly. An angry, almost aggressive snarl escaped his lips. Bi-Han and Kuai Liang moved to protect you, but you signaled for them to stay put. Sudden movements and sounds would only agitate Tomas further.

“You’re not there, Tomas. It’s been two months since you came out of the book. You’re in my house, next to me. Look,” you reassured him, your hand gently touching his cheek. Tomas flinched violently, but he didn’t lash out. Though he remained as still as a statue, his gaze shifted to focus on you.

“You don’t want to scare Ninja anymore, do you?” you continued, noticing a slight softening in Tomas’s expression. A low, plaintive sound escaped his throat, resembling the whimper of a wounded animal. “Shh, everything is fine. I know, I know. Come, let me hug you.”

Gathering courage from his stillness, you wrapped your arms around him. Tomas melted into the embrace, his grip tightening around you as he took a sharp breath. Despite the pressure from his strong frame, you made no sound, understanding his need for this connection. As Tomas whispered your name like a prayer, your heart swelled with love and pain, wishing you could heal the wounds inflicted on his soul by the curse.

Your hand found the short tufts of gray hair, stroking them lovingly as you planted a kiss first on his cheek and then on his forehead. “I’m here. It’s all right, you’re safe, Tomas.”

And now you had the power to break this curse.

“You frighten me,” Tomas’s voice interrupted your thoughts, drawing your attention. His words echoed the fear and confusion swirling within you, amplifying the emotional turmoil.

You fought to maintain the dwindling smile on your face as you leaned in to kiss Tomas goodbye on the lips. Every touch, every gesture, was imbued with a depth of feeling that words could not fully express. It was a bittersweet farewell, filled with love and longing. Then, you turned to look at Kuai Liang and Bi-Han, their expressions clouded with concern.

“I love all three of you,” you whispered, the words heavy with emotion. For days, you grappled with how to express this overwhelming feeling, the realization that they had become the foundation of your world, each one holding a profound significance in your heart. The mere thought of voicing these sentiments once filled you with breathless anticipation, but now, as the words escaped your lips, they carried a weight you couldn’t bear alone. Indeed, the pain of the curse paled in comparison to the heaviness in your heart. “Please don’t be angry with anyone, okay?”

“Why are you saying these things?” Bi-Han’s voice cut through the air like shards of ice, his tone rigid and unyielding. Understanding his reaction became easier as you got to know him. He tended to become aggressive when he didn’t want to show his emotions – especially when panicked or afraid. This was one of those moments.

“To whom, why should we be angry?” Tomas’s voice conveyed his confusion. His genuine perplexity only served to deepen the ache in your chest, reminding you of the innocence he still retained despite everything he had endured. You took a deep breath, after stroking Tomas’s cheek for the last time, you stepped back. However, Kuai Liang stopped you by grabbing your arm.

“Tell us what’s going on.” he demanded, his voice taking on a tone you had never heard before. It was the first time you heard him speak like this. Despite his usual warmth and politeness, even when discussing his past, his voice now turned cold, almost resembling that of his older brother, but never had it been this harsh and demanding.

“I will lift the curse,” you stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. “It’s my decision, so don’t hate me or anyone in this room for this, okay? I want what’s best for you.”

“Don’t we have a say in this? And how will you lift the curse?” Kuai Liang’s tone showed his displeasure. He shook you, and the words came out as a snarl. The fire burning in his eyes was evident, his touch alarmingly hot. But behind this intensity, the concern and fear he felt were clear in his expression, open and vulnerable. “Speak!”

“This is a farewell,” Bi-Han said in a single breath, his words cutting through the tension like a knife. “You are saying goodbye to us.”

“No!” Tomas, standing up to Kuai Liang, grabbed your other arm and turned you around to face him. “Tell me it’s a lie.”

You swallowed hard. As your composure, which you tried to maintain, slowly crumbled, your lower lip trembled, and tears flowed freely. An expression of denial appeared on the faces of the three of them, indicating their refusal to accept what was about to happen.

“I’d love to,” you responded to Tomas. “But Bi-Han is telling the truth.” After inhaling deeply, you squared your shoulders and fought back the tears. “I love all three of you very much. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I made a promise, and I will keep it. I will set you free.”

“How?!” Bi-Han appeared in front of you with a roar, gripping your chin and forcing you to meet his furious gaze. “Whatever sacrifice you’re considering, I won’t allow it. Do you hear me?! You’re not doing anything! We will find another solution.”

“There is no other solution,” you said tearfully, freeing yourself from his grip and placing your hand on his. “I can’t set you free any other way, Bi-Han.”

“No. I said no damnit!” Bi-Han’s voice was adamant. “You stubborn woman, listen to me; I won’t allow it.”

“I’m so sorry,” you said, your voice trembling. “I wish there was another way, but it’s the only way, and I’m ready to fulfill it gladly. I’m not going to let you stop this.” You glanced over your shoulder at Liu Kang. The Fire God watched in silence, his gaze betraying a mix of sadness and anger at the injustice of the situation. “I am ready.”

As Liu Kang nodded his approval, an aggressive growl rumbled from Bi-Han’s throat, his dark, furious gaze fixed on Liu Kang now. Layers of frost and sharp ice began to grow on his skin, a chilling armor of determination as he prepared to confront a god to protect you. It was evident that while they respected Liu Kang deeply, you held an even greater significance to them in that moment, compelling them to face him in order to shield you from harm.

“Don’t you fucking dare. Don’t come close—” he warned, his voice carrying the weight of finality.

“I have the utmost respect for you, Lord Liu Kang, but if you take one more step, I will have to attack you.” Tomas’s voice pierced the tense air, devoid of its usual warmth, cold and chillingly clear. His bright eyes, once filled with warmth, now darkened and focused with an intensity that chilled you more than Bi-Han’s powers.

Aware that what you were about to do would haunt you forever, you steeled yourself. Despite the weight of your decision, there was no other choice. Your sole aim was to bring an end to this ordeal swiftly and without further harm. The thought of anyone else being affected by the curse was unbearable.

“Nobody’s going to do anything,” you said, turning your gaze away from Bi-Han and fixing it on the wall behind him. You couldn’t bear to meet their eyes. “I order all three of you to remain in your places and not to move.”

Your command hung in the air, heavy and tense. A suffocating silence descended upon the room, broken only by the sound of their ragged breaths. This was the first and last time you’d give them orders. It was for their sake, but it didn’t ease the guilt gnawing at you. You’d betrayed their trust. A few more tears escaped down your cheeks as you walked towards the book on the kitchen counter, still avoiding their gazes. You easily slipped out of Bi-Han’s loosening grip, determined to see this through to the end.

As you mentally prepared to pick up the book and materialize into the Fire Temple, it remained stubbornly unmoved. Furrowing your eyebrows, you tried to lift it with both hands, but it felt as if the book weighed a ton. A searing heat radiated from your fingertips to your hand, threatening to melt your skin and expose your bones if you held on any longer. With a small whimper, you pulled your hands back, and Liu Kang came into view.

“The curse knows what you’re about to do, that’s why it won’t let the book move.” He explained.

“But… if we can’t take it with us—then…” you trailed off, a sense of helplessness washing over you.

“Yes,” Liu Kang replied in a carefully flat voice.

“I don’t want them to witness this,” you said, your eyes flickering to the three men you held dear. Their faces revealed a tumult of emotions—betrayal, concern, and fear all intertwined. Despite their futile attempts to defy your command and approach, their efforts proved fruitless. Veins protruded on their skin, and deep furrows etched across their foreheads, with Tomas even beginning to bleed from his nose. Knowing there was no alternative, you fought back a fresh wave of tears, though they continued to betray your resolve. “All right,” you sniffed, quickly dabbing your eyes to dry the tears, lifting your chin to meet Liu Kang’s gaze once more. “Do it quickly, please.”

“Liu Kang!” Kuai Liang shouted, trying to launch the fireballs that appeared in both his hands but failing because of some kind of invisible wall that forced him to stay still. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”

“Get away from her!” Bi-Han said furiously. “I swear, if you touch her, I’ll fucking kill you!”

“No, you won’t hurt him.” In as soft a voice as possible, the second command poured from your lips. “This is my last plea to you, please don’t hurt anyone.” Your gaze turned to Sektor, who caught your wordless request. With silent steps, his head tilted to the ground, he approached, took out the hunting knife from the scabbard at his waist, and handed it to Liu Kang.

“No!” Tomas struggled on the spot, shouting, trying every way to break free from the order that was suppressing him. It destroyed you to feel the desperation in his voice. “No, Sektor, stop! Lord Liu Kang, don’t do this. Please!”

“Place your hand on the book. I know it will hurt you, but I will make it as quick and light as possible,” Liu Kang said, falling deaf to the screams behind him. However, there was a weight in his voice that made him seem more mature than he was. You did what he said, taking strength from the gentle expression on his face to keep you calm. A sizzle rose up in your flesh. You bit your lower lip and held yourself back from squealing in pain. You were going to handle this quietly; you were going to stand strong for them.

‘’Repeat after me: as the keeper of this book, I offer a pact. I unbind Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas from the Lin Kuei Clan, the chains that tether them to this book, in exchange for the sacrifice of my own life. From this moment onward, they shall walk free from this curse. My blood and my life shall seal these words.’’

After you echoed his words, despite the screams and chaos around you, Liu Kang delivered the first stab with the knife from Sektor. When the blade pierced under your ribs, you gasped sharply. The pain was more sudden and searing than you had anticipated. Your balance wavered, and the burning pain in your hand seemed insignificant compared to the deep cut now bleeding beneath your ribs. As your misty gaze fell on the book under your hand, you saw the length of the cut forming there.

“Stop! By the elder gods, please stop! Bi-Han, brother, stop them!” Tomas’s desperate cries rang in your ears. Turning your head to him, you murmured in a voice hoping to comfort him.

“It doesn’t hurt, I swear.” Tomas’s expression shattered, his gray eyes shining with unshed tears, making him look younger and more vulnerable than ever. “It’s okay, everything will be okay.”

When Liu Kang raised his hand for the second blow, you closed your eyes. At that moment, Bi-Han’s furious, despairing voice cut through the air, filled with deadly determination.

“Liu Kang, she’s innocent! Stop it now, or I swear to you—No!” Bi-Han’s voice rang out as the knife plunged into your stomach. Your knees buckled, and you collapsed to the ground, but you kept your hand on the book despite the pain. Your hand went numb, whether from the pain or from the nerves being destroyed, you couldn’t tell. Everything had become a big ball of agony. The metallic taste of blood rose in your throat, filling your mouth. You coughed to avoid choking, and blood splattered around, some of it flowing down your lips.

‘’It’s okay… It… Doesn’t hurt.’’ You managed to murmur, the words feeling foreign on your tongue. Your lips felt numb, as if disconnected from your voice, and your tongue seemed to weigh heavy in your mouth.

“Don’t lift the curse, stop!” Kuai Liang’s cries were muffled by the pounding in your ears. Everything around you blurred into a chaotic whirl of colors and sounds, like trying to focus underwater. Each breath was a struggle, a battle against an unseen weight pressing down on your chest. Despite the pain, you clung to consciousness, fighting to stay present amidst the overwhelming haze of approaching death. “Don’t take her away from us. Please, Liu Kang, stop this madness! Let the curse stay, we want it back. Give it back—Just stop!’’

Liu Kang didn’t stop. As he lowered the knife for the third time, aiming for your heart, you felt a deep slit open in the cover of the book under your hand. Despite the excruciating pain, a weak smile formed on your face as you realized the curse had finally been lifted. It was over. They were free now. You could feel the pressure of the curse lifting, and you knew they must have felt it too. As blood continued to rise from your throat, flowing relentlessly from your lips like a crimson cascade, Liu Kang hesitated before withdrawing the knife, gently lowering you to the ground. Numbness crept through your body like tendrils of frost, slowly engulfing your senses. The pain, once sharp and all-consuming, now ebbed away like a receding tide, leaving behind a dull ache. As your vision blurred and darkness encroached, you could barely discern the outlines of three figures, their forms wavering like shadows in the fading light.

You tried to talk. To say that it doesn’t hurt, you’re glad that you finally lifted the curse and set them free, to say that you loved them with all of your heart even words cannot describe how you felt for them. But the words tumbled meaninglessly from your lips, your tongue felt too heavy and it became increasingly difficult to breathe.

“Shhh, don’t talk. We will save you, qīn’ài. Everything’s going to be fine.”

You felt a hand on top of your head, the gentle caress tracing soothing circles. It was Kuai Liang, you surmised from the familiar touch. His fingers moved with care, each stroke bringing a fleeting warmth that chased away a fraction of the cold surrounding you. Then, a sudden pressure on your wounds jolted you, eliciting a sharp whimper that escaped your lips.

‘’You foolish, stubborn woman! We won’t let you go, did you hear me? Don’t you dare give up on us now. I’ll make your life hell after the act you pulled.”

Bi-Han’s words echoed in your ears. Despite the harshness of his tone, you detected the underlying concern beneath his façade, acknowledging the conflict in his emotions. Each breath became more labored, and you wished desperately to convey your remorse to them. But deep down, you knew that if faced with the same choice again, you would make it without hesitation. Because your love for them outweighed everything else. Yet, as another cough wracked your body, you realized that words were futile. Numbness enveloped you completely, and the chill in the air seeped into your bones, causing you to shiver uncontrollably. You surrendered to the encroaching darkness, unable to resist its pull.

Your heart beat weakly one last time, then stopped completely.

***

Author’s Note: My apologies for the cliffhanger! But I’ve already started writing the next chapter, so you won’t have to wait too long again unless something important comes up. Also, I’ve decided to turn this into a series, as I have a couple of ideas brewing. If you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to share them with me on my blog. If I find them interesting or relevant to the story, I’ll incorporate them into it and give you credit.✨

[mont-umi]

MK men finding out that reader has a very high spice tolerance.

Includes: Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, Johnny, and Syzoth.

Bi-Han

This man was just casually roaming around the temple trying to also find his certain lover. He then notice a silhouette near the kitchen and there he finds you eating a bowl of ramen. "What are you eating there snowflake?" The cryomancer asked as he stepped close to your shivering form. "Eating a hot bowl of ramen. It's freaking cold in here." You sneezed a bit as you sip more of the savory soup and it helped you warmed up. "Who made this for you?" He grabs the bowl from her and observes the delicious meal on his hand. "I did, no one was around the kitchen so I had to provide for myself." Nods at herself and watches as Bi-Han took a sip of her food and eventually the cryomancer ended up frozen in his place and puts down the bowl to a nearby table. "Next time warn me if the spice of your food would be like this." Grabs a nearby water and freeze the cup before drinking it. "Well I never thought you wouldn't eat it han'er." Grabs the bowl before sipping it back again. "how can you handle such a strong spice?" His words just made you giggle and went back to your spicy treat.

Kuai Liang

This man was laying down beside you as both of you spend your time talking about your jobs or simply reading a book. Kuai noticed you munching on something so he peeked and pokes your cheek. "Quite selfish for you to eat something and not offer me?" He jokingly says as he munches your cheek which made you ticklish and laugh. "Here, I got some candy tamarinds." Offers Kuai some tamarind candy which he happily have some. As he plopped the candy in his mouth and as minutes passed by. He noticed that a tingling sensation is now appearing in his mouth as he sat up and taste the flavor of the candy more. He finally realized that the candy he's eating is spicy and Nott he usual sweet flavor. "Why is this spicy?" His cute reaction made you sat up and laugh. "It's a spicy candy Kuai, be glad it's not those extra hot I always buy. It's just the mild ones." You said as you bring out the plastic bag of candy tamarinds. He was both amused and shocked to know that you can handle such spice "I'm still in shocked to know you can handle such spice." The two of you laugh and went ahead to cuddle even more and eating all your tamarind candy.

Johnny Cage

"hey babe! Have you seen my sunglasses?" He went out to the backyard where you are grilling some good food. He saw you wearing a bikini and apron while grilling some food and he knows you aren't bothered by it since you're used to grilling and cooking foods half naked or even naked. (it will be mention someday ahem!) And there he saw you grilling food while wearing his sunglasses and blasting some music on Alexa. He went behind you and hug your waist while kissing you shoulder. "You look hot in my sunglasses as always." The man noticed a covered bowl and went to open it and saw some raw meats and veggies soaking in a very pungent and eye watering marinate making him pull away. "Goddamn it babe! What the hell was that?!" The man coughs and tears up as he is now 7 feet away from you and the marinate. You just let out a laugh and smiles "this is only for me or unless some of our friends want to get a taste of it too." You smiled at him. "Look babe as much as I love you. Cover that up and make sure you put that 7 feet away from me." He just made you laugh out loud and hides the marinated raw foods away from him and goes back to grilling as the poor man just head inside the mansion.(heads up they bought a new and cheaper mansion will also be mention someday.)

Syzoth

Honestly this man can eat anything as long as it's edible he will be okay with it. And now this man is helping you cook dinner you both noticed that the food needs some chili. So you went to grab a hefty amount of chili that you had a hard time holding it. "Do you need help with that darling?" He quickly grabs the Chilies for you and puts it on the counter top. "This is quite a lot. Are you sure you can handle this?" He looks at you worriedly. "Yeah! These chilies aren't even enough for me." Smiles at Syzoth who just has his eyes widen and looks at the chilies before back to you before letting out an amused laugh. "Looks like I need to learn more about my darling. And I am impressed with your spice tolerance." He comes and kisses your cheek before the two of you went back to cooking dinner.

[atlasofthestaars]

[MX X READER] New Era - Chapter .003

first part | previous part | next part

NOTE: First off, thank you ALL so much for the support! I sincerely love every one of your comments so far, and feel grateful you all enjoy the story! The comments are lowkey pushing me to write this all, so again tysm for the support!

Hopefully this chapter showcases how I’ll try to implement extra scenes within the story! Because after this chapter we will divulge for a bit storywise to get bonding moments between the kharacters and the reader! I’m doing this due to the months time skip, and thought it’d be a good time to develop some of the relationships before the Outworld arc!

Sorry for how Lin Kuei heavy the interactions have been, but we’ll soon get the champion squad as the focus soon, so I did want to implement some of this groundwork first. That doesn’t mean the Lin Kuei are totally gone soon, especially since I also need to give Smoke his share of time together, but they will be used less often after this chapter so we can bond with the others.

ALSO, for those reading this on tumblr, please reply to the poll here whether you do want Shang Tsung as a love interest! It will affect my planning somewhat so I would like to gauge interest! AO3 fans, leave a comment on your thoughts !

ALSO ALSO! If you want a character included as a love interest that is NOT part of the initial roster mentioned in part one, please send in messages/leave comments mentioning it so I can see what you all want! It’s not a guarantee, but it is helpful to get input on those types of things.

FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO HELPED RECRUIT NEW ALLIES

“Only you and Kuai Liang for this mission?”

You eyed the blue clad and yellow clad assassins curiously as you walked into the room where the Lin Kuei trio typically sat when they were awaiting for Liu Kang. You pursed your lips as you walked right up in front of the two brothers, your gaze switching between them before they settled on Bi-Han. You crossed your arms as you watch Bi-Han’s gaze narrow.

“That should be more than enough.” Sub Zero replied gruffly, keeping his gaze on yours. It felt like a staring contest was always happening between you two. While most times you would entertain it, you instead searched his face. It was hard to tell whether Bi-Han was irritated, or if it was his grumpy face that he always wore, but from the years you knew him, you picked up on the tells.

This time, it was simply his natural face. 

“I’m not saying it’s not enough, I’m just surprised.” You replied smoothly as you moved your gaze from Bi-Han’s face to the arm you had patched up yesterday. You sighed as you pulled out the medical kit you had tucked away on your person. “I would have thought that the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei would know how to regularly change his bandages.” You chided as you knelt beside where he was sitting.

“I know how to change my bandages, fool.” Sub Zero scoffed, but as usual let you come close to inspect the wound you had dressed. You let the insult go, you knew at this point any insults towards you were rarely meaningful. If he really hated you, he would have not even let you dress his wounds in the first place.

It was odd, before he used to be diligent about changing his own bandages. But nowadays it felt like he expected you to change it for him. 

Maybe it was because you started to patch him up for him instead of letting the cryomancer do it himself. It had bugged you, how often he left wounds unattended. Never had they turned into infections, but it irritated you to no end. So one day, you just began to do it for him, despite his initial protests.

Now it was like a routine between you two. It didn’t happen often, since Bi-Han had become more proficient in avoiding injuries, but it happened enough that it felt like a routine.

