Chapter Text
He didn’t remember anything about the Soulnado. He didn’t remember being sucked into its grips, or the terror it must have unleashed upon him. All he could recall was waking up in a barren wasteland in the Netherrealm, laying in the middle of sand and dirt. His head spun with the wrathful whispers of the souls he and Quan-Chi had manifested, though they did not leave his side. Why? Why not flee?
He wished for many things, lying in his own rot. He wanted to torture Nightwolf personally. He wanted to rip out Smoke’s spine in front of Kuai Liang. He and Saibot would then tear his traitorous little brother apart, limb by limb.
Still in a daze, he reached for one of those green orbs circling around him and crushed it. A surge of power rushed through him, but it was abated soon by sheer pain.
Bi-Han chuckled numbly his thoughts drew back to his brother. His brother had taken everything from him: his clan, his name, even his own legacy.
And perhaps, Sareena. Of course, better for her to be there at the compound, rather than still suffering here in the Netherrealm.
His thinking reared to a stop as he took full stock of what he just thought. Ever since his resurrection, he had been consumed with nothing but hatred. He sustained himself over the rage of his unjust death, at Raiden, at his clan, at Hanzo Hasashi for being foolish enough to fall for trusting a sorcerer in the first place. It still coursed through him all the same.
But, he had never felt…hopeful. And strangely enough, his thoughts had never turned back to her as Noob Saibot. She was half the reason why he had volunteered to be the Lin Kuei’s champion; he had hoped the goodwill from the Kahn would be enough to brocker Sareena safe passage back to Earthrealm. Why hadn’t he thought of her?
Quan Chi had likely designed it that way. Of course he’d feel resentment over the fact one of his own servants betrayed him for Bi-Han. The thought coaxed a pained chuckle out of him. He hadn’t realized the sorcerer was nursing a wounded pride, but it made sense. Quan Chi kept him as his most valuable servant not only because he was a testament to his power, but he also served as a reminder to all of what became of those who defied him.
His eyes turned back to the souls still scattered around him. They should have dissipated by now. Instead, they surrounded him like a horde of fireflies, their pleas intermingled with curses. It took him a moment to realize they couldn’t—the Soulnado had bound them to him.
He took another one into his hand and crushed it. It’s power bleed into him, bringing with it extreme pain. The sensation soon subsided, and with it, he felt stronger. He could feel his legs again, even move them.
It would only make sense. The sinew had to be broken first before it could come back stronger. He could withstand it, just to see how far it would get him in the end.
As the souls around him dwindled, their essence empowering him, he finally could manage to stand. His hands shook with the deluge of power now feeding into him. His mind was his own again.
Quan-Chi may have his original soul, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t forge his own out of the parts of his victims. It was a work-around the sorcerer likely hadn’t thought him strong enough for. A costly miscalculation.
With a steady hand, he called the shadows lying in wait to him, and watched as a small legion of shadow clones emerged. There was a new type of understanding in their glassy eyes, of understood comradery. When Bi-Han lifted his hand, they followed in sync, only to finish it with a deadly strike. They already knew his will, and how to execute. He let off a shaky laugh, and with a snap of his finger, they disappeared.
It felt like a whole new world was at his fingertips. He would only get stronger with time, even more so when he found more souls to consume. A new realm of possibilities had been opened for him—one he could never dream of as Quan Chi’s servant, or even as Bi-Han. He could have legions, control the fate of death itself. He only needed to grasp it.
But, strangely, his thoughts turned back to her. Sareena. Whereas the thought of every other person brought annoyance at best and animosity at worst, he felt…eased when he pictured her. He had known her only briefly, and yet she had left an indelible mark on him. She had saved him. And he had yet to repay her for that.
He felt her burning grasp within his for a moment, only for it to be gone. He became keenly aware of the coldness that had infested him. Only the image of her made that sensation subside. If he got closer to her, perhaps that would remain.
This sudden reemergence of his feelings was unexpected, but not unwelcome. He felt motivation that wasn’t kindled by hate or fury, and it felt most intoxicating. His first act of free will became clear—he’d establish his place at Shinnok’s side, and use the goodwill curried to reintegrate Sareena into this new Brotherhood of Shadow. Shinnok never was one for Scorched Earth Theory— subjugation and corruption was more appetizing to him than simple killing, even when dealing with a traitor. He could search for her in the meantime, a feat that wouldn’t be hard, given his skills.
