#like the Lin Kuei is an assassin clan same with the Shirai Ryu

[charlotte-family-apologist]

I don’t care what the mkx comics say I refuse to believe Cassie was an accident baby.

My headcanon is that she was planned because Johnny wanted a least one child and Sonya thought that was a natural progression of their relationship, only to have the startling realization that she was not ready to be a parent and completely out of her depth.

A combination of post partum depression and both at home and work stress was what caused Sonya to start distancing herself.

It didn’t help that the older Cassie got the more Sonya drifted. Because Sonya was taking care of herself and her younger siblings when she was around that age she thought that Cassie was more than capable of being left alone, leading to arguments with Johnny.

[tiredfox64]

Hello, I hope you are feeling very well ^^

I really liked your fic "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder"

Can I request a sequel with the reaction of the others in the clan when Tomas and the reader officially become a couple? Can I request something from nsfw too? The others are surprised to notice some marks on the necks of Tomás and the reader 👀

If you don't like this or it bothers you, ignore it, you have every right ;)

Beauty Never Ends Even In Bed

Prior notes: I love this man. I need this man. My head hurts just thinking about him. That could be the heat as well.

Pairing: Tomas x Afab Reader

Warnings ‼️: NSFW, biting, hickeys (that’s the freaking point)

The girls in the clan were quite shocked to see your return. Not only did you save the Shirai Ryu lots of time by nabbing yourself a Lin Kuei assassin but you came back with a boyfriend. The looks on their face when they saw you and Tomas going into your room was priceless. It was like looking at a bunch of fish in an aquarium.

You and Tomas talking about what happened before. Why you shut him out and isolated yourself from everyone. He was sad and disappointed at the fact that there were people in the clan who showed cruelness. He would kick them out if he could but that wasn’t his call to make plus they really needed the numbers. He made a promise to you that they won’t bother you anymore.

Ever heard the term show don’t tell? Well y’all showed everyone that you guys were in a relationship.

Blotches of dark red that blends in with a faded purple are scattered on his and yours neck. A sign of a good time from the night prior. The hickeys of Tomas’ neck really stand out compared to his pale skin. He was the first to get noticed and teased for them. All the men were cheering him on. Boys will be boys.

And the ladies, oh they were jealous. They saw those same beautiful marks not just on your neck but on your chest as well. And just look at that beautiful bruise Tomas left on your shoulder from biting you. He really wanted to show everyone you were his. He made that clear while you guys were at it.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

A heated make out session was going on in your room. One full of passion and heavy breathing. Tomas’ tongue swirled around yours. He held your face in a loving manner as the excitement grew. The only barrier between you two are your clothes. Take it off!

Tomas was about to start taking his uniform off because you stopped him. You hesitated because your confidence still wasn’t fully back.

“Are you sure you want to do this with me?” You asked.

Tomas looked at you with a bit of sadness. He wished you didn’t need to question his decision but he understood you were still dealing with those harsh words from before. He took your hand and squeezed it tight.

“I’m positive. There is not other girl out there who I would trust to be vulnerable with. I only want you. I can promise you that.” His tone didn’t fail him. He spoke the truth and you felt it in your soul.

You nodded your head before taking your hand back to start stripping. Tomas did the same but he would sneak glances at you. Soon you stood before him with nothing on. All your features were on display for him as you sat pretty on your bed. You were looking away all shy. You were missing how Tomas looked at you as if you were a goddess that he was blessed to see.

“Beautiful…” he whispered before taking you into his arms.

He peppered kisses all over you. First on your face and then down to your neck. His kisses on your neck caused you to shiver in pleasure. You were practically melting in his arms. Suddenly Tomas had an idea. A brilliant one. You felt his start to suck on a your neck.

“Wait—that’s gonna leave a hickey.” You warned him.

“That’s exactly the point.”

You got it now. You let him continue, embracing the pleasure that came from it. His hands wandered all over you, grabbing and squeezing wherever he could. The feeling of your soft skin drove him crazy.

More and more hickeys were made. They were scattered on your neck in different sizes. Tomas pushed you down onto your back while his lips traveled down to your breasts. He started sucking at your flesh, causing more hickeys to appear. As he focused on one of your breasts his hand reached up to massage the other. His fingers gently pinched your nipple causing you to whimper at the sensation. That noise you made excited him enough to make his cock twitch. He did the same thing to your other breast to make sure it was all even. Once he was done he looked down at his masterpiece. The hickeys looked so pretty on you. He should do this more often.

“Are you still okay with going forward with this?” He asked softly.

You nodded you head frantically. You were definitely ready. Your legs were spread for him and he saw how you were practically dripping wet. Tomas can’t deny that he felt some sense of pride in him. Seeing that he made you this excited would make any man’s ego rise. He angled himself correctly before slowly pushing in. There was little resistance which just proves how ready you were.

Once Tomas was fully in you both let out a satisfied whimper. The pleasure was euphoric. He was incredibly thick and it stretched you out nicely. You felt so warm and plush inside. He couldn’t hold himself back and he started thrusting into you.

You had your arms wrapped around his neck. Your eyes were closed due to the pleasure. But his eyes stayed on you as he thrusted away. He wanted to look into those beautiful eyes of yours as you two made love.

“Please look at me, beautiful. Would you mind doing that for me?” He spoke so softly and lovingly how could you resist.

Your eyes slowly opened to look up at him. Gosh he looked so handsome. You loved watching his eyes roll back sometimes as he bit his lip. That’s what good pussy does to a man.

A symphony of groans, pants, whimpers, and soft moans bounced off the walls. Tomas started to go rougher and faster to the point the bed frame started to creak. You held each other close. Skin to skin, heartbeat matching heartbeat. You decided to return the favor from before since Tomas was close to you. Your lips latched onto his neck where you proceeded to give him a hickey. He was surprised by how sensitive he was to it. Your lips on his neck made the whole experience ten times better. His hands started to grip the bedsheets as he focused on not cumming inside you yet.

You left your love marks on his neck. The heat of the moment caused you to go a little crazy. They were scattered all over. Tomas won’t mind it just shows how much you love him. You sure do love him a whole lot.

His thrusts started to grow sloppy and your moans grew louder. You both were close. What better way to bond than cumming together.

“I don’t think I can last any longer. Please, please, please let me cum in you, my dearest.” He sounded so desperate it was so cute.

Your heart fluttered at the nickname and caused you clench around his cock. That’s enough evidence to show you were just as close as well.

“Please cum in me. I need you. Please keep going, Tomas.” You begged and he delivered.

After a few thrusts you two were on cloud nine. He slammed into you before biting down on your shoulder. It was natural instincts. He groaned while biting down. The pleasure from your orgasm and pain from the bite was a delicious combination that made you let out the prettiest moans he’s ever heard. The feeling of his cock twitching inside of you while it spilled cum inside of you was unforgettable. Your pussy was milking him just to get every last drop. The best part was hearing him mumble something as it all happened.

“Mine, mine, all mine, my pretty girl, so pretty, fuck, you’re all mine…”

Well your confidence surely came back with that one. Oh Tomas couldn’t help himself. He just loves you so much.

You two stayed there for a good bit, trying to catch your breaths after that wonderful experience. Eventually he pulled out and laid next to you. He pulled you in for a cuddle, rubbing your back gently as he placed kisses on your forehead. You snuggled up against him with little to no worried in your head. All you could think about was Tomas and the love you have for him. Before you passed out you heard him whisper something in your ear.

“I love you. I love everything about you…”

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

How was your trip down memory lane? Was it a good one? Good, wonderful, now get back to the present. You have important matters to get to.

But before you could move on those group of girls who used to bully you came walking up. They looked like they were determined to do something but what.

“I don’t know who you are fooling but I can tell those hickeys are just makeup.” One girl said as she pointed to your neck.

“Yeah, why don’t you stop acting like you and Tomas are a thing and get over it.” Another one added on.

Before the others could add their own nasty words, Tomas came up behind you and wrapped his strong arms around your waist.

“My dearest, what’s the matter? These girls seem to be upset by something.” He acted clueless but knew what these girls were up to. That’s why he placed a kiss on your neck which shocked the girls.

“Oh nothing, they are just confused. They just can’t seem to take the hint.” You answered back.

Tomas picked you up as you giggled and carried you away. The girls were too stunned to speak. They were hella wrong. They were in fact the background characters on this story. You were the main character who got her happy ending with her love interest. That is evident to everyone.

Have I told you that you are beautiful and loved? Well imma remind you again.

After notes: The heat is causing me to get sick and get cramps. Tomorrow will be worse and I have to go to campus where the sun beats down on us. I’m gonna kombat the sun. Adiós!

[cream0fwheat1998]

Captured

Thanks to @livingdeadgirly for giving me the idea.

(Yandere!BihanxreaderxYandere!Tomas)

It's long. Sorry.

I have built on this idea to my own liking/ to fit the idea I have so this is MY interpretation of the idea. Please be aware that I have never played any Mortal Kombat games just watched movies & lore videos.

After the events of MK1 (2023)

Summary: Tomas and the woman he's trained have grown closer over the past few years. However a threat from the Lin Kuei (minimal use of Y/N) puts their relationship on hold as his darling is abducted by them during an attack.

WARNINGS: Dark/yandere/noncon/violence/forced relationship.

-You were a young woman residing in a rural village within Earthrealm

-You enjoyed your schooling because your family was privileged enough to afford you an education but you weren't wealthy either

-You favorite pastime was reading/learning about the other realms however your priority was mapping out Earthrealm first since you lived there

-You attempted to educate young children in your village by reading to them in your spare time and teaching them about the beauty and dangers that co-exist within the multiple realms

-A danger that you only had heard whispers of became a reality late summer when these assassins sporting Blue and Black garments stormed your village in search of those who supported the Shirai Ryu

-Houses were cased in ice, schools and hospitals demolished

-It was a picture right out of a book about the Netherrealm. Grey/green clouds, sharp winds and endless screams of innocents being slaughtered

-In the midst of chaos, you'd been hit by a dagger as cold as a winter storm and fell to the ground

-With the little strength you had, you crawled your way to cover

-The heat of your skin had bullet sized sweat drops running down your body, the amount of blood you felt leave you put your mortality in a sharp perspective and you assumed you wouldn't make it

--------------------------------------------------------------------

-The next 3 years were something of a miracle

-You were saved by soldiers from the Shirai Ryu scouring the land for survivors and hours after the attack, your lifeforce was hanging by a thread but you were still alive

-You spent your time learning their discipline, their training and forming the strength to become a fight

-Fighter in loose terms of course, you weren't good

- you refused to take part in the same carnage and devastation you were put through, you held your own fire back

-But you remained optimistic much to the chagrin of the more serious members when your academic skills aided them to victory

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Another unforeseen occurrence has recently distracted you

-The handsome, grey-eyed and soft silver, short-haired warrior Smoke was your instructor

-The way he and his brother lead their clan in unison reminded you of the family and friends you'd loved and lost over the years

-You were told by Kuai Liang that Smoke had saved you from death and carried you to safety

-Over the few years, you felt some sense of debt to him and he clearly did not see it that way himself, your persistence to prove something to him added to his ego

-His dedication to train you started from a sense of duty but overtime he couldn't help but think if he saved you for himself rather than the Lin Kuei

-You were an attractive woman and he attempted not to stray from his purpose of serving his master (Kuai Liang)

-Yet you looked up to him in a way that made him feel special; he was second and his days under Bi-han he was third if anything at all

-But you went to him first, you called his name first when you had an issue

-Tomas couldn't help but feel like he was more of a man because of you, a pretty girl, coming to him for help

-Using the moral guide of the Lin kuei and the Shirai Ryu, he knew being humble was the key, however....