You gently removed the bloodied bandages from around his right bicep. You hummed as you noted how it was healing. Carefully, you brushed your fingers over the wound to see it had begun to scab over. You noted the odd way he seemed to tense at this, and sent him a small glance.

“Relax, I’m not going to stab you.” You teased, a small chuckle leaving your lips as you returned your gaze back to the wound. Even though you weren’t looking at him, you felt Bi-Han’s gaze burn into you. Maybe being the pyromancer would have fit him better with how searing his gaze was like. 

“As if you would get the chance.” He grumbled as he relaxed. You rolled your eyes as you carefully reapplied the bandages over the wound. Proud of yourself, you grinned as you pat the bandages on his bicep. 

“Done.” You declared as you stood back up. You saw Bi-Han sigh as he reluctantly nodded in acknowledgement. You turned your gaze towards the younger brother, sending Kuai Liang a soft smile. 

Strange, why did Bi-Han seem a bit irritated at your smile?

“Do you need any wounds of yours patched up while I’m at it?” You inquired as you walked over to stand in front of Scorpion. Returning your soft smile with one of his own, Kuai Liang shook his head, holding up a dismissive hand. His eyes sent an almost apologetic look towards you, as if apologizing for his brother.

“While appreciative, it is not necessary. I was not cut during the examination.” Kuai Liang reassured you with a small nod. You returned the nod, glad to hear the news. Still, your eyes roamed his body to see if he had any bruises that were beginning to bloom. 

“Good, I’m glad to hear it.” Your smile grew to a grin as you recalled the events of last night. The exam still buzzed in your head, and you could easily replay it in your head over and over. “Good performance, by the way. I didn’t get to tell you that yesterday.” 

“I was simply doing the job as required.” Kuai Liang humbly said, though you could see a hint of what you interpreted as bashfulness within his expression. You laughed. The Lin Kuei trio, so different, yet all people you held close to your heart. They were the ones you considered to be your friends, and you only hoped they returned the sentiment.

“Come, Lord Liu Kang is ready for the both of you.” You beckoned them to follow, and almost in sync they stood up and followed your lead. It was quiet for a few moments as the three of you walked through the Fire Temple. You felt like a leader of a pack, with Kuai Liang on your left and Bi-Han on your right. You briefly wondered if this is how Liu Kang often felt. “Were you both informed of what our mission is, and where we are going?” 

“From what I recall, we are going to California to recruit an actor and a swordsman to see if they will join Lord Liu Kang’s cause.” Scorpion piped up, and you nodded, pleased at how accurate his memory was. 

“It is unnecessary for all three of us to have to go.” Bi-Han commented. Despite his words seeming rough, you could sense he was only speaking his mind and not trying to insult Liu Kang…even if he could definitely word it better.

“It is probably for the best for all of us to go, just in case.” The younger brother interjected, sending his older brother a glance. “Lord Liu Kang has his own reasons.”

The conversation ground to a halt, and you felt the temperature drop around you three by a few degrees. 

You ignored it as you three arrived at the door of the room where Liu Kang was waiting. Best not to linger on that. 

You all had a mission to get to, after all.

So this was California.

You marveled at how different the city around you was. The buildings were so different. Everything was different. You took in the atmosphere as you basked in the small amount of time you all had to stand around before you had to go.

Even though the area you teleported too was on the quieter side, the area around you was so much busier than it was anywhere you’ve recently been. So many lights, noises…it was so foreign. You were so in awe you even let Bi-Han scoff at your amazement without glaring at him.

“Is it possible for you to confirm the location?” Liu Kang inquired, after calling your name. You blinked as you stepped forward to look towards the fire god. You nodded, pointing to a large fancy home up ahead.

“That one, correct, Lord Liu Kang?” You asked, eying the place. You watched as the fire god nodded approvingly. Jumping and leaping into the air, your form turned smoothly into that one a crow and you flew close to the house. 

You always enjoyed being a bird, feeling the wind in your feathers and the feeling of freedom it granted. Circling the house, you spotted how a wall was completely open, and you soared down towards that area, landing just behind the wall beside the pool. You noted the large floating plastic animals in the pool.

Interesting.

“Step one is selling this place.” A woman spoke. Curious, you tilted your head to peek barely in, seeing who you presumed to be Johnny Cage and a woman. Your head pulsed with the all too familiar headache as you peered at the man who paced inside the house. 

Your mind granted you a vision of a similar looking Johnny Cage, so you knew you were in the right place.

Who was the woman though? You peered at her, vaguely listening in on the argument between the duo. You didn’t even bother to hide yourself all too well behind the wall at this rate, they were too deep in their conflict. 

When you gazed at her, no sense of headache arose in your mind. You continued to eavesdrop, learning about the unfortunate circumstances befalling Johnny Cage and who you presumed was his wife with the conversation they were having. You nodded as the words they said confirmed your suspicions.

Cris…Wasn’t his wife supposed to be Sonya Blade?

Your head seemed to pound upon remembering that, and you winced. Sonya Blade…Sonya Blade… If only you had more time to interpret and unravel these memories when convenient, and not when you were on a mission!

Taking a mental note, you told yourself to write this down in your journal within the Fire Temple as soon as you got back.

Either way, you figured out that in this life, Johnny Cage was with a different woman.

You watched with a sense of pity as Cris walked out on Johnny…or John Carlton as you just learned. Although the man seemed distraught, you were surprised to see that he didn’t chase over his wife. You observed as he continued to drink, berating himself.

You felt guilty intruding on such a private moment. 

Your guilt vanished as you watched a swordsman enter the house, dressed in a suit. Carefully, you backed up behind the wall, but you were sure he probably wouldn’t have even seen you. Even without the pulsing of your mind, you knew who this man was due to Liu Kang: Kenshi Takahashi. You watched the beginnings of their confrontation before backing up.

That’s all you needed to know. 

With a quick flap of your wings, you got back into the air and flew back to the trio who were waiting right where you had left them. Landing on the ground, you stood up as you transformed back and no trace of the crow you had been was left.

“It’s the right location.” You began as you rolled your shoulders back, trying to bend your body back into shape. “Johnny Cage is confronting Kenshi Takahashi over a sword named Sento.” You informed Liu Kang, bowing as you told the fire god of what you had seen. 

“As expected.” Liu Kang said before nodding, a smile on his face. You took that as praise as you stepped around to take your spot again at his right side. “Come, the confrontation will be over soon.” With a nod from the others, you all strode down the hill over to Johnny Cage’s house.

Without hesitation, Liu Kang rang the doorbell as the four of you arrived in front of the front door. You looked around, noting how the house looked from the front instead of the back. It was much, much different than what you had been used to in the Fire Temple. 

Instinctively, you straightened your posture as you heard the door open. You stared forward at the perplexed face of Johnny Cage, holding back the amusement you wanted to let out. You had to look professional. Both of the Lin Kuei brothers stood behind you and Liu Kang. 

“What in the actual fu-”

“Good evening, Johnny Cage.” Liu Kang cut him off, his arms uncrossing as he bowed and introduced himself. Johnny recoiled at the action, looking confused as ever. “I am Liu Kang, protector of Earthrealm.” The fire god introduced himself, wasting no time. He gestured to the inside of the house. “May we enter?”

“Uh…” Johnny leaned over, peering at all of you suspiciously. “Nothing’s being shot here tonight. You sure you’re in the right place?” Johnny inquired, looking at all of you as if you were all crazy. 

“Yes.” Liu Kang answered seriously, nodding. “We come here on a matter of grave importance. We must speak to you and your guest.” 

“What?” Johnny seemed shocked at the mention of Kenshi, before squinting at the group in suspicion once more. He leaned close, dropping his voice to be closer to a whisper. “How do you know about him?” 

“Because I am the God of Fire.” Liu Kang responded, his voice holding an authoritative tone. Despite this, Johnny seemed to brush it off. You raised your eyebrows, surprised to see how quickly the man fell into denial. 

“Cris, you vixen. Nicely done.” You bit the inside of your cheek, feeling a pang of guilt in your chest. He thought his wife set him up for an odd prank. You looked away until he spoke up again. “Sure.” Johnny said, drawing out the word in such a way to make it obvious he didn’t believe a word of what Liu Kang had said. “Come on in.” And with that, he opened the door to welcome you all in. “Glowing eyes are a nice touch.”

You all entered the house, and you noted how it looked from this angle. Your eyes fell on the swordsman who was now tied to a chair next to the pool, and you were slightly surprised to see he had lost. You followed Liu Kang swiftly as you approached the tied up man.

“Kenshi Takahashi.” Liu Kang addressed the man. He stopped in front of Kenshi and crossed his arms in a disapproving way. “A tragic figure with a noble cause. Your actions this evening do you no credit.” Liu Kang even threw in a disapproving shake of his head.

“Who are these people?” Kenshi inquired, just as perplexed. You focused your eyes on the swordsman as the tiny voice in your head questioned how the man in front of you had his eyesight. It seemed that way, at least.

Past life. Right.

“You tell me, they’re your scene partners.” Johnny Cage answered back with a shrug, looking towards Liu Kang for an explanation.

“I also know of your struggles, Johnny Cage.” Liu Kang spoke, turning his gaze to Johnny Cage. You nodded subconsciously, having witnessed the struggles Johnny had through the argument he had with Cris. “I am here to offer you both a path forward.” 

“Dun. Dun. Dunnnn.” Johnny retorted dramatically, his carefree attitude shining through. He still didn’t believe the situation, and for a brief moment you recalled how this felt all too familiar. The actor let out a laugh, looking around. “C’mon guys. Let’s call this. Cris was a doll to set this up, but…” He shrugged as he scoffed. “As pranks go this one’s…eh…a bit obvious.” 

“This is no prank.” Liu Kang warned Johnny. He looked at you and spoke your name before gesturing towards Kenshi. “If you please.” You nodded as you strode over to Kenshi’s chair and knelt behind him. You observed the rope. Normally, you would transform your hand into claws to free the man, but you did not want to risk hurting Kenshi, especially with how thick this rope was, it was better to untie it.

You set to work untying it. You struggled, noting how strong and tight the knots were. Did Johnny Cage have experience in typing people up? You grimaced as you continued to try and untie the rope. You were so concentrated on the task in front of you, Johnny’s words didn’t register in your head. 

It wasn’t until he laid a hand on you until you noticed he had been talking to you.

Eyes wide open, you paused as you looked up in shock, your mind reeling as you tried to piece together whatever Johnny had been saying. His grip was strong, but it didn’t hurt. You were just confused at what he had been saying. 

You had no time to do so as you watched Bi-Han shoulder tackle Johnny off of you before sending him flying with a heavy kick.

“Bi-Han!?” You exclaimed, surprised at the sudden action from the cryomancer. You were stunned as you watched Johnny groan as he had a glass fixture drop on him. The grandmaster did not turn around to look at you, but you watched as Kuai Liang stride up, sending you a concerned look before looking towards his brother.

You were surprised that Kuai Liang did not tell him off. For a moment, the two brothers sent each other an unreadable look as they got into a fighting stance against the now angry Johnny Cage. You paused in your actions to watch the fight happen, confused at how it escalated so much. 

It had been an honest mistake on Johnny Cage’s part. 

Somehow, the actor knocked down the brothers. 

“I hope you’re insured, because you’re paying for my Hichuli.” Johnny huffed as he stared at the Lin Kuei duo who got up from the ground. You stood up, trying to speak up, but were cut off by Bi-Han’s outrage.

“Imbecile! You have no idea with whom you are dealing!” Bi-Han pointed towards Johnny Cage, seeming ready to go again and fight. You shook your head as you strode over to make Sub Zero calm down.

“Bi-Han-”

“ENOUGH!”

You jolted as you side stepped to avoid the burst of flames that emerged from Liu Kang. Loud beeping occurred for a second, and you winced at the noise. You sighed as you continued your walk over to Bi-Han, standing right next to him.

“Uh…” Johnny said, his eyes wide in disbelief as he had shielded away from the flame. “That’s no special effect.” He continued, and the look on his face told you that he was finally piecing things together. 

“Indeed, Johnny Cage.” You could not see Liu Kang’s face right now, but the tone he held said enough about the frustrated look he was sending the actor. The god of fire inhaled and turned to you three. You held the god’s gaze as he examined you before looking towards Scorpion. “Kuai Liang?” He inquired, gesturing towards Kenshi.

You watched as the younger brother walked away to finish the job of freeing Kenshi. As Liu Kang spoke to Johnny and Kenshi, you sent a perplexed and slightly angry glare at Bi-Han. Why had he been so aggressive? 

Yet, despite your glare, you didn’t think you were actually angry. Just mostly…confused.

Bi-Han, despite his knack for wanting staring contests with you, seemed very keen on ignoring your glare this time. You sighed as you looked away and focused on the conversation with Liu Kang. 

“All will be explained, Johnny Cage.” Liu Kang told Johnny Cage as Kenshi was untied and he got to stand up. “For now, what is important is that you both have been chosen to join its champions.” He said, now referring to both Johnny and Kenshi. 

“Why him?” Johnny pointed at Kenshi in confusion. “Or me, for that matter?” He asked, turning to look at Liu Kang with a perplexed look. 

“Because I have faith that you will rise to the challenge.” Liu Kang explains to the actor. “And because your service will change the arcs of your lives.” Liu Kang looked at the three of you and dismissed you all, allowing you to wait outside while he discussed the finer details with the two. Almost immediately, Bi-Han walked off, leaving you in the dust.

“I would advise to not take offense to his attitude.” Kuai Liang said as he stepped up to stand beside you. You sighed as you crossed your arms, looking towards the entrance. You shook your head as you looked towards the younger brother. 

“I’m not offended.” You clarified as you searched Kuai Liang’s expression. “Just…confused why he would do that.” You also had confusion on why Kuai Liang would also help him take down the actor, but you would chalk that up to the brotherly bond the two had…even if it felt like it was waning nowadays.

Memories of two brothers, one corrupted and inky like a shadow, and the other an icy grandmaster flashed in your mind.

You closed your eyes as you tried to push out those memories. It’s been years since you’ve first had them about the Lin Kuei since you’ve met them so long ago, but when you worried over the two, you were always reminded,

Damn these memories.

“I see.” Scorpion said, and although his words seemed final you could sense the hesitant tone in his voice. It was strange, but you assumed it was due to Scorpion’s manners. He was never one to make unnecessary comments. You turned to look at Liu Kang, to try and focus in on the fire god’s words to get your mind off of things.

Still, you felt the gaze of Kuai Liang burn into you.

Thankfully, the protector of Earthrealm quickly wrapped things up with the new recruits. He turned around, and there was a faint look of surprise to see that both you and Scorpion remained inside the manor. Regardless, he nodded and smiled at the two of you before exiting with the both of you in tow.

Outside, Bi-Han had been waiting, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. His eyes were focused on the ground, and a furrow in his brow. He seemed deep in thought, but his demeanor quickly shifted as he heard the three of you approach. The cyromancer straightened up and came to attention, nodding.

“Excellent work, you three…even if there were some hiccups.” Liu Kang commended as you all followed him to the hill where he had initially teleported you three from. Liu Kang did not look towards Sub Zero, but you all knew who he had been referring to.

The walk back to the hill was silent. That wasn’t unusual, but the uneasy tension between the group certainly was. You held back a sigh as you continued to walk beside Liu Kang, trying to pretend like the source of the tension wasn’t you and Bi-Han.

You disliked this.

“You are all dismissed, thank you for your services.” Liu Kang thanked the three of you as you arrived back in the Fire Temple. Teleporting was always quick, and you were thankful for it. You nodded as you began to walk off. You needed to walk to clear your head. 

It wasn’t long after you set off that you heard your name be called. Surprised, you turned around and stood still. You blinked as you watched Kuai Liang jog over to you, nodding as he came to a stop in front of you.

“Would you mind if I accompanied you?” The pyromancer inquired, and you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. While it was not uncommon that you had been on walks with the assassins before, it was odd to have it occur after a mission.

“Are you not going with Bi-Han back to the clan?” You inquired, crossing your arms as you shifted your weight to one leg. You scanned Kuai Liang’s face, searching for any sort of answer. He shook his head, and you were genuinely surprised.

“I asked brother if I were allowed to stay for a bit. He was fine with it.” Scorpion answered, and you hummed. Odd, but Kuai Liang was anything but a liar. You nodded, shrugging.

“Alright, I don’t see why not.” You said, curious why he had wanted to stay. Was it just to talk to you? That felt a little ridiculous, but you didn’t know what else it could be. A slight expression of relief settled on the assassin’s face as he moved to your side. 

“Thank you.” He said, and you waved off the words. You didn’t see why he’d be thanking you for something so simple.

“Don’t mention it.” You said, and then the two of you walked off. You tried to not think about the odd scenario, but it ended up haunting you as you walked. You lasted about five minutes before you let out a sigh and turned to face Kuai Liang, arms crossing. “Okay, I’ll say it. Why are you here exactly? I’m not ungrateful for your presence, it’s just that I can tell that you came here for a reason.”

“You are perceptive as usual.” Scorpion praised, and you both accepted the compliment, but also wanted him to get to the point already. “I just wanted to see if you were feeling alright. I could sense you were upset with brother and…”

“While appreciated, you do not need to make up for your brother’s actions.” You said quickly, wanting to stop Kuai Liang from going on. You sighed, sending him a weary, but grateful smile. “Look, I know you are close with Bi-Han, but I don’t want our conversations to revolve around him. We’ve known each other for years, I consider you a friend, and I want to be able to talk to you, Kuai Liang, not Bi-Han’s brother.”

For the first time in perhaps forever, you saw a look of surprise on Kuai Liang’s face. With a moment of hesitation, he nodded. He put on a small smile, seeming genuinely grateful for your words.

“Alright, then let me, Kuai Liang, accompany you on this walk.” 

“Good, I’m glad.” You grinned at him as you both set off on your walk. You walked on, feeling more relaxed and relieved now. Words were exchanged here and there, but with Kuai Liang, you didn’t really need words. The two of you could bask in a comforting silence together.

 Still, the memories from earlier still flew around in your mind like an annoying fly. Sensing this, you noticed Kuai Liang’s concerned look.

“I’m fine.” You lied, a worried feeling filling your mind as you looked at the man who often haunted your memories. Your heart squeezed as you looked back ahead. As much as you wanted to confide in anyone, someone about your memories, you couldn’t. Or rather, you didn’t. 

No one needs the burden of the memories that plague you. Of the knowledge of other “lives” they had lived, especially since you did not even know whether these visions were even memories themselves. You just assumed it, seeing as they all seemed to follow a life you once lived. 

Even though you spent time pondering these visions with Liu Kang, you only did so in the most desperate times now. The fire god had no idea just how many more memories you had unlocked that he was unaware of. That whole dilemma leaves a guilty imprint on your soul. 

Still, the honest and welcoming dark eyes of Kuai Liang was tempting. For a moment, you opened your mouth, wanting to confess how worried you were over the trio of brothers. How you knew of a world where they all were torn apart by death and corruption.

Of how he was the only one alive of the three of them by what you could remember.

You couldn’t though. That knowledge wasn’t fair. Plus, there was no way to explain anything well. You’d just seem like a hallucinating amnesiac, and you didn’t need one of your friends thinking of you that way.

“I’m just thinking about how Johnny and Kenshi will fare during training.” You continued to lie. Despite the momentary guilt, your mind did turn to the new topic with open arms. Ah, right, you were going to be in charge of their training. Or at least, somewhat. You still haven’t discussed that whole ordeal with Liu Kang yet.

You really had to get on that.

“I have a feeling the swordsman will be competent.” Kuai Liang mused, his head tilting to the side as he spoke aloud. “The actor, I fear, will be a challenge.” The yellow clad assassin confided in you, and you let out a small chuckle. “I have faith in you that you will be able to instruct them, regardless of the difficulty.”

“How is it that even when you’re insulting someone, you make it sound somewhat eloquent?” You inquired, grinning at the man. Though he did not have a grin that stretched from ear to ear, you could see the subtle smile on his lips. He seemed pleased with himself, and it was a sight you were blessed to see. “Thanks, still, I’m honored to have you think so highly of me.”

“There is no reason to think so, the high regard I have within you is rightfully earned.” Scorpion replied. You looked away, letting out another laugh, though this one was more bashful. Did this man know how he sounded? You couldn’t tell.

“Okay, okay, stop flattering me before I suspect that you want something from me.” You said, managing to find the words to respond to him after the high compliment he gave you, deciding to play off the warm feeling you got from all this as lighthearted. You felt outdone, not knowing how to make him feel the same way he made you feel after his praise. 

