Bound in Blood

1 year later.

He had done as Kitana had suggested after that, he rebuilt. He went back to the Lin Kuei temple to what few surviving members remained and he rebuilt.

And it was there in the Cold Mountains that the Lin Kuei called home that he remained. The Grand Master sat in his chair as he contemplated the matters at hand. The organization continued their work keeping in line with Kaui's 'New View' of the Lin Kuei. They still had battles with their rivals the Tengu clan.

These were the thoughts that passed through his head day after day. But just now something else came into his mind. He picked his head up and observed his surroundings, looking left to right. There was no one to be found.

There was a strange silence about the temple. And that's what had Sub Zero on edge. It never sounded like this. Someway somehow there was always at least some noise, even if it was just someone sneezing a hallway down. But somehow it was unnaturally quiet.

He rose up from his chair and thought to look for the source of this unusual disturbance. Walking across the room and down the halls only the echoing sounds of his footsteps could be heard.

And as he walked he continued to look left to right, looking for any other member of his organization. And when he heard something in a nearby room he went into it.

"Hello?" He said upon entering the room.

"Ta-Da!" A voice called to him. Turning his head and looking across the room Kaui saw a creature black as night with eyes white as the moon staring at him from the darkness.

"Bi-Han."

"Pleased to see me?" He said stepping more into the light. Kaui turned away from him, giving his answer. His brother chuckled." I don't suppose your still mad are you?" His voice echoing all around them." Don't know how you could be."

"I learned I could never put my faith in you." Kaui replied. A bad mistake since that invited Bi Han to continue.

"An important lesson." Bi Han said. His voice was closer and in front now. Looking forward Kaui saw him standing before him blocking the exit, arms crossed over his chest." Surprised it took you this long to figure it out." Kaui this time choose to say nothing, this time turning and heading for another exit." Don't know why your so upset thought. Since you knew I couldn't change."

"It wasn't about you." Kaui growled over his shoulder at his brother. He wondered if that was surprising for him to hear.

"Then who?" Bi Han asked." The Princess? Don't make me laugh." When Kaui didn't respond Bi Han had his answer." Ah then it's true. You loved her? How touching." He put his hand over his heart and fluttered his eyes." I think I'm going to gag." Kaui continued to walk away but his brother kept on taking." Your half a man Kaui."

"You don't know anything about me!" Kaui yelled turning back to him. His outburst was met with Bi Han's unnatural laughter echoing around the halls.

"So you think you're a better man than me?"

"I think I am too much like you." Kaui grumbled.

"Haha!" He let out." Then we'll know what you'll do. You'll sit here in your icy fortress longing for the past while your Princess lies in a warm bed with her…husband to be." He let out another dark chuckle." But I hear her sister's seeking a man."

Kuai groaned tightening his fist." Why have you come?" He faced his brother." After all this time why have you appeared now?"

"The wedding of Emperor Kotal Kahn and Empress Kitana will be in a few days." That was new information entirely.

"Kitana and Kotal Kahn?" He questioned." How?"

"I assumed you'd know. You were actually there." Kaui could not understand any of this. When he followed Kitana into Mortal Kombat she wanted to de-throne Kotal and take back her Father's throne. But now she marries him. It didn't make any sense. For the first time in a long time, words escaped him." Invitations have already been sent out. And yours comes personally from the Kahn." From anyone else Kaui wouldn't have expected anything but this was from his own brother. And when the Saibot cloned lunged from Bi Han and towards him Kaui jumped back avoiding it." He's offered my choice of payment for your death." The Saibot clone lunged at Kaui once more." I'll deliver your head as a wedding present." Kaui ducked as the clone threw a punch at him." I'm sure Kitana will enjoy that."

And with a rage Sub Zero never had felt before he hardened ice around his right arm and swung up to hit him in the jaw. Bi Han observed his brother, arms frozen but with eyes burning like the fires of hell.

"Let's see what you've got!" He said in defiant dark laughter. Kaui lunged forward his arms frozen with ice and a lifetime of rage to fuel him.

Bi Han was the first person Kaui ever hated. The first man he ever wanted to kill. All the anger, all the pain in Kaui's life. It all led back to Bi Han.