-The way you looked at him when he was giving instructions, the shy smile you gave him in the morning or in passing

-Especially, the way you'd let him adjust your form during training

-Deep down he knew he wasn't entitled to you but the prestige of being the second in command in the Shirai Ryu had been manifesting in his head

-Tomas knew he wanted his legacy to continue but the years of Bi-han's abuse had convinced him he wasn't good enough

-He felt ashamed when his thoughts of pinning you down and having his way with you occurred during training

-His fantasy was you admitting that you werent good enough to fight but that you could be useful in otherways

-He'd pin you down on the nearest surface, well first you'd suck him off THEN he'd force you down and probably spank you and when he was hard from hearing your cries, he'd force himself inside you

-His deepest desire is you submitting as a thank you for saving your life several years ago

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-But all the changed when the Lin Kuei attacked......

-Kuai Liang and his wife Harumi commanded their assassins into position, somehow that Lin Kuei had infiltrated their land

-Tomas immediately found you and demanded you hide inside the compound but you insisted you fight with your group

-The defiant attitude had Tomas growling, this was the first time he'd be forceful with you beyond training

-"I'm not asking. I'm telling you to HIDE or there will be punishment." Tomas said, no room for argument

-Once Tomas was out of sight, you ran to an opposite area of the compound, determined to prove you can fight for Tomas just as he has fought for you

-You'd met with the most intense scene you'd ever witness. Kuai Liang and a large man in a Lin Kuei uniform facing off using their powers

-After blow to blow, the man using sharp, ice daggers subdued Scorpion and chuckled at his brothers downfall

-You gasped, never witnessing Scorpion lose to an opponent causing the large man with the gravely deep voice to glance at you

-His eye brows furrowed and he go into a fighting stance and you knew you'd be no match for this warrior

-You attempted a fighting stance yourself, but you slipped causing the Lin Kuei-man to laugh at you

-He was about to strike when smoke appeared out of nowhere and Tomas angrily appeared

-Tomas and the man he called Bi-han shouted at each other until fists were exchanged

-In a spur of the moment decision, you ran in-between Tomas and Bi-han and a force unknown to you knocked you to the ground and everything went dark

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-A throbbing headache hit you as you came through, your blurry eyes trying to focus on the comfortable surroundings

-You were on a bed and a heavy chain was on your ankle

-While yanking on the chain with all the strength you could muster, the door swung open to a man who took up all of the door frame

-It was bi-han wearing a mask, his outfit still stained with the blood of the fallen members if Shirai Ryu

-Immediately you remember Tomas, your heart races as you look at all the dried blood

-"Those fools are still alive, they are lucky we held back. Somewhat." Bi-han says, crossing his arms

-You ask why are you here, tugging on the chain as Bi-han steps forward

-"What are you to them?" He asks.

-You explained that Tomas and Kaui Liang saved you from dying and allowed you to train within the Shirai Ryu

-Bi-han raised a skeptic brow, eyeing your muscles (or lack thereof) indicating his disbelief

-"Whose Concubine are you?" Kuai Liangs?" He suggested, slowly removing his mask and tossing it aside

-You stopped pulling while the heat when to your face. How dare he think that's your purpose with them AND that one of the most honorable men you've met would behave in such a manner. Kuai Liang would never betray Harumi in that way and the slander of him made your blood boil

-Without a response, Bi-han went on "So you belong to Tomas then?" He didn't smile, waiting for an answer

-You reaffirmed that you trained with them, scared but not backing down

-Bi-han stepped closer you, confirming that he commanded dominance at all times

-"You may not think you belong to him but does he know that?" Bi-han crouched down to your eye-level, his icy breath hitting your face

-For the first time, you make direct eye contact which seemingly surprises him for second before his eyes darken again

-"You want to be his? He is weak and why my brother tolerates his incompetence in their new era shocks me." Bi-han says, clutching his fists.

-"Unlike you, Tomas is a good man who fights to protect the innocent not glory." In a surge of confidence, you try to push away Bi-han but he catches your wrists.

-"Is that so? Well then maybe I should show you how much of a bad man I am."

-Bi-Han quickly removes his garments and moves to get rid of yours. You thrash around, limited by the chains so Bi-han easily covers your entire body with his much larger one.

-He caresses your skin in a gentle contradiction to being pinned down with force. You attempt to push him off of you to no success. He smiles, knowing your resistance is useless.

-"Did Tomas ever touch you like this?" Bi-Han asked while thumbing your nipples and fondling your breast.

-You mewl at the brand new sensation of being felt so intimately and for a second Bi-Hans eye went soft at the sight beneath him

-The gentleness didn't last when Bi-Han realized that you and Tomas had never been intimate; you had never been intimate and that made Bi-Han delighted. This would be one of his many flawless victories over the Shirai Ryu.

-"I'll have to open you up a little." Bi-han reached a long, thick finger down to your intimate area and began playing your lips. His finger ran down your slit slowly; he wanted you to feel and remember him. You'd end this day as claimed territory of the Lin Kuei. It didn't matter what you wanted.

-Your brain had stopped. Your reasonability drowned out by the fast pace of your beating heart.

-His attention back on your face and without warning, shoved one finger inside you. He began jerking it in and out; he made sure to hit every spot he could. He grew harder thinking about the idea that you'd be able to feel him hours after this night.

-With every thrust, your hand that was wrapped around Bi-Hans arm squeezed his bicep. Something about you responding to his assault by holding on to him harder caused him to spur.

-You felt yourself getting closer to what you knew to be the climax of your enjoyment; a coil of warmth began and you clutched on Bi-Han for dear life.

-Bi-Han quickened the pace seeing your reaction. You squirmed and let out a loud moan at your release.

-You slowly sat up as Bi-Han closed in on you. Catching your breath, you asked him to please not do anything more with tears pricking in your eyes.

-He had no intention of stopping; he was belated to have you bending to you will, underneath him. Now it was your turn to give him his prize.

-He pulled up right to his erect penis and looked down on you expectantly.

-You shook your head, turning away until he grabbed the back of your head and forced your open mouth down on him.

-"Do as your new grandmaster commands." He said in a low voice.

-You swirled your tongue around, unsure of how to do what he wanted you to do. You dragged your tongue up and down his shaft, targeting the vein. You blushed because you had the thoughts about Tomas in the past but knew they weren't appropriate.

-Bi-Han started bobbing your head up and down on his cock, using both his hands.

-This is the only time he'd allow himself to be sloppy. His moans and sighs filling the room.

-Abruptly, he shoved you down and once again his large body was completely covering yours.

-"No more resistance? Good girl." He adjusted himself to be at your entrance before grabbing your face and smashing his lips on yours.

-There was no adjustment period. He shoved himself inside you and began to thrust. He held you down with super strength while peppering kisses on your neck and chest.

-Bi-Han sped up his movement and kissed you again. "Kiss me back" he growled.

-You obliged; just wanting the nightmare to be over.

-His tongue danced for dominance in your mouth and of course he won. He smiled into the kiss.

-He began growling as his thrust became sloppy. He gripped your hips with intense force and released his seed deep within you; not moving until every single drop was inside you.

-"You are officially property of the Lin Kuei. You will be under my particular command and I suggest you keep your mouth shut and do what I say. I can give you alot.....if you earn it."

[mrstsung]

Anyone who thinks kuai liang as the mantle of scorpion is or was remotely a good idea is a bit racist or at very least very ignorant to me. Sorry not sorry.

Kuai liang is chinese and always a cryomancer. Bi-han is also Chinese and a cryomancer. Both are brothers. And from the lin kuei. A CHINESE,ASSASSIN GROUP. And sub zero is their mantles. Tundra was kuais beforw he took his bros mantle after his death.

Hanzo hasashi is scorpion,he gave himself that moniker. Scorpion is shirai-ryu,is Japanese. A Japanese ninja,assassin. He used fire. Always has.

Just because two characters are far east asian doesn't make it right to exchange them because THEY ARE STILL TWO DIFFERENT CULTURES! They both have different characteristics and both characters are not to be irechangeable like a palate swap. This isn't the 90s anymore. They actually have a fucking history,personality,and different fucking problems.

Kuai is Chinese. Scorpion is a moniker for a JAPANESE ASSASSIN CLAN.

Not the fucking same.

Besides. This isn't actually groundbreaking as people wanna fucking claim. Oooo you switched the characters. Big whoop. They all get screwed over in the end. You dont really change anything. And it doesn't make sense.

Not to mention you legitimately give kuai hnazos backstory. That makes no sense. And you give him a "happy?" Ending?! Oh but hanzo has to suffer because status quo?! Fuck off boon go eat trash and die for that!

I will never forget boon for fucking ove rthe ninjas. A mk staple,the bread n butter.

Not to mention if y'all just don't actually get it. Then you never will. Don't play mortal kombat if you can't understand how fucked up them screwing over kuai liang and hanzo is.

No this isn't a ship post. I dont ship them. (Im more of a sub smoke enjoyer anyways. For many reasons) This is just over their characters in general.

Kuai liang and hanzo. The true and only sub zero(KUAI) and scorpion (HANZO) didn't go through so much character development and history for you to treat their characters as a prop. What's the point in a story or lore then? If you're gonna disregard it just so damn easily?

Anyways

Kuai is fucking subzero

Bihan is subzero og and noob saibot.

Hanzo hasashi is fucking scorpion.

DEAL WITH IT! CRY N SHIT ABOUT IT. THAT'S HOW IT IS. DONT LIKE IT? DONT PLAY MORTAL KOMBAT!

Vent over. Fuck the "new" era game,mk12/mk1(2023). It can go to hell.

[tobiasdrake]

Mortal Kombat adaptations tend to fixate on the massacre of Scorpion's village, incorporating his fatal duel with Sub-Zero into the massacre itself. I get why they do that, but I do think that it results in missing a key point of Scorpion's character.

Originally, these were two separate points in continuity. Like an asshole, Quan Chi tapped the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu clans for the same contract. Scorpion and Sub-Zero arrived to steal the thing at the same time and, being that their clans are bitter rivals, they immediately tried to murder each other. Sub-Zero won.

Nobody's really the good guy in that altercation. Had he gotten the upper hand, Hanzo would have slit Bi-Han's throat just as easily as Bi-Han tore out Hanzo's spine. These men are both assassins and thieves for hire. It's what they do.

The Shirai Ryu massacre and the murder of Scorpion's family at the hands of Sub-Zero actually Quan Chi came later down the road, after he was already a hellspawned Revenant out for revenge.

These two things get mushed together for adaptation because it makes for a simpler story. Pretty much every follow-up version of Scorpion's background is the same. Hanzo was minding his business enjoying his village when suddenly the Lin Kuei attacked and slaughtered everyone out of nowhere. He fights Sub-Zero to avenge his murdered wife and kid, and gets slaughtered brutally.

This makes for more economical storytelling because you have it all in one. It also grants a sympathetic lens for Scorpion, allowing him to easily be seen as a heroic figure.

...

The problem is that when you combine them like that, you're left with one glaring question.

Why did Hanzo go to Hell? All we see him do is love his family and valiantly defend them from raiding barbarians. Why is this man in Hell?

It's something that always bugs me, that we skip from "Boy I love my family life sure is paradise around here" to burning in flames, sometimes without even stopping to explain what the Shirai Ryu are. When one assassin kills another in a fight and the other shows up in Hell, you kinda get it. But when a loving father whose only visible crime is hugging his child too tightly goes to Hell, it's a bit of a disconnect.

I don't know how to resolve this. I don't know if there is a way to resolve this. But I do think it's something to think about. Scorpion's origin story is going to be told and retold a thousand times in the future. It would be good to figure out a way so that Hanzo being Hell-bound is justified within it.