“I hope you know I am serious about the praise I give you, but I shall relent.” Scorpion said, the serious tone he seemed to always have was prominent in his tone. You swallowed as you nodded. You knew. Kuai Liang was never one to play around, especially with the feelings of those close to him.

You wished he did though, just for this one moment, so you could pretend that the words he told you didn’t affect you as much as they did.

“You are too kind, Kuai Liang.” You murmur as you find yourself back at the Fire Temple. The walk had gone faster than expected. You supposed that’s what good company does. You watched as the Lin Kuei assassin stopped at the entrance, and for a moment you found yourself slightly saddened at this.

“I am only saying the truth.” He replied. For a moment, you saw him tense, as if considering something. Instead, he nodded as he stared at you with an expression you couldn’t quite understand. You opened your mouth, considering asking him what he was thinking, but thought better of it.

You weren’t certain if you could handle the answer.

“Goodnight, Kuai Liang.”

“Goodnight.” You smiled at the quaint way he spoke your name, and waved him off. You watched him walk off before turning around and walking to the area where you would usually watch the sunrise.

The moon hung high in the sky now, basking you in the moonlight. Your eyes closed as you took in everything that happened recently. Your fingers tapped along the wooden railing, tracing along the grain. The cool breeze passed you by. You had a lot to think about.

part four

[partycatty]

Hiee! I love the way you write bi han. When i read new tricks i IMMEDIATELY ascended. The depression i got when i finished reading them was tragic…

Me thirsting: I really wanna make out wit that man, like… imagine a situation where all you do is stare at him and hope he telepathically gets what you wanna do, but he just ignores you cause he dunno know how to initiate that shit 💀 he just needs a little push per say! Maybe one day you decide enough is enough and you sit your happy ass right down on his lap and bat your lashes at him like a menace 💕

ps: i hope u don’t mind me yapping… ik cage is your man, i apologize 😔🙏🏾

bi-han > see me now

notes: i've noticed i've kinda diverted my attention to other mk boys lately... namely raiden, kuai liang, bi-han and liu kang... so this works perfectly for me...

[ masterlist ]

• bi-han was a common victim to your teasing, particularly because it would render him entirely speechless and still. for a man that tends to rant about glory and strength, you shut him up like nothing else.

• it was really hard to ignore the fact that you were super into each other, the air thick and tension high when you two were in each other's presence. his brothers would roll their eyes as their grandmaster stands dead-still, as if you had the ability to sense fear when you'd bat your eyelashes his way.

• he can't go to anyone for advice. what, he's gonna talk about his feelings? like a loser? no. real ninjas let emotions fester.

• which brings us to where we are now

• bi-han sat at his desk, physically straining himself to focus on the scroll in front of him when he sees your presence in the doorway. shit, he recognized your footsteps down the hall the moment you were in earshot.

• trying to act as if you weren't shitting your own pants at the thought of your plan, you plant your ass on his desk, sitting and dangling your feet from the wooden furniture with a singsong look about you.

• the silence is so thick is almost halts your breathing. his stone-cold face makes you wonder if this was a bad idea in hindsight, at least, until his lips part to speak.

• "what are you doing?" a simple question, really, but the answer was completely lost on you. thinking back, you didn't actually have a plan. what did you expect to happen? this is bi-han we're talking about.

• "sitting," you reply with your nose high, looking down at him like his question was idiotic.

• "on my desk?" another long silence hurts your ears as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "what do you want." his question sounded less like a question and more like an annoyed statement. then again, everything he says sounds annoyed.

• "what's your deal?" you ask your questions in such a light tone, bi-han feels more obligated to feel threatened. "do you like me or not?"

• clearly this isn't getting far. "what?"

• you huff and decide it was now or never. sliding from his desk, you saunter your way around and swing one leg over his thighs, then the other. his hands shoot out to support you, right on the plush skin of the outside of your thighs. bi-han's eyes are wide.

• "you see me now?" you try to sound triumphant past your nerves, looking up at the ninja through your lashes. "always so afraid to look at me. you're not subtle, grandmaster."

• forced to face you, his gruff words feel choked as they come out. "i don't—"

• "yes you do," you smile, albeit a little wickedly as you shift on his lap, making a cold breath slip past his lips.

• "what are you getting at?" he seems eager to end this, to cool his heated temperature.

• you hum in thought before wrapping your arms around his neck. "i want you to kiss me."

• "now?"

• you roll your eyes at his chipping resolve, tugging him in by the back of his head. both of your eyes wander across each other's expressions before bi-han hesitantly meets his lips with yours. as expected, they have a bit of a chill as he makes contact, but even still you feel him melt into the touch, gripping harder on your thighs to ground himself.

• you only get a moment to pull away and breathe, relishing in taking what you wanted from the hard ass grandmaster. the triumph is short lived when he thrusts his head back in, connecting his lips with yours with more fervor after successfully testing the waters.

• he's hungry, craving more of what he sampled after successfully tearing down this stupid barrier he put up. god, your taste drives him wild as his hands guide your hips along his, grinding with hard pressure.

• it becomes open-mouthed and messy rather quickly, bi-han's hands wandering up from your thighs to your waist, the touch making you shiver and gasp as he uses the opportunity to lick his tongue into your mouth, completely absorbing every whimper you give.

• your hands snake into his hair, deepening the kiss when you snag a fistful of his dark locks, and he groans into your mouth just as the tie falls loose. strands litter his face and swirl about, you hadn't even noticed they were wavy from how often he keeps his hair up.

• the want for more is overpowered by your critical thinking skills. "weren't you busy?"

• bi-han shakes his head slightly, jumping up from his chair and bringing you with him. instinctively, your thighs clasp around his middle, holding his shoulders as he shamelessly uses your ass to hold you up. you're slid onto the desk as various items clatter and fall to the floor, his hard body fitting perfectly between your legs as he reaches forward to kiss you again, chasing your lips when you pull away.

• "it can wait."

[angel-of-the-moons]

Hear me out this. Hanzo falls in love with a woman who's in the Lin Kuei.

(You can make it as horny as your brain wants)

(Please?)

Oooooooh our resident spicy boy!

Fire & Ice

Hanzo Hasashi x Fem!Lin Kuei!Reader)

TW/CW: NSFW, Smut, Sexual tension, pining, opposites attract, slight spanking (briefly) unprotected sex, bath sex, PiV sex, temperature play(?) wee bit of Kanon fudging

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Hanzo is just MMMMF also Raiden is Light Aligned here for a wee bit of context

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

It all started during one of the first peace talks after the budding brotherhood of your Grandmaster, Kuai Liang (AKA Sub-Zero) and the Grandmaster of the Shirai Ryu.

Once the cease-fire between the clans was initiated, it was met with mixed results. The original Shirai Ryu were annihilated (including Hanzo's wife and child) by the forces of the previous Grandmaster, Bi-Han (whom everyone later discovered was actually the evil sorcerer Quan-Chi in disguise).

However it came to light that the initial fires of hatred that were lit were orchestrated by the Grandmaster before Bi-Han himself; before Bi-Han became the void-creature known as Noob Saibot, before Cyrax and Sektor were "cyberized".

All of course, with Quan-Chi's aid...

But when Kuai Liang and Hanzo Hasashi buried old prejudices and hatreds and pursued an avenue of peace and allyship, they proposed training scenarios between the ninjas.

You were one of Sub-Zero's top members. Your flexibility and cryomancy a deadly and graceful combination.

Naturally, at some point you found yourself pitted against your complete elemental opposite, Scorpion.

Not only was he your elemental opposite, he was vastly more skilled than you. Having spent years as a revenant under the control of Quan-Chi, training others in the way of the Shirai Ryu, working with Lord Raiden... Yeah. You were a child compared to his prowess.

But you however, did get some ideas for your own weaponry from him. Instead of a normal kunai attached to a chain, you settled for a chain with blunt ends, allowing your cryomancy to shape various weapons at the ends. After all, they'd been useful for making things like spears, scythes and various others in the past...

And to say the man was floored when you used his own techniques against him--and mastering them with your own twists while you were at it--was an understatement.

It became rather normal for Hanzo to seek you out for sparring sessions, seeking to experiment with your respective powers you both created various attacks and techniques to better battle one another.

However it was during one of your sessions, where you were to be chased and he the hunter, that the two of you finally figured out that what was between the two of you was more than camaraderie, more than diplomatic friendship.

Hanzo himself realized a lot sooner than you did. The warmth in his heart (and not from his flame) and the increased rate of beats when you were around, how his thoughts would drift back to you when it was quiet, when he would pace the Fire Gardens...

It was a feeling he hasn't felt since Harumi.

He was hesitant to bring it to your attention, for fear of a repeat performance of some cruel twist of fate robbing him of the one he loved once again.

He couldn't dare hope one as vibrant and beautiful as you could feel the same.

Until that night, when he had you pinned to the tree, breathing hard from the chase.

He barely had a moment to realize how close he was to you before masks were torn from faces by your hand and lips met lips in a kiss balanced in his hot and your cold; a kiss so passionate steam wafted as your mouths parted.

It was under the snow-heavy branches of that tree where your hands first explored each other. Not in heated sexual passion, but with the desire to map out every detail you could, so when the two of you parted ways again you would always be able to mentally trace those lines, commit them to memory like a well-read book.

Kuai Liang had suspicions of a budding relationship between the two of you. If anything, you had to wager that he probably knew your true feelings for one another even before the two of you figured it out for yourselves; but he wouldn't bring it forth. He knew you two needed to figure it out at your own pace.

After all, his friend was still nursing a broken heart from the loss of his wife and child. But he knew this was still good for him, for the two of you, for both clans.

Hanzo Hasashi had finally fallen in love again.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Your first real "intimate" moment with Hanzo was when you showed him to the hot springs in the mountains. Heat, ice and snow all together in a blissful harmonious oasis.

Not unlike your love for one another, a peaceful respite in tumultuous times.

"This is... Beautiful." Hanzo said, his breath coming out of him in a cloud that swirled with the snowflakes. "But won't it still be too cold to bathe?"

You chuckled and pulled off your mask. Shaking your hair free of icy flakes. "Well, Hanzo, that's why the goal is to stay in the water. Where it's warm."

He blew out a chuckle and shook his head. "Obviously." He turned and looked around, the red leaves of the maple trees surrounding you casting a beautiful scattering of color among the white and gray.

"But it--"

His voice died in his throat as he watched you strip your uniform from your body.

You held no shame, clearly, as you stripped bare in front of him, your wonderous body on full display for his longing, hungry eyes.

You took pride in your athletic frame, muscles and soft curves in all the right places, your body a gorgeous shell for the violence you were capable of committing.

His dark eyes met yours, a twinkle dancing in their depths as your smile reached your ears. You beckon him towards you, your fingers curling in a silent request for him to come closer.

It is a silent request his body obeys before he realizes he's even moving, his blood rushing in his ears.

When your fingers wrapped around his tabards you begin undoing each bit of his ornamentation slowly, peeling it off of him like a juicy piece of fruit you couldn't wait to take a bite out of.

Maybe you would... later.

Once he was naked, you gave him enough dignity to spare looking between his legs, knowing he wouldn't be ready for you to look at him there just yet, you felt like he would set the very air ablaze; each snowflake that landed on his body melted with a soft hiss as it came into contact with his skin.

At first you were concerned that maybe he was too hot, that the spring might make him sick with the extra heat added to his body; but as you sank into the water, he didn't seem bothered in the slightest. In fact, his eyes continued to take your form as he thought you weren't looking.

Every scar told a story, and he wanted to hear them all, wanted to hear a symphony of your voices together as you breathed your love into one another s lungs as you shared scorching kisses.

You could have sat next to him. You could have.

But you didn't. As shameless as you were, you sank down in front of him between his parted knees, slowly, a soft noise escaping you as the water crept up your cold body and you pressed your back against his chest.

You pretended not to hear the sharp inhale of breath as his raging erection pressed firmly against your back, the heat from it almost hotter than the water you were reclining in.

You hummed softly as he slipped his arms around you, pressing a hot, damp kiss to your icy shoulder.

You'd swear he could probably leave burns with those lips of his.

"Hmm... How did your meeting with Lord Raiden go, Hanzo?" You ask him, sliding your hands up his thighs and to his knees, feeling the knotted muscles tighten and flex beneath your touch.

"Ah..." He said, his voice tight in an effort to control himself.

"It... Went well. Young Takeda was there, it was good to see him again."

"How is Takeda doing?"

"He's spending more time with his father, and I believe he and Jacqui Briggs are officially a couple." Hanzo chuckled.

"That's good, they're a nice match." You sigh, relaxing into him more, maybe, just slightly intentionally grinding your ass against his cock.

His arms tighten around you and he leans in, his lips at the shell of your ear.

"You're playing a dangerous game, my lotus." He growls.

"You know me... I live for danger." You purr, grinding against him once more.

He groaned in your ear and rolled his hips to meet yours.

"I have to ask..." Hanzo said, one of his rough and calloused hands rising to give your ribs a feathery touch.

"I'm experienced, don't worry." You assure him playfully.

"Good..."

Was that... disappointment you heard in his voice?

"Awww..." You reach back and comb through his ebony locks. "Hanzo... Are you sad you're not my first?"

"No..." He lied. "I'm merely content to know this will be fully enjoyable for you, then."

You gladly take a mental note and stow that information away for a later scenario you wanted to play out with him...

"Hanzo?"

"Hmm?"

You turn your head slightly and capture his mouth in an awkwardly-angled kiss, teeth and tongues grazing, nipping, and twining together in a passionate affair.

You lift your hips enough in the water so the head of his cock is squished between your thighs. You roll yourself against him, letting his cock stroke between your legs as you flex your muscles, gripping him as tight as possible.

"Agh... You truly live for danger, hm?" Hanzo groaned hotly in your ear. His hands kneaded your breasts, his fingers heating up as he pulled and twisted your nipples in time with the lazy rolling of your hips.

"Hanzo..." You keened softly.

"You need to stop." Hanzo said, gripping your hips, effectively stilling you.

You pout in protest, and look at him over your shoulder, waiting for an explanation.

Hanzo's tongue darts out to lick at a bead of water that rolls down your shoulder, and nips at the skin, there.

"When I finish, I want it to be inside you." He growled against your skin.

His voice and the way he was touching you sent a jolt of excitement racing up your spine.

"Yes." You breathe, your heart beginning to flutter in your chest like a flighty bird.

"Do you want me, my lotus?" Hanzo asked you. "Do you want me inside you?"

"By the Elder Gods, yes." You reply, your voice shaky but certain.

Hanzo quickly helped you up, turning you around so your breasts were squished against the rocks below you, your hands balling in the snow, ice creeping out from beneath your fingertips.

You eagerly spread your legs for him, water rolling off your body as his searing grip kneaded and squished the flesh of your ass, spreading your cheeks as his chest heaved while his eyes drank in your swollen and waiting sex and prone form.

"Hanzo, please?" You pant, pushing back into his grip.

His cock twitched at the sight of you, at the feel of your icy skin in his hands. Any normal person would be a shivering mess, being practically face down in the snow. But not you. You were Lin Kuei, a cryomancer.

His little ice lotus.

He gripped the base of his cock and took his time lining up, a small smile crinkling the corners of his eyes as you squirm impatiently.

He wasn't sure why, but something told him to raise his hand and slap your ass in a reprimand.

The squeak you made at first gave him the impression that he'd seriously hurt you, but when he noticed how demure you became, he chuckled softly.

"Behave, lotus. You must learn patience. It is a ninja's greatest asset." He said, his chest tightening as the tip of his cock slipped through your wet folds, the walls of your pussy gripping him in a greedy vice.

"Please, Hanzo..." You cried softly, trying to sink yourself deeper against him to sheathe his cock fully in the waiting velvet of your body.

Hanzo's hands prevented that, and it frustrated you, but your complaint died before it could form as he slowly eased himself inside, inch by torturous inch, until the tip of his cock just barely kissed your cervix.

He certainly had girth and length that was definitely going to make you see stars, tonight... His size complemented the roped muscles all throughout his body.

You make a deep, throaty moan as his weight settles into you, your muscles squeezing him down, trying to pull him deeper.

You feel the short coarse hairs that reached his navel brush the skin of your ass as he brought his hips firmly against yours.

He leaned in, kissing up your back and over your shoulder until his mouth was at your ear.

"How do you want me, love?"

"Fuck me hard. Please?"

He kissed your shoulder, biting down and sucking the skin, marking you as he pulled out and slammed his hips back in.

Your cries shook birds from the trees, the sensation of his balls slapping against your clit sending shivers up your spine, the pressure of his cock pounding you and pressing against that one divine spot within you, each drag of the vein running up his length driving you further and further into madness.

No other man you'd ever been with had been so precise or skilled in the art of sex.

Your previous partners were paltry compared to the sharp, angled thrust of Hanzo's hips, his cock cramming into you at such a harsh and heavy rate that you swore you were going to cum at any second, gushing around him, leaving a nice creamy ring at the base of his dick as he fucks into you like a man possessed.

He grips your shoulders and pulls you up against him, so your back is pressed against his chest.

His hands rise to your breasts, his fingertips almost glowing as he pinches your nipples, the soft mounds bouncing and jiggling in his hands with each upward thrust of his hips into yours.

"Hanzo!" You cried out, tossing your head back with a wail of ecstasy, your vision going cross as he brings one of his searing hands to your clit, rolling vigorously, the heat feeling like it set every nerve in your body alight with fire.

"Come for me." He softly commands.

And just like that, your body obeys him, clamping down, squeezing him, trying to mold yourself around him; commit his shape and size to memory so he and only he could ever fuck and satisfy you ever again.

He hisses out a breath, steam rising in waves off his body as he fucks up into you again, riding out your orgasm as he rapidly approaches his own.

Hanzo eases you back down, his hand sliding up your sweaty, chilly spine as he tips his head back, his lips parting in a moan as he cums, jerky thrusts and loud whimpers from you as his boiling hot load paints your insides a nice, pearly white, threatening to burn a hole right through you.

He lazily fucks you, some of his spend leaking out around him and dripping down your thighs as he rides out the blinding high that took over every range of his senses.

Once the two of you regain your breathing, he keeps you firmly seated on his cock as you both sink back into the water, relaxing as the heat soaks through your chilled core while Hanzo gently pours palm fulls of water on your skin, massaging your shoulders.

"Mmmh..." You sigh, relaxing against him as he kisses the top of your damp head.

"You seem content." He chuckled.

"Hanzo, I'm pretty sure you're going to have to carry me back home." You laugh. "Had I known what kind of weapon you were packing, I would have been just slightly more hesitant..."

"Only slightly, hm?"

"Just a bit." You murmur, kissing the knuckles of one of his hands.

Hanzo grins and plants a kiss over the bruise he'd left on your skin.

"You will get used to it, my lotus."

[johnkahner]

Can you write something where Female Reader stands up for Smoke when Bihan insults him?

Everytime I watch the scene where Bihan belittle Tomas that his blood will never be Lin Kuei, it makes my blood boil and feel protective of Smoke.

AN: I got the beginning dialogue straight from MK 1 chapter 8. As much as I love Bi-Han, that part made me sad. Tomas doesn't to be treated like that. Not proof read.

Notes: Female Reader

The four of you are awaiting orders from Lord Liu Kang. Bi-Han is pacing around while Tomas is on a bench and Kuai Liang sitting on top of it, but his feet are resting on the cushion part. You are sitting on the floor in front of the bench. 

“How long are we expected to linger?”

“Patience, Bi-Han. There are many demands on Liu Kang’s attention.”

“Were he here, Father would advise us to wait without protest.”

You silently nod in agreement with Tomas’ words about the previous Grandmaster. 

“But now he is gone and I am Grandmaster.”

“His teachings did not pass with him. They should still guide us.”

You decided for right now it would be best to stay silent. At the moment you didn’t really have anything to say that would contribute to the brother’s conversation. You and Tomas share a small look of an exchange with a little smile to share as well. After the brief moment you two share, you focus your attention back to your Grandmaster. 

“Guide us, Yes. Shackle us, no”

“We can’t abandon tradition.”

“MInd your place, Tomas. Father may have taken you in, made you one of us…”

“...but your blood will never be Lin Kuei.”

When those words left Bi-Han’s mouth you practically flew up from your spot you were sitting. 

“What in the actual hell, Bi-Han?? Tomas may not have the blood of Lin Kuei, but he is still Lin Kuei nonetheless!!” You get up in the man’s face vaguely remembering an off comment Johnny told you about how bad his breath is, and man you wish you had a breath mint to give the cryomancer at this moment. 

