Executioner.
Character: Bi-Han | Sub-Zero.
Warnings: NSFW, invasions AU, fem!reader, age difference (19 y.o. reader and 30+ y.o. Bi-Han), male Sektor, almost everyone loves the reader, marking, physical violence, yandegire Bi-Han, keeping hostage, mention of death (including child death), murdering, somnophilia, CNC, forced cheating, unprotected sex, bad good ending, 18+.
W/C: 9908.
In between the ever sleeping and tranquil nature, the Lin Kuei mansion stood as restless colossus. On the vast territory of Lin Kuei there was only one calm place, situated in the heart of the forest, far from hassle and routine. Placed in a cave and kept a secret, it was rarely visited by those who were trusted, because its origin couldn't leave anyone vacant of the tragedy that happened decades ago but still had an impact on ongoing life.
Bi-Han put his hand on a glass surface of the coffin, and it got covered in frost immediately. After all those years your face remained your lovely features, even though your brows were hidden under the snow, your face fell and skin got a deep purple color of death under your eyes, on your nose and lips. Bi-Han avoided looking at the smaller coffin that was staying near yours. A titan and a greatest warrior, he felt ashamed every time he visited the sepulchre of his darlings – it was the evidence of his disgrace. The creator of lives and Worlds wasn't able to make a proper fate for the ones he loved and failed to protect them. He could hear the wind imitating your voice, those whispers drove him crazy.
Bi-Han had never cried in his life and he hated himself for it. Even when he saw you pressing the dead body of your son to your wounded chest, even when you died three days after from infection, he wasn't able to shed a tear. Bi-Han felt the burning sensation in his nose and eyes, his chest was heavy, and the cold heart was aching, but not a tear showed on his eyes. It was impossible to stand.
He needed you. Bi-Han felt guilty for every time he was annoyed at you and wished to spend time alone – an idiot, he couldn't even think of you disappearing from his life. Now he had all the time for himself. He remembered how you were hovering about him, calling him by the short name he hated badly – Bi-Bi. In the past days Bi-Han would never believe that he would miss this nickname; he was dying to hear you saying it again.
“Promise me that you won't try to bring me back when I die,” your voice sounded in his head. It was so vivid, so clear as if you were talking to him. “You have to learn to live without me. So please, promise…”
The descendants of the clan of yours were dead, as it was promised in the gruesome prophecy that was mentioned on the day of your birth. Bi-Han got lost in his thoughts, then he shuddered and glanced back at the coffin, but instead of your face he saw only your bare skull. He got delusional again.
Bi-Han missed your temperamental character, the vital tempo of your speech and your audacious words. Since the first meeting you acted as equal to him, that's why he fell in love with you – you were free from fawning and were honest with him no matter how cruel your opinion was. In Bi-Han's universe you had the best fate that was tightly bound with his. Long before he became a titan he promised to bring you to the world conquered by him, and he kept his word.
“I can't. I'll do everything for you, you know. But I can't keep my last promise. Not this time…” Bi-Han spoke quietly, keeping long pauses between words, ashamed of himself.
Timeline after timeline he was killing Titans and destroying universes, searching for you but for other creators of fates you were nothing, so you didn't exist in their worlds. Your clan of umbramancers was erased from many timelines because of a potential menace that your magic carried with it. Umbramancy gave its users an opportunity to hide and teleport in the shadows, and manipulate them – afraid of such a power, Titans chose to send your clan to oblivion to secure themself. Bi-Han had given up already, when suddenly he found Liu Kang's creation.
Geras, Bi-Han's devoted helper, showed him the way to spy on your life in another timeline. Hundreds of years had passed since he had a chance to see your face. Geras knew what to show to him, a merry memory of yours: you were smiling wide, your gaze sparkling with happiness. Wrinkles, just like sun rays, laid in the corner of your eyes; your hair fluttering in the wind. Alive and joyful – he couldn't pray for more. Bi-Han realized how much he had missed you, how lonely and pathetic he was without you by his side. Since the day Bi-Han saw you again, watching you became his destructive addiction.
The brave Generals, Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada, his dear brothers, suspected that Bi-Han's grief took an abnormal form. Bi-Han was missing for weeks in the Hourglass Chamber, still they didn't dare to disturb his mourning.
Bi-Han found out a lot of things about you. He was glad to know you married his alternate version. Even in another world you were staying with him, proving that the Universe itself connected your souls together, but his mind was aching with jealousy. How foul would it be to tear you out of your world and push you into the new one? There was no right answer to it but he mused at the question, reaching different results every day.
You seemed to be attached to your Bi-Han wholeheartedly, but he didn't feel the same towards you. The Sub-Zero you knew was quarrelsome, prideful and avid for blemishes. He lost his brothers because of his indomitable pride and neglected you, the only person who cared about him no matter how badly he hurt you with his words. He treated you like a devoted dog, not like an equal partner. There was some tension between you two that had roots sprouting deep into the history of the two clans. Soon the Titan found out: the tension was caused by a possible affair between the previous Grandmaster of Lin Kuei and your mother which may have resulted in you. Sub-Zero didn't have any proof of such a lascivious fantasy, yet it was weighing too heavily on his heart, making him hate and, at the same time, love the fact that he was possibly married to his sister. There were speculations of your relatedness between troops, and even more wild guesses were circulating in other clans.
The neglect and perversity another Sub-Zero treated you with were… unforgiving and infuriating. If you stayed under the Titan's care, nothing of that would ever happen to you. He treated your family with the same respect and solicitude he had treated his own mother with back in the days she was alive. The Lin Kuei disciples in his world would never dare to look at you without permission, as they were trained and raised in strictness and subordination, and they were punished with death for breaking the rules. They feared Bi-Han as their Grandmaster and their God. How dared Liu Kang, that foolish parody of a God, spoil your life in such a horrific way? How could he humiliate you by making you cling to Sub-Zero, who loved only his fantasy about you, not your persona? For that both of them had to pay.
