Chapter Sixty-Eight: Cold Anger

Kuai Liang continued to stomp down the hallway with no destination in mind. He just needed to get away from it all, even for just a few minutes. The cryomancer clenched and unclenched his fists as he walked and gritted his teeth.

"Kuai!"

Sub-zero could hear someone calling his name from behind him, but he ignored it.

"Kuai, stop!"

Kuai continued to ignore the cries until a hand grabbed his arm and forced him to turn around.

"What, Tomas!? Are you going to tell me that I was wrong for yelling at Hydro like!? Are you going to lecture me about letting my emotions get in the way!?"

"Kuai…"

Shoving Smoke's hand off of him, Sub-zero turned around and put his head in his hands.

"Because I know, okay!? I know I should not have snapped like that, but…I could not help it! Just hearing Hydro say that Bi-han is gone, I…I…"

Sub-zero trailed off as he fell to his knees, unable to stand anymore. Smoke reached out to his friend but stopped when the cryomancer suddenly let out an ear-splitting scream. But Kuai Liang was not screaming out of fear. All of his frustration, all his anger and grief…he could not hold it in anymore. Sub-zero screamed until his throat became sore and then he slowly breathed in and out to get oxygen back into his lungs. Tomas let his comrade regain his composure before attempting to talk to him again, kneeling as he did so.

"Kuai, I…I get it. With all that has happened, any man would go mad-"

"But why us?"

His voice was low, but Smoke heard Sub-zero's question. The cryomancer finally looked up from the floor to look at Tomas.

"Huh? Why does all this bad shit always happen to us? I know we have done terrible things for the Lin Kuei. Things I thought for a long time were right. But you knew. Cyrax knew. And I am sure Bi-han knew too, but you had no choice in the matter. You did…we did what we needed to survive. Bi-han does not deserve this fate. Neither do you or Cyrax or Hydro."

"And neither do you, Kuai."

Kuai shook his head and that did not sit well with Tomas.

"No. No, no, no. Do not do that to yourself, Kuai. You have a good heart. If you do not, then why did you bother to leave the Lin Kuei in the first place?"

Sub-zero just shrugged in response.

"You know why. Because deep down, you knew the Lin Kuei were wrong. But you closed your eyes to their evil deeds. Now your eyes are wide open, are they not? You see them for who they are, and you have to know that you are nothing like them."

Sighing, Kuai took a moment to adjust his sitting position. He propped one leg up while the other laid straight out onto the floor.

"Since we began this journey, I have questioned everything I have ever believed in. And I have questioned who I am and who I am meant to be. Have you ever felt like that? Like you do not know yourself?"

"…Everyday."

"…I am sorry. That…was a stupid question."

Kuai Liang shook his head. How could he ask Tomas that? Being a person with amnesia, of course Smoke has felt that way. Seeing the troubled look on Sub-zero's face, the silver-haired man patted his friend on the back.

"No, I get it. So much has happened in such little time. You are overwhelmed, I know. And now that Bi-han has come back…you just need time to process it all. Especially since…you never really had time to grieve over your brother's death."

"…Maybe not."

A single tear rolled down the cryomancer's cheek and the sight made Tomas' heart break. He hated seeing his friend in so much pain, but he needed to let it all out or it was only going to get worse.

"It is okay. You can cry and scream as much as you need to. I will not judge."

That got a chuckle out of Kuai.

"What?"

"Nothing, it is just…Bi-han used to call me a baby all the time when we were kids. I suppose he was right."

Smoke smiled, remembering those days. Then one particular memory came to mind as he thought about Bi-han.

"You know, I saw your brother before he went off to the tournament."

"Really?"

"Yes. It had been a while since we last talked. Our meeting was…incredibly awkward."

Flashback

In the Lin Kuei temple, Tomas was training in the dojo, lazily throwing knives at a wooden dummy. With every throw, he was constantly able to hit the head of the dummy and soon the head fell off due to Smoke putting too much force on his last throw. But he did not seem to mind considering that he had multiple wooden heads laying about on the floor. He sighed and kicked the head across the room, unaware that someone was watching him from afar. The newcomer watched as the wooden head stopped at his feet and he let out a chuckle, drawing Tomas' attention to him.

"You were always good with knives. I have to admit, it scared the shit out of me how amazing your accuracy was even when we were kids."

Smoke immediately relaxed when he recognized his friend's voice.

"Bi-han. It has…been a while."

"Indeed it has, Vrbada. Are you doing well?"

"Um…yes. Yes, I am fine. And you?"

"Same here. Same here."

The two warriors then stood in silence for a moment or two before Bi-han spoke again.

"Mind if I join you?"

The cryomancer pointed to another dummy that was sitting across the room. Next in line to become another of Tomas' wooden victims. The silver-haired man shrugged.

"Be my guest."

Bi-han nodded and created a small knife in his hand made of ice. He flipped it once so he was holding the blade of the weapon and he took some time to perfect his aim before throwing the knife at his target. The knife landed in the wooden dummy's chest, right above where its heart would have been.