Your little outburst towards your Grandmaster was shocking to the three. Bi-Han growls at you. “Watch what you say. I am your Grandmaster. Do not disappoint your ancestors with your foolish actions.” 

“Brother! Leave her out of this! We can also discuss this at another time. When it is more… appropriate timing…” Kuai Liang is trying to defuse the commotion that is now occurring with his older brother’s comments. 

“He started it, Kuai! He always belittles Tomas! It’s not fair! Tomas works just as hard as us, and all Bi-Han does is say shit like ‘Grrrr! I’m the Grandmaster, and I’m also grumpy! And I hate my BROTHER Tomas SO MUCH!!” You start yelling and attempt an impression of how you hear Bi-Han. 

Kuai Liang just face palms at your little performance. He thinks to himself you just got yourself added to Bi-Han’s shitlist. Bi-Han is fuming at your words; he is beyond pissed now. Tomas is shocked at your outburst. Eyes wide open, and mouth slightly gaped. He’s not used to people defending him like this. The more he thinks about this a light pink appears to blossom upon his cheeks. 

An awkward “Ahem” is heard. The four turn their heads to see two of Earthrealm’s champions, Raiden and Kung Lao. Raiden just stands there, “Lord Liu Kang can see you now.” Kung Lao is attempting to hide his laughter. Your guess is they heard the argument that was just happening. Maybe this was their way to help de-escalate things. 

Bi-Han glares, it starts with looking at you, and then it moves to land on Raiden. “It is about time.” You are definitely on his shitlist now, but it was worth it. To defend Tomas from the toxic behavior of his oldest brother. You and Tomas share a glance, and you know this is something that you both will discuss after this mission. As you all walk to meet Lord Liu Kang you wonder how much of a living cold hell your life will become now.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Sweet Decadence || Part 1 of 2 || Bi-Han/Sub-Zero

A/n: This is the sequel to 'The Bitter Truth'. I have separated it into 2 parts for my reasons, but I want to thank those who read TBT and supported the story.

Please enjoy.

Warning(s): obsessive behavior, female reader, reader uses magic, kidnapping, fights, sequel, post-game.

No Minors Allowed!!

There is something magical about the rain that makes the colors of nature seem much more vivid to you. Though perhaps it is just the blissful mood you are in, altering your perception of things. A rare sight these days, considering how inconsistent your thoughts have been since your heated run-in with Bi-Han.

Hiding away in your room at the newly set up Shirai Ryu compound, you stare out at the forest beyond your balcony in a dazed state as the summer rain pelts the trees and earth. 

It feels like nothing but a dream now, and to be honest, you sometimes yearn to close your eyes and return to that moment again. You do not want to be reminded of the past; of the anger and the betrayal that comes with it. No. You just want to remember the feeling.

He was right, that much is clear now. 

“You are in denial. It's clear to me where your loyalty lies, and until you come to terms with the bitter truth, I'll leave you with that reminder.”

A phantom pain seizes you, but you ignore it. Just like your morals at the moment. No, you are not an idiot. You know what Bi-Han desires is immoral, but you can not put aside your sentiments for him; sentiments that became clear when he fucked you. 

For fuck’s sake. That sounds bad. 

It is true though. Not a day has gone by since then that you haven't thought about him; about the way he made you feel, unintentional or not.

Tilting your head back, you rest it against the doorframe and stare up at the ceiling with the sound of the rain in your ears. Your mind is a labyrinth and you do not necessarily care. This ebb and flow of thoughts proves that you have not yet lost your standards. 

So long as you avoid Bi-Han in the future, you should be fine.

A sudden knock pulls you from your thoughts and you tilt your head to the side, glancing at the door to the far left of you. 

“It's unlocked,” you announce. 

A moment later, Harumi Shirai saunters in. You sit up to address her properly, but she raises her hand to stop you. 

“There is no need for such formalities, not when it is I who came to see you.” 

You grin. 

“As the soon-to-be wife of my Grandmaster, it is indeed needed.”

It is strange to address Kuai Liang as Grandmaster, but after all that he has been through and done to build the Shirai Ryu, he deserves the title. He even found time for love. 

Harumi offers you a kind smile. 

“It is our secret.”

She wanders across the room and sits in front of your vanity.

“Are you faring well?”

You hum.

“For the most part.”

After you came back from the fortress you reported to Kuai Liang about your run-in with Bi-Han, though you opted not to mention the fact you fucked him. The brand he left was hard enough to explain, but it could not be avoided; you needed medical attention. 

Kuai Liang viewed it as a failed attempt to lure you back to Lin Kuei, but it was apparent that he was curious about what dark agenda his brother had regarding you. 

In truth, you should be dead for denying him. 

“And your wound? I can have someone take a look at it if it still pains you,” Harumi mentions. 

You decline her offer. 

“Though appreciated, that is not necessary.” You subconsciously rest your hand against the brand on your side. “The pain went away months ago…yet it sometimes still burns.” 

Harumi frowns. 

“If it begins to bother you, I suggest you tell me.”

You snort. It is no wonder Kuai Liang loves her; she is considerate, yet stern.

“Yes, Madam.” 

Harumi nods her head in approval and then stands. 

“I will see you at lunch. You missed breakfast.”

You are aware. But you suppose that is what warranted this visit. 

“The rain has put me in a strange mood,” you lie. “But I will be there.”

Harumi seems unsure, but she does not voice her concerns. Instead, she wishes you a good morning and leaves you to your thoughts again. 

You understand. Kuai Liang and Tomas are worried about you. But it is not their problem, it is yours. 

Your obsession with Bi-Han is yours to bear.

Shifting your eyes, you stare in a haze at the forest again. Perhaps soon this fixation will pass. For your sake, it had better. 

–

At noon, you tear yourself away from the comfort of your bedroom, following the briny scent of fish to the dining room. A spread of rice and vegetables accompanies it, making your stomach twist in hunger. 

Before you sit across from Tomas on the left side of the table, you bow in respect to Kuai Liang, who nods his head. 

“I am pleased to see that you joined us.”

You grin and turn your eyes to Harumi beside him. 

“I was encouraged to.”

Kuai Liang glances at her, then returns to his lunch. You follow suit, however, you notice that in attendance, there are only the four of you. 

“Where are the others?” You ask as you pick up your drink.

“Running exercises,” Tomas answers. “Though some are spread out in the nearby villages.”

An unsure look from Kuai Liang makes you pause a moment. You raise a curious brow. 

“What is it?”

The Grandmaster sighs. 

“Nothing concerning as of yet…but we have heard rumors of hostiles.”

Hostiles. A neighboring clan perhaps. This is the first time you have heard about it, but you suppose the brothers have their reasons.

Focusing on your lunch, you hardly notice the injured ninja stumble in until he collapses to the floor in a bloody mess. In shock, you rush over to him, followed by Tomas who carefully checks over his wounds. He is in bad shape, but thankfully alive.

“Who did this?” Tomas asks in anger. 

The ninja raises his trembling hand. You notice a thin metal plate in the palm of his hand and upon further inspection, you notice a familiar symbol etched into it. Your stomach churns in dread. 

“Lin Kuei.”

Here of all places.

Tomas widens his eyes and takes the plate from you. He stands just as Kuai Liang approaches with a healer, handing the plate to him. 

“Where?” Kuai Liang asks the injured man. 

“W-West,” he manages to say. 

Clutching the emblem in his hand, he shifts his eyes to Tomas. 

“We shall go.”

Without a word, the latter rushes off. You feel a bit shaken, but despite this, you stand. 

“Grandmaster–”

“If you are unwell, then stay and protect Harumi,” Kuai Liang interrupts.

You understand his concerns, but you can not just flee from the cryomancer’s shadow every time it threatens to consume you. 

“I can fight.”

He gives you a nod and with a bow, you rush back to your room to change clothes. With your gear on, you retrieve your mask from the vanity, looking at yourself in the mirror. The sanguine look in your eyes is not something to be proud of.

A short while later, with the brothers in tow, you arrive in the village to the west. The earthy scent of petrichor mixed with death permeates the air. Multiple bodies are strewn across the dirt road, all Shirai Ryu. You find it strange. How is it that there are no Lin Kuei among them?  

A scream echoes through the but before the three of you can move, a pair of Lin Kuei descends from the rooftops of the nearest house. Their appearances are unfamiliar.

“Is that armor?” You hear Tomas ask.

It is. Each of them is decked out in similar armor akin to what Sektor and Cyrax wear, albeit they are dressed in Lin Kuei colors. Why, though? What is Bi-Han thinking? 

Another scream from the far side of the village rings out and Kuai Liang grunts irritably.

“We must aid those in need.”

You agree with a nod.

“I can take these two,” you suggest. 

Tomas looks unsure but Kuai Liang seems to agree. He places a comforting hand on your shoulder. 

“Be on guard.” 

You nod. This should be no problem. You have dealt with the Lin Kuei before. Suits or no suits, it makes no difference. Tomas and Kuai Liang separate, leaving you alone with the two assassins. 

“Two-on-one seems kind of unfair,” you state. 

Neither of them comment. That's fine. You adjust the plates on your mask, then take a deep breath, releasing a sonic scream that should disorient the two. However, it has no effect.

What the hell? 

One of them suddenly teleports behind you and kicks you in the side, knocking you to the ground. It feels as though you have been hit by a truck. And to make matters worse, the assassin struck you right where the brand is. 

Fine. If they want to play rough. 

You stand and take a fighting stance. The assassin lying in wait teleports behind you while the other aims a kick at your chest, but you manage to dodge them by shifting to the side. Grabbing the latter by the plates on their shoulders, you yank them off balance and use their momentum to sweep them off their feet.

Lying on their back, you raise your leg in an attempt to axe-kick them in the face, but the other assassin grabs you around the chest and holds you in place as the one on the ground stands. It lifts its hand and an intense heat sizzles from within. You can feel it on your skin. 

It has a flamethrower. 

You grunt in annoyance and lift your lower body, using your feet to push off the fire-wielding assassin, striking them hard in the face and chest. The one holding you falls back onto the ground from the force, giving you the chance to free yourself and roll into a squat above them. 

Adjusting your mask again, you increase the volume of your voice. Then with a deep breath, you release a sonic scream point-blank into the assassin’s face. The metal vibrates at such a speed that it short-circuits, sending bolts of electricity shooting out. The smell that follows is nauseating. You wave away the plume of smoke that pours from the mask, but you are not given a moment to rest as the fire assassin shoots a jet of flames at you. 

Barely able to escape its range, you roll out of the way and onto your feet. Heat licks at your leg, but you manage to put some distance between you and the assassin, hiding behind a house, before you put out the small flame. 

These suits are no joke. You hope the brothers are faring better than you. It is like they were built to withstand your magic. You are not even certain there is anyone inside the suits. But how else are they moving?

When the flames stop, you dart out from behind the house, but to your shock, the assassin is gone. Before you can search for them, the whir of jet boosters catches your attention, and when you look up, you see a familiar warrior in red armor hovering above you.

“Sektor.”

What is she doing here? 

“This is a sight, running into you like this,” she states. “I should be upset that you managed to demolish one of my suits, but there is always more room for improvement.” 

You turn up your nose as you look at the smoking hunk of metal lying on the ground. So she is the one controlling them. 

“Bi-Han let you make that thing?”

“The Grandmaster has thoughtfully embraced my ideas for the future,” Sektor states. 

You snort.

“I'm sure he rewarded you well too. Tell me, does he like it when you spit or when you swallow?”

Sektor laughs.

“You are just as direct and spirited as ever. It’s too bad he considers you a waste.”

It shouldn’t have but her words make your blood boil. Your defiance must have switched the cryomancer’s opinion of you.  

“Your potential is wasted with Kuai Liang.”

The brand he left on you felt spiteful, a mark of shame.  

“Let's see who is the waste.”

You take a fighting stance but to your irritation, Sektor flies off toward the far end of the village. Where is she going? You tighten your jaw and chase after her. Her defeat will deal a massive blow to the Lin Kuei, should you catch her. 

Chasing her around the side of a nearby house, you do not consider calling for backup. All that is on your mind is beating Sektor within an inch of her life. But as you cross in front of a side alley, something akin to a net shoots out and seizes you, knocking you hard to the ground. 

You groan in pain, arching your back as the rock-littered street bites into your skin. What the hell? You struggle but the neon yellow net will not loosen. 

“Do not fight it. The energy net will only grow tighter,” a feminine voice orders.

You tilt your head to the side to see a familiar figure in a yellow suit approach from the side alley. 

“Cyrax. I should have known,” you sneer. 

She is never far from Sektor. You did not think that in your pursuit of her, she would ambush you. It is irksome.

From above, Sektor flies by and then lands beside her. Both of them ignore your attempts to test the net. 

“Are we done here?” Cyrax asks. 

“I have all the data I need,” Sektor answers. She pauses, then motions with a finger toward you. “All that is left is dealing with our friend here.” 

What is that supposed to mean? 

Cyrax removes a spherical gadget from her chest plate and approaches you. 

“This isn't personal,” she states, sounding as if she is about to put an end to you. 

Leaning down, she yanks off your mask, much to your displeasure, and then presses a button on the side of the gadget. 

So this is it. You sneer at her. 

“Tell Bi-Han he can rot in hell.”

“You can tell him yourself,” Cyrax states.

Before you can figure out what she means, the device beeps and then pops open. From inside, a sweet colorless odor sprays out and consumes you. Instantly your throat tickles, making you break out into a fit of coughs. You attempt to hold your breath but it does no good. Whatever the gas is, its fast-acting properties take effect and everything fades to black.

[running-with-the-feels]

saw a post on twitter about how in mkx kuai liang bowed to hanzo the japanese way and prepared tea in the japanese way as well as the utmost sign of respect what are your thoughts 🎤‼️

oooooooo my god do I have thoughts

Basically, that scene is my roman empire, and it lives in my brain Rent Free.

I think that Kuai Liang was just going out of his way to make Hanzo as comfortable as possible. Like he knows where they are, he knows how hard being here must be for Hanzo given what the Lin Kuei did so he's doing literally anything he can think of to say "I am not a threat, please hear me out"

I think he's also trying to soften the blow as much as possible, like there's no way to make telling Hanzo about the truth of what Quan Chi did not hurt, but Kuai Liang is trying so hard not to be cruel about it.

So he tries to show Hanzo by bowing the japanese way and preparing the tea in the japanese way that he wants this to be a chance to communicate, that he respects the pyromancer and his clan enough to learn at least part of their customs so that Hanzo feels a little bit less like he's just walked into a trap.

And the thing is, it works! You can see that even tho Hanzo is doubtful and suspicious of wtf is going on (and honestly that is a very fair reaction to the situation), he's listening to Kuai Liang. He's trying to hear the guy out!

It's also pretty clear that Kuai Liang is comfortable with the motions of preparing the tea, like there's no hesitation or fumbling (which might just be bc the game designers didn't want to deal with animating that but I choose to read into it anyways) so its obvious that he practiced this. He wanted to get it right!

And I just can't help but wonder what else Kuai Liang had in place to try and ease communication between them, to try and make Hanzo more comfortable. Like, did he find any Shirai Ryu items that had been taken as trophies and intend to return them (bc lbr, the Lin Kuei def took trophies)? Was he going to offer to let Hanzo stay the night? Like what was the rest of his plan had Frost not intervened?

Like Kuai Liang went so far out of his way to show Hanzo "I mean you no harm, I just want to talk" in the most polite and respectful way he could and Hanzo sees that! It's why he's so confused during the whole interaction bc to him it doesn't make sense. Kuai Liang should, rightfully, hate him.

And, just a side note, I don't think Hanzo ever blamed Kuai Liang for trying to kill him that one time. Like, Hanzo wasn't gonna let him, but he knows that he killed Kuai Liang's brother, so I think he understands why Kuai Liang hates him so much. It's why (as I read into it, this isn't confirmed) he doesn't kill the cryomancer in the mkx blood ties comics, and instead just leaves him there to bleed to death (dick move tho) bc he doesn't want to kill him. He just wants their feud to stop, bc he doesn't have any quarrel with Kuai Liang.

He might not like the Lin Kuei, but the ones responsible for what happened to him are dead, and by now I think he'd have figured out that Kuai Liang wasn't involved. So he's not trying to be the guy's best friend, but part of him doesn't want to be his enemy any more (I have so many thoughts about that whole interaction too, like that is my second Roman Empire)

But, back to the topic at hand:

The thing is, no one would have expected Kuai Liang to do all that. No one would have ever expected him to try so hard or be so kind about it. He now has proof that Hanzo did the very thing he's been accused of for years, he killed Bi-Han unjustly. Kuai Liang would have been well within his rights to simply send Hanzo that information some other way, without ever facing him.

Hell, he'd be pretty justified in just killing Hanzo over it bc all of these characters seem to agree that vengeance and justice are about the same thing (I mean, canon is slightly more nuanced than that, but that's the general gist of it).

And i think Hanzo knows that, and a part of him almost wants Kuai Liang to do it after he finds out.

but he doesn't

Instead, Kuai Liang offers him an alliance and an apology for what the Lin Kuei did (which, btw, I know we see real regret from Hanzo in that same scene but he does owe Kuai Liang an actual apology with actual words) and lets their feud end. Kuai Liang takes informatoon that would drive anyone else mad with rage and grief (*cough* Hanzo *cough*) and instead chooses to be kind.

I really wonder what that scene would have looked like if Frost hadn't interrupted, if she had trusted Kuai Liang to make the right choice and just let it happen.

How would that change their relationship and its development?

How would Kuai Liang have broken the news?

What else had he planned to say and would Hanzo have listened?

Roman empire guys, roman empire

[laiosynth]

initial thoughts after my first MK1 playthrough:

(disclaimer that i didn't actually play the game, i watched a full no commentary playthrough on youtube!!)

i fucking love this game so much holllly SHIT- expect sosososo much MK1 posting from now on. i will be on brainrot for a WHILE.

i have so many thoughts and observations and feelings, from the story to the characters to the gameplay.

all of my silly words will be below this cut

(SPOILER WARNING !!!!)

| V

my fav characters are these, in no particular order:

johnny cage

kenshi takahashi

raiden

mileena

syzoth

shang tsung

baraka

liu kang

kuai liang

smoke

sindel

ashrah

my least favs are these:

quan chi

rain

bi-han

thoughts on specific characters, if i have them:

JOHNNY:

he's literally so audhd. so silly <33

his spinterest is definitely film and acting

he's so very much transgender to me.

reiterating, reading his character as neurodivergent/aspec gives him so much depth that i love

(hes my fav btw. just so everyone knows.)

MILEENA:

sososo pretty <3

CANON LESBIAN I LOVE IT SO MUCH

so very badass. slays so hard

she's the kind of character i just love on instinct. i have no words about her. just so much love

SHANG TSUNG:

i hated him at first but his flamboyant and unintentionally silly ways entranced me

my only note is that he would look so much better covered in blood and dirt and slightly beat up. i would pay to see that.

he is so silly and flamboyant that i cannot take him seriously. he's the kind of guy i hold like a disobedient kitten and show you and say "look at my dog"

LIU KANG:

no notes. phenomenal

the type of character i would show you and say "this is my favorite. he is very sweet and well-behaved."

just a good guy. i want him to be my uncle. he has very good uncle vibes for some reason.

QUAN CHI:

ugly as shit. next question

how did sindel fall for this guy he's like. a carbon copy of those evil timeline destroying monks in dr strange. the two are no different.

not even silly to make up for being criminally ugly. can't believe this.

BI-HAN

i knew he was fake from the beginning. just saying.

RAIDEN

beautiful sweet country boy. perfect in every way. no notes. next.

my thoughts on the story and worldbuilding:

this game absolutely blew me away with the level of detail and intricacies- i've never been so immersed in a game before. it really felt like i was brought into the story right next to the characters, and everything felt real and tangible in so many ways. outworld felt like a real, tangible place i could visit if i wanted to, thanks to the careful additions and placement of every last piece of detail, down to the costumes and cultures and worlds.

i loved the political world-building we got throughout the whole thing, down to the cultures, the peoples, their biases, their afflictions. the virus, the conflicts behind the scenes, everything- it was so fucking cool.

so many of the twists i did NOT see coming, i think because of the incredibly careful world-building- we never got clear, obvious exposition. it all came through the story itself, the beats and events, and that was sosososo fucking cool. i., ksdjgfkajshgef

the gameplay:

the story and the gameplay just blend/lead right into each other seamlessly, and it's so. LK:JEFG HLQW$UG ITS SO FUCKING COOL.

the fact that all the characters connected to sindel had similar movesets and animations, showing how they clearly learned from each other, there's a clear connection there.

there was also some connection i didn't quite understand between a bunch of characters who had this one move where they. barf blood on your face?? which was baffling but also, despite me not fulling understanding WHAT connection there is, i know there is one, which is what's important.

there are a LOT of instances of this in the game, where characters with connections to each other will show it in how they fight. it's so fucking cool to me and such. KLJG FLQ FKLJGQW ITS SO COOOOOL KJGF ARGGGHHGHG

summary:

im so fucking insane. i will be doing more MK posting soon. thank yuou for your time.

