Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Nineteen: Artificial Enhancments

-Kuai's POV- "She stole it?" Both Bi-Han and Hanzo say in sync. "I..." I look down at the sketch Kana made. My heart swells with regret and remorse. God, of course she would take it. A Medallion that grants the holder power? Who wouldn't want that?

My sight blurs with frustrated tears as I slam my hand on the table. All three of them jump. I feel my other hand and arm gloss over with ice in anger. My fingers are instantly given the appearance of claws from the large icicle on each finger.

"Kuai..." Bi-Han catches on to my distress. He walks over to me. "None of this is your fault."
"But I feel like it was!" I yell, the tears flowing again. Why must I cry so much?!
"I was the one that took her in! I was the one that trained her! And I sure as Hell was the one that showed her that idiotic Medallion!"
I claw at the table with my icicle fingers, easily damaging the wood.

The familiar pressure builds up in my chest again. With a scream of anger, I storm out of the library, slamming the door behind me. The blizzard has since died down but the main entrance room is covered in snow. Fantastic....
Footsteps behind me cause me to spin around, a sphere of ice in my hands.
Bi-Han raises his hands up in a caught-red-handed posture. "Easy, little brother. It's just me..."

I slow down my erratic breathing and put my hands down, the ice ball vanishing into mist.
I stare down at my hands, one normal and the other covered in ice with icicle claws. My brother walks over and takes my hands in both of his.
He seems unbothered by the chill from my right hand. "Impressive," he muses. "Your Cryomancer powers are improving. Icicles as claws? I never would have thought of that." He turns my right hand over, tracing the curve of the icy claws.

"Why did you follow me?" I ask, continuing to let him hold my hands in his grip. "Because I care about you." His white eyes look into mine.
"Brother...." I weep.
He pulls me into a hug. I slowly hug him back, nuzzling my face into his shoulder.
"Seeing you distressed hurts me, Kuai Liang. Trust me, we will hunt Frost down. I love you, Kuai. Don't you forget that."
I laugh. "I love you, too."

"Is Kana okay?" I ask.
"I'm fine, Papa." Both Kana and Hanzo enter the main room. Bi-Han lets me go.
"Kana," I kneel down. "When this plan goes into motion, all three of us will leave for a bit. You need to stay behind."
Kana nods. "I know. When will you be back?"
"In a few days." 'I hope.'
I ruffle his hair.

"Hanzo, can you get in contact with Raiden? He's the only person I can trust to watch over Kana." I ask.
"Yes, I can get in contact. Raiden will keep him safe. Give me a few minutes. Raiden will be here shortly."
With a whirl of flame and hot air, Hanzo is gone.
****
The dust from the canyon almost makes me sneeze.
Heat from the sun makes me regret putting on dark blue armor. Hanzo and Bi-Han kneel down on either side of me, with all of us staring down at the Lin Kuei Cyber Factory.

"This place is more heavily guarded than I recall." I growl, removing the telescope from my eye and passing it to Hanzo.
"All of those cyborgs are from the Lin Kuei?" Bi-Han blinks. I nod, feeling sweat drip down my face. Wether it's from nervousness or just the heat getting to me, I can't tell.

"Looks like you were correct about the side entrance being less guarded." Hanzo informs me, giving the telescope to Bi-Han. "We can enter through there."
Bi-Han motions to the smaller entrance with the telescope.

"How are neither of you complaining about the heat?" I pant, fanning myself with my hand.
"Kuai, both Hanzo and I were reborn in the Netherrealm. Heat doesn't bother us."
"Right," I sigh. "I forgot."
All three of us sneak down near the tunnel entrance guarded by one cyborg.

I grip an ice Kunai and take aim at the cyborg's head.
'Just throw it. That machine isn't a Lin Kuei anymore. Throw it. Get it over with.'
I exhale and launch the small weapon. Bullseye.
The cyborg falls to the ground and short circuits.
"You have good aim, Tundra." I can tell Hanzo is grinning by the tone of his voice.

"Let's go." I bolt ahead with both of them behind me. The blue and silver tunnel is cold and illuminated by blinding white lights. The deeper we go, the louder our footsteps are. "Keep your guard up," I remind them. Where did this sudden urge of bravery come from? Could it be because my brother is here?

"Wait," I motion them to stop by raising my fist up. We hit an intersection. I peek out and look down both hallways. They're dark, but all clear.
"Clear." The sound of metal scraping down the right hallway makes me flinch.
"Stay here, I can blend into the shadows. I'll return when it's safe." Bi-Han quickly melts into the darkness like a corpse vanishing under dark waves.

I tighten my grip on my ice sword, feeling the icicle claws on my other hand clink together in anticipation. Hanzo looks over to where Bi-Han vanished, his breath nearly brushing my neck.

As suddenly as he dissolved, Bi-Han appears again, his white eyes floating in the darkness. "All clear. I think the main factory is ahead. Cyrax, Sektor, and  Frost might be in that area. Are you certain you want to go through with this?"
If we can defeat Frost and take back the Dragon Medallion....all of the fear and anxiety of being attacked will end. Kana will be safe. Earthrealm will be able to fight another day.

"I'm sure."