But first, he had to earn that good will. He had to be clever enough to hide himself from Quan Chi as he found a prize valuable enough for Shinnok. Luckily, the memory of a besmirched potential ally came to mine, and a plan began to form.
~
It wasn’t easy assassinating the top general of Orderrealm. Not that Bi-Han thought it would be, Seidans were the most granular, detail-obsessed race among all the realms. It made sense their defenses would follow suit.
You can’t prepare for a threat you don’t realize exists, though.
Though Noob Saibot’s appearance wasn’t heard of in Orderrealm, that didn’t mean he could simply barge in and reap the general’s soul, as much as he wanted to. He needed someone with a bit more affiliation with the inner workings of Seido, and more strings to pull.
This “Cleric of Chaos” had originally approached Quan Chi in a clandestine meeting during the tournament. Bi-Han watched over the sorcerer as they discussed a potential collaboration. He had to admit, he hadn’t expected much of Havik. He was one of the few people with enough backbone to talk to Quan Chi congenially.
He even had the gall to try and address Bi-Han in their conversation, an act which infuriated Quan Chi. At first, he had thought it an attempt of bravado, trying to show Quan Chi that his newest minion didn’t scare him. However, it was more than that. When he made an assertion seemingly to Quan Chi, he would incline his head to Bi-Han, as if he were actually extending the offer to him instead. Quan Chi quickly ended their meeting after that.
The Cleric’s offer still remained in Bi-Han’s mind though, and now that he could fully act for himself, he ended up contacting Havik himself. Their deal was simple: he would help Havik assassinate Hotaru, and as payment, Bi-Han could take his soul to Shinnok.
It wasn’t so simply done. They had to disable several of the Defense Relics surrounding Hotaru’s compound before Bi-Han could use any of his powers, as well as the mages who kept said defenses up. And it had to be done so quickly enough as to not give them time to rally any protective measures.
Luckily, Havik seemed to have a particular effect on Seidans. He was not only able to plant some informants into their ranks, but actually convert some of the present soldiers to his cause. Even Bi-Han had to admit the Cleric possessed a degree of charisma few could beat, for a man with half a face, though it was not enough to sway his loyalty from the Brotherhood of Shadow.
Now, the abduction of Hotaru was finally in motion. Ever since he was caught in the storm of souls, he could manifest anywhere shadows dwelt. Hotaru, unknowing fool that he was, kept his chambers lowly lit.
Hotaru was taking his evening meal as Bi-Han emerged from the dark. Before he could even scream, he grabbed a fistfull of his head and hauled him into the shadows, his free hand covering his mouth. It only took him a moment to peel them both back into the embrace of the shadows, and within a blink, they were out of the compound. Bi-Han had spirited them both away to a forest outside of Seido.
He relinquished his grasp of the general, throwing him to the ground like a piece of trash. Hotaru fell upon his knees, gagging from the sudden influx of magic, before snapping his head to Bi-Han.
“Who do you think--”
A slow laugh rumbled through the forest. Bi-Han sighed, wishing Havik could go without grandstanding in front of his mortal enemy. That wasn’t in the cards for him, it seems.
“It’s been a while, Hotaru,” Havik mused as he stepped from the shadows. His inscrutable skeleton’s grin became more foreboding in the darkness.
“I should have known an intolerable wretch like you was behind this,” Hotaru snarled. He moved to jump on him, but Bi-Han swiftly stopped it with a hard kick to the head. The general groaned as he slammed back into the dirt.
“I didn’t want it to come to this, old friend.” Havik’s voice turned uncharacteristically soft, a change that even made Bi-Han turn to consider the cleric. He had always spoken bombastically, every vowel pulsating with life. Now, though, his gaze had turned necrotic, and Bi-Han soon found himself thinking that, if Havik could, he would be frowning. “I was content with playing this little game of cat and mouse for eons, till one of us turned to dust under the heel of the One Being. But then you had to go and mess it all up.”