[thetrueweaveroffate]

The Matter of Kuai Liang’s Name

First of all I would like to say that I feel I am somewhat qualified to talk about the issue given that I speak (albeit limited) Chinese myself and is “somewhat” familiar with the culture. If you are familiar with me in the discord, you probably already know everything that I am going to say. If you are not, whew boy, I’ve been thinking about the absolute fuckery that is Kuai Liang’s name, and I have been even after I already shared this information once. And hey, subscorp week is coming up real soon, so now might be a good time to share this info here once again?

In the Mortal Kombat wiki, Kuai Liang’s name is supposed to mean “Quick Cooling”, but in some varying wikis, there have been generally two names attributed to Kuai Liang. “快凉“ and “奎良“。

快 (Kuai - meaning fast, or quick) and 凉 (Liang - meaning cold, cool, etc) sounds like it should be the canon name right? It means Quick Cooling, and it fits. But the thing I couldn’t get over is how if you reverse his name to Liang Kuai (凉快), things get weird. Because Liang Kuai is a term used to describe a cold room temperature. Describe a room’s temperature. Describe a room’s temperature. 

Describe a room’s temperature.

Also, I might mention, Kuai Liang and Bi-Han don’t have a surname in this instance. I’ve heard fics where Kuai Liang was referred to as Mr. Liang (Hah, Mister Cold), but if that was the case, it should no longer be Kuai Liang, but Liang Kuai (the fucking room temperature) and Bi-Han’s name should be Liang Bi-Han, and that has never been the case. 

Still though, I feel like I should give this name some credit. There is a rather popular name that I have known as 冰玉 (Bing Yu), which means Ice Jade. It is an allusion of sorts to a popular phrase/poem/saying/idk, saying that I am “Clean as ice, valuable as jade”, or��“Clear as ice, precious as jade”, or even whatever Kuai Liang said in his intro dialogue with Jade, which I believe a reference to the saying, even if the meaning is different than what I’ve heard. So, whatever. In terms of Chinese names I figure it could be a lot more weird (and it can, if you have the time to google all the unfortunate people who have their name be a euphemism for something much worse), but for an assassin, uh... 

Now onto the matter of the other name: 奎良. This is a much more normal name for someone of Chinese descent and there is even evidence that this is Kuai Liang’s real name, given that in the Chinese translation of intro dialogues from the recent Mortal Kombat game, this is the name used for Kuai Liang. In Injustice 2, 奎 can be seen on Sub-Zero’s belt if you pay close enough attention. Which makes sense. There is a Chinese assassin known as Absolute Zero, feared across the realm, and chances are his real name isn’t going to be something stupid and could be used to describe the fucking room temperature if you happen to reverse it. (Not to mention the possibly of not confusing new Chinese fans to Mortal Kombat, although I’m not too sure about that myself.)

The problem with this name is, first of all, it’s no longer Kuai Liang now. It’s Kui Liang. And “Kui” is commonly used as a surname rather than a first name, so theoretically speaking, Bi-Han’s name should be Kui Bi-Han.  

Secondly, Kui Liang doesn’t have a the cold connotation to its name anymore. Kui (奎) is a surname, and technically doesn’t mean anything (although the dictionary I am using says a more obscure translation is crotch, which, uh...Take that with a grain of salt). And Liang (良) means “good”, “docile”, “auspicious”, and “desirable”. It can even be a surname for some people, but I don’t think that is the case here. Point being, it looses the “Quick Cooling” meaning, and I find that sad when there is evidence pointing to the fact that this is his real name. Although, then again, the alternative is only somewhat better.

This isn’t even mentioning the fact that Kuai Liang has a third name. Yes. You read that right. A third possible name. And that name is 蒯良.

Granted, this name is nowhere as popular as the first two, and to be fair, on some pages on Chinese forums and wikis they admit that this name is “generally translated”. So take it with a grain of salt because it has little chance of becoming canon. But there is a few things I like with this name.

First 蒯 has the pinyin of Kuai, so Kuai Liang’s name remains Kuai Liang instead of Kui Liang now. Although, Kuai in this case is still a surname, which means that theoretically speaking, his brother would be Kuai Bi-Han, which I still refuse to believe. 

Secondly, 蒯良 was a real historical figure during the Battle of the Three Kingdoms. He, along with his younger brother Kuai Yue, were considered legendary advisors to the warlord Liu Biao, and I think that’s cute. Obviously a drawback is that this name still does not mean anything, and doesn’t have the cold annotation a cryomancer should have.  

Of course, if there’s anyone reading this who understands Chinese or Chinese culture better than me and I overlooked anything important, feel free to comment. This is all just from my understanding, and Chinese is hard, man.

Some bonus stuff at the end:

This is a personal headcanon, but if Kuai Liang adopted a surname, I imagine it would be Lin from the Lin Kuei (林鬼/ pronounced lin gui). Lin means forest and is a rather popular surname in real life. It is also the Lin in ShaoLin. The reason I don’t believe in gui is because gui means demon or ghost, and I don’t think that fits his character.

Bi-Han (避寒)’s name is fine I guess? The thing about his name is that I’m not a competent enough Chinese speaker to sense anything was wrong in the first place, but given how weird his brother’s name is, I’m a bit wary. Luckily for him, he doesn’t have the issue of having multiple fucking names like his brother, so in Chinese translations, his name has always remained 避寒. 避 means to avoid. 寒 likely means winter, the cold, etc. so his name means to avoid the cold, or shelter from the cold. Depending on your perspective, the name may or may not fit his character. 

Liu Kang (刘康)’s name is rather generic for a main protagonist? Before the Mortal Kombat Movie was released, if you were to search up his name, chances are there would have been several people who had that name show up within the results because it was a rather popular name. Nowadays all the search results refer to the movie though, so I can’t exactly prove this point to anyone.

Kung Lao (空佬/ Kong Lao) and Kung Jin (空阵/ Kong Zhen)’s names are fine, although their surname means empty, and is rather unique. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone with that sort of last name, but whatever. From a first glance, nothing is too out of the ordinary.

Shang Tsung(尚宗/Shang Zong)’s name is also fine. It doesn’t mean anything to my knowledge. I have read on a forum somewhere that his name is weird? But my understanding of his argument is practically non-existent, so who knows.

Quan Chi (拳痴)’s name is hilarious. But first I would suggest pasting this into Google Translate to take a listen because the way it is pronounced in the games is very wrong. Anyway, Quan means fist, and Chi - I kid you not - means idiot. His name means Idiot Fist. He’s an idiot fighter.

[spacehologramcollection]

Kombat Kast in lockdown:

Real talk, I could have continued writing this. But I’m easing myself back into writing. Some nice fluff with a dash of NSFW. I’m planning on doing a part two, because this is very long. 

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, get your dentist on speed dial. Little bit of NSFW. Lockdown. 

18+ under the cut guys. 

I don’t own the GIFS. 

·         Kabal:

He’s ready for this. He’s prepared. He cannot wait to spend some quality time with you. Both pre and post burn would be so happy and stoked to spend time with you. Both pre and post burn Kabal, are going to be in their comfiest joggers, hair tied back and glasses on. Takes advantage of the time to catch up on some TV with you, play some videogames and also losing track of what day and time it is. Is 2am too early to make pancakes? No. Because you’re running on lockdown time. Awake at 3am trying to make Macrons because the video made it look so easy. Dancing around your shared apartment like idiots. Though, post burn Kabal would prefer just to hold you close and sway to the music. Lockdown pre-burn would be a dream come true for him. Lounging on the sofa, you’re laid flat against his chest, a hand in your hair. Bliss. Post-burn could be bad for his Mental Health. More time for him to think about his body and what he used to have. So, he may need a bit of TLC and a whole lot of body worship. He just needs to be reminded that he’s still the most handsome man on the planet. Also, reading comics at 3 in the morning. You’re sat crossed leg on the floor, surrounded by pillows, he’s super into comics and nerdy things. He’ll be sat eagerly watching you read his favourite issue, watching your reaction, he knows them off by heart so he’s waiting for you to react to his favourite scene. Debates to no end on who could kick who’s ass. Late nights, lazy mornings and afternoons. Post-Burn Kabal will refuse to put a shirt on. Just lounging around in his joggers. He will need a hand shaving his hair. He always needs a hand with the back. He will let it get a little longer during lockdown. Maybe, if you beg hard enough, he may let you spike it. Best lockdown buddy. Also, Ninja mime marathon, with a drinking game thrown in. Working from home is hard. Especially with his fine arse on your couch. Smiling as you’re on a zoom call. Screaming ‘TELL THEM I SAID HI’ Post-burn Kabal won’t want to appear on them as much. Often miming the action for a drink, bringing you lunch and also looking over your shoulder. Before kissing you softly on the cheek.

         Cassie Cage:

She’s pretty sure her mum is going to flip her shit. But she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to work-out or train to her absolute limits. You’re here with her and she wants to chill out with you and hang out with you. Like a normal fucking couple. So, she’s breaking a few rules for you. Don’t tell no one about that though. Your both in lockdown in her apartment. You’re both debating if the hallway should be neon orange or neon pink. You’re bored so you end up redecorating the place. Stained. Hair. A playful splat on the nose turns into a mini paint fight. You both also make handprints on the wall together. Because that’s one way to remember it… that and she saw it in Up and though it was cute. Getting wasted happens a few times too. She admits she wants you to be like the couple from UP, but she doesn’t want it to be as sad. She’s also on the floor sobbing because the brownies aren’t done yet. A lockdown with Cassie is fun every day. She ordered a bath bomb for you both to take a relaxing bath together. She also ordered you a few beers to enjoy whilst in there too. She gets pissed with how long her hair is getting. So, it’s time for the undercut to make a comeback. Queue Cassie bringing out the clippers and asking you to help her cut her hair shorter. Playfighting to no end. She’s let you pin her a few times, you’re pretty sure it’s sympathy, but you’ll take that victory. If you suggest a Ninja Mime marathon, she’s straight up refusing. This is a mini vacation from her parents. She doesn’t need to see a full feature length marathon of her dad. Weird food concoctions galore. You’re also dying each other’s hair stupid colours. She literally texts Jacqui ‘Pick a colour’ and then that’s it, you’ve dyed your hair. She’s so full of energy and it’s infectious. She’ll always make you smile. If you have to work from home, she’s going to try and be quite, but she wants to know what you’re doing. Everyone thinks she’s great in your work calls, she’s often requested to say hi. They love her.

·         Smoke (Tomas Vrbada): Smoke is more on the introverted side. He’s got books picked out. He aims to read a book a day where possible. And he’s totally keeping a reading log, so he has something to look back on. If you’re cooped up in the Lin Kuei temple, he’s going to be more stressed. There’s something ever so slightly stressful about been stuck with Bi-Han who gets very restless. That, and he thinks you both have to be quite, because everyone there is a nosey bastard. The one-time Smoke called you his dove, Bi-Han teased him and took the piss for three weeks straight. He can’t be dealing with that. That and he will eventually give up getting dressed. He will walk around in his dragon onesie, attempting to get some food. Ignoring all of Kuai’s attempts for him to get dressed. He’s in lockdown mode. Which means, his comfy socks are on, the string lights are on, and he’s ready to cuddle up with you. You did, once walk into the kitchen to see Bi-Han and Tomas dancing terribly, an empty bottle of vodka on the table, Kuai face in his hands blocking out the terrible dancing.  He’d also much prefer to be in lockdown in your apartment. In a mass of blankets, some ice-cream, lots of string lights and some good TV on. He’d take this opportunity to teach you a little Czech too. Also, in your apartment he can wear his dragon onesie and dance with you like an idiot. Without judgement and shaming the Lin Kuei. And embarrassing Kuai. A lot of terrible dancing, spinning, him picking you up and throwing you onto the sofa playfully. He becomes a little more extroverted around you. Don’t get me wrong he loves nothing more than comfy silence, reading in bed, whilst you’re drawing circles on his chest. But there’s something fun about eating brownie and pizza at 2 in the morning. Fucking wild. If you need to work from home, he respects your space and will sit silently reading, looking over and smiling as you work. He’ll bring you tea and sit crossed leg on the sofa with you. Your workmates think you’ve hit the jackpot.

Bi-Han:

He fucking hates lockdown. He doesn’t want to get sick. But he hates the same four walls. He starts irritating people on purpose. Not you though. Your precious and he loves you. But Kuai and Smoke are fair game. Queue hiding Smokes special shampoo, replacing Kuai’s uniform with one that’s too small for him. Winding people up to their limits. Because he’s bored and was born to be a little shit. At your apartment everything is different. He knows Kuai is more than capable of running things without him around. And is more than happy to do this for him. So, he’s off. He’s usually in his underwear, teasing the fuck out of you. Pray you don’t have to work from home, because he’s very distracting. Always stood behind the laptop when you’re on that zoom meeting, slowly slipping those joggers lower and lower. Lord have mercy on your soul. He does make appearances in your calls. On his best behaviour. Envy of everyone. He’ll cook for you when you’re working too. If you’re not working, he’ll always insist on cooking with you, he used to love cooking with Kuai when he was younger. But he’s grown up now and is grumpy all the time. He misses it. But he loves cooking with you. Queue you both dancing whilst waiting for the food to cook. Spinning you around. Maybe a quick make out session on the counter. He wants a bit of normality, and whilst the situation may not be normal, it’s sure as hell more normal than his usual schedule. He gets a little philosophical in the early hours of the morning. Talking about your future, if you want kids, what kind of dog you want, that sort of stuff. It’s times like this, where your both sat on your kitchen floor, sharing a drink, eating some good food, he’s glad he’s back to his usual self. You’re his everything and he doesn’t tell you that often enough. He loves been able to fall asleep with you and cuddle up with you. Loves waking up at a normal time and lounging in bed with you. Your lockdown time brings you closer together, to the point he probably would propose to you during lockdown. He hasn’t got a ring, but please accept his headband. Just till he can get you one.  

·         Kuai Liang (Sub Zero): Oho. Kuai is in for a rude awakening. He won’t want to leave Arktika. He cannot leave his clan. Bi-Han can be trusted, but he wants to remain with his clan. He’ll apologise that you’ve got to spend lockdown in the cold, but he’ll make sure you’re comfortable and have everything you may want and or need. He’s very curious when you’re working from home. He must admit he finds it interesting that you can still do your job, in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. When people ask where you are, you have to lie, and you’re not sure they buy that your boyfriend owns a castle. But hey fucking ho. It’ll do. You’ve caught him once or twice drifting past, tea in hand, trying not to glance at your screen, when you’re on a call. You end up dragging him into the call and introducing him. Luckily, he’s in some more normal clothes. So, no questions get dragged up. He’s always handing you tea and bringing you sweet snacks to keep you going. Soft kisses on the forehead when he knows no one is watching. You kind of feel easier been at the temple. It’s in the middle of nowhere, which actually makes you calm and keeps you chilled. Kuai will make sure the fire is stoked. He’ll also leave you to work and will keep checking on you. He’s busy with his brother and the Lin Kuei. But he makes a habit of you both having lunch together. He’ll bring you lunch and you’ll both sit and eat together. On an evening in his free time, he spends it all with you. Asking about your day, asking how it went and if you’re okay. A lot of catching up in bed, with you both laid there, his arms wrapped around you, whilst you rest on his chest. He’ll whisper sweet things to you, brush the hair from your face and remind you that you’re his everything. Lockdown with Kuai has a lot of structure. And it’s nice to spend time with him.

·         Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion):

He’s very similar to Kuai. He has a whole clan of ninja to run so he’s got to be out and about. So, if you need to work from home, he gets it… though he doesn’t need a laptop to do his work. Queue him leaving early and coming back late. He does make a habit of dropping in when you’re on lunch to take you for a walk through the gardens. He’ll also leave origami and notes for you to wake up to. He loves having you around, and very much like Kuai, he’d prefer you to be with the Shirai Ryu. You’re safe her and he does love waking up to you every morning. He loves it so much. He does actively avoid your zoom calls though. He’s a ninja so he’s pretty good at stealthy walking around, dipping and diving to avoid featuring on there. He just doesn’t like a lot of attention. He does end up one though. He had managed to secure a lie in. His bones were aching from training the night before. Takeda was entrusted with waking him… though he thought Grandmaster Grumpy face deserved a lie in. When he awakens, he lazily walks out of your shared room, wondering where you are, shirtless and only in some pants. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Only to softly say your name, open them, to see you’re smiling up at him awkwardly. You’re on a company wide call, and he’s stood there shirtless, hair tussled, and looking like sin incarnate. Queue a lot of people whistling so loudly, he can hear from the headphones you’re wearing. He mutters some swears in Japanese before moving on. You can’t help but giggle a lot, which makes him chuckle to himself. He’s stoic so there ain’t no teasing. But he does love folding the laptop down when you’re working over. Muttering how you can’t overwork yourself. Which is very hypocritical, but you’re not arguing. And you know you need a break, queue Hanzo suggesting a relaxing bath and cooking together. Slow dancing around his room is something he’s reluctant to do, but he does do it with you, because those eyes can’t get any bigger.  He loves this lockdown period. And he grows used to having you around all the time. Soft kisses and romantic talks, Philosophical debates and him slightly complaining about training. Takeda loves that you’re here. Hanzo isn’t such a hard arse with you round.

·         Johnny Cage:

Oh, fuck yes. Lockdown. He’s going to write a screenplay, arrange his awards, build that shelf for the Oscar he’s definitely winning this year. Reply to some fan mail… that was until you wake up and walk out in one of his shirts. His plan definitely changes. You end up trying on all his sunglasses, all his jackets and rings and pretending to be him. Which makes him laugh a lot. He’s sure he doesn’t actually walk and sound like that… does he? He hopes not. He’ll try and install a routine, but that goes out of the window the first night. You’re sat drinking smoothies at 1 in the morning. You’ll become nocturnal. So, it’s a good job he doesn’t have neighbours close by. Two-man parties, with you skyping Cassie, so you all can hang out together. Dancing around, playing those shitty games. Cassie and Johnny get competitive with trivial pursuit and monopoly. You’ve never seen anything like it. It’s insane. You both take the time to catch up on TV together, Johnny has a terrible habit of pointing out all the parts he could have had. But you know, turned down. He’s always got the best food in and best quarantine snacks. Whatever your heart desires he’s got it. Best internet too. So, working from home is so easy and so comfy. You’re the envy of your workmates. Who are very jealous you’re basically in quarantine in a mansion. Johnny does walk past your zoom call on purpose, pretending to act all coy about it. Just waiting to hear a squeal from someone who didn’t know you actually dated Johnny Cage. Que your sigh and inviting him over. He practically leaps onto the sofa. Arm around you. A smug smile as he introduces himself. Not like he’s been bicep curling his award behind you. He’ll also love doing facemasks with you. Nothing better than a pamper night on the couch, some crappy movie in the background (Not one of his though) and some good wine and food. He’s literally in heaven.

·         Raiden:

He needs to consult the Elder Gods before he can spend time with you. Taking the piss obviously. He doesn’t get sick, so he offers to go into the outside world for you if need be. He doesn’t mind taking one for the team. He’s interesting to spend Lockdown with. He’s so fascinated by everything in your apartment. He’s so interested in what you do for work. When you reveal that you’re working from home, he’s watching you from the sofa, cup of tea in his hand. He’s got that face on him. The one where he wants to ask a question but he’s not sure if he’s allowed to. When he sees you’re in a meeting, he asks what you’re doing, so you may just joke ‘Consulting the Elder God Bob, God of financing and accounts’ He does chuckle at that. He does a lot of self-care and a lot of reminding you to look after yourself. As soon as it hits time to clock off, he’s tapping the clock, shaking his head before gently reminding you, that you need to rest and relax and that you’ve earned it. He’s brewed some fresh tea and he would like you to join him. He’s so good to you. He doesn’t do been on the zoom calls though. He has waved once or twice. But other than that, he kind of watches curiously. He’s read all the books in your apartment, if you’ve got a cat, he’s in fucking heaven. Like, you’re cat ain’t walking over your screen, because he’s snuggled up to Raiden. The man is a magnet for cats. If your apartment is a little disorganised, he may sort it out. That cupboard full of mismatched Tupperware and pans, all sorted, all with the correct lids. You could cry when you pull out a pan and it’s got the right lid on it. He’ll love baking with you too. He’s a sucker for freshly baked bread and he teaches you how to make it. Nothing nicer than him having him wrapping his arms around your waist whilst you’re baking. Lockdown equals privacy and he’s taking advantage of his rare opportunity. At night he’ll love to sit on your balcony, watching the stars and enjoying the fresh air. He’s so warm and he’s got a comforting smell to him. He’s literally bliss.