[running-with-the-feels]

Idk how to classify this as a headcanon or an entire Au but basically: idk the idea of making the Lin Kuei even more mysterious and cryptic, quite literally, the assassin clan as a whole are treating more and more as urban legends and assassins sightings are more like cryptid sightings. They are much more modeled after the dragonic people that began the clan, with members of the clan being mostly fed on a wild prey animal diet and have more big cat tendencies of that makes sense? Due to wear they live and such they don’t really eat veggies only rarely. Assassins are canivores with having large canines and some specfic lineages having the more ‘dragonic’ teeth of a mouth of jaggedly fangs and claws. That being the cyromancy lineage specifically of the Subzero family with some offshot lineages that don’t have the powers(Like Sektor and his dad). The masks are also full face masks as well to cover up as wel, they are in the shape of various polar animals with the Subzeor family having maskes that resemble dragons. They do usually do either do assassinations via one person or in ‘packs’ to ensure every target is put down.

They are not known by the known world as normal, but not even Raiden nor the Shrai Ryu know of them, thinking them just an old wife tail because the Lin Kuei made sure that the members that deflected to make the Shrai Ryu kept quiet , They consider it a mercy to not of ripped the Shrai Ryu to shreds up until now because they barely care about the lower clan.

Bi-Han and Kuai Liang’s temperament were actually encouraged, as the Subzero line were known for their temperament but precise in execution nature when hunting down targets. They just ensured through proper ‘training’ that it was focused on their targets and not their superiors within the clans.

It’s an excuse to have Kuai Liang to be both dragonic and act like a cat tbh.

Okay but I actually love this au so much bc like

Imagine it, Hanzo's just going about his day on a mission for the Shirai Ryu when he stumbles into a room full of blood and corpses while the equivalent of the boogeyman is just sitting on a table with eyes that glow through the dragon mask.

He can't see their face, armor covers every inch of their skin, buthe knows they are smiling. And then they just leave, walking past him like he's not even remotely a threat.

But then, a few months later, he runs into the same man on another mission, and though the Lin Kuei doesn't speak, everything about his body language is playful and curious, like Hanzo has caught his attention somehow. The two fight, and Hanzo can't tell if it feels like a spar or a fight to the death, but he does know that he is grinning the whole time, enjoying the challenge.

It ends in a draw and the Lin Kuei leaves, but after that they keep running into one another and fighting, each bout lasteing longer and longer until one day Hanzo manages to knock the Lin Kuei's mask off and is completely entranced by the sight of Kuai Liang, glowing blue eyes, razor sharp fangs, a single scar over his right eye, and the fiercest expression he's ever seen on another

Just.....the potential here

[1-up-chump]

How would Hanzo and Kuai react if they were both in love with the same reader who doesn't notice their crush point-blank because sees them as friends?

Thanks~

Scorpion and sub-zero with a mutual but clueless crush.

So im going to separate this into 4 outcomes: choosing hanzo, choosing kuai, choosing both, choosing neither.

Scorpion/Hanzo hasashi:

You were quite a prize indeed, a fine warrior trained by several masters over the years in a short amount of time. And now was the shirai ryu's turn to mold you into a proper champion to fulfill liu kang's destiny should anything happen to the monk, or rather, make his job easier.

Hanzo fell in love with not just your determination, but your compassion. Especially towards the younger trainees, who adored you in a way the closest comparison would be of parental status. Which only made hanzo fall deeper in love.

It might have been a problem when you then went to the lin kuei, right after hanzo accepted the fact that he was in love with you. Such personal matters should not interfere with training, that would be unwise. But completing your training there was a situation, grandmaster kuai liang seemed to also have an intrest in you. More so than a grandmaster should.

But you never seen either of them as more than masters to respect, and friends to cherish. It had to come to an outside influence to point out to you the truth you obliviously didn't know, once your fellow earthrealm warrior pointed this out, a moment of clarity dawned on you. Repressed feelings during training under grandmaster hanzo hasashi came pouring back like an unchecked fire.

Needless to say that hanzo had to quell his excitement when he confessed to you, and you returned his feelings.

Sub-zero/kuai liang:

The lin kuei is about discipline and honor, strong and unmoving as a glacier yet purer than mountain snow, Swift as water and silent as smoke. And then there was you, the embodiment of sunshine that melts all that is frozen into a glitter more precious than gold. Kuai was impressed by your resilience, patience, and compassion in the face of what would be certain death. It was far from what a lin kuei warrior was supposed to be, but he was training a future champion of mortal kombat, not a future clan member.

So it was a little more easy for kuai to develop feelings, not that you or anyone would be able to tell. As kuai was figuring out what these feelings were, love was not something that was needed in the lin kuei. At least dueing the time of the previous grandmaster, oniro, who was cruel even for the lin kuei's intense standards. Regardless, kuai saw that hanzo seemed to have eyes for you as well.

Kuai had warned hanzo what it would mean for a grandmaster to fall in love with their student, often, to a point hanzo suspected kuai of having feelings as well. Kuai's heart had betrayed him, and he confessed that Although it may be true, they should focus on the bigger picture. And noticed that you were completely unaware of both their pining for you.

So naturally, kuai decided he would strike first. And he was relieved of his decision as you shared the same, but did not know if it was ethical. Which to your surprise, kuai stated that while unwise and unprofessional, it's not exactly unheard of such things happening.

Both:

In this situation, instead of one making a final decision, the grandmasters bickered. Which naturally led into a fight. Which you had to break up.

You were disappointed in them both, acting less like grandmasters of two highly respected assassin clans and more like petty teenagers. They both felt ashamed and apologized. And then shocked when you continued to tell them that, now you know the truth, a compromise could be made. You explained to them the concept of polyamory, and while this would be a bit complicated, it could work. Hanzo and kuai agreed.

Neither:

In this situation, instead of one making a final decision, the grandmasters bickered. Which naturally led into a fight. Which you had to break up.

You were disappointed in them both, acting less like grandmasters of two highly respected assassin clans and more like petty teenagers. They both felt ashamed and apologized. You went on to explain that you weren't even interested in the both of them in such a way, you respected them as not only masters, but friends. With this closure, it would be painful and awkward, but the two of them would move on.

[cienie-isengardu]

Sektor and Bi-Han always struck me as extremely introverted and I imagine to most who do not know them, they mistake this for shyness due to them being rather quiet.

Of course the rest of the Lin Kuei know this is nonsense. Shyness and these two don't mix. Calling them shy to their faces is a great way to get burns or frostbite depending on which one you say it to.

Seriously I imagine being called shy and attack on their pride and being timid isn't a good thing in their clan so they view it as an insult.

As much as I agree Sektor and Bi-Han are introverts, I personally can’t imagine people mistaking Bi-Han’s cold quietness for shyness. Sektor? Sure, there is something about his passive role in MK9: Scorpion Chapter, when he goes silent once Hanzo showed up and Cyrax carried the whole argument with Shirai Ryu that could be mistaken for, well shyness may be a too big word, but definitely an impression he did not like to talk people outside of his close-knit group - even if just to insult the hated enemy. With him I can see that those who don’t know Sektor well could assume he is uncomfortable around too many people and because of that he allows Cyrax to take the lead.  

Bi-Han though? He is the “lone wolf” and his attitude strikes me as combination of fuck you and so done with people’s stupidy. The kind of person that doesn’t talk to others not because it's too awkward and he is too self-conscious and shy to open but because he doesn't care to bother and he does not hide that disdain and uninterest. 

Mind you, this is just my personal interpretation, but those two are different types of introverts. None will share their personal struggles and worries with others, but their quietness gives different vibes. Sektor is the quiet one in the way he may be unnoticed by others while Bi-Han is quiet in an abrasive way. To sum it up, bystanders could think Sektor has some social problems while Bi-Han makes people feel they are the problem and he could - and would - kill them if they dare to bother him. None of the impressions are 100% true, as Bi-Han is not interested in senseless death, while Sektor’s lack of social skills never stop him from doing the job, but at the same time, I feel Bi-Han won’t care either way what strangers think about him while Sektor may take that more personally than he likes to admit. But then again, being seen as shy while on mission probably has its perks too, as a timid person is less likely to be suspected of being a ruthless assassin. The accusation of shyness between clan members may be treated differently, but like you said, the clan members knew better, most likely learned that in a hard way. 

I have a lot of issues with how Bi-Han is presented in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023), but he has this vibe of being done with nonsense and people around him even if he just lurks quietly in Liu Kang’s shadow. He may be quiet, but there is the sense of danger coming from him and I like to think Bi-Han is similar in original & alternative timelines. He may not talk much but people still know he is not a person to mess with.

[scalproie]

ok I slept hi good morning anyway I see we're still having a november 5th situation in the tags and still arguing over which sub zero it is so. let me tell you why Im not that bothered until we see names and the actual plot

WHY MAKE THEM BROTHERS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

Let's start with scorpion. what makes scorpion scorpion? Being a ninja, a shirai ryu to be precise, a yellow outfit, fire, dying and coming back for revenge with said fire, the rope spear, and the funny catchphrase.

mk12 scorpion is lin kuei, he has a lin kuei badge. This strikes me as more wrong than being brothers with a sub zero because the lengths OUR scorpion went to in the previous timelines are heavily motivated over how scorpion loves and grieves his family AND CLAN. so why is he shown to belong in his enemy clan at the beginning of this game's story? Why would firegod liu kang create a timeline that robs his fellow pyromancer of his identity?

My theory is that this scorpion is gonna be the founder of this timeline's shirai ryu. He even has a scorpion tattoo. It would make sense for the clan to adopt the emblem that was on the skin of their founder.

It would also keep in line with the theme of choice in the game said by liu kang in the first trailer: will you fight as enemies or united as brothers? If the game starts with the brothers fighting alongside one another, maybe you will have a choice to keep the family united, but maybe you can make the heartbreaking decision to break them appart, which would result of this lin kuei scorpion defecting, and found the shirai ryu we know, and also kickstart the clans rivalry... you'd keep things as they were, but there's a tragedy in doing so as the brothers would fight each other.

And THAT'S a sub zero thing. Brothers fighting each other.

Now what makes sub zero? Being an assassin from an ancient chinese clan, wearing a blue outfit, being a cryomancer, having brotherly drama, and the conflict of tradition vs change.

Bi-han is a pure product of the lin kuei, he was the top assassin, he liked how things were or at the very least didnt questionned them, he was ruthless and cunning, he changed against his will when he was killed, but that change just fed into his worst traits.

Kuai Liang welcomes change, its how he was able to get the sub zero mantle after all, also please note that his desire to avenge his brother is fairly recent as it was almost an afterthought to him in the og timeline. Anyway he is the sub zero that wants to change the lin kuei for the better after he deems they went too far with the cyberization (which shows he still values a bit of tradition as well), and in the most recent timeline, he's the one who offered peace to hanzo and the shirai ryu.

If the backstory of both clans is still legit, kuai liang and hanzo's generations were the closest at uniting the clans after a rift between them happened at one point. And if Im right, we will be able to experience that rift first-hand in the upcoming game

Again I think thats what the game is gonna go for. Will you make this sub zero more like bi-han? or more like kuai liang? So far in what we've seen he has a bit of that bi-han edge, but I really dont think its meant to literally BE him.

Also for the argument that "Dam, if the lin kuei/shirai ryu division is even legit, it happened ages ago and we just saw johnny's alive huge ass with his huge modern villa and kenshi in a suit" well the timeline is already funky anyway: kitana and mileena are in free edenia and mileena is undergoing tarkatanization in the presence of kenshi in the trailer. It looks like everything is happening at the same time.

Maybe thats the point of this game: firegod liu kang wanted to create a timeline as peaceful as possible but some things will just have to stay the same, so hes giving us the choice: to keep the peace as weird and ooc as it feels or to let tragedy happen but tragedy we know.