Hotaru bent up to look at Havik, blood trickling from his mouth as he bared a grin. “And how, pray tell, have I done that?”
“You murdered refugees from Chaosrealm.”
Hotaru scoffed. “I thought your people craved violence.”
“Yes, violence ,” Havik snarled. “Death is a Netherrealm rule your people have gleefully co-opted. You murdered your captives after they tried to defect, and you burned their bodies rather than let us have their remains.”
“They were traitors to your kind! Why do you care?” Hotaru snarled, rising to stand. Bi-Han went to subdue him once more, only for Havik to wave him off. He did so, albeit reluctantly. It burned him to be beholden to yet another person’s whims, but he reminded himself that this was only temporary.
“Life is chaos. Death is order. Blessed chaos would have reclaimed their minds, but you stopped it before it could righted! You would not even allow them the common decency to be taken back into the chaotic soil that birthed them!”
Hotaru slung his head to the side, a wicked delight settling into his stare. “They subjected themselves to Orderrealm’s judgment. It judged them.”
Havik hissed, losing that odd composure that blanketed him at all times. He went to strike Hotaru in the face, only for him to deflect it, grabbing his arm and pulling it out of its socket. Before he could do anymore damage, Bi-Han rushed forward, grabbing Hotaru by the waist and throwing him over his head.
The general recuperated strangely quicker this time, raring to strike him, only for Saibot to emerge from the shadow beneath him to latch on. Hotaru failed to buck Saibot off as it latched its hand around his neck, strangling him.
“Stop it!” Havik snapped. “I do not want him dead yet!”
A feverish anger set upon him as he retorted, “I didn’t agree to some philosophical debate between two fanatics! I’m taking the general’s soul, here and now, cleric.”
He summoned his scythe into his hand, but just as the darkness congealed to form it, Hotaru rallied enough strength to push his shadow off. Before either one of them could pin him again, he touched the centerpiece of his armor. From it, a terrible bloom of light filled the forest. A rageful, hideous scream was ripped from Bi-Han as he tried in vain to retreat back into the tree’s shadows, only for those to be burned away as well.
He could hear the signs of fighting beyond him, but the insidious light blinded him. It felt as if it were flaying the skin from his bones.
Through the pain, though, recollections peppered his thoughts. This light was like fire, and recalled feeling Sareena’s unrepentant flames upon his skin. The memory of her brought him back to the moment as he steadied his hand. Darkness leaked from his wounds into the palm of his hand, his scythe forming into the grip of his fist.
He was going to crush this pathetic firefly under his boot.
He heard the unsteady squelch of flesh, along with Havik’s triumphant cry. He couldn’t tell if the cleric was actually winning or simply delighting in the pain. It didn’t matter. He would not be subject to Havik toying with his prey any longer. This would end now.
He raised his scythe above his head. If he were lucky, this was Hotaru. If not, well, Havik could easily put himself back together again. He dove his weapon through the air without a second thought.
He felt his blade sink through flesh like butter. As blood sprayed his face, so too did the light end. He blinked, eyes quickly adapting back to the darkness, in time to see Hotaru’s head slide off his neck and fall to the ground with a hopeless thump.
Havik stood in front of him, eyes wide. Bi-Han noticed his hand had been ripped off, and the top of the pearly white of his bone had been drenched in blood. Judging by the wounds in Hotaru’s chest, the cleric had opted to start stabbing him with the exposed bone.
He held back a scoff. Typical Chaosrealmer. They had little care for style.
“You killed him?”
Bi-Han ignored him, instead choosing to kneel to the corpse. He laid his hand on his chest, careful not to trigger that deadly mechanism once more. Hotaru’s soul struggled against his grip, but yielded against his magic all the same. It wound up his arm like a snake along a branch, then waited dutifully for his command. He would bring the leader of Orderrealm’s soul back to Shinnok and Quan Chi himself. He risked someone laying claim on his kill if he allowed it to manifest in the Netherrealm naturally. And Hotaru’s soul was most definitely going there.
“I’m trying to discuss this with you, Noob.“
“Yes,” Bi-Han grumbled, finally standing as he flexed his hand. “We agreed on an assassination. That typically involves death.”