Without you this world of snow and ice was nothing, and the evil fate of being restarted was threatening it. Now, when Bi-Han had hoped to be happy again, he was determined to conquer Liu Kang's timeline and bring you to the world, where you would know no tragedies. Bi-Han convened the generals of Lin Kuei and declared the beginning of invasion. With his army, full of pyro-, cryo- and umbramancers, and Tomas' special powers, the war promised to be easy.
As your husband went on a mission, Lin Kuei was left without a Grandmaster and required his return to continue the paralyzed work. In addition, he was a Grandmaster of your clan, which needed guidance and everyday assistance as well. Even though it became easier for Bi-Han to rule the clans after merging them together, it still gave him headaches.
You didn't expect to become Bi-Han's wife. You respected him as a wise Grandmaster, dreamed of establishing diplomatic relations between the families, but you never thought of falling for him and getting into his bed – you had your own ambitions of dismissing your grandfather and becoming Grandmaster yourself, then taking your clan on another level. For that you left your home and started a journey to find the source of your magic and develop it. Unfortunately, the rules of the clan weren't so easy to break – no women were allowed to take leadership in the clan, so you had to give Bi-Han the chair of Grandmaster in exchange for him bringing the clan to its previous glory. Under his guidance, the family finally bloomed, and the alliance with Lin Kuei brought it only benefits.
Bi-Han was first to show his strange affection towards you: unlike his brothers, you shared Bi-Han's ideals and supported him, which brought his attention to you. The question of your affiliation to Lin Kuei was acute due to your physical similarity with Bi-Han and Kuai Liang but your loyalty and meekness were enough to smother the flames of hatred Bi-Han had felt towards you for years. Both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang were old enough when your mother was visiting Lin Kuei under the status of a special guest. It couldn't escape their sight of how the relationship between their parents worsened every time this woman appeared in the mansion, so both of them developed strong antipathy to her. They didn't expect to see you, her daughter, walking on the earth of Arctika and asking for help.
After betrayal of his brothers, Bi-Han found consolation in your body and in your stupid faithfulness that appeared out of nowhere. Women from your family were noticeable for knowledge in servicing men and possessed a unique grace. If his father was looking for the same things in your mother's arms, Bi-Han could understand him like no one else. His mother was known for a cold character and rough treatment of her darlings. She could never give his father the same solace as your mother did. Your clan also was famous for breeding dogs, and you turned out to be the best from the breed, so Bi-Han didn't hesitate to make you his wife. The union with you won him so many benefits he couldn't believe in his luck. If his brothers found out about the marriage they would judge him for sure – you were much younger than Bi-Han. The age difference between you two was something you both preferred to ignore. For you it was just an unfortunate combination of circumstances, and for him – a spicy detail that boosted Bi-Han's desire towards you.
On a usual morning, you were watching the training of new disciples from your balcony. The weather was nice: a light breeze fondled your face, playing with strands of lovely baby hair on your forehead, the sky was clear, charming with its endless blue color. A cup of hot jasmine tea was cooling down on a coffee table. You took a piece of rice cake filled with bean paste and put it in your mouth carefully so as not to ruin your lipstick. Savoring the pastry, you closed your eyes for a moment in joy.
The day promised to be boring and deprived of events until you felt a sudden chill covering your whole body. Your limbs froze in a moment, making it hard to move. You weren't the only one to notice a sudden temperature fall – others seemed perplexed and chilled as well.
“Mistress, the generators are covered with ice! We can't unfreeze them!” A maid ran to you, almost falling on her knees. Her dress was covered in frost and her teeth were stuttering, making her speech impossible to understand. You took off your coat and wrapped her up into it. The problem with generators meant nothing good: Sektor's territory depended on them heavily. The training was dismissed. You sent the maid out and headed to Sektor – maybe he knew what was happening.
Sektor wasn't welcoming to you. He replied dryly, grudgingly even. His devices had registered a sudden fall of temperature not only in Arctika, but in the closest countries as well. Temperature remained -40 degrees Celsius and promised to continue falling down. It was twice lower than the average temperature of the present month. Arctika had seen worse, but such a sudden outbreak of cold raised questions no one ventured to ask. Sektor did a quick research: various news portals reported the temperature decrease in the whole world and the following panic, especially from warmer regions.
“Guess I have to put on my mink coat,” you smirked. “I'll go out to Wu Shi. Maybe Liu Kang's friends know something.”
“Do as you wish.” Sektor replied. The whole building went on a blackout right after. “What the hell is even that?!” He couldn't hold back his anger and irritation.
“The generators died.” You stated calmly.
“It's impossible! I've made them protected from all the natural disasters!” Sektor took his coat and left in a hurry. You had a guess on what he tried to tell you, but you didn't want your speculation to be true.
Preparations didn't take a lot of time: you commanded to bring out your horse, and it was there in seconds. You opened the portal and stepped in, leading a stubborn horse behind. Outlanders were obliged to open their portals far outside the Wu Shi Academy, so you saddled the horse and gave it a slap on its ribs, taking a route. The path led through dense forest; no human traces could be found, making it easy to get lost. You were musing, until you heard familiar voices. Surely, one of them belonged to Johnny Cage – his sugary baritone made you sick in your stomach – and others seemed to be Kung Lao's and Kenshi’s. Their shouting was interrupted with a sound of fighting.
You stopped your horse and heeded. Maybe it wasn't the right time for you to visit the Academy? You weren't a warrior, so you avoided partaking in combat. The only weapon you could use was a pistol with magical energy instead of real bullets. Your skill in casting martial spells was ridiculously low. All you were good for were teleportation and hiding. Your chances to survive a single combat without Bi-Han or a bunch of assassins by your side were approaching zero.