He jumped at his brother and swung a punch at him. But Bi Han stepped aside and dodged him. So He swung again only for Bi Han to dodge again. But then Bi Han reared his head down and smashed it against Kaui's sending him right to the ground.

Kaui put both hands on the ground and pushed up kicking both his legs up and into Bi Han's stomach. It staggered him a moment but then he reached down and grabbed Kaui by his ankle. Then he turned, swinging his younger brother around. And then finally releasing him, sending him soaring through the air and slamming into the stone wall cracking it.

Kaui groaning pushing himself onto his feet, supporting himself on the wall. When he looked up he saw Bi Han coming down on him bearing both fists. Kaui jumped out of the way as Noob came swinging down on the wall breaking it down as he slammed onto it.

Stones crumbled and dust flew all around them. Kaui kept a sharp eye waiting for a figure to lunge at him from the shadows.

Then he felt two large arms clutch and squeeze to his neck. Kaui quickly shot his elbow back. But as soon as he did he felt the squeezing feeling around his neck gone. He turned around to see no one there at all. When he turned to the right he was suddenly punched in the face. Then he was punched in the stomach.

Kaui raised up his hand and shot a blast of ice. But whatever his target had been it was gone and his ice shot across the room. He quickly scanned the room looking from where his foe would strike next. He never imagined that would be below him.

He suddenly felt his legs grabbed and his body lifted into the air. Bi Han had reappeared beneath him, grabbed him and suplexed Kaui onto the ground cracking his head against the ground. Blood began to pour from Kaui's head and onto the ground, even splashing onto Bi Han's boot.

"Even in death I'm stronger!" Bi Han roared. He swung down and slammed his brother onto the ground. Then as Kaui tried to pry himself up Bi Han was quickly on him. He grabbed Kuai by his hair once more and slammed his head into the ground. Then a second time, then a third. Each time causing more and more blood to pour from his head.

Then when Kaui thought it was over he felt himself suddenly grabbed from the front. Looking down he saw a black puddle had formed under him and Bi Han's figure was in it. He latched onto him and pulled him into the portal.

They reappeared on the ceiling above and Kaui was brought slamming down by the clone while his brother watched.

The clone exploded on contact as Kaui's head cracked against the ground. The ground was colored with red and black, running across the floor.

And Bi han stood over the bloody mess. A snicker left his mouth as he seemed happy with his handy work. He prepared to turn away but was stopped. Kaui was down but not out. He formed a small ice dagger in his right hand and plunged it down into Bi Han's black foot.

"AH!" he roared more than screamed. Then Kaui jumped up, his face covered in blood blinding him even further. But he was not deterred. He reached up and punched his brother in the face, then a second time.

The force of the second strike was enough to knock him off his feet. So Kaui reached forward and grabbed him by his shoulders and drove a knee into his stomach. Bi Han grabbed Kaui by his shoulders and pushed him back onto the ground.

With the force given to him Kaui went back but turned it into a roll. And when he faced Bi han again he held out his hand and shot him with a gust of ice.

And Bi Han either did not have time to dodge or didn't even try. The blast hit him and began to cover his torso. Kaui jumped up from his feet and lunged forward. And with a punch shattered the ice. Shattering the ice he knocked away parts of Bi Han's body, piece by piece and forming a giant hole through his torso. The strain appeared too much and Bi Han fell onto his back.

Now when clash was over it was finally Kuai Lang who stood victorious and Bi Han on the ground the loser.

"Go on!" the Older Brother yelled." Use me as an excuse! Blame me for everything!"

"All our lives all we've done was fight, brother." The younger answered." Look where it's taken us."

"I'm not responsible for the man you are!"

Bi Han was the first person Kaui ever hated. And if Kaui was like his brother he knew what would come next. He would act on his impulse end Bi Han's wretched life. Ripped his head from his miserable shoulders and feed his body to the dogs. But then he remembered something. Something he had been told once.

'You are as much your brother as I am my sister' Kitana's words. Kitana's words to comfort him when he needed it most.

Without warning Kaui turned around and began running for the doors. The defeated Bi Han lay on his back, watching him go.

"Where are you going Kaui?" Bi Han called to him.

"Outworld!" He called." To Kitana!" His voice echoed in the halls for Bi Han to listened to even long after Kaui had gone.