The life of a Lin Kuei warrior was one of intense danger and mystique, but not the glamorous kind. Tundra knew this; as did every other member of this Chinese clan of assassins. The legacy of Sub-Zero was shrouded in mystery, even to the man himself; and to his brother. The two had been brought to the Lin Kuei at a young age by their father, and had little to no recollection of their lives before that moment.
Kuai Liang occasionally had dreams of another life - what one might call a 'normal' life - in America, with a mother, a brother and a sister. Bi-Han had apparently found something familiar about the notion, upon being told about this dream after the third time his brother had had it. They suspected, though never confirmed, that this dream was actually a memory; that the two had not been born in China, but instead had been brought there at a young age by their father.
Either way, though, it didn't really matter. Bi-Han was thirty-two years old and Kuai Liang was approaching thirty himself. Whatever life they may have had before the Lin Kuei was long gone. Those two boys were dead; supplanted by enigmatic new entities known as Sub-Zero and Tundra, cryomantic warriors of the Lin Kuei.
Even the names of those boys were forever lost. Kuai Liang imagined that, to an outsider, it might seem odd for Kuai Liang and Bi-Han to not share a family name; but to the Lin Kuei, this was natural. All members were given new names upon induction into the clan - not just a codename, but a personal name too. The two brothers were denied a shared name, their familial connection hidden from them to emphasise that clan superseded family. Even the Grandmaster's son, Sektor, had most likely been given a new name to distance him from his father.
The brothers had only discovered their connection once Kuai Liang's power over ice had begun to manifest at age nine. Until then, the pair had been comrades and nothing more. But with the emergence of two recruits sharing such a rare power, their connection was undeniable and the Grandmaster had then revealed it to them. It had taken a while for the two to properly accept their connection, but they had become very close since then.
Bi-Han was always the more skilled in the use of their shared cryomancy, but Kuai Liang had proven the more inventive in the use of the power. Ice Puddles and Ice Clones were two such ideas of the younger brother, which the elder had quickly put to good use in his missions for the clan, quickly rising to the top of the clan's ranks. There was a reason Bi-Han was typically chosen for the most important and/or dangerous missions for the clan.
But, for all the discipline and emotional control that had been drilled into Kuai Liang since his induction, he always felt a strange sense of apprehension when his brother was away on such missions. It had started after the incident two years ago with the Netherrealm sorcerer Quan Chi, when Bi-Han had ended up facing off with a fallen Elder God.
Now, he was on the island of Shang Tsung, competing in the final Mortal Kombat tournament to determine the fate of Earthrealm; though his mission was not so heroic. He was there to assassinate the sorcerer, not to save Earthrealm. Granted, these two tasks were ultimately one and the same, so Bi-Han would return a hero if he succeeded. But, while there were no Elder Gods in his way this time, Kuai Liang couldn't help the nagging feeling that something terrible was going to happen. It wasn't like he could do anything about it either way, so Tundra simply threw himself into his training to try and keep his mind off of it, though it did little to help.
He was sparring with Smoke when the news came. Smoke had just dodged yet another ice blast when Hydro called out to him. He half expected the Grandmaster to chastise him for letting his emotions get the better of him, but that was far from the case.
There were two people in the Grandmaster's chamber upon his arrival. One, naturally, was the red-clad Grandmaster himself, in one of his rare instances of not sitting on his throne. The other was an unfamiliar man with a somewhat regal aura about him. He wore white and blue robes and a conical hat that almost blocked his glowing white eyes from view. Without having ever seen the man, Kuai Liang knew from description that this man was Raiden, the Thunder God who protected Earthrealm. The man who had sent Bi-Han on his mission in the Netherrealm.
"Kuai Liang," the Grandmaster acknowledged as the newcomer took a knee. "Please, stand." Kuai Liang did as commanded, as Hydro closed the doors behind him to grant them privacy. There was a certain tenderness in the Grandmaster's voice that Kuai Liang had never heard before. He was typically a very stern and commanding figure, though he did ease off some when addressing Sub-Zero or Sektor as a sign of respect for his top agents. "Lord Raiden, allow me to introduce Kuai Liang, Bi-Han's younger brother."