[isabelawritesthings]

Bi-Han and Sareena: An analysis and their future

I'm not good at analyzing characters or stories, but I didn't like what Netherealm did with these two over the years, so I decided to explore their relationship. Keep in mind that everything I'll say here is just my opinion, I ask that you respect my point of view.

PART ONE: THE DEMON AND HER "MESSIAH"

The first time we see Bi-Han and Sareena together is in Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero, also being the first Mortal Kombat game we saw Sareena. She is introduced as one of Quan Chi's demonic servants alongside Kia and Jataaka (in other words, they are slaves, but apparently, only Sareena wants to be free from Quan Chi's tyranny) while Bi-Han is on his journey to find Shinnok's amulet, the first interaction between them happens after Sareena and her sisters fight Bi-Han and lose. Bi-Han for some reason spares Sareena, I see this as an "act of pity", but calm down, I will explain starting with the story of Bi-Han.

Bi-Han has been seen as a villain for years thanks to his actions as Noob Saibot and the fact that he is a Lin Kuei, which was a clan of assassins and mercenaries, his current incarnation as a villain in Mortal Kombat 1 also doesn't help break this stereotype. But analyzing his character, he's not that bad. In the first timeline, he is the son of a Chinese man and an American woman, having a younger brother and a younger sister, being taken alongside his brother, Kuai Liang (or kidnapped alongside his brother, interpret it as you wish) by his father to China to serve in the Lin Kuei clan, abandoning the boys' mother and sister in America, So to begin with, he is not serving this mercenary clan because he wants to, but only because he has no choice, the Lin Kuei are also assassins, so for the safety of the clan, I imagine that anyone who tries to leave the clan ends up executed (I mean, If you watched Mortal Kombat: Legends, you know what happened to Kuai Liang and Smoke when they both tried to escape the cyber initiation, Kuai Liang escaped but Smoke was trapped and turned into a robot).

We also cannot forget that he was unfairly blamed for the Shirai Ryu massacre, even though he explained several times to Scorpion that it was Quan Chi, not him, who killed Hanzo's family, and what does he get in exchange for having only his word as proof of his innocence? Being killed by Scorpion and turned into a slave to Quan Chi, just as Sareena once was. Compared to real villains like Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung, Bi-Han doesn't seem to be as evil as the fandom thinks, he felt sorry for Sareena like any other human being with feelings would feel for an enslaved person (believe me, slavery happened here in my country in the past and to this day it is a sensitive subject even for non-black people) but getting back to the subject, Sareena doesn't want that life anymore and asks Bi-Han to take her to Earthrealm when he goes there, she doesn't even ask to live with him, just to help her get out of that literally hellish place, a bird wanting to be free from the cage.

This is the same arc as Ashrah in Mortal Kombat 1, a demon who has grown tired of the Netherealm and now wants a purpose in life, but before Bi-Han can say "yes" or "no", Shinnok attacks her and she falls into Bi-Han's arms, making us believe that she died (although it is later revealed that she survived, only losing her human form and being banished to the fifth plane of the Netherealm). A connection was created here, between a person and her "savior", she was defeated by that human, however, instead of running away to avoid being murdered, she simply asked him to help her get out of that place. After Sareena was trapped in the fifth plane for years, there was nothing Bi-Han could do for her, soon after he went to the tournament and everything we know happened.

PART TWO: DIFFERENT FATES

Sareena was trapped in the fifth plane for years, until she escaped through a portal created by Quan Chi and Scorpion, recovering her human form thanks to the energy generated by being in another realm. She meets Kuai Liang, who at this point is the new Sub-Zero and the new grandmaster of the Lin Kuei, who as a way of thanking her for the help that Sareena gave to Bi-Han in Mortal Kombat: Mythologies, grants her a place in the Lin Kuei, just as Ashrah went to the Wu Shi Academy in Mortal Kombat 1, the Lin Kuei became Sareena's new home.

In Armageddon, Kuai Liang wants to restore Noob Saibot and Smoke, who are fused, imagine that Sareena's wish is also to restore the one who helped her one day, Sareena helped Kuai Liang defend himself from Noob Saibot's attacks, ending up awakening her original demonic form. Kuai Liang does not recognize her and attacks her, abandoning her in the Netherealm, being found by Quan Chi later and manipulated into being his slave again, returning to the place she wanted so much to escape.

She was eventually freed from the spell that was mentally binding her by Taven, but like the rest of the characters, she was killed in the final fight at the pyramid. Her ending in Armageddon is "cute" to me, she ends up becoming a cryomancer, the connection she had with Bi-Han and Kuai Liang was so strong that it made her have the same superhuman abilities as them, a form of the gratitude she had for them.

Now speaking of Bi-Han, well, I imagine you already know what happened: He was transformed into a sort of ghost of darkness, having his mind manipulated by Quan Chi to become one of his evil agents. As mentioned, he somehow merges with Smoke while Kuai Liang tries to restore him. He also ends up dying in the pyramid by the way. And this is how their story ends :(

PART THREE: THEIR CURRENT SITUATION AND THEIR FUTURE

Sareena returns in Mortal Kombat X to help the Special Forces. In a fight against Kitana, things get interesting... Sareena claims that Bi-Han helped her, and she can do the same for Kitana. Kitana says that she got very close to Bi-Han (you can interpret this as Sareena becoming more human thanks to Bi-Han or Sareena actually fell in love with Bi-Han). In Mortal Kombat 11, at the end of Kabal, Sareena marries him and has two boys with him (don't ask, even I was confused). In a taunt round with Skarlet, Noob Saibot says that she reminds him of Sareena, showing that even after twenty-four years, he hasn't forgotten about her.

For me, it was always an implied romance, hidden feelings, I had hopes for the two of them when it was announced that Bi-Han and Sareena would be in Mortal Kombat 1 and would appear in the story mode, but Khaos Reigns destroyed everything! Bi-Han is transformed into Noob Saibot by Titan Havik, and sadly, him and Sektor (who is now a woman) are now a couple, probably since their teenage years, while Sareena is just a jobber in the story mode, but is later freed by Ashrah in her ending.

I believe there will be a Mortal Kombat 12 (after all, I've already lost hope for an Injustice 3, and we know which game makes more money between the two for Netherealm Studios) and while I and half the fandom agree that Mortal Kombat NEEDS a writers room, I still have hope for these two. Bi-Han apparently wants to continue as Noob Saibot, there's nothing stopping Quan Chi for having ambitions for him, and since Sareena is an enemy of her former master, they might meet again.

I like to imagine that Sareena would make him be "good", making him realize that he can be much more than the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei with fascist ideas, it doesn't even need to be a romance, just a friendship! But unfortunately Netherealm Studios doesn't listen to the fans (apart from the insufferable Mileena fanboys in MK11) so any chance they have of getting to know each other is minimal, even if they are as enemies since Sareena wants to train with the Shirai Ryu.

[cienie-isengardu]

Thank you, glad you like my take on Bi-Han 🙂

I think most people aren’t paying attention to details and nuances provided by source material in general. Bi-Han is just the best example, as fandom likes to generalize characterization based on one, small scene while ignoring the rest. What can be seen with the whole nonsense like Sub-Zero must hate Smoke and all orphans because he once snapped at adoptive brother. When from perspective of the whole game, he was the first person to address Tomas by name on screen (as Liu Kang ignored Smoke in his introduction to Lin Kuei) and generally, he and Tomas were the most involved in discussing their mission while Kuai Liang either talked about father or did not contribute at all. But sure, let’s ignore half of the game in favor of one scene. But like I said, fandom likes to ignore context to get their weird generalization and castrating characters from any complexity. Which is sad, because despite all the complaints I have, Mortal Kombat 1 provided a lot of interesting details that can easily change our perception of characters… if one bothers to think about them in the wider context of worldbuilding. 

if all the supposed lives that Bi-Han's actions in the hope of elevating the clan cost were taken at the behest of Liu Kang, the same people who judge him would be applauding

Yeah, that is basically it. This is less if Bi-Han is evil or not, and more how his action doesn’t benefit certain characters anymore. Also, the logic of characters like Sindel accusing Sub-Zero of betraying Outworld is pretty much silly.  Even as Liu Kang’s allies, Lin Kuei had no obligation to Sindel’s realm.  The whole idea of creating this clan was to keep Outworld and similar rebellious and/or dangerous factions in check; Lin Kuei was the Special Forces to deal with Outworld, vampires, etc etc in case of conflict. Just because Sindel and her husband had some more personal and positive relationship with Bi-Han’s parents, it is not a basis to assume Lin Kuei owes her anything at all. 

As for original/alternative timeline Bi-Han, I don’t think this is a matter of being more or less noble than the current version of Sub-Zero and more about the cruelty of Lin Kuei that shaped him yet did not break. What I mean is that Bi-Han as Grandmaster is de facto in a position of power and his choice affects all clan members. He does what he thinks is best for his people, but he does not need to ask them for permission or listen to their advice.  In contrast, the original Sub-Zero was always put between a rock and a hard place. Either he kills to fulfill a mission or will be killed for failure. Either risks the Grandmaster’s wrath to save Earthrealm, or ignore Raiden’s warning and put in danger the whole realm. Everyone wants something from him, demands to do their bidding and he always must risk his life, yet even under such pressure he still kept his humanity somehow intact. Shirai Ryu was the mortal enemy, yet he was angry at Quan Chi for forcing him to unnecessarily kill Scorpion, as it was the sorcerer's fault for pitting them against each other. He has no reason to listen to Raiden, as the god was not a friend of Lin Kuei, but he was concerned about Earthrealm and his own soul. When everyone expected Johnny to kill his opponent at the beginning of Tournament (MK9), Bi-Han was the only one character visible shaking his head in “no” gesture which directly parallel Raiden’s silent support for Cyrax to not kill Johnny.  And I can’t stress it enough, Scorpion vs Sub-Zero in MK9 makes sense only if Bi-Han switched sides for the sake of Earthrealm. 

He may not care much that Lin Kuei is an evil organization, and he would do Grandmaster’s bidding to “earn his living” but he is literally the first Lin Kuei we met who - if given a chance, would leave the assassin life for good, as was said in his original ending. When MK9 presented us whole bunch of Lin Kuei, Bi-Han has no clan emblems on his uniform (so either events of Mythologies truly affected him, or he has never been fully brainwashed by Lin Kuei indoctrination) and I think in that sense, he is the neutral part. He does not blindly support Lin Kuei and seems quite disillusioned about honor (in contrast to Kuai Liang) while also he does not follow Raiden’s orders unless it is necessary and/or he has no other choice. All he is doing is to survive in a world where almost everyone is there to exploit him - and once he becomes Noob Saibot he is biding his time to fulfill his own goals. So yes, there is not much Bi-Han in MK9 but he had a whole game (and tie-in materials) that allowed us to explore both his character and the environment in which he was forced to live. We may not have a full picture but there is enough stuff to pick up the clues about Sub-Zero’s depth and tragedy of his life. 

Of course, there are plenty of nuances for MK1 Bi-Han as well and both incarnations share a lot of traits. But the thing with current Sub-Zero is that once his “role” ends, he is sidelined from the storyline. He is pushed into the role of villain to provide an excuse for the Lin Kuei vs Shirai Ryu conflict yet his role has no meaningful impact on the story itself. And so, we are forced to await for a new game to see if the Netherrealm Studio will even bother to follow up their own little hints in regard to Sub-Zero, or will his character be rewritten (again) to fit the new storyline. Which I guess sentiment for Mythologies/MK9 Bi-Han comes down to the fact that original/timeline Bi-Han is around long enough for us to appreciate his role and character, while current Bi-Han is still the work-in-progress. 

(Also, personal & cultural experiences definitely affect our interpretation of characters and for those cultural matters alone I will always side with Bi-Han in regard to Lin Kuei’s independence.)

