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A Lin Kuei did his missions with seriousness and honor.
Do the job, do it good, do it right, do it fast.
And the Grandmaster was no exception to this code.
"Thank you for accompanying me," Liu Kang tried to smile as they walked. "I know you have greater things to do."
"We're clearing out Shang Tsung's laboratory. We've relocated the . . . people who were already inside," Liu Kang re-explained. Bi-Han struggled not to roll his eyes. "It's more collecting his paperwork and notes. They're important, and we need to get to them before he thinks about coming back."
". . . Is that all?" Bi-Han held back a sigh. He could be doing important Grandmaster work. Instead he
And on the verge of slipping too, Liu Kang truly did hate him.
Well, he didn't hate him, Bi-Han knew this. He also knew that Liu Kang could have requested anyone for the job. But he had specifically requested for him. Why? It wasn't that he didn't like Liu Kang . . . Kinda. He made the Lin Kuei soft, weak.
But Liu Kang was also a childhood friend. Bi-Han saw him around the temple much growing up, speaking with important matters with his Father and Mother. Saw him help train Kuai Liang with his promancy.
He wouldn't say he hated Liu Kang. If anything, his company was enjoyable. If he needed Liu Kang to shut up so that he could think, the God would. If he needed deeper or clearer explanations, Liu Kang didn't look at him like he was stupid or unfitting of Grandmaster. The elders did, but Liu Kang set them in their place more times than Bi-Han could count.
He gave him friendship with an open hand.
And gods did Bi-Han hate it sometimes.
But in other words, Liu Kang wanted someone who didn't respect him as a God. Who didn't worship the ground he walked on.
And didn't talk his ears off the entire walk to an unexciting, potentially dangerous trip.
Bi-Han knew that when Liu Kang said people, he was being generous in his description. Not all were lucky as Syzoth. Not even Syzoth was as lucky as he tried to lead on.
But if they were just collecting his book? Books? They should be done with this quickly. And then he could go home, hide in his room, and probably take a nap.
The elders had been so mean all week, he was tired of their crap. He was tired of his workload. He didn't even want to be here.
Liu Kang sort of made up for it though.
"Yes, that is all," Liu Kang nodded, opening the door to Shang Tsung's laboratory. "It's practically already cleared, we're just double-checking."
The job was simple, easy.
. . . Too easy.
"You just didn't wish to go alone," Bi-Han said.
Liu Kang didn't reply as he walked into the old laboratory.
Bi-Han grumbled something before following.
The laboratory was practically wiped clean on the top floor. Bi-Han was lucky that he wasn't checking the prisons, he was sure just the sight would cause him to slip then and there.
The only things that really remained were some desk bolted down. But Liu Kang and Bi-Han began to search everywhere they could.
It wasn't until he did a double take at the floor that he saw a book.
Hidden. Or, more likely, fallen in between the cracks between the table and the wall. It was a tight squeeze, but Bi-Han was able to get it out.
"Lord Liu Kang! I have found-"
Bi-Han opened the book, and the front page itself was just horrifying.
Body mutilation, extreme body mutilation. Stuff only Havik could do.
Bi-Han gagged at the sight, slamming the book shut as he stumbled back.
In his stumble, he fell flat on the floor.
Bi-Han shakely pointed to the book. Normally he wasn't this affected by those types of pictures. He had grown up with that kind of stuff. He should be fine, why wasn't he fine?
Why did he have to feel so scared? Why was his body all shakey? Why wasn't he able to just brush it off.
Liu Kang rushed to his side, checking Bi-Han for any injuries. He was thankful that Bi-Han had just stumbled. Even he didn't want to look through the book later.
"THank goodness your okay," Liu Kang stood up, holding his hand out. "The notebooks are . . . something else entirely. They're- Bi-Han? Are you alright?"
Liu Kang knelt back to Bi-Han's height, watching as Bi-Han took shallow breaths, trying to control his breathing. Trying not to cry.
In all the years he knew Bi-Han, he could only count on one hand, maybe two, of the times he's seen the boy cry.
Bi-Han was shaking too, it was something Liu Kang had barely ever seen.
He gently grabbed BI-Han's hands, wanting to help ground him. His movements were slow, and gave Bi-Han enough time to pull away or yell at him.
But instead, Bi-Han grabbed his hands, tackling himself into Liu Kang's arms.
While it surprised the God, he squeezed Bi-Han in a firm hug.
And Bi-Han allowed himself to try and slip just a bit.
But instead, he just dropped.
And with his drop, he began to heavily sob.
"It was-!"
"I know," Liu Kang shushed him, rocking him gently.
"And it-!"
"I know," Liu Kang cut him off. "Don't think of such things, they've all gone bye bye. Someone so small should have never had those types of pictures. You're okay, you're all alright."