Raiden's lack of pupils made tracking his gaze difficult, but Kuai Liang could tell he was looking him over. Even without this window into his soul, Kuai Liang noted a hint of recognition play across Raiden's face. This was to be expected, as Kuai Liang had styled his uniform after that of his brother. While there was a standardised look each member had to adhere to, there was a certain degree of leeway given to the top warriors of the clan, of which both brothers were a part. Alongside Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke and Hydro, the two brothers were given permission to customise their attire to stand out from the rest. This was, presumably, to turn them into icons as something for the rest of the clan to aspire to.
Bi-Han's attire had only recently changed from the clan's unaltered ninja-esque attire in blue, to include an armoured torso and a modified mask to allow his icy breath to escape unimpeded as an intimidation tactic. Kuai Liang's attire was largely the same as his brother's former style, but in a lighter shade of blue, much to Bi-Han's chagrin.
"I see," was the first thing the Thunder God said. "I sense a great power within you, equalling that of your brother's."
"I am undeserving of such praise," Kuai Liang said with a respectful bow."
"I sincerely hope that is not the case," the Thunder God replied. "Even with Earthrealm's victory at the tournament, we will be in need of such powerful warriors in the event of Outworld chicanery."
"Earthrealm won the tournament?" Kuai Liang repeated. "Then, my brother's mission was successful?"
Both the Grandmaster and the God shifted their weight uneasily. Even without uttering a word, the truth of their expression was clear. Bi-Han was dead.
Raiden reached for a pouch around his waist, extracting from it the mask of Sub-Zero. It was slightly singed, suggested a horrid end for its former bearer. Raiden presented it to Kuai Liang, who shakily took it from him and stared at it. He was hesitant to ask what exactly had become of his brother.
"Although he failed to assassinate Shang Tsung, Sub-Zero defeated a number of Outworld warriors at the tournament. It was in the closing hours of the tournament that Scorpion of the Shirai Ryu struck him down."
"Scorpion!? But... Bi-Han killed him two years ago."
"And he returned from the Netherrelam to claim his revenge. I am still unsure who provided him this opportunity, but I will be looking into it shortly. I wished to prioritise bringing news of Bi-Han's demise personally, in light of his actions two years ago. That, and the fact that I am the one who hired the Lin Kuei to assassinate Shang Tsung, placing Bi-Han's death on my hands. I am truly sorry, Kuai Liang."
Kuai Liang shook his head without taking his eyes off the mask he gripped tightly in his hands. "Bi-Han was Lin Kuei. He faced each mission knowing the dangers he faced. From lack of skill or an insurmountable threat, his death was his own to face, and he did so as Lin Kuei. No blame lies at your feet, Raiden."
Raiden lowered his head, masking his face. "Thank you, Kuai Liang. I'm afraid I must leave now. I have other matters to attend to in the wake of the tournament's aftermath."
"Of course, Lord Raiden," the Grandmaster replied with a respectful bow.
Raiden disappeared in a flash of lightning and the Grandmaster resumed his seating position atop his throne. Kuai Liang held up the mask to the dim candlelight. He was shaken by the news, yet had always known this would be an eventuality. Few of the Lin Kuei lived to see old age, after all. Not even the brothers' father.
Closing his eyes, he pulled the mask down over his head and fastened the mouthpiece over his face. It felt strange, yet oddly fitting, to be wearing his brother's mask. With a deep breath, exhaled though the mask and visible in the warm room, Kuai Liang took a knee once more and addressed the Grandmaster.
"Grandmaster, I humbly request that you give me the chance to do what my brother could not; to complete his mission of assassinating Shang Tsung."
Kuai Liang could feel the Grandmaster's gaze burning him as he looked over the young warrior. "Is this a request to restore the honour of the clan, or that of your brother?"
"Neither, Grandmaster. Bi-Han lived and died for the Lin Kuei. His death cost him no honour. I make this request so that I might complete his mission and restore honour to the title he carried to his grave."
The Grandmaster pondered this request for a few moments before deciding: "Very well. Raiden warned that Shao Kahn will likely not take his loss sitting down. Once I hear word of either his or Shang Tsung's movements, you will dispatch immediately. Until then, prepare yourself well for that task your brother could not complete. Be sure you are ready to bring honour to your clan and family... Sub-Zero."