·         Fujin: (Fujin could raw me after the trailer not going to lie)

Windy boi is happy he gets a break from all the bullshit. He does miss Raiden though. They don’t often spend a lot of time away from each other. So, he’s constantly communicating with him. But you make everything easier. That, and he wants to make sure you don’t get sick. By the Elder Gods he can’t have that. Likewise, if you have a cat, please let him hold and pet it. Nothing better than you looking up from your work call, seeing him stood there holding your cat, smiling away and scratching its chin. He appears often in your zoom call. Envy of all your colleagues, because who has hair that perfect and healthy. They ask for his stylist. He’s not sure how to respond to that. He got called a DILF and you had to explain that to him. You had to explain what a DILF was to the god of wind. Holy fuck it was awkward. He’ll let you braid his hair and he’ll also love it when you shower together. Because he loves been close and intimate with you. And the shower is a private place, so he feels he can open up and be more intimate with you without judgement. He’s still shy and new to this whole relationship thing. So, lockdown allows him to be close to you. You’ll also get to introduce him to pop culture. He’s not sure what to think about it. He’s got such a strange, dry sense of humour. When you’re watching Ninja Mime you hear him just say, ‘A clown in the movies, a clown in real life. Art imitates real life’ And you lose your shit. It’s the funniest thing to leave his mouth. He kind of loses it too. He gets really into Game of Thrones. He’s so into it. You don’t know how to tell him how the last season was shit. You don’t have the heart to break it to him. Teaching him to dance too. Oh god. Him getting a bit flustered and picking you up over his shoulder and spinning you around. Also, I can see lockdown running into summer, so you’ve got your own personal fan. At night, he’ll love to settle down in bed with you, whilst you talk absolute shit. You can bitch about anything, and he will listen, provide quips and make you feel better. He has no idea who Kate in Marketing is, but he knows, we don’t like her. I headcanon Fujin is pretty damn musically talented, so he’ll just randomly pick up that guitar or violin that’s there because A. Aesthetically pleasing and B. bought to try and discover a new hobby. And he’ll just start playing it. He loves seeing you smile too and he’s there for you if lockdown ever gets too much. He lives to make you smile.

[summerwritesfics]

🔍For Anyone But Me, Your Private Eye, Chapter 1 - And I Won’t Have To Quit Doing Fucked Up Shit For Anyone But Me

Pairing: Hanzo Hasashi/Kuai Liang Rating: General Warnings: Detective Noir AU, Mentioned/Referanced Murder, Mentioned/Referanced Child Murder, Implied drug deals, Implied child abuse (non-explicit, it is literally about 3 lines that imply that it happened), Implied homophobia (No actual homophobia occurs), Following someone as surveillance.

For Anyone But Me, Your Private Eye Masterlist

Notes: If you read the original short you will likely recognise the last part of this first chapter. It has been edited however, some bits changed and added to better fit the rest of the narrative I've now written.

Song Bi-Han, as it turned out, was an extremely hard man to track down.

From Hanzo's observations, Bi-Han had just up and left the second he thought suspicion was being sent his way. Somehow he'd been able to cover his tracks meticulously, to a point Hanzo had no idea where to even start his attempt to find him. The man had disappeared without a trace. Even after a month, Hanzo was no closer to discovering where he had gone.

So he'd begun to keep a track of the Lin Kuei, trying to figure out what was going on within the gang and hoping to find something. A link he was missing. It was when he went scouring his past research that he found something he had previously overlooked. An extremely interesting name amongst the one's he'd collected.

Song Kuai Liang.

With the two men sharing a family name, it was obvious they were in some way or another related. A little more digging revealed just how. Brothers, apparently, Bi-Han the elder and Kuai Liang the younger. Without seeing the two interact with each other, it was hard to tell if they were on good terms or particularly close. But if they were, then it was very likely that Kuai would know the location of his elder brother. It was the best chance he had.

So he'd increased his surveillance operation on the Lin Kuei. At first, he figured it would be a matter of elimination, cross checking and identifying each member he saw until he was down to just one. It turned out to be far more simple than that. Kuai Liang shared one extremely important trait with his elder brother that stood out above everything else.

Blue eyes were not a common trait for someone of Chinese heritage to have after all.

Upon closer inspection, Kuai Liang shared a very similar facial structure to his brother, the only majorly noticeable difference was that Kuai Liang's nose was slightly smaller. He wore his hair a lot different as well, much shorter and slicked back near perfectly aside from a few loose strands that hung across his forehead. There was also a very striking and large scar than ran down the one side of his face and over his eye. For some reason, his wardrobe mostly consisted of the colour blue, and was always the most immaculate suits, with ties, vests and suspenders to finish off the look. Hanzo couldn't help but think it all came across as a little vain.

Hanzo had been following the man for a week now to gather information. Most of it was circumstantial, things like his little habits, how he'd stand with his hands on his hips or his preferences in drinks, Hanzo often spotting him with a cup of tea in hand. Nothing that gave any clues as to where his brother was, but information on the kind of man Kuai Liang was. It let him get ideas on the best way to approach him when the time came.

Most importantly to that particular task, he'd discovered the man generally responded to conflict with a flight response. That is until he was backed into a corner, which was the point he would defend himself, usually with a switchblade. The only exception was when people had guns pointed in his direction. While Hanzo was never close enough to hear the conversations, each time Kuai was held at gunpoint he easily managed to talk his way out of it. This information was helping him slowly form a plan for his upcoming confrontation with Kuai.

Run him into a dead end, make sure to bring a gun, do not fall for his silver tongue.

He usually had a gun on him at all times, so that bit was not an issue. He imagined it would also not be hard to resist whatever words Kuai tried to use to talk his way to safety. Getting Kuai into a dead end, on the other hand, required planning. He would have to find a way to lure him into a trap.

Currently he was sat in his car, once more just watching. Kuai lent against a wall across the street, briefcase in hand and clearly waiting for someone. A couple of ladies walked past him, both of them making eyes at the sharp dressed man. Kuai smiled at them, but otherwise dismissed them. This had happened a few times since Hanzo had been watching. Women would make it plainly obvious they were interested in him, and he would barely acknowledge it. Hanzo couldn't understand it. Men in Kuai's “profession” tended to be the womanising sort, keen to get all the women they could. Kuai wasn't interested in the slightest.

And then the answer came, almost as if god or some other higher being had heard his confusion and wished to clear it up. Another man walked by and Kuai looked him up and down. When the man glared at him, clearly not understanding why Kuai's gaze was on him, the Lin Kuei just smiled and offered a wink. The man's face went bright red, and he turned and left. Kuai chuckled to himself but didn't seem too hurt by the rejection. Hanzo on the other hand? He could only watch in awe.

That... That explains that then.

Hanzo had several friends who identified as homosexual and bisexual. Hell, Hanzo had found himself tempted by other men on many an occasion. He had never felt safe being open about it, neither did most the people he knew. Only Johnny was ever truly upfront about his encounters with other men. Still, he couldn't imagine even the actor being so casual about flirting with random people in the street. He was actually somewhat jealous of the sheer confidence it took to be so transparent about it.

“He's got guts, I'll give him that,” Hanzo muttered, observing as another man approached Kuai, who pushed himself off the wall to greet them. The two shook hands, had a brief conversation and then exchanged suit cases. Clearly a deal had just happened, and Hanzo again couldn't help but be impressed by the nerve to do something like this is board daylight. "I guess it's either bravery or extreme stupidity."

When the pair separated, Kuai was walking down the street the way he'd initially come. Hanzo didn't hesitate to start up his car and slowly follow behind. Kuai was going at a very leisurely pace, making it very hard for Hanzo to go at a speed that didn't make it obvious he was trailing him. He was just lucky this wasn't exactly a busy road, and there was no one behind him to get pissed at how slow he was going.

He noticed a change in the way Kuai was walking, slowing down even further. Fuck, Hanzo adjusted his speed to match. Minutes later, Kuai began to speed up, and Hanzo breathed easy as he followed suit. Kuai came to a sudden stop, Hanzo hitting the breaks. He wondered what the fuck the man was doing, until Kuai glanced over his shoulder. He was looking at the car. Shit, damn it! He should have pursued by foot, it was always easier to blend in that way.

He could see Kuai's grip on the briefcase tighten. In the blink of an eye, Kuai was sprinting off down the street. Hanzo slammed his foot on the accelerator.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” He started tearing down the street, trying to catch up to the Lin Kuei. One benefit of being in the car was that he managed to do that with relative ease. The downside became exponentially clear however when Kuai made a beeline for an ally, disappearing down it. “Shit!” Hitting the breaks, he parked his car up on the sidewalk, unbuckling his seat belt and throwing the door open.

By the time he had scrambled out and made it to the alley's entrance, Kuai Liang was long gone.

Fuck.

He pulled his hair in frustration. On one hand, it was likely Kuai would just head back to the mansion the Lin Kuei operated from. He would have learnt no more had he been successful. On the other hand? Kuai now knew he was being followed, and that would likely make the man far more alert to his surroundings.

Hanzo slunk back to his car in defeat. He could only hope he hadn't fucked up his entire investigation.

I need to act fast before he bolts like his brother did.

Kuai stared down at his drink, stirring the ice around rather than actually drinking the stupid thing. His mind felt like it was in 100 different places at once. That car following him earlier in the day had spooked him. It wasn't the police, they would have arrested him the second they saw him swap briefcases, not just slowly followed him down the road. He was starting to feel paranoid that his boss had something to do with it. He couldn't think of a reason why, but Sektor's decisions were often baffling anyway. Rarely did Sektor need a rational reason for anything he did.

God, if Bi-Han was here he'd be able to tell me what the hell to do...

Since Bi-Han had left, it felt like everything in the Lin Kuei was just slowly falling apart. He knew without even discussing it with anyone else that he was not the only one to feel that way. Everyone had a strange air to them, like a storm was about it hit but no one knew when. Everything told them to run for cover, yet the uncertainty and hope that it would settle seemed to keep them all there.

“So are you going to drink that or what?” Kuai lifted his head to watch Tomas hauled himself up onto the counter giving him a look.

“Oh, leave him alone Tomas,” Cyrax chimed in from the other side, sliding into the seat next to Kuai. “He's got every right to mope with a drink.”

Kuai frowned as his eyes flicked between them, “Weren't you two meant to be out on a job tonight?”

“Meant to be,” Tomas said with an over dramatic sigh, “But Sektor has decided that particular client is not worth our time anymore.”

“Or in other words, they did something he didn't like and he threw a fit,” Cyrax replied and Kuai hissed. If Sektor heard the three of them gossiping about him, they'd be in big trouble for it. Wasn't that why no one dared question his authority aloud?

“Wasn't it with one of our biggest clients?” Kuai asked, trying to recall an earlier conversation. Sektor had taken over the Lin Kuei 7 years ago, but over the past few months he'd been slowly burning bridges all over the place. But turning away one of our biggest clients? That was petty, even by Sektor's standards. “Why the hell would he throw that away?”

“Because he's Sektor,” Tomas' deadpanned, reaching across the bar for a bottle of whiskey. “Honestly I'm starting to think Bi-han had the right idea to ditch when he did.” Kuai winced at the mention of his brother's name. Tomas gave him a sympathetic look as he removed the top to the bottle, “Sorry.”

“What about your meeting earlier?” Cyrax asked, an obvious attempt to distract Kuai. It was too little and too late, he had once more begun to ponder where the hell his brother was.

“It was another regular, went about as it normally does until...” Kuai thought back to that car that followed him down the streets. “Do you think Sektor would hire someone to follow me around?”

“I dunno, he's done weirder shit,” Tomas said. When Kuai looked at him, the bottle was almost empty already. That's... Concerning...

“Someone was following you?” Cryax sounded troubled by this news.

“I don't know,” Kuai shook his head. “I didn't get a good look at the driver, but someone in a car seemed to be tailing me.” His mind bounced between the person following him and the night Bi-Han left. A lightbulb turned on in his mind, some of the last words his brother said to him suddenly echoing through his thoughts.

“... In the next few months, you may be approached by this man.”

How was that not the first possibility that came to my mind? Kuai stared at his drink, remembering the photograph he was given, the one he still possessed tucked in the pocket of his vest. Hanzo Hasashi... Over the last month, he'd been repeating that name in his head. He had started to think that he'd somehow managed to slip by the detectives attention. Could it be he's finally caught up with me?

But who is he? And why is he after Bi-Han?

He finally took his drink, downed it, before pushing himself away from the bar and turning to Cyrax. “Sorry, I'm going to have to love you and leave you, I just remembered something I need to do.”

Cyrax looked at him with suspicion, but thankfully he knew Kuai well enough to know when not to push for an answer. “We will see you later, then.”

Kuai spared a glance at Tomas to find he was already halfway through a second bottle. “Try to not let him get too drunk.”

“I will attempt to keep him under control,” Cyrax replied, sparing a similar glance at the drunk silver haired man.

“Thank you, darling.” Kuai blew a kiss in his direction. Cyrax just gave him a sly smirk, far too used to Kuai's flirting to get flustered by it anymore. Somehow that didn't make it any less fun to do. Kuai looked over at Tomas one last time, “And you, dearest, behave for Cyrax.”

“Fuck you,” Tomas slurred out before giggling to himself and finishing off what remained of the second bottle. It still amazed Kuai how much alcohol the other man could consume in one sitting. And the bastard never got hangovers either, it was infuriating.

“Honey, you wish you could,” Kuai muttered under his breath, before giving one final wave to his companions and stalking off towards the main hall to where the staircase was.

He made his way through the mansion, passing several other Lin Kuei. He had no desire to share words with any of them them but offered a nod of recognition instead. Quickly ascending the stairs, he head off towards the dorm rooms. He wasn't heading for his own however, as he passed it without a second glance, and instead made his way to a room that had sat mostly undisturbed for a month.

As he slipped into Bi-Han's room, he glanced around. He'd searched the room before, hoping to find some sort of clue as to either where Bi-Han had gone or what he was running from, but came up with nothing. He sighed, closing the door behind him as he wandered over to the bed and perched on the edge. Despite his rummaging around, he'd tried his best to keep everything in it's proper place and order, so when Bi-Han finally returned it would be exactly like he left it. Kuai managed to catch a sob before it escaped his lips.

He reached into the pocket of his vest, picking the photo of Hanzo Hasashi out. He had been unable to see the driver following him, so couldn't tell if they had looked anything alike. But the more he thought about it, the more it would make sense. A detective was unlikely to just approach him out of nowhere, they would collect information on him first. Figure out what made him tick and find a way to get him alone so it was more likely he'd talk. Not that Kuai even knew what information the man would want from him, but I can think of other things my mouth could do for him, if he wanted it.

Kuai's foot pressed into the wooden floor, surprised when he heard a creek. He looked down at the floorboard that made the sound, moving his foot slightly and seeing the way it depressed. A loose floorboard? He hadn't even thought to check the flooring, the rest of the floor in the mansion was in immaculate condition. He slipped the photograph back into his pocket, sliding onto the floor and easing onto his knees. As he pried at the board, he found it lifted easily in his hands. Peering inside, he found a single newspaper, neatly folded.

That's... a weird thing to hide.

So weird it had to have some sort of meaning.

He grabbed hold of it, rising to his feet while unfolding it. He scanned the front page, the date on it was only a couple of days before Bi-Han left. That alone convinced him it had to have answers. Glancing over the first article he didn't find anything that stood out to him, so he opened to the next page. He started to leaf through every page, flicking quickly to see if he could spot anything that stood out. Midway he spotted something on a previous page that caught his attention, and switched back to it instead.

“Private Detective Hanzo Hasashi”.

He took a deep breath, it can't be a coincidence his name is here, right? The headline read “Private Detective reopens murder case of his family”. Kuai ground his teeth, he suddenly had a bad feeling in his gut about where this could potentially be going.

Reading the article, it spoke in detail about the murders of Harumi and Satoshi Hasashi. It said how the detective had spent 7 years trying to plead with police to continue investigating the cold case, and how when he had finally grown tired of their ineptitude, he'd decided to reopen the case himself. At the bottom of the article, was a phone number to contact should someone have any information that could aid in the investigation.

Kuai could taste bile at the back of this throat. Because if this was why Bi-han was running, it could only mean one thing.

He was a suspect.

He wouldn't, would he? Kuai admitted that sometimes he looked at his brother with rose tinted glasses. He knew Bi-Han had murdered people before, as had Kuai Liang himself, but those had been different. Those were other gangsters, scum bag criminals just like them who would only be missed by other morally corrupt bastards. This was an innocent wife and child. He could maybe see Bi-Han killing the wife, if given a good enough motive, but a child? Even criminals had some sort of moral code. Only the lowest of the low harmed children, and he had always believed himself and his brother were above that. Especially after what we went through...

The scar on his face hurt, and he reached up to touch it. Sometimes, he still could feel the blood on his hands as he had attempted to stop the bleeding. He closed his eyes, pushing those memories out of his mind.

Jesus fucking Christ Bi-Han, what the fuck did you do?

If Detective Hasashi was now tailing Kuai, it was likely that Bi-Han was his prime suspect. And Kuai hated to admit the fact he had bolted did make him look incredibly guilty. He just didn't want to believe that his brother would be that callous. What does Detective Hasashi know that makes him think Bi-Han's involved?

Kuai considered his options. He took note of the phone number, a private detective would have to have an office somewhere, if he could find where it was, maybe he could get more information on what the hell was going on.

Well, Detective, you aren't the only one who can start an investigation.

Finding Detective Hasashi's office was easy enough. A quick flick through a list of local businesses and cross checking the phone number from the article had led him straight to the offices location. He had slipped out of the mansion. Not like my presence will be missed anyway. He didn't have any prior commitments that night, so it was doubtful anyone would notice he was gone. Even if someone did, he was unimportant to the grand scheme of things that they likely wouldn't care.

And so there he was, stood on the street staring up at the office block. There was only one that had it's lights on and he was willing to bet it was the detectives. Given that it was almost midnight, he had expected the other to be long gone by now. He hadn't come here with the intent of actually facing the man, he'd hoped maybe to break in while he wasn't there. He was stuck, not wanting to risk entering the building if someone else was there, but he really did not wish to leave empty handed either.

His eyes flicked to the ally next to the building, staring at the large dumpster that was likely shared by the entire building. He grimaced, was he really considering going through this guys trash? It seemed unlikely the detective would throw anything important away, but maybe it could give him some sort of insight into the way the man operated.

He made his way into the ally, pulling a box over to step on so he could peer over and get a better look inside. The dim light from a streetlight was not exactly the best for the situation, but he'd work with what he had. Before he did anything else, he reached into the pockets of his suit jacket, pulling out a pair of leather gloves and slipping them on. There was no way in hell he was touching anything in this thing with bare hands.

Protected against anything nasty within the dumpster, at least in his mind, he slowly lifted the lid, letting it rest against the wall. The smell instantly hit him. He held his forearm in front of his mouth as he gagged at the smell of rotting food of different variates. Still he reluctantly reached forward to start pushing aside bits of trash in the hopes of finding something.

He could already see his gloves getting wet from something weeping out of one of the bags. “Oh, god, gross,” he quietly complained to himself, trying to will himself to keep pushing things out of the way. He repeatedly whispered “ew” to himself, absolutely regretting this decision. I have to get rid of these gloves, no way in hell am I keeping them after this. One of the bags split and several mould covered food items fell out, causing him to gag once again. “Fucking... dealing with dead bodies is no where near as gross as this...”

“Can I help you?”

The voice echoed through the alley, and Kuai's heart caught in his throat. He slowly turned his head to the entrance of the alley, only to be met with the absolute worst thing he could have at that moment. Hanzo Hasashi was stood there, bag of trash in hand. Kuai froze in place, a deer in headlights. As the detective got a better look at his face, he saw the mans eyes widen, and Kuai knew right there and then, he'd been recognised.

