Chapter Text
Branches whipped his face as he ran, but he paid them no mind. He vaguely realized he wasn't wearing any shoes when he felt rough brambles tear through the soles of his feet. He couldn't stop, he had to keep running. Kuai Liang wasn't even aware of what he was running from anymore, he just knew it was coming. It was something dark, like a living shadow that could not be boiled down to any words he knew. He only knew it was death and darkness, and everything in life he did not wish to see.
Kuai Liang gasped awake, his heart hammering and his breath struggling to keep up. He clutched at his chest as if it would convince his pulse to stop racing.
Someone across the room shifted and a voice called out, “Kuai Liang? Again?” Bi-Han sounded tired but concerned.
When he felt like he had enough air to answer, he replied, “Yes, but it's fine. Don't worry about me.”
“Are you going to go back to sleep?” It was still dark outside, but sunrise couldn't have been more than an hour away.
“No.”
At his reply, he heard the rustling of blankets and in a moment his brother was standing over him. “Get up then. There's plenty of work to do, and it’s best to get it done before it gets too hot.”
His brother had always been an early riser, and Kuai Liang had always tried his best to follow suit. Only the nightmares he had been plagued with over the past year had done anything to help him rise in the morning, though he never felt rested. It was more that he was just too afraid to go back to sleep.
Bi-Han knew very little about his dreams, as he hardly shared anything, just the bare minimum. He didn't want his brother to worry. Since they had been out from the oppressive hand of the Lin Kuei for the past two years, Kuai Liang wanted Bi-Han to enjoy his life as much as he could. He didn't need to worry about his little brother's dreams, even if they woke both of them every night. Kuai Liang was almost twenty-two, which he figured was more than old enough to take care of himself.
So Kuai Liang did what he did every night when sleep threw him from its domain. He and his brother would head to an abandoned saw mill just a few blocks from their apartment. The large, empty space was perfect for their training. Bi-Han never let him miss a day. Even when Bi-Han occasionally left to go out of town on some errand for their boss, he expected Kuai Liang to continue practicing. While they continued to work on hand-to-hand combat and sparring, Kuai Liang was mostly interested in his cryomancy. By far, Bi-Han was the better cryomancer, though it was mostly due to age.
“I don't understand why I can't do it,” Kuai Liang lamented. He had been trying to form an identical copy of himself made of ice for the past thirty minutes, to no avail. The best he could manage was a misshapen tower of ice that looked like its sculptor had never seen a human before. The last try had left him frustrated and ready to quit.
“You’re doing fine. It doesn't even matter what it looks like, just that it freezes someone upon contact.” Bi-Han picked up a piece of wood and chucked it at the ice. As soon as it made contact, frost crawled across its surface. “You’re a warrior, not an artist. Don't get caught up in the finer details.”
“But yours looks so lifelike. If someone painted it, I would think it was you. Why can't I do that?”
“You aren't too far behind where I was at your age, especially when you consider your other abilities. I had our father to teach me, and he was the greatest cryomancer to ever walk the halls of the temple, even greater than our grandfather. You’re stuck with me, and I am not a very good teacher.”
Kuai Liang didn't believe that. He didn't believe that his father was the greatest cryomancer ever, and he didn't believe that Bi-Han was not a good teacher, mainly because the former statement was incorrect. While childish adoration had given way to a more mature respect, Kuai Liang would always think his brother was the greatest assassin the clan had ever produced. In the small time Kuai Liang had known his grandfather, he had been beyond cruel. Perhaps that was why their father was so cold to them when he finally took them back to his clan.
Their father had been a great cryomancer, but he eventually had not returned home. Someone out there had been better. Kuai Liang also thought the man was beneath his brother simply for the way that he acted. Bi-Han could be cold and cruel, but he had an uderlying love that resonated through his every action. Even when those actions were wrong, his intentions were never misplaced. Kaui Liang had seen their father train Bi-Han, he had seen the bruises and tears. Bi-Han had never done that to him, and that was why he would prefer a single poor teacher to a thousand perfect ones.
“You are, Bi-Han, trust me. I have had plenty of bad teachers in my life. I think the problem must lie in the student.”
Bi-Han rolled his eyes. “Don't be so hard on yourself. You know how I don't like it. Just cheer up and know that one day you will be great.”
Kuai Liang smiled genuinely at his brother. Bi-Han had never been foward with compliments, and Kuai Liang had thought him to just not be easily impressed. But ever since they had left the temple, Bi-Han had grown into someone else. Not a new person, just the best version of himself. Kuai Liang wondered if those comments and pats on the back had always been there under the cold demeanor Bi-Han had adopted to survive the Lin Kuei.