"How do you do it?"

As he asked that question, Sub-zero made another ice knife and prepared to throw it. Tomas did the same with a kunai.

"Well, I just imagine that the dummy is Sektor and-"

Bi-han chuckled again at his comrade's response.

"No, you idiot."

Smoke laughed along with the cryomancer.

"Then can you be more specific?"

The two men threw their weapons at the same time. Bi-han's landed in the dummy's right cheek while Tomas' landed in the center of the dummy's head. The cryomancer's smile then began to fade.

"You are always so laid back. So calm even in the most intense and dangerous situations. After all we have seen and done, you still managed to retain some of your innocence."

"Innocence?"

Smoke scoffed.

"That was taken from me a long time ago."

"I do not think so."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Last night. In the forest. Does that ring any bells?"

Distracted, Tomas again threw a knife, but missed his target. Instead, the kunai stuck into the wall behind the dummy.

"…How much did you see?"

"Enough. Come on, did you really think no one was going to notice you leaving the temple every night for the past few weeks?"

"Well…what was I supposed to do?"

Smoke walked to the wall and grabbed his kunai. Bi-han folded his arms over his chest.

"You could have let things be."

"No, I could not."

Twirling the knife in his hands, Tomas leaned against the wall and laid his head back against it.

"It would not have been right."

"That is what I am talking about. You still have a sense of right and wrong. It still matters to you."

"Does it not matter to you?"

"…Not as much as it should. And…that scares me."

The cryomancer walked up to Smoke and grabbed the silver-haired man's shoulder.

"It was actually pretty adorable. How happy they seemed when you came last night."

Tomas chuckled.

"Yes, it was cute seeing their little tails wagging."

"Ha, ha. I remember how much you wanted a puppy when you were a child. I suppose your wish finally came true."

"Yes…you know, I did name them. They were four puppies and their mother, a Chow Chow. One a girl and the rest boys."

"Really? Tell me their names."

"The girl I named Ai, and the boys were Ping, Chong, and…Kuai."

"…Why?"

Smoke smirked and shrugged.

"Oh, Kuai was the worst of the bunch. Every time I came, he would always pounce on my back and try to eat my hair!"

Sub-zero rolled his eyes.

"Oh no! The audacity! How dare he touch your luscious locks!?"

"Okay, no need for the sarcasm."

"He shall burn in the deepest depths of the Netherrealm for this!"

"Seriously, STOP."

They both laughed when Tomas playfully punched Bi-han in his arm.

"Ha, ha, ha! But seriously-"

Sub-zero returned to his usually serious demeanor.

"-I want you to hang on to that. That morality. Never lose it."

"Well, that is getting harder and harder as the days go by. The only things keeping me sane are you all."

"And the kids?"

"Definitely the kids. I have been trying my best to be the father-figure to them that Hydro was to us. To give them the hope of having a normal life that does not involve killing."

Bi-han nodded.

"I understand. So, if you had the chance to leave…would you?"

Tomas frowned.

"Is…that a trick question?"

"No tricks. I only want an honest answer. Would you leave the Lin Kuei?"

The way the cryomancer was able to ask that question out loud confirmed that he was confident no one was around to him. So, Smoke trusted his friend and answered his question honestly.

"…Yes. Yes, I would. But only if you and the others came with me."

"So we are the reason you are still here?"

"We stay together. That is the promise we made, and I never break a promise."

"…I know."

Letting his arms fall back to his sides, Sub-zero sighed.

"And that is why I need you to make another promise."

"Anything."

"…You know I leave for the Mortal Kombat tournament soon along with Cyrax and Sektor. If I do not return-"

"Do not talk like tha-!"

"IF I do not return…I want you to promise me that you will always look after Kuai."

"I always do."

"No. I mean I want you to be the person he looks up to. I know he looks up to me, but…I am not the role model he needs. Tomas, I know I am damned. But you two still have the chance to redeem yourselves. Take that chance and if you can…"

Tomas was surprised when Bi-han suddenly grabbed his arms and pulled him close enough so their noses were only inches apart. The cryomancer's voice came out as a whisper.

"GET. OUT. OF. HERE."

Then, and this was even more surprising, Sub-zero embraced Smoke and a huge bear hug. Tomas was stunned and froze for a moment, but he eventually returned the hug.

"…I am sorry, Tomas."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For not being the older brother you and Kuai deserve."

End of Flashback

"Bi-han said that?"

"…Yes. He meant everything that he had said. I could see it in his eyes."

"Brother…you idiot."

Kuai slammed his fist into the floor, small cracks appearing in the concrete.

"Why did you have to go?"

Tomas wanted to say something to comfort the cryomancer, but he was lost for words. He just sat there and waited for Kuai to calm down.

"…Thank you, Tomas."

"For what?"

"For being here for me and keeping the promise you made to my brother. You were the one who kept me on a good path, and I am grateful for that. I do not know where I would be without you."

"You would have been alright. You are here because of your own decisions, not me. Give yourself credit."

"Maybe so. But still…thank you."