Your name's become synonymous with betrayal.

To those too obtuse to understand me. ~ Bi-Han [Sub-Zero] to Syzoth [Reptile] MK1.

I think most people aren't paying enough attention to Bi-Han's nuances because of their own frustrations with specific traits/situations that make up his character (especially because of the way Bi-Han treats Tomas and how most characters despise Bi-Han's actions), but I admire how you, @evilbihan and @inflamedrosenkranz, and @cienie-isengardu, and all those who make the slightest effort to understand the character. You are in the minority that highlights these nuances and I think this is so necessary, because I really don't understand how so many people see Sub-Zero Bi-Han from MK9 and Mythologies who barely had lines or interaction with other characters as deeper than Bi-Han Sub-Zero from the Liu Kang Era that got multiple interactions, diverse relationships and much longer story mode time.

Also, I think it's funny to see people saying to this day that Bi-Han Sub-Zero from previous timelines was neutral and now he's like a cartoon villain, as if the old one was somehow more noble than Bi-Han from the Liu Kang era, when all the og Bi-Han did in the past was spare Sareena because she was the only one who BEGGED him not to kill her (after he had already killed 2 demons, his rival Scorpion and more a couple of people to complete the mission), defeated Fujin and tried to reverse the actions that the success of his mission would entail after Raiden confirmed that his soul was indeed tainted with evil (like, he had a kind of predisposition to end up in Netherrealm for doing bad things and somehow enjoying it).

However, at no point does Liu Kang, the god and creator of Bi-Han in MK1, says that Bi-Han has a "evil heart" or that his soul is tainted with evil as Raiden told him in previous timelines. Other characters who barely know him and know nothing about his and the clan's life before he abandoned the duty imposed by Liu Kang, judge him and judge the things he does as evil without even knowing the reason behind it (and let's be honest, if all the supposed lives that Bi-Han's actions in the hope of elevating the clan cost were taken at the behest of Liu Kang, the same people who judge him would be applauding. As if some lives were worth more than others…).

And unlike Tomas, that mission at the Ying Fortress was not Bi-Han's first and the battle he lost to free Shao from prison in OutWorld would not have been his first battle either.

"After our years of idleness, it pleases me to again face kombat".

Those deep frustrations that Kuai Liang said he knew Bi-Han had, but that he never imagined that Bi-Han would accept the first offer that came along to escape them…

Tomas [Smoke]: Letting Father die… Forsaking Earthrealm? He's abandoned all reason! Kuai Liang [Scorpion]: I knew Bi-Han's frustrations ran deep. But I never thought they could inspire such madness. We can't let his corruption spread.

Did he really never imagine this could happen? Or did he just ignore what Bi-Han felt? What he used to say? And how his brother wasn't the only one who felt that way…

Tomas [Smoke]: What are you doing? Once he's exposed, won't you be made Grandmaster? Kuai Liang [Scorpion]: You forget Cyrax and Sektor. Their loyalty to Bi-Han is absolute. They'll sooner abet his corruption than follow me.

Liu Kang says he abandoned his family and some people say he betrayed his brothers, while in fact Bi-Han offered more than once the opportunity for Kuai Liang and Tomas to join him, but they declined his offers of peace because they did not agree with his vision (and they were bitter because Bi-Han had let their father die, I know I know).

All Bi-Han wants for the clan is a better future and he did what he thought was necessary to achieve it. He would like to share a prosperous future with Kuai Liang (and Tomas, even though he probably prefers Tomas to keep his mouth shut and his enthusiasm for tradition and his "father" to himself), but he was rejected. They are the ones who abandoned him first.

Bi-Han [Sub-Zero]: End this, brother! Embrace the future. Kuai-Liang [Scorpion]: I want no part of it!

Sub-Zero: Heed your Grandmaster! Scorpion: I will not betray our principles.

Sub-Zero: Your rebellion stings. Scorpion: You expect less from Scorpion? Sub-Zero: You could have ruled at my side. Scorpion: Just the thought of it sickens me.

Sub-Zero: I've gained the Lin Kuei's freedom. Smoke: You've only earned them infamy.

Sub-Zero: Resist me, and there will be consequences. Smoke: And to think I once idolized you.

Smoke: I rejected the Lin Kuei to fight for justice. Omni-Man: Justice? How stupidly self-righteous of you.

Bi-Han will not stop pursuing a better future for the Lin Kuei to please Kuai and Liu Kang, because the Lin Kuei is what matters most to him. And I'm really glad that leaks clearly show that Bi-Han was and still is an anti-hero (aka not conventional hero). And I'm not talking about og Bi-Han and his victory over Fujin and Quan Chi, I'm talking about Bi-Han from MK1 who more than once has already put his own life on the line to defend Earthrealm and will continue to defeat anyone, including gods, to defend the people he loves.

He has his own agenda, but even Liu Kang recognizes that it's not an evil one, but as we all know, Bi-Han has been walking crooked to achieve this. I'm not going to delve into how his mother may have influenced his life and the decisions he made or how the supposed not-so-great relationship he had with his father motivated him to do what he did, but there is no shortage of hints that his parents were an important part in the formation of his character (as parents are in the life of anyone who has/had them...),

Sindel: Both your parents were excellent fighters. Kuai Liang [Scorpion]: I can only hope to live up to their example.

Bi-Han [Sub-Zero]: My father was a fool to follow you. Liu Kang: He wisely honored Earthrealm with his service.

Tomas [Smoke]: If Mother were alive… Bi-Han [Sub-Zero]: She would applaud my actions.

I just want to say thanks to anyone who is interested in the nuances of Bi-Han and as much as I don't like certain attitudes of Kuai Liang and Bi-Han, I hope that one day Kuai accepts Bi-Han for who he is, not who he would like him to be, and that Bi-Han gets what he wants in the least destructive way possible. I know, a fighting game needs conflicts, but Bi-Han's connection with Kuai was and will always be eternal. Blood connection is an understatement.

Raiden: I never thought *you* would betray Earthrealm. Sub-Zero: My only loyalty is to the Lin Kuei.

[whatamidoingwithmylifeman]

My HC for both the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu

These are just some HCs I thought of as a way to sort of compare/contrast the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu. These HC will follow a certain pattern of categories and how I think each clan operates in those categories. It should be note that these headcannons are being made with the old Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu grandmasters in mind rather than its current ones. (this will also involve my OCs because I can do that. Plus I am using these HCs for my MK AU stories)

enjoy

Training-Lin Kuei

The Lin Kuei start training their members in combat, assassination, and thievery at the young age of 6-7 years old

at the same time as their training, the members (who from here on out I will refer to as the trainees) are still expected to do their chores, which include; cleaning up the nursery, doing the dishes, scrubbing the toilets, cleaning out the shower and bathtub drains, helping the medic restock some of his medical supplies, setting up the tables for meals, and even cleaning the kitchen

Trainees typically don't pass their training until the age of either 17, 18, or 19. Some maybe as late as 26 or as early as 16. (Michiko passed at the age of 14 and became known as the first youngest member of the Lin Kuei)

Training- Shirai Ryu

The Shirai Ryu start training their members in combat at the age of 13-14. (though more series and harder training doesn't really come until the trainees are about 16-17 years of age)

Trainee chores include: helping out the elderly that ask, helping out with the village children, cleaning up the fire garden, cleaning up the mess hall, picking up the safer training equipment, picking up any left over litter, and helping Reiki gather herbs and recipes for healing potions

Trainees typically don't pass training until at least in their 20s. Some don't pass till they're 30.

This is all I have the energy for really. I'll add on when I feel like it. Umm bonus????

LGBTQ HC of each member- Lin Kuei

Bi Han is Abrosexual and polyamorous

Kuai is Gay (MLM)

Cyrax is gay (also mlm)

Sektor is pan

Tomas is bi

Hydro is bi

Michiko (my OC) is polysexual and polyamorous

Li Wen (my OC and ex Lin Kuei member) is a trans woman

Frost is an asexual lesbian

Meixiu (my OC and Michiko's adopted mom/Sektor's birth mom) is bi

LGBTQ HC of each members- Shirai Ryu

Hanzo is bi and polyamorous

Reiki (my OC) is bi, polyamorous, and genderfluid

Aiko (my OC and Reiki's dad) is bi

Haru (my OC and Reiki's mom) is omni

@deepinthefog

@dontunderestimatemypoison

@feistyfandomthings

@doodlewagonbug

@chadillacboseman

@bisexualjohnnycage

@toomanyf4ndoms7

@toomanyf4ndoms8

@yuvononik

@yuvon

[puttingfingerstokeys]

First Kiss

Day 1 (day 2) (day 3) (day 4) (day 5)

So I've decided to participate in @subscorp-week YAY

Thermodynamic equilibrium obviously--ft smoke and Cyrax too WOO

Broken timeline

The snow fell heavily, straight down from the leaden sky, on the approach to the gates of the Lin Kuei compound. Scorpion’s horse held up well between his thighs, its breath rising like his own in steaming puffs. It was a sturdy little thing, his horse, blue-gray with gentle eyes, native to the area and bred for just this purpose. He held the reigns in one hand, the other resting on one leg, finger drumming with minute impatience. For the last three miles, there had been eyes on him, which he had expected—the Lin Kuei were not known for their warmth in any aspect, save the grandmaster himself, who was quite accommodating—but it still set off his internal alarms, especially because he was alone.

The obsidian-colored, forged iron of the gates were solid, made by ancient means. The knowledge of how to replicate this process was lost to the ages, but Grandmaster Hasashi was aware that his Lin Kuei counterpart had set about unearthing Lin Kuei relics, scrolls, and general history, dedicating an entire unit of his clan to doing this. It was admirable, fighting for a more noble past, especially since the most recent one was so bathed in dishonor and blood—his and the blood of his clan. The though still made his heart ache and his soul blaze with hellfire. He controlled himself, not wanting to scorch the beast who had so faithfully carried him.

Tossing a leg over her neck, he dismounted and patted her shoulder affectionately. She nickered and pushed at him, seeking treats. Digging about on his person and ever-mindful of the eyes still upon him, Grandmaster Hanzo Hasashi of the Shirai-Ryu assassin clan produced a bag and from it, into his palm, he poured a pile of sugar. Offering it to the horse, he stowed the bag and scratched her forehead. It was at this point the gate guards chose to materialize, both cyberized Lin Kuei, one yellow and one gray.

“Grandmaster Hasashi,” they said as one. The grandmaster turned, the little mare’s lead in hand, eyes snapping first to one, then the other.

“Smoke,” he said, inclining his head, “and Cyrax.”

They both seemed pleased—as pleased as a couple of expressionless robotic shells could be—that he remembered them. Then again, how could he not? They were Sub-Zero’s favorites, after all. They were the most loyal to him out of the clan and, while not always Grandmaster Hasashi’s escorts, glad to be so when the opportunity arose. They, like Kuai Liang, believed an alliance between their clans was what would ultimately prove best for Earthrealm. Handing the lead to Cyrax, he spoke again:

“Be sure she is not ill-treated. Good work should be rewarded. She is a good beast.”

Both Lin Kuei nodded, appreciating his care for the creature. The great gates yawned open then and, walking three abreast with the horse following closely behind Cyrax, they entered. Within, the complex was quiet, as usual, the massive, fluffy snowflakes continuing to fall here, where their beauty seemed incongruous alongside the austerity of the Lin Kuei. Cyrax peeled off to one side, toward what Grandmaster Hasashi took to be stables and he was left with Tomas Vrabada, the cyberized ninja sometimes called Smoke.

“Please, allow me,” said Tomas, gesturing that he would walk with the grandmaster through the Lin Kuei complex. Hanzo held up a hand and shook his head.

“I know the way well, Tomas,” he said, “thank you.”