“We're finished for today,” his brother announced.
“Already?” Kuai Liang had wanted to have a few more tries at the cloning move.
“It does you no good to practice when you're angry, and we have to get to work soon anyway.”
Kuai Liang noticed the rays of sulight beginning to peak through the broken windows that lined the tops of the walls. They both needed to head out of town towards the farmland they worked all day. It was tiring, but it gave them plenty of money to live.
“Wipe the frown off your face, too. You'll worry your little friend,” Bi-Han said playfully.
“Shut up,” Kaui Liang answered back. His voice had no real malice. His brother had teased him constantly about the girl who worked with them. His feelings for Fira were completely plantonic, and he was almost certain Bi-Han knew that. Still, he expected at least a few comments a day.
The workday wasn't too bad, as a storm had cleared the heat from the day before. The worst part of it was what they were doing, which was seeding new crop for the coming season. It was tiresome and each plant of a seed was uniform to the next. At least Kuai Liang had Fira to chat with while they worked.
“So why did you two move here?” Fira asked, changing the course of the conversation they had been having. “I never thought this was a place someone would want to be.”
“The weather.”
Fira laughed. “The weather? You mean hot and muggy every day of the year, except the ones where it is raining?”
“Where we are from it’s freezing for ten months out of the year. It snows all the time and you can't even remember what it's like to be warm.”
“I've never seen snow,” Fira said whistfully. “I've always wanted to, though.”
He shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, “It's not as neat as you would think. It's just white powder.”
“It sounds amazing,” Fira replied, her mind clearly somewhere else, most likely somewhere cold. She snapped back to reality and gave Kuai Liang a playful shove. “Maybe you could show me some time. So I can see if it’s not as neat as you would think.” She did an awful impression of him as she quoted his words, which made him chuckle under his breath.
“I'll probably never go back there, so you'll probably have to find someone else to go on your ski trip with.”
Fira rolled her eyes and huffed, but she couldn't stay that way for long. The two spent the rest of the day side by side, chatting up a storm as they planted row after row. When the sun was finally making its way down to the horizon, someone up at the compound rung a large bell, signaling that the work day was finished.
Kuai Liang said goodbye to Fira, who lived in the opposite direction of him, out in the country somewhere. He walked alone for a bit before his brother finally came up beside him when they were about halfway home. Bi-Han’s lips were thin and downturned, matching the tone of his creased brow. Kuai Liang knew that meant he wasn't in a good mood, but he couldn't stop himself from asking, “Is everything alright?”
Bi-Han turned towards him and it looked as though a snappy reply was about to come his way, but instead his brother choked it back down and blinked a few times to banish the dark look he wore. “Everything is fine. I just have to go back after we eat. They need some help unloading some seed for tomorrow.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
His brother sighed. “No, it's fine. You should focus on sleeping well. I’ll probably be home before you wake, but if not, don't worry about training tomorrow. You deserve a day off.” Bi-Han patted him on the shoulder before he resumed his brooding. Kuai Liang had a suspicion that his brother was not telling the full truth, but he respected him enough not to press it.
Dinner was eaten in silence. While their diets still mainly consisted of the few stables they had eaten at the temple, like rice, Kuai Liang had been amazed at the wide selection of foods that were available even in a small town. He'd made it his mission to try every single type of fruit he could buy, and so far he had not run out of new targets.
While Kuai Liang washed the dishes, Bi-Han readied himself for work again. It was still odd for Kuai Liang to see his brother or himself in normal civilian clothes, and he doubted he would ever get used to it. It made him feel like he was pretending to be someone he wasn't. Kuai Liang had laughed the first time he had ever seen the great Sub-Zero in jeans, and only a smack upside his head had curbed his giggles.
It made Kuai Liang wonder if they were ever going to live a truly normal life. He wondered if he would ever make more friends than Fira, or even find someone else that he loved. He couldn't imagine himself ever getting married or having kids, but he supposed the first and second Sub-Zeroes had done so, even if it was a facade.
Kuai Liang was pretty certain he would never have the same type of life that all the people around him had, but he wasn't upset about it. He had been given a different path to walk, and he was only glad that he did not have to walk it alone.
He tossed and turned that night while he tried to sleep. Bi-Han occasionally worked extra hours, but he had never canceled training or seemed so distraught about the ordeal. Kuai Liang doubted his brother's nerves had gotten to him over lost sleep. Bi-Han could go for days without even resting his eyes for a moment. One night lost would be nothing to him. It was strange. But, they had developed a relationship built on trust and a mutual understanding of not prying for each other's secrets. Bi-Han had done plenty of things he had never told Kuai Liang about, and Kuai Liang was okay with that as long as Bi-Han didn't pry into sensitive territory.