You were choosing between saving your life and feeding your curiosity. Due to your alliance with Lin Kuei, Liu Kang's friends thought of you as a danger, they would attack you if you showed yourself on a battlefield. Yet you wanted to know who they were fighting. Who dared to attack the Academy? You bit your lip, making a final decision. With a great effort, you preferred the second option.
Your horse made careful steps to avoid being detected, while creeping to the combat. You narrowed your eyes, glaring at the battleground and recognized the person of a familiar physique dressed in the blue clothes. Johnny Cage sneaked behind the person's back, ready to make a dirty hit with a sword. You noticed Kenshi and Kung Lao as well: Kenshi was defending the monk, who tried to unfreeze his legs. There was no doubt about the person's identity. Your instincts reacted before your brain: you teleported into Bi-Han's shadow, and opened a small portal, which absorbed Johnny's sword.
“Fuck you!” Cage jumped back; you took the gun from your belt and pointed at him, opening the fire immediately. “Idiot! It's not him! We're under attack!”
You shot Cage in his leg, and Bi-Han threw an ice ball at him, knocking Johnny out. His body flew a couple of meters away, falling dangerously close to the end of the cliff.
Your sudden aid wasn't necessary. Bi-Han knew about Cage's attack and was ready to smash his head into bloody icicles with a punch of an ice-covered fist. Bi-Han turned back, noticing hair of the familiar color and the same fur coat of men's cut that was covering fragile shoulders. He didn't need to see you as a whole to finish the look of your younger form in his imagination.
The sun, caught in your shining hair, gave it perfect golden shade; brows slightly furrowed, cold-pink blush adorning your nose and plump cheeks – it was the sight of you Bi-Han missed to see.
You thought your eyes deceived you: Bi-Han appeared to look older than before; his warm brown eyes were shining with wild blue light. His usual costume changed on steel armor you had never seen before. You got a strange feeling of a double making parody of your beloved, trying to act normal but scaring you with this deliberate normality.
“You're the same as I remember you…” Bi-Han spoke to you softly and pressed his palm to your cheek. An alien cold pierced your face, making you flinch in pain. It left traces of frost on your reddened skin. Bi-Han's hands were never this cold and his touch had never hurt you before. “So easy to break.”
The Titan noticed minor changes in your behavior: you were more delicate and caring, just like a flower. The look you gave him made Titan's heart contract. Your deep eyes, adorned with black fluffy lashes, reflected intense anxiety and joylessness. You gave him the look of a mother, worried about a sick child. Your pouty lips were slightly open, finishing the picture of perplexity.
“What are you talking about, Bi-Han?” You stuttered at the word, glancing into his eyes and trying to find some answers on what was happening. Johnny's words played in your head, and you understood that someone was pretending to be your husband.
Rumble shook the ground; you turned your head to the sound and you noticed that the cliff, on which Cage was laying, was about to fall down. You recoiled from Bi-Han, pressing hands to your chest. It was your sign for running away, so you teleported to Johnny and caught him by hand. From your weight the cliff broke away, and you looked into the abyss that opened under your body, trying to find a place for safe landing. The Titan was looking after you with sadness, not trying to stop you.
The fall was rough, yet both of you were safe now. You hit your shoulder on a rock and laid on the damaged side for a moment, trying to catch your breath.
“Cage, are you alright?” You called for him and stood up. “I'm sorry for shooting you…”
You felt guilty, so you sat in front of him and made a careful examination of his bleeding wound. Johnny blushed from your distressed and guilty face. You had nothing for bandage, so you tore off some cloth from your costume.
Johnny hurried to gather his thoughts and smirked. “A real woman always does radical things before thinking about the consequences.”
“Will others be alright?” You changed the topic before he could annoy you. You covered the wound and tightened the bandage.
“Yes, they will. Liu Kang will be here any minute.” Johnny hissed at the tightness of your grip. “I-I thought young women have delicate hands!”
“Sorry, super star, painful but effective. Come on.” You placed his hand over your shoulders, helping him to get up. “I hope Liu Kang will forgive us for the intrusion.”
“Hey, lady,” Cage smiled softly, certainly trying to make an impression. “I'm thankful for everything you've done to me, but it should be me helping a woman to walk. I can handle a petite wound myself.” Despite his words Johnny had to admit that he liked to be carried by you. It was the first time you let him get so close to you. He could feel the scent of your hair: it smelled of violet, pepper and cedar.
“Oh, thank you,” You dropped his hand immediately. “You are a heavy boy, you know?”
“Muscles and charisma weigh enough.” He laughed smugly.
“No, that's not the point.” You replied casually and focused on opening the portal right to Wu Shi Academy.
Johnny sucked the cold air indignantly, then started coughing. Cage and you had met already and his ignorance made a dual effect on you. The conflict of interest between monks and Lin Kuei about the Mortal Kombat tournament and his treatment of you also worsened the relationship between the actor and you. Like Bi-Han, you too thought that Lin Kuei was the only one to have a right to represent Earthrealm in the arena, and Johnny Cage was too full of himself to think otherwise. Mistaking you for Bi-Han's sister, he mocked you for being an edgy teenager who copied her older brother with brash ideas. Without knowing the truth he hit the right nerve and caused a terrible fight.
The dark circle appeared in front of you, cutting into the space. You got in, without waiting, and Johnny hurried after you before the portal closed.
Wu Shi met you with an alarmed fuss. Monks were running back and forth, preparing for something. From their conversations you found out that Sub-Zero left the area without making it to the Academy, which made you suspicious. You didn't know about this Sub-Zero, but yours had never left the battle without achieving his goals.
“Unexpected to see Lin Kuei on our territory.” Liu Kang appeared in front of you out of nowhere, making you jump. “I know why you are here. Come with us.”