“You!” Hanzo's voice came out in a growl, and it was at that point Kuai decided he didn't want to stick around.

He leapt off the box and sprinted further down the alley. Behind him he heard a loud cry of “Hey!” before what sounded like the bag being dropped and another set of footsteps following him along with the words “get back here!”

He reached the corner and sped around it only to come to a screeching halt at a large brick wall. Son of a bitch! He should have scouted the area for escape routes before doing anything, but hindsight was a wonderful thing he guessed. Rushing to the wall, he attempted to scale it but found no where for him to grip properly. He looked around, desperate to find something to use as a step up, but there was nothing. Hanzo had rounded the corner, effectively cornering him.

He considered fighting his way out, hand reaching toward the pocket he kept his switchblade in, but the second he caught the glint of silver in Hanzo's hand he knew he was at a disadvantage. Sure, he wasn't weak when it came to a fight, but he wouldn't win against a bullet between his eyes. It was time for plan C; flirting. He'd managed to sweet talk his way out of way worse situations than this.

He slipped his gloves off, throwing them off to one side as he raised his hands up in surrender. “Detective Hasashi, I assume?” He gave a pleasant smile, laying on as much charm as he possibly could. “Delightful to meet you at last, a shame it has to be in these circumstances wouldn't you agree?”

Hanzo gave a huff, “So the bastard did tell you about me.”

“Bi-Han mentioned you may seek me out, yes.” Kuai took a step forward, only stopping when he heard the gun cock. “Now Detective, really? Is there any need for such hostility?”

“What were you looking for in my trash?” Hanzo questioned, waving the gun slightly. Kuai disliked guns at the best of times, but even more so when it someone was being so careless with one. He feared Hanzo's finger accidentally slipping on the trigger. Does this man not know the basics of gun safety? Don't just wave it around like that!

“I'm merely trying to figure out why you're searching for my brother,” Kuai replied as smoothly as he felt he could manage. He wondered if the detective could hear the slight waver in his voice. That gun was really making him feel uneasy. “He did rather leave in a hurry, and given one of my last conversations with him concerned you, I felt you might have some ideas on his whereabouts.”

Hanzo gave a dark and sarcastic chuckle, “you expect me to believe that?”

“Well, I rather hope you do, because it's the truth.” Kuai chanced another step forward, and when Hanzo didn't react he continued his cautious approach. “I know you've been following me, Detective Hasashi, and I know it's because you think I have information that you need. I could talk and talk, but none of my words would be the ones you wish to hear. Quite frankly, I can think of a lot better uses of our time, and a lot of other ways my mouth can benefit you.”

Hanzo's eyebrow raised, though Kuai wasn't sure if it was because he didn't understand or because he was considering the offer.

He was in front of the detective now, and he chanced bringing down one of his hands to press against his chest. “Ways I'm sure would be far more enjoyable for the both of us.”

Before he could continue something hard and cold hit the side of his face. He stumbled, struggling to keep his balance. He blinked, realising that Hanzo had just pistol-whipped him. He stood up to confront the man, only to be met with a kick to his stomach. Staggering back into the wall, he grasped where he'd been hit, groaning in pain. He felt another kick to his ribs, sending him flying to the floor, and then another, and another. He blindly threw a punch, only to feel a hand grip his wrist and push him to the concrete.

He glared up at Hanzo, who now loomed over him.

“Now detective... If you wanted me underneath you, all you had to do was ask,” he purred. He had no idea if continuing to flirt would in any way sway the situation in his favour, but the way Hanzo's cheeks went a pretty shade of red was very satisfying.

He didn't get long to appreciate it however, as he was abruptly flipped over onto his stomach. His arms were painfully yanked behind his back, and he let out a pained yelp. There was something cold pressed against his wrists, and he realised quickly that he'd been handcuffed. When Hanzo's hands left him, he pulled at the cuffs to test how strong they were. Unfortunately for him, they seemed to be exceptionally high quality. Not the cheap one's he was used to and knew how to slip out of.

He felt Hanzo's weight lift off him, before being grabbed by the shoulders. “Get up,” Hanzo ordered, though not giving Kuai any time to comply before simply dragging him up to his feet. Hanzo's hands had a tight grip on his biceps, as he lent into Kuai's ear and snarled “You and I are going to have a talk.”

And just like that, he was being pushed back down the alley, the grip on him not softening for a second. Kuai did not like his chances of escape. No, it seemed he was going to be spend the rest of the night in Detective Hasashi's company, and not in a way he would have liked.

This is going to be a long night...

His office smelt of cigarette smoke, it was his 20th today and while he knew he should open his window, lest the landlord bitch his ear off again, he had far more pressing matters to attend to.

Such as the young man currently handcuffed to the radiator.

He could only put the capture of Kuai Liang down to sheer luck. When Hanzo had gone to take his trash out, the last thing he'd expected to see was someone rooting through the bins. Even less had he predicted it would be the man he needed it to be. What the hell did he even hope to gain going through my trash? It was a rookie mistake, most people didn't throw away important information, even by accident. He was just thankful he had his gun and handcuffs on him, as well as the ally outside leading to a dead end.

He'd removed the outer layers of the mans clothes, his jacket and vest. All rifling through Kuai's pockets revealed was a photograph of Hanzo himself, a few loose packets of unused condoms and a switchblade. The only thing he could do now was attempt to convince Kuai Liang to talk. A task he got the distinct impression was going to be difficult.

“You sure know how to show a man a good time,” Kuai teased, licking his lips and pulling on the cuff slightly. Hanzo couldn't figure out what he was trying to accomplish by flirting with him. Worse was that regardless of the endgame, it was actually working. It at least explains how he keeps yapping his way out of danger. “Although I must admit my arm is getting a little cramped in his position.”

“I'll uncuff you when you tell me what I want to know,” Hanzo muttered, taking a drag of his cigarette. “Where is your brother?”

“I wish I knew,” Kuai gave a dramatic sigh. “Then again if I did, I guess we wouldn't be here right now...”

Hanzo let out a frustrated snort, slipping out of his seat and making his way to where Kuai was sprawled out on the floor. He knelt down, grasping Kuai's chin in his hand and trying to ignore the weirdly excited look in the other man's eyes.

“Let me try that again.” Another drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke right into Kuai's face and causing him to cough slightly. “Where is your brother?”

“I already told you, I don't know,” Kuai breathed out between his coughs. “Trust me, if I did, I'd be kicking his ass myself for leaving me in the dumpster fire that is the Lin Kuei right now.”

“I don't trust you, that's the point.” Hanzo pushed Kuai's head back against the radiator, causing a small gasp. The radiator was on, but not hot enough to do any sort of damage. He was already in the bounds of unlawful imprisonment, abduction and aggravated assault, he really didn't need to push his luck by adding torture to that list.

Not that Kuai would ever go to the police, given his own unlawful activities, but that didn't make it any easier for Hanzo's conscience to know he didn't have to quit doing fucked up shit for anyone but himself.

“Why are you even seeking him out?” Kuai questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly. The tone of the question was strange, genuine but with a hint that the other man had some kind of suspicion as to the answer. Does he really not know?

“You don't know?” Hanzo asked, wondering briefly if the man was telling the truth about having no knowledge of his brothers whereabouts.

“I have a theory,” the man replied. He didn't divulge on what the theory was however. “But as I said, he left in rather a hurry, didn't tell me where or why he was going.”

Hanzo even if he was on the fence on if Bi-Han had told his brother where he was going or not, he could definitely believe him not giving a reason why. “I suspect he may be responsible for the murder of my wife and son.”

Kuai let out a sigh, eyes casting downward, “My theory was correct then.” If Hanzo didn't know better, he'd say the man sounded disappointed.

The man's blue eyes flicked back to him, and Hanzo could see a new found determination in his eyes.

“Maybe there is a way we can make this work for both of us,” Kuai suggested, attempting to move his head forward but Hanzo managed to keep it in place. “I want to find my brother as much as you do, maybe we can work together.”

Hanzo gave a sarcastic laugh, “Yeah. I bet your boss would fucking love that.”

“Who said he has to know,” Kuai practically purred, “I can keep a secret Detective, can you?”

“You are not doing a particularly good job of convincing me you are trustworthy you know.” Hanzo finally realised Kuai, causing the smaller man to laugh.

“Then tell me, what can I do to earn your trust?” Kuai reached his free hand to lightly pull on Hanzo's tie. Kuai spread his legs, and Hanzo found himself instinctively slotting himself between them. “I can do anything you desire of me.”

Hanzo stubbed his cigarette out on the radiator, and let it fall to the floor. Both hands now free, he found them reaching to the buttons of Kuai's shirt, slowly undoing them one by one. Kuai groaned as Hanzo brushed the fabric away to reveal his chest, revealing bruises that had already started to form from the earlier scuffle. Hanzo pushed down on one, earning a hurt gasp from Kuai. Kuai twisted slightly, trembling and letting his legs fall open just a little wider.

Kuai was completely at his mercy.

His hands trailed down to Kuai's waist, fingers hooking into the other man's trousers and-

What the fuck am I doing?

Hanzo jerked away suddenly. What the hell had come over him? He was trying to find justice for his wife and son after their unjustifiable murders, and yet here he was trying to fuck the brother of his main suspect. He looked at Kuai's face, flushed red and clearly looking at Hanzo with want.

“Is this part of your brothers plan?” Hanzo hissed, getting to his feet and stumbling back until he was lent against his desk. “He sent you here to distract and seduce me?”

“I have to say I'm quite offended that you don't seem to think I have the personal autonomy to decide to seduce you for my own reasons.” In his defence, Kuai did seem genuinely hurt by the concept, rather than sarcastically, but it still brought more questions.

“And what reasons would those be?” Hanzo inquired, though not really sure he wanted to actually know the answer.

Kuai looked him up and down, “You're attractive and I want you inside of me.”

Hanzo actually laughed at that. Not a bitter or sarcastic one, a genuine laugh. He finally stopped and shook his head, and rubbed his mouth with his hand. He wasn't going to get anywhere like this, and on the off chance Kuai was really telling the truth about not knowing his brother's location, then he could use someone who was familiar with Bi-Han who may know what actions he would take next.

“Do you know of any locations where your brother may be? Anything he's mentioned lately that might be a lead?” He asked, and Kuai just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “If you answer, I'll undo the cuff...” He paused as Kuai tilted his head. “And I'll let you assist me in the investigation.”

“And my seduction?” Kuai asked with a smirk.

“If you're a good boy and help me to a satisfactory standard I may be inclined to... Rewarding ard you.” He'd never admit aloud that Kuai genuinely got his motor running, but he could pretend to be disinterested and using the promise of sex as a gift for good behaviour.

Kuai looked like he was considering it, biting his lip and looking Hanzo up and down again. He eventually hummed.

“He has lately made mention of a woman named Sareena,” Kuai said, awkwardly reaching to try and do his shirt back up with his one free hand. “I am unfamiliar with who she is, but I believe she has a connection to Club Netherrealm.”

Oh, of course it had to be there.

“Thank you,” He confirmed, reaching for the keys to the handcuffs. He strode over and unlocked them, grabbing Kuai's arm and hauling him to his feet. Kuai rolled his shoulder a couple of times, before finally buttoning his shirt with ease now. “Anything else?”

“He had an argument with Sektor shortly before he disappeared, but I am unsure what it was regarding.” Kuai rubbed at his wrist and looked like he was thinking. “I believe he also had business with the White Lotus, specifically someone named Raiden Narukami, but again, I do not know what that entailed.”

That was three leads they could look into. As much as he hated to admit it, he really wanted to leave the dealings with Club Netherrealm to last. He'd rather end up face to face with Sektor than that, but he knew if he was going to get to the bottom of this, they may as well start with the lead Kuai seemed to think was important enough to mention first.

“Right. Then the plan is Netherrealm first, then White Lotus and then, if you feel inclined, try to fish for info from Sektor.” Hanzo looked to Kuai who was grinning once again.

“I can do that. You should give orders more often, I quite like it when you're bossy,” He teased and Hanzo rolled his eyes and tried to pretend to not be bothered. Secretly he made a mental note that Kuai seemed to enjoy being ordered around for the inevitable sexual encounter they would have. Not like he'd have any objections to being the one in control. “Lead the way, Detective.”

Hanzo just snorted at that, gathering what he'd need, as well as returning Kuai's jacket and vest to him. He hesitated on returning the blade to him, but decided it would make life easier if Kuai had some way to protect himself. Besides, it seemed Kuai wouldn't act out with a gun pointed in his direction. If Hanzo really needed to, he wouldn't hesitate.

Finally he made his way to the door, Kuai following close behind.

He had a feeling this would eventually bite him in the ass, but for now at least, he would make this work to his advantage.

⋞ Previous Chapter ≛❀≛ Next Chapter ⋟

[fyeahwildfire]

Spirit Bound

Chapter 9

Pairing: Mortal Kombat x reader; Bucky x reader; second soulmate x reader

Warning: Angst, death, 

A/n: I do not own Mortal Kombat Characters. Next Chapter will include Mileena! Hope you all like!

You pushed urgently towards Kuai Liang’s location, paying little attention to anything but the branches and twigs beneath your feet. Kuai was in danger and you were so close to reaching him. You hoped you were not too late to save him.

Up ahead there was set of gates that led to who knows where. You pushed urgently towards it, knowing your half brother was in there. Running down the steps you heard the exclamations of pain. Kuai Liang was under attack and you barely reached him in time.

You were nearly crying with relief as you had seen Kuai Liang freeze his enemies. “A pity you could not have cooperated.”

You ran towards him and as he turned in your direction, you slammed into him so hard that the force caused him to stumble backwards. You immediately wrap your arms around his neck afraid to let him go. You could not lose him. Not another brother.

Kuai Liang was taken by surprise as he had not expected this reaction from someone he had never met.

Out from the shadows Cyborg Cyrax appears out of the shadows. “You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation.”

Releasing your half-brother, you turn towards Cyrax, a deathly glare evident on your face. You stand protectively in front of Kuai Liang.

“Cyrax?!”

“I am Lin Kuei Unit L-K-4-D-4. You will come with me.” Cyborg Cyrax continued approaching the two of you.

“Like hell he will.” You get into a fighting stance, your hands glowing with green telekinetic energy.

Kuai Liang did not understand why you were so protective of him; he had never met you and yet you seemed familiar. You resemble someone he once loved. Someone who he had been taken away from. Not wanting you to fight his own battles, he stepped around you and faced Cyrax.

“I am sorry for what they did to you…” Kuai Liang gets into a fighting stance. “…But I will not comply.”

The two faced each other in battle and it was clear that despite being turned into a machine, Cyrax still harbored some of his humanity. It was a struggle as the cold-hearted cyber part of him continued to fight. Because of this Kuai Liang was able to easily defeat Cyrax.

“I will face the Lin Kuei when my task is done, not before.” Kuai Liang tells Cyrax, who immediately teleports away.

Kuai Liang then turns around and faces you, his eyes soften as he takes in your features. You remind him so much of his mother. It had been so long since he had last seen her. He wondered how she was. Where she was? Perhaps, maybe when this was over, he could try to locate her.

“You have questions. I can give you answers you seek.” You pause as you hear Jax and Sonya approaching through the tunnel.

“Who are you?” His brow furrows with confusion.

“You’re sister.” You rub the back of your neck. “From the future. Look I know this maybe hard to believe, but I can show you.” You close your eyes and show him images of you and your mother.

Comprehension flickers on his face as he sees you with his mother. So, it was true. You were his sister.  Kuai Liang could hear the laughter and joy from both of you. Before he could see any more, he heard the voices of Sonya and Jax. He yanks you and spins you effortlessly so that you were standing safely behind him. His stands protectively in front of you as Jax and Sonya step out of the dark tunnel.

“The readings were getting stronger and now they’re gone. I…”

Both Jax and Sonya come to a stop when they see Kuai Liang.

“Easy brother, they are friends.” You place your hand on his shoulder and step out from behind him.

“Sub-Zero?! But…you’re dead!” Sonya and Jax approach the both of you.

“I am not the Sub-Zero you speak of. He was my brother.” Kuai Liang looks down to you and notices the frown on your face.

“Your…brother?” Sonya repeats with confusion.

“I’m only here to learn Sub-Zero’s fate.” Kuai Liang sees the exchanged look between Sonya and Jax. Neither of them wants to give the unsettling news of Bi-han’s death.

“He was killed by Scorpion.” You turn your back on the three and whispered sadly. Scorpions betrayal was unexpected. You had befriended him, and he did the one thing you had asked him not to do.

Kuai Liang takes a step towards you. “Where would I find him?”

You place your hand against your head as you began to hear the many souls of Ermac.

“Try the Coliseum. That’s where…”

Souls surround Jax, Sonya, and Kuai Liang, until they sensed your presence and immediately were drawn to you.

“You have disturbed our regeneration process.” Ermac appears out of thin air, his eyes immediately lock on you.

“This one can free us from servitude.” One of the many souls spoke inside your mind. “It is our nature.” “She is bound to another soul.” Ermac’s eyes remained locked on you as he approached you.

Jax disturbed by Ermac’s interest in you approaches him to get him to stay away from you. “Gotcha.” He pulls back his fist and tries to punch Ermac.

Ermac uses his telekinesis to stop his fist mid motion. He then uses his telekinesis to stretch out Jax’s arms. Jax cries out in agony and before you all knew it Jax’ arms are ripped off.

“Jax!” You and Sonya scream in unison as you both rush to his aid. “Stay with us, Jax!”

“We will break you as well.” Ermac says to Kuai Liang as he stands behind you.

“Not if I break you first.” Sub-Zero threatens as he gets into a fighting stance.

The two get into an intense fight. You had never seen a fight like that before. A fight between Ice and telekinesis. You clench your fists as you assess the fight between the two, you had to interfere to keep Kuai Liang alive. Of course, he can take care of himself, but you were not going to risk his life. You lost one brother. You cannot lose another.

With Ermac’s back to you, you use your telekinesis to prevent him from attacking Kuai. Kuai Liang notices and decides to freeze him. “I remain whole, for now.”

Kuai sidesteps Frozen Ermac and stands beside you, his hand on your shoulder as you attempt to help Jax.

“Sonya Blade to Command. Sonya Blade to Command. Do you read?”

“You have stopped the bleeding.” He says to Sonya.

“Yes, but he needs a medic as soon as possible.” Sonya exchanges a look between him and you.

“I must go to the Coliseum.” Kuai Liang removes his hand from your shoulder.

“But I need your help to get him to…” Sonya sits up straighter.

“There is a portal to the south. You can use it to transport yourselves back to Earthrealm.” Kuai Liang informs her.

You had an internal debate on whether you should help Sonya save Jax or stay with Kuai Liang. As much as you cared for your new friends, you could not help but put Kuai first. The thought of something happening to him. No. You could not stomach losing him. And so, you rose to your feet and gave Sonya a look of sympathy.

Kuai Liang walks away from the three of you not expecting you to follow him.

“Mother f…” She sends deathly glares towards Kuai. “That portal better be close…Y/N, come on we have to get him out of here.” Sonya struggles to get him up right.

You use your telekinesis to get him up and off the ground, “I’m sorry Sonya, but I can’t come with you and Jax. Kuai Liang is my brother and he is in danger.”

“Seriously, I’m pretty sure he can take care of himself. I can’t do this by myself.”

You look back in the direction where Kuai had disappeared and then looked South. “I failed to save Bi-han. I can’t…”

Sonya sighs as she knows what its like to live with guilt and regret. “Y/n, Bi-han’s death isn’t your fault.”

“No, but I trusted Scorpion.” You take a moment to pause. “The portal isn’t far away. I can help you get Jax close enough, but from there I have to get back to Kuai Liang.”

You arrived the Coliseum and rejoined Raiden, Smoke, and Johnny Cage, to find Kuai Liang surrounded by several cyber Lin Kuei.

“Sub-Zero?! No!” Smoke’s voice is filled with worry and fear.

You could feel your heart racing in your chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast through your veins. Kuai Liang was being restrained and the thought of never seeing him again, had your emotions and abilities overwhelmed.

Raiden prevented you and Smoke from rushing to Sub-Zero, “You cannot save him! Stay here or they will take you as well.”

You shake off Raiden’s hand. “The flow of time has been changed. I spared Smoke this fate, only to watch this new Sub-Zero fall.” Raiden states.

Kuai Liang’s eyes lock on yours, tears spill from your eyes as you rush forward. It is as if time slowed and you were unable to reach him fast enough.

