Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Facade

-Bi-Han's POV- Kuai leaps down from the branch, still crying. Looks like this was the beast Kuai described. The only thing telling me he isn't my baby brother is the crazed look in his completely purple eyes. He may sound like him, but he isn't Kuai Liang.

This beast isn't my brother.
He grabs one of my hands with both of his.
"Brother..." But he sounds so much like him. Seeing him hurting hurts me as his sibling.

His breathing is frantic, with small clouds of snowflakes blowing out from his mouth.
"Oh, Kuai....I'm so sorry you had to resolve to this."
His grip on my hand tightens as I cup his cheek with my free hand.

"Let me help you," I reluctantly pull him into a hug and kiss the top of his head. He lets out a muffled gasp. I can feel his heartbeat racing as his body makes contact with mine.

He looks up at me, his eyes their regular blue again.
"Bi-Han...." he smiles faintly.
"Kuai...you're okay."
"Get away from him!" Hanzo's kunai suddenly launches out and cuts into Kuai's side, drawing blood.

Immediately, Kuai screams in anger and whips around, gripping the heated up kunai in his icy grip, causing steam to rise.
"No!" I cry out. "Hanzo, wait! I was getting through to him!"
Hanzo stands a few feet away, panting.

"He is dangerous! Get away from him!" His voice is muffled by his mask.
Kuai growls, freezing over the kunai and the chain that holds it. Hanzo grunts, launching his other kunai, which Kuai catches.

"You think I'm dangerous, Hanzo?" Kuai spats in that strange voice again.
"You know nothing about how I've always been looked down at as weak!"
He freezes the other kunai as well.
"You....you don't know about all the things I hate about myself!" He screams and whips both the chains in an arch, the heat and cold tension causing the chains to snap at the force.

The resulting whiplash causes all three of us to fly back at the power. I get sent flying back into a tree, and something in my arm crunches horribly.
I scream, feeling a shard of bone sticking out from my lower arm near my wrist. I lose feeling and mobility in my right hand and lower arm.

The whiplash caused snow from the ground and nearby trees to whip up and swirl around like the start of a blizzard. I grip my right shoulder tightly, gritting my teeth in pain.
I can hardly hear Kuai screaming in rage over the ringing in my ears.

With shaking legs, I force myself to my feet and look around. Blood drips from my nostril and stains the snow red. The sour taste of metallic blood chokes me, forcing me to cough and hack up a blood clot.

With my good hand, I reach into my pocket and pull out the frozen cherry blossom. Maybe...just maybe—this alone will be enough for Kuai to snap out of his rampage. I can only hope....
****
-Hanzo's POV- My vision is cloudy as pain explodes from my head. That blast sent me flying back before I could teleport away.

Bi-Han rushes to my side, looking like a wreck. He holds his left hand out to help me up. "Where...." He wheezes, wiping away blood from his nose.
"Is Kuai? I heard him screaming...."
"Screaming?" I echo, sucking in a sharp breath and removing my cracked mask. I notice his right arm hanging limply at his side.
"What on Earth happened to your arm?!"
"The whiplash caused me to crush my arm into a tree. I think my shoulder is dislocated as well. I can't feel any pain in my right arm at all."
He grimaces. "Don't worry about"—

The sound of Kuai screaming echoes off the snowy trees. Even the stars seem to flicker from the ungodly sound. But it doesn't sound like he's in pain....
"Did you also hear that?" I ask.
"He sounds like....he's frustrated...."

"Frustrated?" I nearly snort at the insanity. "He sounds really angry."
A large branch comes hurling at us from the dark woods. We both yell, jumping away as it crashes to the ground with a wave of powdered snow.

Kuai stomps out of the tree line, kicking up snow with his bare feet and snarling like a rabid animal.
Both of us freeze up, wondering if he sees us.

His purple eyes scan the snow and stare at our footprints. He follows them with his gaze and his eerie eyes land on us. I feel my breath catch in my throat as his amethyst eyes burn into us like purple fire.

He exhales through his mouth, a cloud of chilled air exiting his lungs. The icicle claws on his hands relax, hanging loosely at his sides.
We hear his breathing suddenly stop. He chokes, hands reaching up at his throat as his eyes roll back and he crumpled face first into the snow.

With a cry of horror, Bi-Han bolts off to Kuai's body.
"No, no, NO!!! KUAI!" I run after Bi-Han.
With his good arm, he tries his best to turn him over and cradle him.

"Let me help," I kneel down and turn Kuai over so his face is pointing at the starry sky.
"Don't do this to me, Kuai. Don't you die on me."
He places his ear on Kuai's chest. Bi-Han suddenly bursts into tears.
"H-he's breathing!" I can barley understand what he says between sobs.

Bi-Han continues to cry, stroking Kuai's cheek.
"It's okay. It'll be okay, baby brother. I'm here....We're both here..."
"What do you think caused him to collapse like that?" I ask.

The elder Sub-Zero calms down enough to stop crying. "Probably exhaustion...overworking his body to its limit."
****
-Kuai's POV- I feel someone stroking my cheek. Big brother? Did I hear someone say exhaustion?
I try and fail to open my eyes. I'm....so tired.
Why am I so cold? What am I laying on? Am I in bed? Did I get sick? Am I outside? I hear the wind blowing.

I feel someone carry me in their arms. Bi-Han?
Feels like the icicles on my back went away. What happened? All I recall is teleporting away. Was all of this a nightmare? Did I fall asleep in the temple library again and Bi-Han is carrying me to my room?
I hope so. "Bi-Han...." I manage to moan.

"I'm right here, Kuai." Immediately, I feel his hand on my cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Oh, looks like he isn't the one carrying me....
"Did...I fall asleep....in the library again...?" I murmur. Bi-Han laughs, but it sounds strained.
"No, baby brother. I'll tell you when you rest up."
Rest....that's a great idea.
"Okay....Bi-Han.." I yawn. "Night...brother...love you..."
"Goodnight, Kuai. Rest well. I'll be at your side when you awake." I feel his hand smooth out my hair before his touch is lifted away.

I slip deeper into sleep, letting exhaustion come over me.