Mysterious as always, Liu Kang showed you the way to the meeting room. As his inadvertent enemy, you were surprised to be welcomed and invited for the discussion. You came to the room that was located in the back of the Academy and was isolated from the inner yard by thick paper walls with historical paintings. It was quiet here: no sound from the training field and dormitory could be heard. The atmosphere was tense. Takashi Kenshi and Kung Lao were already here, and you noticed Scorpion with Smoke in the back. Men stopped talking when you came in.
“Long time no see.” Kuai Liang nodded his head to you.
You said nothing. There was an invisible wall between them and you, which you weren't able to break. A moment took too long, so you had to come up with something. “Glad to know both of you are fine.”
“Why wouldn't we?” Tomas giggled. You shrugged your shoulders escaping the dialogue. You missed the old days when brothers shared the same path and ideas. Back to the past, you had a strong sense of belonging to their company, and the time you had spent with them was precious to you. Around you they forgot about controversies and acted patiently towards each other. Neither Tomas nor Kuai Liang didn't hold any malice toward you despite the rough farewell with Bi-Han. Probably both of them cherished the good memories about you too.
You caught Tomas eyeing you. He understood that he was spotted and smiled at you, his cheeks slightly pink. You smiled back awkwardly: you two spent plenty of time together, before you met Bi-Han, and it was clear that Tomas felt something more for you, though it was obvious that you could never make it together.
Finally Liu Kang came back to the room and started the meeting. “As all of you have noticed already, our realm is under attack by Titan Sub-Zero. He came from his timeline only to wreak havoc in ours.”
You glanced at the God of fire, anxiety on your face. “Another timeline?” You asked. By the behavior of others you realized that you were the only one unaware of it. “A Titan? What does it mean?”
“Well, don't know ‘bout you, guys, but I can understand her. Our Ice-to-see-you Grandmaster could've done this easily too.” Cage blurted, making a little laugh. Kenshi let out a deep sigh.
“Bi-Han would never!” You snapped out. Instead of powerful irritation your voice gave the emotion of an offended child. You hurried to regain composure. “It is you who declared us your enemies for our opinion being different from yours. You should've met our offers with respect, not prejudice.”
Scorpion raised his brows. “Bi-Han? Shouldn't you call him a Grandmaster?” He watched your face turn pale. “Just because you chose to keep diplomatic relations with him doesn't make you his herald.”
“I'm not his troop and I'm certainly not his herald, Kuai Liang. I'm a good friend of Lin Kuei, so I can address the Grandmaster in an informal way.” You muttered.
“Easy, Scorpion. I guess she is closer to him than you.” Kenshi intervened with a smile, then talked to you. “That mark on the back of your neck… I saw it glowing brighter, when the Titan talked to you. You are also the one whom he didn't attack.”
Kuai Liang gave you a long stare, then whispered something to Tomas. Vbrada responded with a surprised look. Your cheeks flushed pink. You didn't know that anyone else but Bi-Han could see the bridal mark he had left on your body on the wedding day. The mark gave you a special aura that indicated your belonging to Lin Kuei and Bi-Han specifically: Tomas, Kuai Liang and Liu Kang's team didn't feel the full effect of it due to their awareness of your fraction. They thought of you as a Sub-Zero's friend, so there was nothing unusual in sensing his aura on you for them.
“He talked to you?!” Kung Lao was done with this fuss and stepped in front of you, his eyes looking at you defiantly, as if he was suspecting you in collusion with the invader. Fortunately he easily forgot about the mark.
The atmosphere tensed. Your head started aching from all the noise that was surrounding you: you weren't used to attending meetings, especially urgent ones. Bi-Han kept you away from politics and let you live in the shadows. Your duty was simple: rest for the day and amuse him for the night. You were taken aback by all the sudden attention you got. Everyone wanted something from you: an explanation, a repentance, a strategy but you couldn't give them any of this.
“He spoke nonsense. I didn't reply.” You stuttered, looking into Kung Lao's eyes. His ardor faded away, as he realized how scared you were by his actions.
“What kind of nonsense?” Liu Kang took an interest. He pressed his fingers to his chin, rethinking the situation. “If the bridal mark on your neck works as a protection, you could play as a diplomat.”
In a bustle you heard something similar to scream: you turned your head to the door but the sound disappeared. It seemed like your imagination tricked you, yet you felt uncomfortable. Paranoia builded up slowly. Didn't Sub-Zero take his troops from another world to assist him? And if he did, where were they?
Invader's words stumped you. From his speech you guessed that something had happened to you in his world. Was it the reason which brought him here? Chill went down your spine, as you started worrying about Bi-Han. Was he safe? You couldn't even imagine what he was doing. You didn't want him to come back home – two Sub-Zeros would kill each other, so it was better for Bi-Han to stay on his mission longer.
“A bridal mark? I didn't get it, are they married?” Johnny whispered to Smoke and waited until he nodded affirmatively. “Hell no! I refuse to believe that a guy with chronic sore-throat has a young hottie as a wife while I'm divorced!”
“Cage!” Tomas hissed.
“Enough!” Liu Kang clapped, calming everyone down. “There is no time for fun! We should prepare for war.” The God came to you and addressed you. “Your help will be a game changer for us.”
“It all depends on Bi-Han.” You refused in a polite way.
“Your spying skills could come handy. If you follow him…” Liu Kang continued to convince you.
“No.” You cut him off without hesitation. A nervous giggle escaped your lips. “I won't do that. Even a normal Bi-Han can easily feel me creeping up on him, and you want to send me to a Titan, who seems to know everything about me and even more. He will track me in a second and kill me. I won't put my life in such a stupid risk!”
The temperature became warmer in the room. Probably, it was Liu Kang's and Kuai Liang's pyromancy giving an extra warmth.
“All of us are putting their lives at risk.” Kenshi added. “There is no war without it.”
“I'm a woman, not a warrior. It is your problem, not mine.” You said, bristling.