He startled awake, but for once not because of a dream. The door to their apartment was open and someone was standing in the light that was flooding in to dispel darkness. Kuai Liang recognized the shape of his brother and the adrenaline that had peaked vanished like a drop of water in a river.
“Go back to sleep, Kuai Liang,” Bi-Han spoke as he closed the door. The room was pitch black once more. Kuai Liang noted that his brother sounded rather weary, but he chalked it up to the late hour and let the rare call of sleep pull his head back onto his pillow.
When he got up the next morning, he tried to be as quiet as possible. Bi-Han’s black hair was just visible beneath a blanket, and Kuai Liang wanted to keep it that way. He thought his brother might be upset for not waking him, but if he was too tired to wake up when Kuai Liang accidently dropped a cup, he was too tired to go to work. If the boss got mad, he could blame himself for making Bi-Han work late.
At the farm, Kuai Liang immediately started to help the other hands ready the bags of seed for another day's work. He looked around for Fira, but he couldn't see her anywhere. It wasn't particularly unusual, as sometimes she was asked to do more menial tasks for the boss or his wife. Fira never minded getting to work indoors all day, though she had remarked that she missed getting to spend time with Kuai Liang. He didn't know why she would want to sweat in the heat just to talk to him, but he just filed it with all the other weird things she said and did.
By lunch, Kuai Liang was growing concerned about the lack of Bi-Han. He had expected his brother to be an hour or so late, but it had been six. It was unlike his rigid brother to even think about missing half a days work. But it wasn't like he could go hunt him down or see if he was still in bed, so Kuai Liang just pushed down all of his worries and focused on putting seeds in the ground. He had to make sure he earned a living.
The bell rang at quitting time, and Kuai Liang decided he would go wait by the boss’ house for Fira. If she was working inside, she knew he would wait for her by the shed. He didn't miss her exactly, but the lack of geniuine human connection had made the day feel long and lonely, and he wanted to talk to anyone about anything. Fira was always happy to supply conversation.
When he saw her exit the back door of the house, he felt almost excited. He started towards her, but when she saw him she started to walk the other way. Concerned and confused, he jogged after her.
“Fira! Wait up!” he called.
She stopped, looked towards where she had been headed, then turned to him. Her posture seemed to give up and she faced him fully. “What do you want?” She sounded hurt, like someone had betrayed her.
Kuai Liang tilted his head as he came to a stop in front of her. “What do you mean? I didn't see you all day and now you're acting like you don't even want to talk to me.”
Her eyes flashed with sadness. “Do you know what your brother was doing last night?”
“He said he had to work late.”
Fira suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him along into a grove of trees, as if she wanted privacy from anyone who might still be around. “Kuai Liang, I don't want to frighten you, but I think there is something wrong with your brother.”
His heart skipped at the worried tone of his friend. “What? What are you talking about? What's wrong with him?”
“He has an evil in him, some sort of devil. I saw him go to another farm last night, my neighbors’ place. They are the ones who reported that we were cutting corners on teh fertilizer.”
Kuai Liang thought he knew where the story was heading, but he didn't say anything. He just silently prayed that he was wrong.
“He killed them all,” she whispered, naked fear in her voice. “But not with knives or guns, with ice. It was nothing like I have ever seen. I went to look after he left, and they were frozen.”
“What? Are you sure? That doesn't sound possible,” Kuai Liang feigned.
Tears pricked in her eyes. “There was snow on the ground, and you were right. It was not as nice as people say.” She choked and fat tears started to fall on the ground. Fira rushed fowards and threw her arms around Kuai Liang, burying her face into his shoulder. He had no choice but to catch her.
Kuai Liang felt betrayed that his brother could do this. He had blown their cover, he had lied to him. Perhaps the influence of the Lin Kuei was still too strong, maybe they would never be free of it. Every hope of a normal life vanished from his mind.
When Fira was finally able to get ahold of herself, she stepped back and wiped her eyes. “I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I ran as fast as I could…”
“What?” he asked, his voice commanding. He needed to know who all she had told. “Who did you run to? Who knows about this?”
“I told my parents, and they got the other neighbors. They all went to look, and they saw what I saw. They drove to town together, and I don't know what happened after that. I was so worn out I fell asleep. I don't know who all knows.”
She looked up at him with her soft brown eyes pleadingly. “Please, you aren't safe, maybe you could stay with my parents and I until we get this sorted.”
“What? No. Are you insane?” Kuai Liang felt a flash of anger. The people in town, they could be judgmental and rash. They were prone to groupthink. He needed to return to Bi-Han immediately. “You just told everyone about this and you think I'm going to live with you?”