Liu Kang continued to rock Bi-Han, holding him firmly as he continued to whisper to him. Bi-Han hadn't felt this fuzzy in so long. He hadn't regressed in weeks, continuing to push it off to do this or do that. And everyone was trying to boss him around or try to 'help' him with his work. He was done.
He was small, vulnerable, and scared.
He was scared.
He hadn't felt this amount of fear in so long. What was he scared of? The pictures? or the fact he was sobbing in Liu Kang's arms? Or the fact that Liu Kang knew he regressed? How did he even know? Did Tomas or Kuai Liang tell him? Sareena wouldn't betray him like this.
"Let's get you back home, alright?" Liu Kang whispered, standing up, carrying Bi-Han in a princess-style hold. Bi-Han didn't protest much, hiding in Liu Kang's shoulder.
Liu Kang made a portal, sliding the book inside before walking in himself. He slide the book under Bi-Han's bed, keeping that in memory so he'll be able to receive it later. Right now, Bi-Han was his main concern.
He always had a sneaking suspicion that Bi-Han regressed. He knew Kuai Liang and Tomas regressed. He knew Bi-Han took care of them. But sometimes when Tomas was small, he'd call Bi-Han 'Bi-Bi', and Bi-Han would become tense and try to quickly excuse himself. One time he tried to see Bi-Han one night, only to find Sareena making a bowl of goldish and mac and cheese. Neither of them spoke of that night.
Had he known Bi-Han was so close to dropping, he would have never had asked him to accompany him.
Liu Kang tried to sit Bi-Han on his bed, but Bi-Han continued to cry, holding onto him tightly. So instead, he held Bi-Han, shifting him to his hip so he could pace around, bouncing the boy.
It took a while, a very long while, until Bi-Han calmed down enough to soft cries and sniffles. At some point he had thrown his mask off. Putting a hand over his mouth and nose to try to silence his crying. Normally he didn't cry loudly, but he couldn't help it right now.
"Stop, you won't be able to breathe like that," Liu Kang worried, gently prying Bi-Han's hand off his mouth. Bi-Han began to suck on his thumb instead. "Do you have a paci?"
A paci? That was funny. He was grandmaster, he couldn't have a pacifier. What if someone found it? How was he going to explain it?
But goodness did he want one. He wanted one so badly. Before he completely gave up on the idea, he use to dream of a custom one. Probably baby blue and white, he liked blue. Maybe a bear on it, that would be cute.
Bi-Han shook his head and Liu Kang nodded. He couldn't lecture Bi-Han for sucking his thumb when it was all he really had for comfort.
"'Oor," Bi-Han mumbled, giving a small point to his door. He didn't like the fact it wasn't locked. SOmeone could easily walk inside. He couldn't have that, he just couldn't.
"Do you want the door locked?" Liu Kang asked, receiving a weak nod. "Alright, I'll shut the door."
Liu Kang realized how small Bi-Han had slipped, he couldn't be more than a few years old. Liu Kang was lucky that he had experiences watching littles this young, both for negative and positive reasons.
Like times were Raiden had slipped extremely young after a long day of training, happy to be in his Dada's arms.
Or where Syzoth would run and cling to him for sanctuary, sobbing and babbling for Dada to protect him.
Bi-Han suddenly gave a soft whine, making grabby hands for the bed.
Liu Kang sat on it, letting Bi-Han sit on his lap. Resting his head on the God's shoulder and sucking his thumb. He seemed better, not as freaked out.
If anything, he seemed sleepy. Very sleepy.
"Is it ni ni time?" Liu Kang asked softly. Bi-Han hiccuped and shook his head. "No? My my, that's a problem then. What do you want to do, Snowflake? You wanna just sit here and cuddle?"
Bi-Han made grabby hands for his bookshelf. Liu Kang carried him over and Bi-Han struggled to get an incredibly thick book out. Liu Kang helped him grab it, but Bi-Han had almost a death grip on the book.
Bi-Han liked this book. It was a safe book, not a scary book like Liu Kang's book was.
It was also one of the only comfort regression objects he had.
An easy excuse too, it was a gift from his mother long, long ago.
"A book full of nursery rhymes?" Liu Kang smiled, sitting back on the bed, letting Bi-Han practically lay on top of him so he was comfy. "Do you have a favorite one? Or a request?"
Bi-Han whined at Liu Kang's questions, running his finger over the content page. He was tired of Liu Kang being silly. He just wanted his stories.
Liu Kang nodded and pulled Bi-Han close to him. He expected at any time to be pushed away. But instead, Bi-Han accepted his warmth.
Bi-Han fell asleep somewhat halfway through the third rhyme. Poor thing was struggling so badly to keep his eyes open.
He gently put the book on Bi-Han's nightstand, but made to attempts to get up.
He had a hunch that when Bi-Han woke up, the poor baby was most likely going to still be small.
And the hissy fit or freak out afterwards was something he needed to be there to help with.