Your nose felt a terrible stench, which you chose to ignore.
“Kenshi, she is right.” Kuai Liang stood up for you. “We can't use women for benefit. Bi-Han's power is monstrous. Married or not, he will kill her without delay for spying.”
“You, guys, have know idea on how to talk to women.” Johnny clicked on his tongue and fixed his hair, preparing for speech.
Umbramancy… The shadow behind Johnny stood still as he posed. You stumbled at your words and focused your vision on the shadows in the room. A terrifying assumption appeared in your mind: for this whole time Titan's troops were here, right under your nose, using shadow magic. You drew your gun and fired a shot at Johnny Cage. The energy bullet flew dangerously close to his neck and smashed the wall behind his back, where the shadow laid. A troop of the Titan fell on the floor, dead.
The paper wall suddenly broke and the kunai flew through it in your direction. You were staying too close to it and there was no time to hide – immediate death, but instead of killing you, a rope made a tight loop around your neck. You caught it, trying to ease the loop with your fingers, but someone who was holding it, pulled it back with so much force you were dragged away with it. Your skin got a burn, and your neck almost broke from the pressure. As soon as you ended up on the street, you teleported to the first shadow you saw. The rope eased and the kunai fell down.
“Kuai Liang?!” You exclaimed and stepped back, looking at the man in front of you. It wasn't the Scorpion you knew. This one had traces of snow in his black hair and frostbitten scars on the both sides of his face. Fiery brown eyes and bluish lips were bright on his pale lifeless face.
“I almost forgot how you look. Glad to see you safe and sound again.” Scorpion's tone was calm. He stood still, yet prepared for the strike. Your inner sense told you he meant no harm to you – or he was ordered not to.
Everything happened in a mere seconds. You looked around: the yard was filled with burnt out bodies. The mistake you made for ignoring the clear evidence of his presence was tragic and expensive.
“You have only one question to ask before a greater fight.” He warned you, and your mind went completely blank. You were confused.
“Why are you here?” It was the only thing you were able to blurt out.
“Because of you and Grandmaster's warrior ambitions.” The man granted you a little smile.
Just like Scorpion predicted, Liu Kang showed up on the street and was attacked by Smoke, who was hiding all this time. You rushed to help him, but Scorpion's kunai wrapped around your hand and dragged you to him, making you fall on your back.
“Stay away from the battleground. It is not your war.” He gave you his hand to help you get up. You froze, puzzled at his action.
Other fighters filled the yard, turning it into a mess. Umbramancers, dressed in a uniform that belonged to another world, jumped out the shadows. The massacre started.
Your eyes shifted searching for a place to teleport, and Scorpion noticed it. He threw a kunai and it pierced the ground near your leg, distracting you.
“Your stubbornness brought us tragedy once.” His voice became lower, as he was enraged by your attempts to run away. “Move one more time and you will have to fight me.”
Did you want to fight someone, who killed all the Wu Shi right under Liu Kang's nose? No. Did you think it was a betrayal to your new allies? Yes, but you didn't care. You accepted Scorpion's hand, and got up from the snow. Alien Scorpion was right – it wasn't your fight.
“Is there any chance to stop it?” You asked, looking at the battlefield.
He shook his head. “The fate of this world was already predicted. I must admit, in this timeline you are more careful. The version of you that I knew would initiate combat immediately.”
“Was I a warrior?” You asked with disbelief.
“A great one. With you by our side we conquered numerous worlds.” Scorpion remained relaxed but he was eyeing you carefully, expecting you to run away.
It wasn't right. You felt your brain aching from the dissonance. Two Scorpions, two Smokes who tried to kill each other. You didn't want them to die, none of them, but you couldn't stop thinking about the new world that opened in front of you. What was your life in another world? Were you precious to Titan Bi-Han? You had too many questions and you wanted the answers to all of them.
No. You cut off your thoughts. You belonged to this world and to your husband. You didn't need another life and a copy of him.
Once again the temperature dropped. Your chest got compressed with pain as it became too hard to breathe. Once again you examined the surroundings, searching for the Titan. You found him coming from the main entrance, blocks of bloody ice were rising where he stepped. In his hand the Titan was carrying a severed head.
You focused your eyes and startled. Kuai Liang saw your face fall and grabbed you by your shoulder to prevent you from doing stupid things.
You prayed to be wrong. You prayed for your eyes to deceive you. You pushed Kuai Liang away and ran towards the Titan, who was coming to you. His eyes were glowing with a sinister flame, and his fingers tangled in the black hair of the head carelessly. This horrifying colossus radiated the energy of suffering and power that was too potent for this world. He targeted you and his face became softer. He threw the head under your feet, showing you the first and the cruelest rule of the universal order: the winner deserved to win.
You fell on your knees to pick up what was the head of Bi-Han. You looked into his dull colorless eyes, hoping for something. You couldn't breathe anymore as your chest was filled with agony. You didn't believe in it. You stumbled in panic and fear. Frozen blood broke out the insides of his neck and fell on your thighs as colored icicles.
You raised your gaze to the Titan; tears in your eyes. He passed by you and patted your head offhandedly. You howled from this mockery, pressing Bi-Han's head to your chest as if it could bring him back to life.
“Go to Outworld and help Sektor.” the Titan commanded Scorpion, and he executed the order without delay.
What kind of bad dream was this? You heard screams and they brought you back to reality. It wasn't just screams of pain, it was loud, piercing cries on the verge of vocal cords. You looked back and half of your hair turned white from terror. You saw Him tearing off limbs of the people you once knew so easily as if they were insects. Johnny, Kung Lao, Tomas, Kenshi – they died a terrible death. The Titan grabbed Kuai Liang by his head and smashed it on a glacier. You turned away, breathing heavily. You didn't notice how your fingers clawed into Bi-Han's head like it was a safe straw for your mind. You had to run away – no way the Titan would show mercy on you. He was just prolonging the hunt, you were sure. You tried to stand up but failed: your body froze in the pathetic pose, and your muscles refused to move. Your limbs felt like they were made from iron.