“But…”

“I know the way.”

His tone brooked no argument and then the Shirai-Ryu grandmaster began his journey toward Sub-Zero’s receiving hall. There were still eyes upon him, wary ones, but none were curious, he sensed. He had been here often enough to speak with the Lin Kuei leader over tea of the potential alliance between their clans. He knew Smoke had only been concerned for his safety, but he was Grandmaster of an assassin order; a simple walk would have to be very difficult indeed to break his stride, much less kill him.

As predicted, the walk was without incident, the bright yellow of his gi and the flashing silver and gold of his armor standing in stark contrast, even under the cloudy sky, against the colorless backdrop of dark buildings and virgin snow. He stretched out a hand to catch a flake and watched it disintegrate in his palm as the Lin Kuei’s grandmaster stepped out onto the porch of his receiving hall and called out:

“Grandmaster Hasashi, it is wonderful to see you again. Thank you for answering my missive. Please.” He gestured to the place where they always took their tea. Hanzo noted two Lin Kuei, these still flesh and blood, and very young, setting out the dishes silently. One stood back with a cloak of fine furs over an arm and no expression whatsoever on their face—none save a momentary flash of awe at the Shirai-Ryu warrior’s approach. It is as if they have never seen such color in all their cold, dark existence, Hanzo thought unkindly. He chided himself for this and made for his Lin Kuei counterpart first, clasping arms in a friendly greeting and then affecting a deep bow, which Kuai Liang returned.

“Where is Tomas?” Sub-Zero inquired, his scarred brow rising. Scorpion smiled wryly and gestured.

“I dismissed him,” he said simply. “I have arrived alone, leaving my soldiers at the village in the foothills and I will continue my journey to your doorstep in that same fashion, as a gesture of good faith.”

“Or as a display of your power,” Kuai Liang suggested mischievously, gesturing that Hanzo should sit. The grandmaster did, and suddenly the fur cloak was placed about his shoulders. He stiffened and shot a flinty look at Kuai Liang, who was settling across from them.

“What is this?” Hanzo’s voice was perhaps a little sharper than he had intended, but he held firm. “I do not require this, Grandmaster.”

“It is less about requirement and more about courtesy. Call it… My own gesture of goodwill,” said the Lin Kuei grandmaster, gesturing to the fine workmanship. “I would be honored if you would see fit to keep it.”

Grandmaster Hasashi’s shoulders sagged and he sighed. “Very well.”

Kuai Liang seemed delighted by this and began the arduous, traditional ceremony of grinding tea leaves, mixing them into the steaming water, and pouring them. All this was done in contemplative silence. Kuai Liang, it turned out, was a traditionalist—but using traditions established much further back than even the former Lin Kuei grandmaster’s lifespan, millennia ago, from their Edenian heritage. He did this for many reasons, for honor, for the restoration of his clan, and to display the unity between Shirai-Ryu and Lin Kuei, who shared common ancestry.

“We were cast from Outworld once,” he had told Scorpion years ago, when their meetings had first begun, “and so we must now stand united against that same power.”

There was no question in it. Kuai Liang had stated cold, hard fact, as was the way of the Lin Kuei. Hanzo admired him for this and for many other things. He noted, as the kryomancer finished the ceremony, Hanzo realized he had been studying him the entire time while his mind walked the echoing corridors of the past. Kuai Liang wore an understated, but ornate set of light armor. The gi was blue and black and made no pretense—nor did the armor—of covering much more than needed, which was only some of the man’s broad chest, none of his arms and nothing at all of his neck. Foolish and showy, Scorpion spat internally, at war with himself, as both an assassin and as a man who had long been without the gentle touch of another living being. His heart thumped hard in his chest and he calmed himself, hands placed demurely in his lap.

“Please,” Kuai Liang invited, gesturing to Hanzo’s cup and, only when the Shirai-Ryu warrior had picked it up, grasping his own and lifting it.

“To a unity so strong, Outworld fears the tread of our boots,” rumbled Scorpion.

“May they fear our name, whispered on the wind,” echoed Sub-Zero.

They drank deep of the tea—it was chamomile, Hanzo’s favorite—and watched each other for several long moments. Both men opened their mouths to speak, then both closed their lips and gestured for the other to begin. They had been doing this so long, it seemed as if everything had been touched upon, every detail hammered out. So what was the purpose of this meeting? Scorpion, ever the pragmatist, had wondered that on the entire journey, yet still he had come.

“I would set our alliance in stone, Hanzo,” said Kuai Liang quietly, using the man’s first name, an intimate gesture to be sure. But had he not earned this? Had they not been at least acquainted over thirty years and then some? They had even served Quan-Chi together, pitiful and uncomfortable as that memory was. They had seen facets of each other that no one else in the world ever had or ever would, if they had their way. “It should be more than your oath to be my protector.”

“I failed at that, if you recall, a-Liang.” Hanzo’s address was even more intimate, shortening Sub-Zero’s name in the traditional way of Sub-Zero’s people and adding not a little endearment, though is voice was still harsh. “You were made a machine, and then a revenant and I—”

“And you were powerless to stop it,” said Sub-Zero, standing and gesturing that his Shirai-Ryu counterpart should follow. “We cannot always take the weight of the world onto our shoulders, old friend; we crowd out the real concerns by doing so. Come, walk with me.”

Hanzo stood and, after a moment’s thought, kept the furs around his shoulders. They were soft and warm and, he had to admit, expertly made. Had Kuai Liang done this? While the kryomancer was not looking, he drew it close to his nose and breathed deep a scent he recognized on a primal level, though could not consciously identify. Sub-Zero, for his part, walked quietly beside Hanzo Hasashi, listening to the sound of his muffled footsteps on the stone beneath their feet. The path, Hanzo noted, had clearly been recently swept, perhaps while they were sharing tea, and led around behind the grandmaster’s receiving hall. He had never been back here, only to a few select buildings, the barracks, the training halls, and the mess—of course the stables as well—and so this tree-lined path, marked here and there with old, worn, stone statues was utterly new.

“I have begun researching the original form of these statues,” said Kuai Liang. A few, here and there, were possessed of an interior glow that was not a candle, but not electricity either. “The magic in them is Edenian, and quite old… some of them seem simply to have faded.” His voice was sad and Hanzo felt his heart squeeze a little at this sound of it. “Some were cruelly broken and if I knew the ones who had done it, I would have their heads.”

The truce with Kotal Kahn’s court and Outworld as a whole was so precarious, that asking for the assistance of an Edenian survivor such as Jade was almost completely out of the question. They had to focus, both men knew, on their own alliance first. Once they were united and strong, they could move to other connections, make other allies, strong ones. Special Forces leapt immediately to mind, and of course the Shaolin of the Temple of Light. Both men were uneasy with Lord Raiden, but they had to admit that he, being the god of thunder, would be a powerful ally indeed—and a truly terrifying foe. That being said, Scorpion, at least, longed to meet that particular deity in kombat. Perhaps one day.

They were coming upon a break in the tree-lined path which led to an open area and another set of gates. These were somewhat less imposing, though still of a dark material—if Hanzo had to guess, it was ebony. From behind it, great clouds of steam rose and lights played off the steam, low and gentle, clearly from braziers or torches of some kind. He halted and looked to his companion. “What is this?”

With a flourish, Kuai Liang stepped before his companion and gestured to the ebony gates, which swung open at the hands of two more silent students of the Lin Kuei, these just as young as those who had seated and served them. Beyond was a vista Hanzo had not expected so deep in the mountains and he found himself blinking and gape-mouthed—his sense of propriety halted this rather quickly, but Sub-Zero had already seen it—at what lay within. Kuai Liang offered his arm. Normally, Scorpion would bristle at such a gesture—it was too familiar by half—but his stupor overcame his better judgment and he took it, feeling he no longer needed the fur cloak as soon as they passed the threshold.

“The Lin Kuei’s best-kept secret,” said Sub-Zero proudly, “and one of my restoration projects. It is hardly finished, but we have already begun landscaping.”

All around them was a plethora of greenery, strange plants that were not of Earthrealm origin—tropical flowers and wide-leaved trees and bushes. The place was warm, too, like a sauna and, at the far end of what had clearly once been merely a stony grotto, lay the spring itself, steaming and smelling of rich, restorative minerals.

“Your complex is… powered by thermal vents?” It was an easy leap from natural hotsprings to such technology and Hanzo was pleased when Kuai Liang nodded. “Amazing. This is… What you have done here is beyond any dream your predecessors could have had.” Hanzo turned to face Kuai Liang. “It is astounding,” he added. “You are astounding.”

Sub-Zero’s grip switched to grasp the hand that had been wrapped about his arm and they stood quietly for several moments, eyes locked, breath strangely quick—surely it was the heat—and hearts pounding. Hanzo wondered if Kuai Liang could hear his thundering pulse. He did not realize the converse was true.

“Hanzo,” said the Lin Kuei grandmaster, voice low and somehow filled with reverence.

“Liang?” The response came swiftly, but tripping out between Scorpion’s lips, flushed cheeks and half-dazed expression making him look years younger.

“Will you forgive me?” The question was odd, seemingly without source and Hanzo grunted his bafflement. “I have been remiss,” Kuai Liang clarified, “in keeping this secret from you for so long… this and… other things.”

Still baffled, Hanzo shook his head. “No—that is… I cannot forgive that which has not harmed me.” All the while, their eyes stayed locked, Hanzo’s hand in one of Kuai Liang’s, the torches and braziers burning brightly all around them, the perfume of Edenian flowers and potent minerals creating a heady aroma of deep, warm sensuality. Kuai Liang leaned forward, gently, slowly but with no secret as to what he wanted. Their lips were inches apart and he paused.

“May I kiss you?”

Hot breath mingling with strange cold, Hanzo nodded, voicing no response save to press his mouth forward and meet the Lin Kuei grandmaster somewhere in the middle, one hand wrapping about behind Sub-Zero’s shoulders, crushing their bodies together. The kiss was long, fiery, heated, desiring more, so much more from the other man. It did not want to break. They fit together like pieces of an ancient puzzle and suddenly both were wondering why their clans ever fought in the first place. They parted long enough to regard each other—both fearing he had overstepped—only to plunge back in, redoubling their efforts and this time plying their strength against and with the other.

Their world shrank to the two of them and for several blissful minutes, nothing existed but they.

[fictionbyafangirl]

Tundric Heart

//Hi, all! After becoming absolutely *obsessed* with the new Mortal Kombat movie, as well as being a fan since the games began, and being a fan of JoTa since I saw The Raid: Redemption when it first came out and since then, I decided my flagship fic shall involve Bi-Han/Sub-Zero. This takes place prior to the film, having nine tournaments been fought. This is a POV-shifter and involves our favorite chilly boi with an original character. Naturally, I own no rights to the franchised character and only write out of my own fun.  I hope you enjoy!\\

Nothing phased him anymore. Bi-Han had lived many centuries, each reinforcing his growing lack of humanity toward the world, whether it be Earthrealm or Outworld. Due to his “gifts”, Bi-Han had become a favorite champion for Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat tournaments, successful in more than not and ultimately becoming an attack dog at the sorcerer's will. Despite Bi-Han wanting the Lin Keui to be free-agents once again, himself, primarily, he obliged, knowing he owed Shang Tsung his fealty for the many favors he performed for him in the past. The Lin Keui had been an elite group of assassins for those who could afford them. Either born into the organization or kidnapped as a youngling for the cause, its numbers were always plentiful. Bi-Han and his brother, Kuai Liang, had served the clan well, rising through the ranks. Bi-Han, though, had become the face of the group. The fierce fighter had gained notoriety for defeating the one and only Hanzo Hasashi, as well as the Shirai Ryu, a noble competitor clan in their world of crime. Over four hundred years had passed, yet a looming whisper of a threat still hung in the air from the very fatality that put Bi-Han on the map. Ever the paranoid ruler, Tsung tasked Bi-Han with finding the last remaining Hasashi blood heir and executing them. To the cryomancer, there was simply no point in doing so. He had ended the lineage himself many lifetimes ago. The Hasashi family fell to his hand, and he knew it, first-hand. Still, the soul-eater feared the prophecy of the uprising of Earthrealm defenders to thwart the imminent takeover, if the last tournament should be victoriously won by the mortals with an arcana gift. Nine circuits had been finished in the favor of Tsung, only needing two more to claim supremacy over the mortals. Begrudgingly, Bi-Han found himself in his home-realm on a reconnaissance mission to find out if the myth was true. One thing the warrior loathed was to be undermined, especially by Tsung. His employer had a knack for sending in the reinforcements if the smallest of setbacks occurred. Bi-Han was more than confident in his skill and ability to successfully fulfill his duties. To send in those that were inferior to him was simply a slap in the face. Not a day went by that the assassin didn’t think of a world where he no longer served Tsung.