He sighed. “We barely had time to do anything interesting.”
He was not going to argue with a man who sounded like a petulant toddler. He had what he needed anyway.
“This concludes our arrangement,” Bi-Han said as he stood. “You may do with the body what you wish, Havik. I have my payment.”
Havik looked at him, his eyes alight with mischief. “You know, I could help you finally shirk the Netherrealm’s chains.”
Bi-Han had moved to leave, but his comment caught his attention. He entertained the idea for a moment, to be free of not only Quan Chi, but of Shinnok himself.
The very idea repulsed him to his core. Perhaps he hadn’t fully shaken Quan Chi’s influence from him, but he still felt a degree of loyalty to the Netherrealm as a whole. In life, he had felt constantly on edge, as if the world may turn on him at any moment. In the Netherrealm, though danger infested every corner of it, it had empowered him beyond his previous capabilities. He was a lion walking amongst lambs, and every denizen there could sense it. Now, after the Soulnado, the very perfection of his being had been magnified. Even though he tried to stay out of the Netherrealm since he absorbed the souls’ power, the few times he visited in search of Sareena, the lesser demons cowed before his presence. They scrambled to avert his notice, scurrying off like rats back to their nests. He was more than Subzero now, he was becoming a god. And he had to thank his masters and the realm itself for making him into such a creature. Soon, once he brought Sareena back to her rightful place, it would be perfect.
Even now, he could feel his power lessening the longer he stayed away from the Netherrealm. He would not forsake his new might for a crazed cleric and his machinations.
“A tempting offer,” he lied. “But I must decline. Good luck on your future endeavors though, Havik.”
Havik chuckled. “I only wish I could have met you before you had died horribly. And I wish you good fortune as you try to find your little demon mistress.”
The cleric had turned away from him, beginning to stride off to who knows where, as Bi-Han’s blood turned cold. Before he could get any further, Bi-Han threw his sickle at his head. It barely missed Havik’s head, instead crashing into the tree that stood just a few feet away from the cleric.
Havik stopped, but did not face him. He turned his head to the side, his ever-present grin mocking him. He had the gall to let off a little hum as he paused.
“What did you just say?” Bi-Han growled.
He couldn’t tell if Havik meant to let that detail slip, or if he enjoyed dangling this final piece of information in front of Bi-Han. “She mentioned you a lot, Bi-Han. You really haven’t changed much from when you were alive. She may not know what you are now, but it was pretty easy for me to piece it together myself.”
He shouldn’t know his name. He shouldn’t know he was looking for a demon woman. How could he?
Maybe he didn’t. Perhaps this was all just some insane bluff.
But he continued, shrugging as he said, “Don’t blame me. Not all chaos aligns with Netherrealm’s views, and you can’t get more chaotic than a demon fighting against her very nature. How could I not assist her in starting that turmoil?”
“What did you do to her?” He now closed the distance between them. “Where is she?”
“Oh, all I did was aid her, one fellow traveler to another, less seasoned one. Just a little ferrying from one realm into another. Her destination wasn’t on my way, though, so I had to drop her off where she could get there herself.”
He grabbed the cleric by the neck, pulling him close to his face, as he snarled, “You are going to tell me exactly where you left her, or I am going to burn you alive like Hotaru did to your ilk.”
Havik laughed at his threat. “I didn’t think you liked fire that much.”
Rage blinded him. He raised his fist back to strike him, but before the blow could connect, Havik’s forehead connected with his nose. He reeled back, flying to his feet as quickly as he could, but he was not fast enough. Havik splayed out his hand, and from beneath his fingers, a portal appeared behind him. He could see the impossible spirals of rocks and floating land masses of the Chaosrealm from behind him, an acrid green smoke flowing out from the portal’s hold.
“Till we meet again, buddy!” he cheered, and jumped back into the realm that awaited him. Bi-Han tried to catch him before the portal closed, but he watched as the threads of this world coalesced. It was as if the portal had never existed.
He snarled, fury coiling up his spine. He was the one who was supposed to save her, not some idiot from a backwards realm. Right when he could get her back in his grasp, the chance had been ripped out of him. The shadows around him flared with his anger, but within a few calm breaths, he had settled.