You realized how cold you were. Rigor shackled you to the ground, leaving you no other option but to accept your fate. You didn't want to die. You were afraid of death and would always choose to live, even under the label of a traitor and a coward. You were just a woman, with no special talents and skills, with simple goals and even simpler ideas. Your duty was to serve and you performed it well. You wanted to live and to bestow life. You were nothing compared to the men who died so disgracefully this day. The Titan crushed the best warriors of the Earthrealm with his celestial might in minutes. Slowly, you realized that there was no point in running away: the whole timeline was about to die. You closed your eyes, preparing for death.
Sudden warmth made you open them wide. “It all ended,” Tomas’ voice sounded in your ears. “You don't have to worry anymore.” Tomas wrapped you up in his jacket. He sat near you, checking if you were hurt.
Hot tears burned your face. It was such a cruel, horrific torture. Moments ago you saw him dismembered, his lower jaw snatched out roughly.
“There is no need to cry, princess.” Tomas brushed the hair back from your face. He didn't stop talking so he could distract you. “From now on, you will smile only.”
You didn't notice how Tomas pulled the head out of your grip; your eyes were shifting, studying his face. His grey eyes got a bluish undertone, light azure scars crossed his forehead, lids and right cheek. “I can't believe my eyes!.. You're alive…” You grabbed his face and touched every part of if, checking if he was real. Your cold stiffened fingers could hardly move, making every motion slow and painful.
“You won't believe me but I feel the same.” Tomas smiled widely. “We have to go now. Can you stand?”
Tomas threw the head away as fast as he could, while you tried to stand up by yourself. Then he bent down and gripped you under your waist. You made a step but your feet tangled in the hem of your dress, making you fall.
“It will take us too much time if we continue our voyeur like this.” Tomas opened the portal and took you up in his arms with a fast move. “I hope my brother will forgive me.”
Brother… you hadn't heard Tomas calling Bi-Han this way for a long time. Their relationship was nothing but an endless confrontation and worsened to the point of no return before the fall of the brotherhood. Maybe in another universe they were close brothers, you hoped.
Tomas brought you to the world of blazing white winter. He put you on the ground, and snow crunched under your feet. Everything here was covered in ice and snow: Lin Kuei mansion was covered in ice fully and dazzled in the bright sun.
“It will get more beautiful at night.” Tomas patted your back. “C'mon. We need to warm you up.”
You were escorted to your room. It was made in a harmonious mix of ancient and modern styles, in blue and white colors. It was so light and tranquil here, you were afraid to break the idyll with your presence. Tomas ignited the fireplace, and the room filled with pleasant warmth. Your whole body was aching but you escaped the frostbites luckily.
It was so strange to look at the place where your alternate version used to live. Everything seemed familiar but obscure at the same time. You were afraid to touch and even look at anything.
“Feel free here,” Tomas smiled. “This is your home.”
“I just…” You bit on your lower lip and it started bleeding. “I can't understand what is going on. This is like a hectic dream. My world is getting destroyed, my husband, my friends are all dead and I'm here, enjoying my life on their bones.” You didn't notice how you started crying again. Tomas wasn't ready for your reaction. He was taken aback, as he was used to seeing you collected and always calm. There was no situation that could drive you to tears, except the last few days of your tragic end – but they were an ordeal for everyone in the Lin Kuei.
You were different from yourself. Younger, softer, more dreamy and caring. Seeing you again stirred up long forgotten emotions in Tomas’ heart. But instead of a fearless warrior he communicated with a subtle maiden that fondled him with attention she shouldn't be showing. The burden of your death damaged him even worse than Bi-Han. Unlike his older brother, Tomas wasn't able to bask in your love: he was just a situative bodyguard for you. Bi-Han trusted him, but the amount of time Tomas had spent with you resulted in love naturally. He saw you marrying and loving the different man, bearing his child and nursing it. Every time Tomas held his nephew he couldn't stop thinking that it could be his child with you. Your son took after you which made Tomas’ delusional dreams easier.
You covered your face, crying. Tomas heard you sobbing; unsure of what he was doing, he hugged you, pressing you tight to his body. You hugged him back immediately, face buried in his chest; Vrbada's heart skipped a beat. Having you in his arms was his wish, no matter the circumstances he was happy to feel you so close.
“I missed you so much!..” You got delirious, mistaking living with dead. “You are my family, my only home! When Kuai Liang and you left us, I felt like the ground was falling out from under my feet! And Bi-Han, he missed you two even more but he had never shown it!”
Tomas didn't know what you were talking about, but he didn't ask any questions. Bi-Han didn't explain anything to Kuai Liang and him. From Geras they found out that Bi-Han got addicted to spying on your life in another timeline. For the brothers the result of such an addiction was obvious, but they didn't judge Bi-Han for his weakness – they needed you too. Without you Lin Kuei was just a gloomy clan of assassins, who had no home and no fate. Your vivid presence was the reason why brothers wanted to return back from missions; the reminiscence of your smile was enough to make them fight for life and win, even when death was unavoidable.
Tomas helped you to calm down and left you to rest. Despite the endless happiness from your return, he felt uneasy in his chest, as the new loop of his suffering started.
Piece by piece you were collecting yourself till the night. Maids knocked at your door a couple of times, trying to serve you food, but you send them off. You tried to have some sleep but your brain couldn't stop thinking, bringing horrific images to your eyes. You bathed, and the calmness of water was able to soothe the flames of your imagination. You opened the wardrobe to change the dress; again, you shrank into yourself. All pieces of your clothes were colored in different shades of blue. In the real world, you wore only black – it was the signature color of your family.