The man was ageless as he sat across from a run-down diner, concealed in darkness. Darkness had always been his friend, even in the glory days of the Lin Kuei and the chaos they inflicted on their world. Darkness cloaked him in secrecy. Darkness gave him advantage against his opponents. Darkness felt almost as familiar and second nature to him as the cold. It had been a rainy evening, the spray of dingy gutter water spraying up from beneath the tires of those driving muddled the sidewalk. Bi-Han, looking not a single day older than he had when he terminated Hasashi, watched the neon sign that indicated that the diner was “open” flicker against the night. Dressed in black athletic jogger pants, a black zipped-up windbreaker jacket and a black hat with the bill curved and pulled down low to conceal his other-worldly eyes, the man watched from outside an abandoned building that sat adjacent to the diner. Arguably, the only physical trait that had changed about him was the hue of his eyes, shifting from a deep brown to a starkly bright  blue so pale that it nearly looked like ice had formed in his irises. These were the attributes of a cryomancer, and bastard Edenians, alike. Those of Edenian nature aged much slower than humans, living so long that tens of thousands of years was still considered to be in one’s youth. His hair remained raven in color though his skin did grow more pallid as though encrusted in frost, but not. The cryomancers had been banished from Edenia long before Bi-Han’s birth, but the genes that descended from the gods still carried on through himself and his brother, Kuai. Down the block, a group of young men were approaching the corner door of the diner, rowdy and raucous as they walked before ducking into the establishment. Taped hands rose from Bi-Han’s sides to bring the hood of his skim jacket up and over the top of his head, further obscuring his identity. He waited a few minutes to allow them to settle into their normal places to not rouse suspicion before crossing the slick city street. In all of the years of Bi-Han’s life, he had tuned his tracking abilities to be imperceptible.

His intel told him that a group of men, one that bore the mark of the dragon, frequented the very location nightly, as though a ritual amongst the friends. Bi-Han’s head never lifted as the bell on the handle of the door jingled to alert a new customer, and luckily, neither did theirs. His gaze remained to the lower-half of the room to not allow his face to be seen. The fluorescent lights that lined the ceiling in panels glared harshly in contrast against the natural darkness of the night he had waited in. Slipping into a corner table, the plastic-covered stuffing of the seat gave out a subtle hissed as it depressed beneath his weight. The group of men continued their merry occasion, joking and talking with elevated volume. The more attention they brought to themselves and detracted from himself, the better. It didn't take long for the waitress on shift to approach them, seemingly having a report with them as she used their names, engaging in banter with them as they shamelessly flirted with her. Her kind and clever rebuffs and deflection to their order inquiries showed that this was an occasional thing they did. She clearly wasn’t in the business of seeing any of them casually, yet they pushed the envelope with hope. Their nonchalance toward her left little disgust in Bi-Han’s mouth, but still, he surveyed. The fighter spared a moment to take in the new environment. The faded color scheme and furniture showed that the restaurant had not updated in some time, clearly struggling financially to keep afloat to bother with aesthetics. The tables were uneven as they stood and the seating creaked under pressure. The artwork that laid scarcely among the walls were drab and unappealing. Virtually everything that had been a polished metal before now rusted with weak infrastructure. The location was dying out, most likely kept in business by the nightly patronage of the subjects he followed in. 

Bi-Han focused all of his senses on the men, discreetly, as to not be noticed. He eavesdropped on their conversations, watched as they removed their outer-layers for any sign of the marking. He even committed bits of things they said to memory in the off-chance that it would aid him in his mission. His focus was solely on the group and everything they did. His gaze, though hidden beneath the bill of a hat, was fixated without any breaks, that is, until the image of an apron filled with pens and order tablets slid into his view. Bi-Han held his breath as the tell-tale spiel was about to be given to him. 

“Hi, there! I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. My name’s Jill and I’ll be your waitress on duty tonight. What can I get you?” No matter where you went, every restaurant had the same, generic greeting. 

Holding his breath for a moment to consider his response, Bi-Han decided to play it cool, not wanting to garner any awareness of his existence. The woman was polite enough for him to not care about the disruption. While she had been tending to the object of his assignment he had been able to get a good look over on her. She was attractive with cream-like skin and smoky hazel eyes and hair the color of maple that sat in delicate, loose curls that cascaded down the sides of her face. She dressed semi-comfortably in a baggy button-up flannel shirt that she tucked into the waistband of her tapered jeans that clung to her ankles and simple shoes with her apron and a name badge in place. She kept her makeup natural and modest, which was a pleasant thing to come across with women. With an errant hand, Bi-Han, without tipping his face at all, flipped the menu on the table over to quickly peruse the refreshments section. Quickly, his eyes settled on his selection before speaking it aloud to her, though in a low, hushed tone.

“Green tea. Iced.” His tone was short and cold, as per usual with him, and he offered no opportunity to continue the conversation. He was there for a reason, after all.

With a curt nod, Jill fished a dense book of ordering tickets from her apron and a pen to scribble down the table number and order to keep her tabs in-line. Bi-Han could hear the sound of the ball-point pen against the paper, attuning himself to his surrounding once more.

“Iced green tea, coming right up. What’s uh… a name I can put on this order?” The waitress inquired with an arched brow as her teeth found the corner of her lips, nibbling gently in a nervous gesture. Bi-Han took another moment to contemplate his response. His true, given name was something that was well-known. Instead, he improvised.

“Brian.” He was blunt again, cutting to the chase without any inflection to invite casual conversation.

“Right. Iced green tea for Brian, coming right up.” Jill relayed before bouncing away from the table to fulfill his request. She caught on to his tone quickly and read it loud and clear.

Naturally his order was the first one to be completed. Jill returned with his drink in-hand, along with a wrapped straw and a saucer of potential add-ins for the beverage. Bi-Han offered a small nod to thank her, fixating his senses back on the group of men across the room. Absently, he unwrapped the straw and slipped it within the glass, taking absent sips through it to not reveal his face. The preparation in the States certainly didn’t do the authentic drink justice as it did in his native China, but still he managed to swallow it down as he kept his eyes on them. Although the drink had ice in it, it didn’t suit him. His hand reached around the cylinder, his fingers releasing their icy powers to chill it even further, finally making it satisfactory to his liking. Bi-Han sat with his back pressed against the glass window that separated himself from the outside world. The rain continued to fall, pelting against the window pane. He could just as easily end the waiting and watching. He could turn every plunging bead of water into a lethal bullet to litter all of the men in holes, taking care of every lead. Still, he blended into the foreground, motionless and silent.  He wasn’t sure how long the men would lounge in the diner but he would be observing for as long as they would be. Someone was bound to slip and reveal themselves, reveal their arcana… something. If Bi-Han was anything, he was patient.

[thetrueweaveroffate]

Subscorp Week - Day Three - AU

The tea tray was placed on the coffee table outside with a resounding  thud  that seemed a bit angrier for the boy than what was typical. Kuai Liang knew Satoshi long enough now to understand that he was much more easy-going than his father - and significantly better at controlling and maintaining his anger, for that matter. Still, Kuai Liang pointedly ignored the quiet outburst to push the bandages and other medical supplies away to pour himself some tea. He brought it to his lips to blow at it, using his winter chill to cool the beverage until it was a suitable temperature, as they sat on the outer porch, watching fireflies blink in and out of the evening darkness.

"I'm thinking of sending you back to the land of the living."

Kuai Liang nearly choked on the tea as Satoshi plopped down in the seat next to them, "I'm sorry?"

"I'm thinking of sending you back to the land of the living," he repeated. Kuai Liang glanced down and realized that within his fist was the kunai from a few days past. He kept it, in the end, and kept fidgeting the sharp end between his fingers.

He slowly lowered his cup into his lap. "And what if I refuse?"

He could sense Satoshi giving him a disbelieving look under the dim light. "Why the bloody fuck would you want to refuse? You're not even supposed to be here with us in the first place."

"Thanks to you," Kuai Liang noted plainly.

"Oh shut it Uncle. You know damn well why I brought you here."

"Well?" he gently asked, "Do you think I've told you everything you've wanted to know about your father?"

Satoshi inhaled sharply through his nose, "No. But if I were you I would take the advantage of the fact that you're not completely dead to book it out of here. It's not worth the risk of the Shirai Ryu getting to you in the afterlife to ruin your chances of life  down there ."

"And the Tragedian?" Kuai Liang brought up before sipping on his tea, "She won't give up easily. It is likely she will turn to you for retribution if she cannot reach me anymore."

"We Gatekeepers can handle her," Satoshi said.

"Can you?"

Satoshi's hesitance to answer him was telling.

"The Tragedian is my responsibility. Her death is my fault. I won't have you suffer from the consequences of my actions, even if it was when I was a Revenant," Kuai Liang stated, and Satoshi understood from his tone that there was no room for argument.

"Fine," Satoshi relented, throwing himself back to lean against the backrest. He sighed loudly before Kuai Liang handed him the other cup of green tea, which Satoshi quietly accepted.

"I almost can't believe the Shirai Ryu are now a part of this."

Satoshi kept fidgeting the sharp end of the kunai between his fingers. Kuai Liang's blood had long been washed off, but he still felt like there was a shade of red still lingering on the metal. Satoshi knew it was just his imagination, like a phantom pain that isn't really there but still somehow can't be ignored. Satoshi felt too much like his past catching up to him, even though he was never personally involved in the first place - at least of his own volition.

"How is it that you are not with them?"

Satoshi sighed and put the kunai down. "Mom moved away from them when I was young. Probably because she didn't feel we were safe in the goddamn afterlife of all places? But then again wouldn't the safest place be surrounded by an army of assassins?"

Kuai Liang stared blankly into the distance. "That didn't save all of you the day you died."

"…I guess not."

Perhaps it was a bit too much. This was supposed to be a fun little adventure, albeit one entirely made on impulse, but every new day with Kuai Liang here only brought more questions than answers and more dangers than the ones he's used to as a Gatekeeper.

Kuai Liang frowned, "Satoshi, did… you know the Shirai Ryu was wiped out a second time?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I know. They're not here in the afterlife though."

"Really?"

The boy gave Kuai Liang a curious look, "Y'know, I'm actually surprised that you haven't noticed, but, I'm supposed to be older than Takeda, and I'm not."

"Hm." Kuai Liang did notice. Although, he thought with amusement, he had just thought Satoshi was simply born shorter than Takeda… Or Hanzo for that matter.

"Ever since the first massacre, the Undertakers have avoided the Shirai Ryu like the plague. 'No amount of willpower can save a dying body'. And Father apparently returned to life from sheer rage alone. The Undertakers fear people who can just return to life like that."

"That's true." Though there was more to that story, that he figured, that would be for another time.