All was far from lost. If anything, this venture gave him more to work with than he had originally planned for. He knew that she had been to Outworld. He could utilize the contacts they had to see if she remained. Bi-Han reasoned she likely wasn’t still there--she would easily find a portal to Earthrealm. Perhaps she had made contact with Raiden himself--another person who would be desperate to steal her away from him. She may now know of his current state, but that hardly mattered. It wouldn’t stop his plans for her in the slightest. Now, he wouldn’t waste time searching the Netherrealm for her.
And he still had Hotaru’s soul. He raised his hand up to the moonlight and smiled as he watched it quiver around his wrist. The general would not only be a worthy addition to their ranks of Revenants, but he could also provide essential information on the inner workings of Orderrealm. Bi-Han had just opened the door to a potential conquest of Orderrealm for Shinnok.
He waved his hand, and a shadow portal opened beneath his feet. He could feel his strength return just with the motion. The essence of the Netherrealm called to him. Without wasting another second on this worthless realm, he descended into the portal, back to his home.
~
The Netherrealm had changed much since he had last visited. His most recent trips to the Netherrealm had been in the more remote sections , nothing of interest except small hovels of demons surviving off scraps. As he approached Shinnok’s temple, he could see a new litany of followers, tirelessly restoring the building to its former glory. What hard working ants they were.
He melted back into the shadows, traversing the edges of their periphery as he silently phased into the throne room.
Quan Chi and Shinnok stood opposite each other, in front of a map of Earthrealm. Obsidian pieces laid strewn about the parchment, some still standing erect, some fallen to the wayside. They’re planning an invasion. Good.
“We need not underestimate Earthrealm’s defenses,” Quan-Chi cautioned, ever the tactician.
“Perhaps, but I’m more than pleased with how the tournaments’ champions are adapting to their new home,” Shinnok crooned with a hideous smile. “Just a few more choice additions to our ranks and we could be unstoppable.”
This couldn’t be more fortuitous. “I may be able to help with that, my lord.”
Bi-Han emerged from the shadows, brandishing the newly acquired soul along his arm. Quan-Chi’s eyes widened with shock, but the corners of his mouth tilted upwards. He wouldn’t be smiling for long.
The soul unwound from his hand, sprawling out before them. The mist emminating from it rearranged back into its human shape: a trembling Hotaru, looking up at the eyes of its new captors.
“ No ,” the soul whispered. “ T-this cannot be—“
Shinnok whipped his hand through the air, causing the apparition to disappear. The glow stayed within his hand until he carelessly tossed it to the sorcerer.
“You have a new soul to fetter,” Shinnok said, eyes not leaving Bi-Han. The Elder God approached him. “I remember you. You were one of Quan Chi’s creations. He said you perished.”
“I almost did,” Bi-Han clarified. “But the storm of souls proved to be just as empowering as it was destructive. I won against it.”
“I beckoned you forward!” Quan Chi barked. “You did not respond! How were you able to disobey me?”
Bi-Han smiled. “I have broken your bindings on me, sorcerer.”
“But not mine,” Shinnok interjected. Despite his tone, Bi-Han could see a hint of a smirk playing across his mouth. “You are still a servant to my will, wraith.”
He had suspected as much. The assumption proved to be correct. Not like that was going to change his plans.
“And I have never once swayed from your cause, my lord,” Bi-Han replied. He kneeled before Shinnok. “I never once tried to escape my duties. You could sense my purpose, even as I strayed from the Netherrealm. You know that I would return with a bounty in tow.”
Shinnok said nothing for a moment, but he could practically feel the god’s satisfaction like it was his own. “So you have. But I sense that you are not willing to return to your past position.”
Bi-Han matched his master’s stare. “No. I think I’ve proven myself to be more valuable than to be Quan Chi’s minion.”
“That you have,” Shinnok conceded. “You’re in luck, Noob Saibot. I am in need of an assassin, especially one of your unique talents. You shall be my hand, and carry out my will in secret. I shall grant you your own domicile apart from Quan Chi, as well as any other resources you may need. You will still heed Quan Chi’s requests when it comes to our new revenants, but other than that, you shall be his equal.”