You chose the darkest dress and came to the vanity. At least the other you preferred the same style as real you. You preferred your makeup light: mascara, rosy cheeks and slightly red lips. Bi-Han told you that you look like a peony – you had always had fresh bouquets of these flowers on your bedside table as a reminder of his affection.
Another knock at the door tore you out of your thoughts. “Madame,” Subtle voice of the maid made you turn your head in her direction. “You haven't eaten for the whole day. Please, have a light dinner at least. Master Vrbada ordered us to feed you properly.”
“Where is Tomas?” You stood up from where you sat, and agile maids slipped into your chamber with trays full of different food.
“He left with the Grandmaster.” The one, that was jabbering with you, made a bow.
You looked at the amount of food they brought. “Please, eat with me. I need company.” You didn't want to stay alone and sharing your supper with young girls seemed like a good idea.
“We are not allowed to eat the same food as you, ma'am. It's a rule. Please, forgive us.” They eyed you like a living wonder. Maids seemed to be a little afraid to see you walking on their Earth again. You sighed and sent them out, alone again.
It wasn't a light dinner at all – chicken dumplings with soup, some salad and steamed buns with condensed milk and black tea for dessert. The only thing you finished properly were buns – you were ready to ask for one more portion but shyness took over you.
You asked one of the maids to show you the manor, and all of them agreed suddenly. Bristly, they started quarreling about who will have an honor to join the madame on her walk. You laughed, covering your mouth with a long sleeve. “We can go all together. No need to choose.”
With a happy hubbub from maids, your company was exploring the manor. To your surprise, planning was similar. No matter the universe, Bi-Han seemed to be the same person. When you came near male quarters, maides stopped you from further exploration. Further territory was forbidden for your visiting. Not only the Grandmaster and his generals lived there but caserns were situated in this direction as well.
You heard the voices of the brothers behind the closed door. “Did they come back?” You asked the maids, your eyes focused on the door. You were afraid to hear yes and no equally.
The mark on your neck started pricking. The door opened, and you saw Bi-Han in front of you. He heard your voice as well. Your heart sank, his did as well. The maids fell silent and bowed their heads.
“I'm glad you came to see me on your own.” He smiled. You were invited to join his conversation with Kuai Liang and Tomas; the maids were sent out. “Making friends already?” Bi-Han spoke softly and made a little laugh. You nodded. Words got stuck in your throat. Kuai Liang waved his hand to you. “We will finish our business tomorrow. Now let us have a pleasant conversation.”
Kuai Liang glanced at you, “Blue suits you better. Welcome back.”
“Thank you,” You whispered.
Kuai Liang liked you better like this. Before your rebirth you were too masculine for his taste: bratty, you didn't know the definition of shame. You spoke out everything that came on your mind, you had never obeyed orders and didn't listen to the warnings. Your folly played against you, taking away not only your life but the life of your child as well. Kuai Liang couldn't even imagine how you felt, facing the death of your son and then dying agonizingly slow yourself, suffering from both physical and psychological pain. Fortunately, you had no such experience in your new life. Kuai Liang listened to your reasoning during the meeting with the God of Fire, and found them suitable for a woman like you. Classy and traditional, you made every man speechless with your gaze. You possessed a soft power of femininity, and if you weren't married to his brother, Kuai Liang would take you as his bride himself.
Surrounded by three mighty men, you felt long awaited calmness. Your strained body relaxed; sleepy, you kept your eyes with a velvety gaze open by a great effort. It seemed like you fell into a dream for a second – and again there was a big room with a dim warm light, cups with steaming tea, and low voices of brothers.
Your dizziness went away when Tomas and Kuai Liang left the room. You stood up, too, waiting for Bi-Han to say something.
“You may sleep in my room tonight.” He hugged you by shoulders, and guided you to his bedroom.
“And on other nights? Will we be separated?” You asked, again your feelings were too complicated to realize. Your bed was never empty at night, and you didn't want to stay alone in this unknown world. From the other side, you were afraid to lay with the Titan.
“No, my love. I will stay in your chamber.” Bi-Han cupped your cheek. You winced as cold pierced your skin again. “You are not allowed to leave the female part of the mansion. Other men are allowed to see you under mine or my brothers’ escort.”
You were visibly perplexed by his words, so he made an explanation. Still, you wondered why would Bi-Han be so paranoid about it.
A maid brought you a night dress. You changed quickly and layed in bed without waiting for Bi-Han. You were uncomfortable but all the tiredness and stress you felt crushed on you, making you fall to sleep.
Bi-Han found you sleeping on your right side, hands hugging a crumpled blanket. “Good night, my love.” The scenery was so sweet he couldn't help but smile for a moment. You were back. His treasure, his sun and the light of his life. You were a different version of yourself but he didn't mind. He liked you this way too.
The sweet veil fell off his mind, exposing a beast, hungry for his prey. Bi-Han was burning with desire, he could sense his muscles tensed from readiness of taking advantage of you. You were blowing hot: your quiet breathing, your hair on his pillows, outlines of your figure under a heavy blanket – you were igniting his soul, toying with the beast of his thoughts with this exposed innocence. It was a state of madness that blurred every line between love and violence.
You weren't as innocent as you seemed to be. Once Bi-Han saw you in an erotic fever: your mouth opened in a seductive manner, his hand around your thin neck, your back arched with a perky chest showing erect nipples, your legs spreaded apart widely. This image got right into his unquiet conscience, leaving him hungry for more. It was a mockery, a pure psychic torture that almost left his mind fragmented and fallen apart. There was grief, wrath, bloodthirst and lust toying with mind at the picture of you enjoying yourself with him.