The illusion shattered in her then, he could see it in her eyes. “You’re like him too, aren't you?” she asked timidly. She started to back away. “You are both abominations?”
Kuai Liang did not wait to answer her question. Instead he ran with everything he had toward town, towards Bi-Han, and towards an uncertain fate.
There was a commotion when he reached their apartment. There were more people on the stairwell than lived in the whole building. They shouted and cursed as Kuai Liang pushed them out of the way to get to their apartment. When he got there, several men were banging on the door. He shoved them out of the way and put the door to his back. The men wore hateful faces and the air was tense. There was going to be a fight.
Kuai Liang shouted his brother's name at the door, and to his relief, the locked clicked and the door opened just enough for a firm hand to pull him inside.
“Where have you been?” Bi-Han scolded, his words tense.
“I could ask the same of you,” Kuai Liang shot back defiantly. “I heard about your nighttime adventures.”
“Someone saw me, I know. We need to get out of here.”
Kuai Liang wasn't going to let his brother deflect. “What were you thinking?!”
“We needed the money.”
“We have money! We both earn more than enough to survive.”
Bi-Han scoffed. “You think we earn enough from that cheap bastard of a boss for this sort of life? It isn't much but it is much more than any of the other hands have. They live five to a room. Did you want that? Did you want to go to bed hungry every night? To not have shoes to wear?”
“I wanted to not have to share a room with a murderer!”
His brother's breath hitched for a moment, as if the greatest tongue lashing of Kuai Liang’s life was coming, but Bi-Han just growled in frustration before he spit out, “We can do this later. We need to leave. Now.”
While his brother opened the window that led to a ten-meter drop to the street, Kuai Liang went to his bedside table to grab the only thing of worth he had. In the drawer, he pulled out the slightly creased photograph of himself and Bi-Han that he had treasured since his brother had given it to him two years ago. He tucked it into his pocket before he followed Bi-Han onto the street below.
No one expected them to drop out of a three-story window, so no one was guarding the back of the building. They kept to the side streets and watched their backs as they made their way out of the town.
Bi-Han led him towards a forest, where they could get off of any marked roads. They trekked in silence for a long while before Kuai Liang finally said, “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure you had your reasons.”
“And I told you them,” Bi-Han replied curtly.
Kuai Liang rolled his eyes, but tried again. “I understand your reasons, but not your methods. Why didn’t you just tell me what you were doing?”
“There are things you shouldn’t have to worry about, money being one of them.”
“I’m not a kid anymore. You don't have to treat me like one.”
Bi-Han didn't say anything for a few minutes. He shocked Kuai Liang when he returned, “No, but you never got to be one, so I guess I’m trying to make up for that.”
“I appreciate your intentions, and I like knowing that you'll look out for me like that, but I would like to be informed in the future. I am twenty-one.”
His brother turned to give him a raised eyebrow over his shoulder. “Twenty-one? But I'm twenty-eight, which would make you twenty-two.”
“Oh really? Well I guess I forgot to tell you happy birthday, then. Please, could you remind me when it was?” A wide grin appeared on Kuai Liang’s face. This was the type of thing he had always wanted when they were still trapped within the strict standards of the Lin Kuei.
Bi-Han didn't have a real answer to the question, so he teased, “You're such a little shit.”
Kuai Liang laughed at his brother's response and ran up to walk side by side. Their life was once more an impermanent journey, but he had to admit he never saw himself growing old in that town. He was better off without those people around him anyway.
They walked on until it became dark and the insects started their nightly chorus. They had no supplies, but they were both so tired that they just picked a relatively flat piece of ground to get some rest on. As soon as he was horizontal, Kuai Liang almost feel right to sleep. But then he found then unmistakable rhythm of human footsteps.
Bi-Han tensed beside him and jumped to his feet. Kuai Liang wasn't so quick on the draw, so he was only sitting when a figure emerged from the darkness into the moonlight of the clearing. It was a man, a very large man, who had the strangest eyes. They glowed like something from another world, sending shivers down Kuai Liang’s spine. He got up to stand next to his brother, who was tensed to fight.
The man stalked closer, his posture light and casual. When he spoke, Kuai Liang was surprised to hear the voice of any other man. “You two are surprisingly dificult to locate, even for a god.”
“A god?” Bi-Han questioned. “Who are you?”
“Ah, my apologies. I have not introduced myself properly.” The man inclined his head and lightning coursed over his body. “I am Raiden, God of Thunder and Protector of Earthrealm. Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, I have come to seek your help in the defense of Earthrealm from all those who would seek to destroy it. I have come to enlist your participation in a tournament called Mortal Kombat.”