Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Thirteen: Let Him Go

-Kuai's POV- The dark castle looming before Hanzo and I sends shivers down my spine.
The area known as the Netherrealm is suffocating. Hot air hurts my lungs with each breath and the frost choking me isn't helping. I arch down and clutch my knees, letting out wheezing breaths.

"Kuai, are you all right?" Hanzo rushes up to me after defeating some demons that inhabit this cursed land. Right before I can answer, Bi-Han's laugh echoes from the top of the castle steps.
"B..Brother...." I choke, sweat running down my face.
"My, my, Tundra. You seem to have fallen rather ill. My poor baby brother. Are your Cryomancer powers going haywire? Poor little Tundra." He mocks, walking slowly down the stairs and meeting me face to face.

"Where is Kana?" I demand, coughing and spitting out ice fragments. "He is safe with his uncle, Kuai. But tell me, where did you find him?"
"He was left out on the Lin Kuei Temple doorstep. He was going to freeze out there if I had not saved him."
"Hm, I see." Bi-Han narrows his snowy white eyes. "And do you not realize that Kana has powers? He explained to me that water heals him. He's a Hydromancer. Isn't that wonderful? It appears this boy will help me conquer the Netherrealm."

"Never!" Both Hanzo and I yell at the same time.
Bi-Han laughs again, teleporting away through a small black hole he created. Hanzo and I rush towards the castle and shove open the large black doors. A large throne room greets us, but no sign of Kana.

Bi-Han sits on the black throne, looking down at us. His eyes narrow when he sees me wearing the yellow robe Hanzo gave me. "Why are you wearing Shirai Ryu colors, Kuai?" He growls.
I tilt my head up to meet him in the eyes. "Both Hanzo and I are no longer enemies, Bi-Han. The Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei have ceased fighting. Something that you failed to accomplish."

With an angry yell, Bi-Han leaps off the throne and teleports in front of me. Even in death, he still is the taller sibling. "Say that to my face, you failure of a Cryomancer."
His white eyes burn into my blue ones.
I glance over at Hanzo, who is struggling with Bi-Han's shadow double that keeps dodging attacks.

"You heard me, brother." I snap. He grabs my chin with his hand and tilts my head up to stare at him. I flinch when his other hand traces the long scar over my eye slowly, almost tenderly. I close my eye with the scar over it, feeling myself blush in either frustration or embarrassment.

Much to my dismay, I feel a few tears squeeze out from my eyes. "Aw," Bi-Han tilts his head, his blank eyes shining with something resembling pity. "Are you crying because you're flustered, baby brother?" He cups the side of my face, tracing the bottom part of the scar on my cheek with his thumb.

"You always were a timid little boy. Answer me, Kuai, who is Grandmaster now? Did that old idiot who sent me to be killed by Scorpion finally pass?"
I grimace, opening my eye and taking a deep breath.
"Yes, he's dead. I am Grandmaster now."
Bi-Han barks a laugh that sounds more like a cough, smugly pinching my scarred cheek.
"Oh, that's just precious! Grandmaster Kuai Liang! Hah! You must be joking, really. Who is it? If you say Frost, I'll put this sickle through your head."

"I am being serious, Sub-Zero." I feel my eye twitch from Bi-Han mocking me and pinching my cheek, (pinching the scarred one, just to rub it in.)
I cross my arms like an impatient child as he lets go of my cheek. He growls when I call him by his codename. "And the rest of the Lin Kuei? How are they?"

"They're dead. Frost betrayed me and turned our—my—clan into killing machines. Cyrax and Sektor are responsible along with my old student." More tears flood my eyes. Bi-Han shrugs, circling me while tossing his sickle from hand to hand like a baton.

"Where is Kana?" I demand through my tears, seeing Hanzo getting pinned down by Bi-Han's shadow double. "As I said before, Kana is safe with me. You mustn't worry your frozen heart, Tundra. You want him so badly? Fine. Come and look for him. For now, sweet dreams, baby brother.~" he sings in a mocking tone in my ear before pain explodes in the back of my head. I crumple to the stone floor, my vision swimming. I see Hanzo being knocked out as well in my fading sight.

I barely see Bi-Han crouch down to look at me and hardly feel his fingers slither down my spine as I finally fall into oblivion.