Bi-Han laid behind your back carefully so as not to wake you up. He placed his hand on your waist, and you shivered. You were lost, unreachable and pitiful, like a stray kitten. Bi-Han inhaled sweet intoxication of your hair and skin, you smelled of violet and sweet milk, and the roots of your hair carried a deep cedar scent. Bi-Han closed his eyes from pleasure, his member tensed.
You could never imagine that the celestial form of the man you loved would bring you through the pain of loss and nonconsensual passion. He brought you closer to him, one of his hands creeping on your leg to ease the access to the part of you Bi-Han wanted the most. You mewled something in your sleep, and he stopped his actions not to wake you up. Bi-Han waited for a couple of minutes, blood pumping in his temples. He adjusted your pose and pressed his dick to your hot entrance; you weren't ready to take him inside, so he teased your senses by showing the tip in and taking it out, until wetness spilled. Slowly, Bi-Han started putting it in, grunting, from how tight and hot you were. He could bet that you felt every part, every vein of his dick skimming inside your core. His grip tightened on your hip, cold fingers diving into your soft meat. Bi-Han's slow tempo couldn't last for long – by his rhythmic thrusts you woke up, your dazed brain tried to realize the position you ended in.
“Bi-Han, why?!” You screamed like a wounded animal, making it clear that you became a part of the process. Your eyes were wild as you saw his glowing hands and rampant nakedness tormenting you.
Bi-Han thrusted into you hardly, causing you to weep in pain. There wasn't enough room for his size inside you, so for you it was about pain, not pleasure. Bi-Han pulled you on your back and got on top of you. He shut you up with an impious kiss, his tongue slipped into your mouth, making you choke on saliva. You coughed, breaking the kiss, so Bi-Han licked on your face, collecting big tears of hurt.
“Relax,” He groans into your ear, making you squeeze him even harder instinctively. “You are a little slut.” Bi-Han used all his will not to cum in this moment. “I told you to relax, not to show how eager you are.”
“It hurts!” You cried, bracing your hands on his chest to push him away. “Please, stop!”
“The pain will go away.” He caught you by your chin, pressing another kiss into your trembling lips. “You are under my care now.”
Bi-Han pressed his forehead to yours, and started moving again. It all was similar to your first time with your husband: painful, frantic and with blood leaking down your thighs after. You could only pray not to be bruised inside this time.
“I love you.” He states in lustful delirium. “I created this world because of you. So we can live happily. I killed billions for you. You will understand me one day.”
You felt nothing but horror oozing through your blood, while strangling on tears and being held by the coldest of hands. His every word was accompanied by a new thrust into your tired cunt. You didn't resist. You just waited for this torture to end. Your broken state made Bi-Han cum into you hard. There was so much of his seed it spilled out and stained the bed sheets.
Bi-Han hugged you until your bones cracked. He settled on his back and put you on his chest. You kept silent, shocked, while he was patting your head and whispering sweet nothings in your ear.
There was no star in the sky, no one to pray, nowhere to seek help. You were trapped with him, your lover and torturer. You experienced the same outbursts of sadistic possessiveness before but they had never been as damaging and traumatizing as this one. You wanted to escape but you couldn't, so you had to stay in bed before the sun rose up. Somehow you made it into sleep, and when you woke up you forgot the last night, thinking of it as a bad dream.
You were woken up by Bi-Han caressing your face with a knuckle of his index finger. “Hi, sleepyhead.” He smiled, putting the curl of your hair behind your ear.
Something was wrong but you couldn't figure out what exactly. You were afraid but forgot the reason for your emotions. “Maybe we had a fight yesterday…” You thought to yourself. “Well, guess we are cool now!”
Bi-Han spent a lovely morning with you, and you left back to your room. Despite your tears tonight, you woke up in a good mood just as he predicted. He was happy to have updates on your status: the lovely maids that were chatting with you, reported your every step and word to him. Your habits surprised him: back to the past you were a meat lover and a perky reveler, but today you preferred sweets and turned into a puerile lady. He found out that you requested the walk into the city to get familiar with the surroundings. The request was declined. His heart ached with guilt. You were so sweet, childishly spontaneous and pure, he felt like he didn't deserve walking on the same earth with you.
All of a sudden Bi-Han remembered that you were much younger than him, improperly younger. You were just a sparkle of life, a clumsy baby deer that tried its first steps. Treating you like an adult woman was his mistake: you didn't have even a thousandth part of previous experience. You didn't have any concept of real life. Living with three mature men had its outcome: you were relying on them, you let them take care of you and decide what was better for you. You let them care for you as if it was a greatest blessing granted from heavens to them – and it was, it truly was. Every one of them would sacrifice his life to save yours without hesitation.
Bi-Han didn't leave you even for a moment. He was informed about everything related to you, about the smallest changes of your mood even. You wanted to spend more time together, so he let you into his cabinet. Bi-Han wasn't very talkative, and staying with him was boring. You made it look like you were interested in his business but soon you were tired of studying various maps and listening about another mission for oil extraction. He watched sleep taking you away from him: reeling from drowsiness, you nested on the chair; he caught you (he stood up from his place and had sat on it before you), and enticed you on his lap, trapping you in the cage of his embrace. You tensed for a second, like a leveret ready to run away, but sat on him lightly. You nuzzled into his shoulder, like an angel on the cloud, and your furrowed brows smoothed out. Bi-Han looked at you with remorse and fondness, stroking you through your dark dress to soothe you. He was sitting like this for the whole night, savoring your warmth.
Bi-Han wanted to bring you through love but his cold soul didn't know another concept of love. Those scraps of spirituality, that were able to feel something more than violence, weren't able to show you the full spectrum of joy. Your life was a cycle of mad affection and normal love but you adapted to it. It seemed like you forgot about everything bad that ever happened to you easily, and every time Bi-Han hurt you, you forgave him. You were the little star on the endless canvas of Arctikal sky, shining for Bi-Han and guiding him through the darkness of his mind – and he overcame it, when you brought another vivid star into his world.