Noob Saibot nodded. “Thank you, my lord. If I may, I must petition you for another request.”
Shinnok co*cked an eyebrow, more amused than angry. “You would petition me after I have already show you my favor?”
“It is within the doctrine of your beliefs, Lord Shinnok,” Noob explained, throwing his gaze back to the floor. “I know of your plans to invade Earthrealm. I have…unfinished business with one of the warriors of light there.”
He turned his head to the side, but let Bi-Han continue all the same.
“A demon who escaped your control—Sareena. I wish to capture her, either to show her the errors of her ways, or keep her prisoner.”
Quan Chi stilled under his words, a motion that deeply pleased Bi-Han. “You wish to allow a traitor back into our fold?” He finally spat.
Bi-Han whipped his head to him. “All of the revenants under our control defied Shinnok in one way or another. I, too, was once misguided enough to act against him. I’m sure our Lord sees the wisdom in recapturing a useful asset, even if your pride will not, sorcerer.”
Silence permeated the room. For a moment, Bi-Han was sure he’d refuse, but suddenly, the elder god reeled back his head and laughed uproariously.
“Quan Chi, I knew all your creations had a predisposition towards obsession, but I had not thought of one capable enough to see past the allure of death! Oh, you are a different species indeed, Noob Saibot. Yes, I shall grant you this concession, if only out of mere curiosity.”
“You are a most gracious Lord, my master,” Noob Saibot said, voice trembling with anticipation. Finally, he would reunite with her. Finally, he would no longer be utterly alone.
He knew what he was doing. He would be crushing her dream if he ever brought her back here. The fact of the matter was, though, that she didn’t belong there. He should know—he was now a creature of the Nether. Even the simple moonlight felt like acid against his skin there. She would perish if she stayed there for too long.
But here, by his side? She could finally flourish.
He’d pluck the parasites that had undoubtedly burrowed their way into her life—Raiden, Fujin, and their pathetic champions. Then, he could reintroduce her to the Netherrealm—one where she was no longer enslaved, where she could rule at his side, where she’d be shielded inside the nexus of his power.
And then? No one would be able to hurt them ever again.
~
Saibot finally relinquished its grip on his mind, as did the shadow clone holding him back. Bi-Han fell from his arms and onto his knees, gasping at the sudden emptiness shrouding him.
He could feel himself become Noob Saibot again. The toxicity and obsession that infested every bone in his body had come back to him like it had always remained. Did he secretly still harbor these feelings? Why was it so easy for him to slip back into that role?
No, no he wasn’t. If he was, he wouldn’t be fighting so hard against Saibot. Even now, the idea of putting Sareena through that made his stomach churn. The fact he had intended to drag her back at one point disgusted him to his very core.
But he didn’t. He had to remind himself that he did not go through with it. When he saw Sareena standing against him in the battlefield, he gave up. He gave up that horrible dream for her. Noob Saibot, the hand of Shinnok, laid down his weapon for her. Even in the twisted darkness of that previous life, he couldn’t harm her.
That counted for something. It had to.
“ You were correct, back then ,” Saibot said after a moment. “ In more ways than one. ”
“What are you talking about?” Bi-Han rasped between coughs.
Saibot tilted its head to her. “Noob Saibot is the only one who can protect her from the coming storms. Orderrealm still exists. So too does Outworld. Raiden is corrupting from the inside out thanks to Shinnok’s amulet. All of our futures lie within Netherrealm .”
“So you say,” Bi-Han spat. “But I don’t believe you. Noob Saibot could never stand against Raiden anyway.”
Saibot leaned down to him, eyes wider than any mortal’s could become. “ That’s not the only thing you were correct about, Bi-Han. The Soulnado’s gifts did not end with its souls. You and I both felt it even afterwards. The power continues to ebb into us, even if you choose to resist it. ”
“What are you saying?”
Fiendish delight practically dripped off his shadow. “We are greater than Subzero. We were becoming a God. Together, finally merged, we would ascend into the same godhood Fujin and Raiden luxuriate in. We would be the God of Night. ”