"That should have been their first warning. When the Shirai Ryu arrived here, the Weavers didn't immediately bring us to life. They said, my mother used to tell me, that there was a chance that my father could have brought us back to life. So, we were in stasis for a few years, and then," Satoshi wrung his hands, "Father failed. And we then woke up here. And the Undertakers didn't dare touch anything near the Shirai Ryu… and also the Lin Kuei, for that matter."

Kuai Liang frowned slightly in realization, "Raiden's offer…"

This time it was Satoshi's turn to look confused, "What?"

"Your father, he killed my brother," Kuai Liang turned but didn't look him in the eye, "Raiden said he could have restored the Shirai Ryu if my brother was spared."

Satoshi stared at him in disbelief for a moment. "Jesus," Satoshi breathed out, "The way my mother said it, she made it sound like he needed to fight some god not…" He made a tight, frustrated noise, "not… spare someone."

"I, too, would have preferred to not have him kill my brother but, well, we all live with our mistakes," Kuai Liang leaned forward to pour himself of the remaining tea to hide his grimace, "He regrets it to this day. He regrets what he did as Scorpion."

Satoshi leaned back into his seat, contemplating, "Uncle, I need your honest opinion on something."

"Which is?"

"Do you think my father is a good person?"

The question seemed so sudden that it stunned Kuai Liang into silence. "You know I would say yes," he started slowly, "so why ask me?"

"I believe you have the, uh, most objective view of him."

Kuai made a disbelieving noise, "I wouldn't love him if he weren't a good person."

"Well so would my mother," Satoshi answered, "But Mother made it sound like my father was the most noble and honorable samurai in all the worlds, instead of a  shinobi ."

"And how am I different from your mother?"

"Well," he started slowly, "The difference is that you were enemies with my father for a duration of time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, you hated him more than anything for a short while. I would assume that means you understood his flaws better than anyone else."

"Then what else is there to say? His own rage was his downfall, but," Kuai Liang pondered briefly what to say next, "He'd fought for vengeance. He'd made mistakes and fell to corruption, but made full use of the second chance granted to him. He rights his wrongs and rebuilds the old clan he lost. He's an honorable man committed to his principles."

"Hm. I used to think that. That we were honorable - they were honorable."

"Were they not?"

"Uncle, I didn't think I would need to remind you of this, but the Shirai Ryu was a clan of assassins," Satoshi said with some disdain, "The only difference between them and the old Lin Kuei was that they treated us as family instead of utter shit. But that doesn't excuse the fact they still killed  for a living. Christ, my father was sent to steal an important relic, client be damned."

Kuai Liang winced, not because he couldn't come up with a suitable counter, but at the sudden memory that Hanzo ended up dying at his brother's hands at that mission. And then the Shirai Ryu were wiped out not soon after.

"He's not the man he used to be," Kuai Liang insisted, "You know the Shirai Ryu has been reformed to the defense of Earthrealm. He takes in people of all walks of life, and gives them a home, and your father would have walked through hell and back to protect his family. Including me."

Satoshi sighed. "I guess you have a point. It just really irks me how you have renounced the sins of your old clan, but…" he cast a sideways glance onto the kunai on the coffee table, "But my father hasn't done the same. Not to my knowledge anyways."

"Perhaps not," he conceited, "Your father and I, we both killed innocent people, but he had a choice to decide who to devote his efforts toward. You have to understand that everything he does, he does for his family. Every good deed and every failure he committed was for you. He wanted to protect you, to avenge you. He - maybe he wasn't a good man by the Tragedian's standards, but I know he would have been a good father."

[tobiasdrake]

Mortal Komparison: Scorpion and Sub-Zero

We're putting these two together because their stories around the Mortal Kombat tournament are so deeply interwoven with one another. This one's worth two points, y'all.

The Original Source Material

The story of the games struggles at many points because the bios, endings, and miscellaneous supplemental materials granted very little story and personality to most of the characters. There is so much room to flesh out and build upon, because so much of what each character was doing throughout the trilogy was so vague.

The rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero is easily the one piece of source material that's received the most focus. In the events of Mortal Kombat 1, there are exactly three important fights. We've already talked about two of them: Liu Kang vs. Goro and Liu Kang vs. Shang Tsung. The other one is Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero.

Let's set the stage.

Hanzo Hasashi of the Japanese Shirai Ryu ninja clan and Bi-Han of the Chinese Lin Kuei assassin clan were prominent figures in their rival clans. One day, both were hired by the sorcerer Quan Chi to carry out the theft of a magic plot artifact. Scorpion and Sub-Zero arrived at the same time and dueled for the artifact; Sub-Zero won, overpowering and executing Scorpion without mercy.

With Sub-Zero victorious, Quan Chi launched a devastating raid on the Shirai Ryu. His forces slaughtered every man, woman, and child in the clan, including Hanzo's family. The Shirai Ryu ended that day while Hanzo's soul plummeted into the fiery depths of the Netherrealm, which is basically Hell.

There are greater plot implications to these events that deal with the next bad guy past Shao Kahn, so we're going to kinda skip over a bit. The important thing is that Quan Chi was a Netherrealm sorcerer in service to its ruler Shinnok. He approached Scorpion and claimed that after killing him, Bi-Han had gone on to slaughter his clan and his family. (He would, much later, change his story to say that Bi-Han's brother Kuai Liang carried out the family's executions).

Desiring nothing more than revenge, Scorpion was transformed into a fiery revenant and returned to Earthrealm to seek his undead vengeance. It's never been 100% clear how he did this but it's implied that Quan Chi and/or Shinnok assisted in some way.

Meanwhile, in life, Bi-Han was recruited to fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament and defend Earthrealm. He was a coldhearted, ruthless bastard who killed without hesitation but, much like Kano, Earthrealm couldn't afford to be picky about niceness. His exceptional talents would surely be of great help on the battlefield.

Hanzo, meanwhile, was recruited by Shang Tsung. As a Netherrealm revenant, Scorpion was presumably not bound by the rules that said an Earthrealm native would count as an Earthrealm fighter in the tournament.

Having won victories against lesser gods and even defeated Shinnok himself at one point, Bi-Han was arguably the best chance Earthrealm had to push Outworld back and take the win. But his chances came to a sudden dramatic halt when he found himself face to face with the vengeful wraith of Hanzo Hasashi, returned from Hell for this singular purpose.

Bi-Han fought with all he had, but vengeance would not be denied. Scorpion brutally killed him and, like Hanzo before him, Bi-Han's soul plunged into the Netherrealm. Earthrealm's chance of victory plunged with him.

What happened to Scorpion after that is left to the vagueness of the games' lack of concrete events. Maybe he quit the tournament. Maybe someone defeated him. Either way, he wouldn't pop up again until Mortal Kombat 2. After mistaking Bi-Han's brother Kuai Liang for him, Scorpion went on the hunt again for his mysteriously resurrected foe. The actual Bi-Han, meanwhile, became the undead revenant Noob Saibot in service to Quan Chi and Shinnok, the unholy masters that Bi-Han had once defied. But that's all past the tournament, which is what we're focusing on here.

The 1995 Film

Scorpion and Sub-Zero's rivalry is barely mentioned in this movie. Shang Tsung has a throwaway line about them being deadly enemies, but they're both ambiguously being controlled by him. They're little more than colorful minions of evil with wacky powers for the heroes to fight.

After briefly getting to show off their cool powers, they're ultimately defeated by Johnny Cage and Liu Kang. And that's all there is to them.

The 2021 Film

This movie is about Scorpion and Sub-Zero. They are the central focus of the whole film. The slaughtering of Hanzo's family happened centuries ago and is unquestionably performed by Bi-Han. The main protagonist is Cole, a surviving descendant of Hanzo's bloodline with some vague spiritual connection to Scorpion in the Netherrealm.

Sub-Zero serves as the film's main villain. Shang Tsung is the big bad evil guy, but Sub-Zero is the major recurring threat that must be overcome. Centuries after the Shirai Ryu were wiped out, Bi-Han now serves Shang Tsung as an undead revenant. The filmmakers had the good sense not to actually call him Noob and he still wields his ice powers instead of Saibot's shadow powers, but that's okay because Shang Tsung uses shadow smoke to make his magic so it's still sort of there.

For much of the film, Bi-Han is a deadly presence that the heroes can't overcome while Scorpion lurks in Hell, occasionally popping into Cole's dreams to startle him with angry scowling. Finally, it all comes to a head when Bi-Han abducts Cole's family. This parallel to what happened to Hanzo's family enrages him so much that he shits himself into existence.

Despite being the most heavily anticipated moment of the film, Scorpion's appearance is handled extremely weirdly. Raiden gives Cole a kunai stained with Hanzo's blood and tells him that he can use it to summon Hanzo to fight, and he does. Scorpion is basically a Pokemon in this movie.

Also, apparently he wasn't called Scorpion before because he dramatically announces upon arrival that he is now Scorpion. What does it mean that he is now Scorpion? Why does he want to be called that all of a sudden? Who knows?

In any case, Scorpion fights Bi-Han and even with his new hell powers, it goes just as poorly as the first time they fought. It's only when he and Cole team up and work together that they're able to defeat Bi-Han together. Hanzo incinerates Bi-Han, finally avenging himself by, uh, re-killing this dead guy, I guess. And then Hanzo goes back into his Poke Ball.

Who Did It Best?

So, yeah, obvious candidate out of the way: 1995 isn't even a contender. Scorpion and Sub-Zero aren't characters in that film; they're walking powersets for the bad guys to use.

The real question is this: does the 2021 film do justice to the plot details that the source material sets up for writers to build from?

The main pull is the complicated dynamic between Hanzo and Bi-Han. Neither of them are good guys; they're both ruthless killers and they both end up in Hell for a reason. Of the two, Hanzo is more clearly a victim, but moreso of Quan Chi than of Bi-Han; the only thing Bi-Han did to warrant Hanzo's vengeance was to kill him, and that happened in a fair fight between assassin rivals.

Scorpion is a manipulated tool. His lust for vengeance is a crippling character flaw. By pursuing his blind fury, he acts to the detriment of Earthrealm. Sub-Zero is a brutal bastard, little better or worse than Scorpion, but with an entire world of people on the line, it doesn't matter. Scorpion is so driven by vengeance that he would condemn the whole of Earthrealm to attain it.

Scorpion would undergo a lot of character development in later games but the tournament is very clear about where these characters fall. Sympathetic though Scorpion may be, he's the bad guy in this situation; when he successfully assassinates Bi-Han, it's bad news for everyone. With a good story written around it, this has potential to be an incredibly powerful moment.

There is a solid reason for Bi-Han to fight for Earthrealm, a solid reason for Hanzo to fight for Outworld, and a shocking and horrifying conclusion to their story that can potentially turn a plot on its head.

In the 2021 film, Scorpion is unquestionably the hero. Bi-Han serves Shang Tsung for reasons that are never well explained. He's a bad guy, so he fights for Team Bad Guy. Hanzo still seeks vengeance from beyond the grave, but it's the good antihero kind of vengeance that only ever produces positive results.

This dynamic clicks really well with Bi-Han fighting for Earthrealm and Hanzo fighting for Outworld. It's a lot harder to make sense of when Bi-Han is fighting for Outworld and Hanzo is fighting for Earthrealm. Bi-Han doesn't have the excuse of vengeance blinding him to the damage he's causing. He's just being the super most baddest guy for the sake of the film having a bad guy.

I said that the 1995 film isn't even a contender because Scorpion and Sub-Zero aren't even characters; they're just walking powersets. In 2021, Sub-Zero still isn't a character. He can't be, because flipping his and Scorpion's dynamic the way they did is impossible to justify if you have to write a personality around it.

The winner for Best Scorpion and Sub-Zero is the original source material.