“No!” Kuai Liang extends his hand to keep you away from harm. He knew what the Lin Kuei was capable of and the thought of you being in danger because of him, he could not bear to lose you. Not when he just found out you existed.

And just like that they disappeared, taking Kuai Liang with them. 

You drop to your knees and cry out in pure anguish. You had gained the attention of Shao Kahn, his minions, and the other kombatants.

The ground beneath you trembles. Kombatants were thrown backwards and were knocked unconscious. Even the audience sitting in the stands watch in fear as a single massive blast of energy came out of you, causing half of the Coliseum to collapse. The audience screamed in horror and fear as they try to run for their lives. Others had fallen, crashing to the dungeons and debris.

“Ugh…” Johnny rubs his head as he was thrown into the wall behind him. He looks up and assesses the wreckage that you had caused. “Damn.”

Smoke shakes off the ring in his ears, he looks over to your hunched form. He slowly rises on his feet and makes his way towards you. He looks up to the throne room and sees Shao Kahn and his followers had disappeared. 

When he reaches you, he can hear your broken sobs. He kneels next to you and places his hand on your shoulder.

Overcome with rage and emotion, you pull away from him and set off to avenge both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang.

Raiden speaks out loud before you leave the Coliseum, “The fate of the world is in danger.”

You come to a stop, but do not dare turn around. Why was this your burden? You did not ask for this. You tried to save everyone, only to succumb to heartbreak and loss.

“What you seek, will not bring them back. Instead you will only find death.” Raiden tries to get you to see reason.

“He’s right kid. You trying to avenge both of your brother’s…you can die...”

You interrupt Johnny, “I just did. Do you want to know what it felt like?” You see a Tarkatan corpse beside you. You use your telekinesis to rip its dead heart from its body. “It felt like that.”

You leave the three of them stunned. Raiden looked around the Coliseum and he feared for the worst. Death. So much destruction and death. 

Suddenly the words of the Elder Gods ring in his head. “The Champion of Mortal Kombat shall be Earthrealms salvation or the cause of its destruction.”

[caribouwritings]

Sub-Zero

           I was only three when my older brother Eddie died. He had a brain tumor; he died a couple weeks after my birthday and a couple weeks before his.

          He did just as he told our mom when he said, “I stay four.”

          On June 27th, my big brother was gone at age four.

***

           My parents tried to give me a happy life. They gave me privileges that some kids are not as lucky enough to have (such as a vacation almost every year). Despite what the therapist had said when the event happened, I was damaged and it was only a matter of time before it would all show in forms that got glossed over repeatedly.

I didn’t just lose my brother, I lost my best friend, my protector, my guide… I lost my Eddie.

           Although I can now say it and not think much of it, I still cry at the thought I was cheated out of a big brother to teach me the ropes and take my hand when I was scared.

           Senior year of high school was the hardest. I was graduating (on that day fifteen years later) and my brother did not even make it to kindergarten, which he was so excited for because he’d get to ride a bus; His favorite thing in life besides me, our family, Scooby-Doo, and Donald Duck was anything with an engine.

           I outlived my brother who knew what he wanted (it could’ve changed in time, but it would still involve cars and trucks), and I had panicked. I believed people when they told me I would be a great English teacher. I wanted to be a writer, but everyone kept saying I am a teacher at heart. There was just a couple teeny tiny (major) problems:  I hate school (and still do), I am very selective with what I choose to read, and I don’t talk unless I want to or need to.

            Kudos to those who teach, but I’d rather not go back. School for me was where I had my individuality constantly beaten out of me, I was bullied by other students for who I was, have been accused and associated with things I am not, and my mental health got worse.

           However, being non-confrontational, I just nodded my head and let myself be pushed to a major I did not want and watched as I slowly went downhill, and crossed paths with someone a little bit before graduation who is just like me… sort of.

           I was looking for some new games to play that are like Street Fighter II. While watching a Top Ten Best Fighting Games of All Time video on YouTube, the channel (Watchmojo) ranked a video game called Mortal Kombat (2011) at number two, right next to Street Fighter II which placed number one. When I saw the game on clearance at Walmart, I put it in the cart with the plan to take over the unused Xbox 360 in the living room bought by my parents’ for the Kinect feature. My mom did not care anymore, she was just grateful that the expensive gaming system collecting dust under the TV stand was finally being used.

           I played through several kombatants (yes, with a ‘K’, most ‘C’ starting words are replaced with a ‘K’) in the Ladder Fights and Test Your Luck challenges for hours enjoying the blood and gruesome moves.

            I oddly kept finding myself drawn to Sub-Zero, the blue ice assassin (don’t call them ninjas, they find it highly insulting). I didn’t know why though; I couldn’t figure out why I thought the man with ice powers was intriguing. Curious by nature, I did what I do with everything else I found fascinating, I dug for all the information I could find. It didn’t matter how useless and random, I wanted to know everything about the world of Mortal Kombat, and I now know a huge chunk of it.

           Sub-Zero’s real name is Kuai Liang, and he was originally called Tundra. He is the younger brother of Bi-Han, the first Sub-Zero in the series, and Kuai Liang took the name Sub-Zero after his brother’s death to honor him. That was the only similarity I thought we had, but I was so wrong… I was so wrong.

           Mortal Kombat is super violent. The two ice powered brothers are best known for a fatality where they rip the head and spine out of their enemy opponent, both parts still attached together like a twisted party trick (and this is also the main origin to the ERSP rating system in video games). I am not even strong enough to lift a twenty pound puppy without nearly dropping the stubborn Shepard Labrador mix back on the ground with a thump. Plus there’s the other stuff on the surface:  blonde Caucasian female with an olive shade of green eyes, a bubbly persona and pink girly appearance, versus a dark haired Chinese American male with icy blue eyes, a cold persona and super violent history.

           “He is just a video game character, he is not real. You don’t need to care this much for this fictional character.”

           I know that. Kuai Liang is not real, but his story is real to me.

           Kuai Liang went through hell. Everything bad that could have happened, did happen to him. He lost his brother when Scorpion—the wraith of the NetherRealm (and the franchise’s fan favorite character)—killed him in retaliation for killing the whole Shirai Ryu clan, his kind-hearted wife, and innocent baby boy (spoiler alert, it wasn’t Bi-Han at all! Scorpion was tricked into killing an innocent man!). Wanting to avenge his brother’s death, and avoid the Lin Kuei’s new cyber-initiative their Grandmaster was keen on, Kuai Liang and his best friend, Smoke, ran away to find the answers to what happened to Bi-Han. Right when our new Sub-Zero nearly has his revenge and is to kill Scorpion, he is stopped and surrounded by members of his former clan who have been converted from human to cyborg; despite the robotic outsides and still human insides, they are brainwashed to obey like full-fledged robots. He is taken back to the clan and suffers the same fate of being turned into a cyborg and is renamed LK-520, then sent after Smoke who managed to get away. Lucky for both of them, cyber-Sub-Zero is knocked unconscious and Smoke gets help from his new allies to reset Kuai Liang, but although he gets his control back, he is now stuck as a mashup of man and machine. Until (in a rushed scene of the game) he is killed and his soul is sent to the Netherrealm where he is rebuilt from what is left of his remaining bits of human organs and bone inside his robotic shell. Although human again, he is now under the mind control of the sorcerer, Quan Chi (spoiler alert! He’s the real person behind Scorpion’s suffering!), and is now working alongside both the man who framed his brother and the man who murdered his brother, along with several of his new allies that died as well. In the tenth game, he is freed from Quan Chi’s control by being in the right place at the right time (and by also being a fan favorite character too).

           That should be the end of it, but it’s not. This is right before I realized how perfectly Kuai Liang’s life parallels mine. This is before I read the comics.  

           Like I said, I get invested in stories to the point I want to find out everything I can. When I found all three volumes of the comic series on Amazon, I couldn’t resist and I bought all three.

           When UPS came to deliver the package, I brought it straight to my room plopping the brown cardboard box on my bed, and cut the tape open with a pink mechanical pencil. I didn’t care for the other two books I bought (except enough to hide the one I bought for my little sister’s birthday in the closet) because there they were. Volumes one, two, and three were at the bottom of the box under giant green bags of air that are satisfying to stomp on and give unsuspecting siblings heart attacks, but that was unimportant in this moment. I took the three volume books out and spread them on my bed, and dived right into the unknown; into the rebuild of the Shirai Ryu, the second generation of klassic characters, and what happened to those who lived or were brought back like Sub-Zero.

           Sub-Zero, at this point, was my favorite character. In volume two, however, there was a shift in my view of him. In that shift, he became my number one favorite character ever and sealed his place into that spot permanently.

           Kuai Liang had become possessed by a cursed dagger in the previous volume, and it continued into volume two. Scorpion (he is a good guy now… sort of) and his apprentice, Takeda, go after him and get the dangerous dagger back, but the curse makes it hard for Scorpion to reason with Kuai Liang. Scorpion becomes frustrated and the two fight to what they believe to be the death, until Takeda manages to get the dagger away. Kuai Liang exhausts out all the remaining evil within him, and then is left standing there perplexed by why he is there and what is going on. It doesn’t matter to Scorpion though, he still beats the bewildered young Sub-Zero to a bloody pulp and leaves him to die.

           Kuai Liang rethinks his life as he lays their bleeding out, so when Bo’ Rai Cho (ew, trust me on this one, just ew) comes to him to help him get back on his feet, he asks him, “you haven’t figured out what all these events mean? Why I’m here?”

           Kuai Liang’s answer is, “I must commit hara kiri…”

           There. There it is. Right there. That is the line that made me see I am more like Sub-Zero than I thought I was.

           We lost our older brothers, we lost our individuality, we were beaten, we were bullied, we were brainwashed, we took orders, we went down wrong paths, we battled the world, we battled ourselves, and we took so much of a beaten that we laid in our own blood, sweat, and tears thinking “I must commit hara kiri…”

           What is hara kiri? To simplify, it is suicide.

           I remember putting the comic down on my stuff animal infested bed and staring at the lavender colored walls, looking at the big picture. Sub-Zero is a strong warrior with ice powers, and he hit rock bottom. He may be physically stronger than me, but he is just as broken and weak as me on the inside. He put up a shield, hiding behind his anger just like I hid behind my smile.

           I picked up the comic again, and skipped frantically through the pages of volume three just to get to Kuai Liang and find the answers. What did he do and how did he survive to be in the next game?

           It is complicated and complex, but the answer is different based on how you interpret his story. I obviously interpreted it well, because I am here. I am okay.

[partycatty]

Hello!

I read your last story with the Lin Kuei brothers and it was really amazing. Could I please ask for a story with the Lin Kuei brothers (I love them❤) where they watch their s/o's dance performance at Madam Bo's? Kind regards!

GOD. YES. and thank you pookie :D

lin kuei trio > dancer

bi-han, kuai liang, and tomas vrbada watching the reader dance at madam bo's!!

notes: KUAI FAVORITISM AGAIN IM SO SORRY. this is a sweet change from the heinous shit i've been writing eeeeee kicking my feet and twirling my hair! also i know that says s/o but i had some ideas i just couldn't ignore..

masterlist <3

♡

bi-han >

• somehow, the lin kuei brothers are convinced by the earthrealm chosen ones to attend a dinner at madam bo's after their victory at armageddon. come on, just once! bi-han only attends because his brothers do, and because liu kang might show offense if he declined. so, here he was, pretending he wasn't enjoying the food as much as he was.

• as his mouth hung open to take a bite of a dumpling, kung lao and johnny find a couple of spare instruments and get that "you thinkin' what i'm thinkin'?" smirk. nobody in their sane mind thought either one of them were musically enclined, but then suddenly there was a two-man band singing and galloping about. you, as one of the earthrealmers, start laughing and clap to the beat, as does the entire group. kenshi, liu kang, kuai liang, and raiden chuckle, syzoth, tomas and ashrah get up to dance, and bi-han puts his chopsticks down with crossed arms and a frown.

• he couldn't help but be mildly amused at the ridiculousness, scoffing to himself. but his scowled expression turns soft when he glances over at you and watches you lift yourself from the chair you sat on and shimmied over to the dancing group, starting to enjoy yourself. you moved in such a coordinated way that bi-han was only accustomed to seeing in combat. he didn't think such elegance could be used... for fun.

• the entire group is mostly ignoring bi-han, but not intentionally. everyone's just caught up in their own enjoyment. you playfully dance to the impromptu rhythm, twirling ashrah and bumping shoulders with kung lao. as you twirl, you lock eyes with the cryomancer and he tenses up when he realizes he'd been staring.

• "come on, blueberry ice!" you shout over the crowd and music, extending an arm. "you're too damn rigid all the time. loosen up with me?"

• "no," he replies, accidentally far colder than necessary. you groan.

• "it's one night! i'll tell johnny not to record. you work too hard. shang tsung is in prison, and our timeline's intact. that doesn't deserve at least a little shimmy?"

• "i don't dance," bi-han again replies, leaning back in his chair. he wouldn't admit it, but he finds your persistence cute. perhaps he won't give in just to see you keep trying.

• you try to do anything possible to get him to join you without actually pissing him off. the lasso trick doesn't work, and neither does the "pass on the wave" trick. you give up, throwing your hands in the air in a surrendering pose before walking backwards back into the group.

• the dancing and celebrating goes well into the night, and the entire time, his icy ass is PLANTED in that damn chair. he eventually becomes a part of the furniture.

• kuai liang leans over to speak to his brother with a grin.

• "you aren't going to dance with her, brother?" kuai liang asks, cheeks tinted with pink from the alcohol. "i understand our clan has much work to tend to, but must you have turned her down on a night like this?"

• "i am not dipping so low as to act a fool," bi-han replies, eyes fixated on your dancing still. you're now dancing with johnny in a ridiculous duo choreography you're pulling from your ass as you go.

• "bi-han, you are as dull as you are sharp," kuai liang laughs. "she was showing interest."

• bi-han launches his glance to his pyromancer brother, eyebrows shooting up. he doesn't seem to believe it, but then it clicks. you wanted to dance with him! YOU wanted to dance with HIM! it wasn't just a kind offer, dammit, it was flirting!!

• you let out a loud laugh above the crowd as you enjoy the festivities. as you calm down, you once again lock eyes with the grandmaster. it feels like only you two know of this secret tension. you extend your arm with a raised brow and flushed grin.

• perhaps one night of foolishness won't hurt.

♡

kuai liang >

• a quiet night in the shirai ryu was unheard of, considering it's still trying to pick itself up. kuai liang was always so damn stressed with work, training hanzo and finding more recruits while also upgrading the compound.

• you were one of the first recruits, so you held a sense of seniority within the clan. kuai liang often confided in you regarding these aforementioned stressors. you were his favorite rubber duck to rant to while he tried to figure things out.

• his head was buried in his hands as he sighed deeply, books and papers strewn across his workspace. you frowned, standing in the doorway.

• "how about a night away from the clan, grandmaster?" you'd politely suggest. you didn't actually expect for him to agree so easily... or know a place... or invite you.

• madam bo greets kuai liang with a sweet smile, offering up whatever she cooked for the night. he insists that anything she makes is perfect, and requests one of everything.

• you sit across the table from your grandmaster, not really sure on what to talk about. it was always work, training, and hatred for bi-han. but now you had to talk about... everything else? even so, his tense shoulders easily surpass your own nerves.

• "at ease, grandmaster," you gently say, reaching across to put a hand on his arm. he visually does ease, comforted by your touch. "enjoy yourself."

• hold on sorry i'm tweakin rn he is so fucking fine i need to chew on his man bun

• "i appreciate you more than you'll know," he replies gently with a smile. "i needed this, i suppose. to be away from a table that isn't cluttered. to eat a nice meal..."

• the plates are cleared as you two chat peacefully about anything and everything. as it turns out, you actually had a great deal in common with your grandmaster. and damn, in the restaurant's dim lighting, his features really stood out..

• as the thought crosses your mind, a small band of fengjian musicians step up to the center of the room and start to play a slow, sweet song. kuai liang swivels in his chair to view the band before turning toward you.

• "do you dance?" he asks suddenly, a little smirk playing at his lips.

• "d-do i...?" you stammer out, almost choking on your tea.

• "dance," kuai liang repeats. "do you?"

• "i-i was a dancer when i was younger. on occasion. yes."

• suddenly, kuai liang stands up and holds his hand out to you. your jaw drops.

• "i shouldn't," you insist shyly. "you're..."

• "i'm your grandmaster," he finishes your sentence. damn, this guy does that often. "yes, yes, i know. but you said tonight is to enjoy ourselves. tonight, i'm not your grandmaster. i'm kuai liang, and i'm asking for a dance."

• he eventually pulls you into a small crowd of other dancers, and you two start with shy steps, eventually understanding each other's style and speed. you wouldn't believe it, but he's actually a good dancer! he follows your every move and allows you to lead. if he focused even a little bit more on you, he'd surely lose his footing. you were just so natural with your movements. there was an attraction there that wasn't there before, and it made kuai liang feel impossibly hotter.

• a small crowd gathers at your coordinated dance. anyone would've assumed it was choreographed ahead of time, but this was entirely you two having a deep understanding of each other's movements. the music felt like a fuzzy white noise and the people disappeared. it was just you and kuai liang.

• the songs ends with you in a dip. you're both catching your breath, flushed, and giggly at the spontaneity.

• "i need nights out more often, if they're with you," he'll mumble to you still in his dip.

♡

tomas >

• tomas only had one objective that day: to determine if kung lao and raiden were ready for to be recruited. what he didn't anticipate, however, was that tonight was the night you were meant to perform at madam bo's.

• a tiny stage sat in the center of the room, and you stepped atop the platform. a couple of men to the side played their instruments for you, and you instantly got to work. as your hips swayed, your flowy garments swung around you, like a perfect gust of wind twirling you.

• tomas stood on the roof alongside his brothers, ogling at the sight. his jaw dropped behind his mask, and his eyes softened. he was supposed to be the big strong leader of the staged confrontation, but god. it was just so hard to be stone cold in front of such a beauty.

• the entire room was so focused on your dance moves. tomas could only mentally equate you to a gorgeous swirl of smoke. or perhaps a cloud—?

• bi-han elbows him in the side with a scowl.

• "focus, you idiot. the farmers, not some foolish performer. do you see them?"

• tomas is that meme where the guy goes "SHE IS VERY GORGEOUS TO ME!!! ☝️"

• tomas shakes his head with a light blush, partially shocked with himself for being so distracted by just one person. he's a ninja. he's killed, defended earthrealm, seen so much shit, and yet he's winded by a dancer. he just had to know more, had to see if you were as alluring up close as you were from afar.

• the men drop from their position and wait outside of the entrance for a moment, mentally preparing themselves. once they are, tomas enters first and stands in front of kung lao and raiden menacingly.

• just as planned, him and madam bo go at it with a fake argument ending in a fight. madam bo gets flung over the railing, mere feet away from where you froze on your little stage. tomas stops completely, forgetting that the two farmers were charging at him. he glances over at you, and how your movement stopped and was now terrified. you scream and take cover behind the bar, peering over to watch the fight.

• he was so trapped in his adoration for you that he forgets to fight back when raiden lands a damn hard punch to his chest, sending him backward. groaning and standing up, he chucks a smoke bomb at the ground and vanishes completely.

• then, before you could process anything, a puff of smoke shrouds your vision and tomas is beside you. you yelp out and crawl backward, terrified by his strength and sudden appearance. making sure bi-han and kuai liang are adequately occupied, tomas leans down to you.

• "hey, hey," he'll say cautiously with his hands out. "shh. you're alright. you're in no danger." your breathing slows from the hyperventilation, looking up at him with innocent eyes. he almost melts then and there. if he could turn into a comical puff of smoke, he would.

• a lin kuei ninja crashes down the railing and lands on top of the bar. you flinch, tomas doesn't.

• "what do you want? money?" you reply in a weak voice, still uneased and confused. tomas frowns, coming up with an answer. he doesn't blame you for being confused when three colorful ninjas and their little sidekicks saunter into a small village restaurant.

• "no, no money," he replies quietly, now crouching down to your level. "everything will make sense in time. now... now please—" tomas gestures toward a nearby exit. "be safe. i apologize for frightening you."

• he extends a hand out, and you take it. for a moment, it feels like it's only you two in the room. no "dead" madam bo, no raiden kicking the shit out of scorpion, or kung lao flinging his hat at sub-zero. it's just you and this mysterious, muscly man in grey.

• "your dancing was... beautiful, by the way," he'll admit sheepishly, his eyes showing his smile behind the mask. "i hope to return to watch it, sometime."