Draining The Poison

Summary: Follows Worth Fighting For. Kuai Liang has given Bi-Han a second chance, but someone else is very unhappy about the situation and Bi-Han has to reconcile with his other brother
Warning(s): Spanking; major spoilers for Mortal Kombat 1 (2023 version); minor spoilers for other games in the franchise; AU; references to violence; references to wounds
Author's Note: This fic fills two squares for Spanktember: unusual position (based on a technicality) and guilt expiation.

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Being accepted back into the clan hadn't been easy. Bi-Han hadn't expected it to be, of course. He'd fallen further than any of the Lin Kuei ever had before. He would have fallen too far to come back again, were it not for Kuai Liang's mercy and forgiveness. As it was, he felt keenly the tensions that divided his clan. Even despite him reconciling with one of his brothers, there were other members of the Lin Kuei who thought that Bi-Han's actions were right and that he was the one who should take over leadership of the clan. And if he chose to step into that role, Kuai Liang would fall into place behind him. He knew that.

But after the crimes he'd committed, after everything he'd done, he no longer felt worthy to lead the clan. He'd let himself be corrupted and hurt Kuai Liang in the worst possible way. Coming back to himself, to the man he was supposed to be, had been more about his brother being unwilling to give up on him than about him choosing to turn back on his own.

The biggest problem Bi-Han was facing right now was his other brother. Tomas was angry with him. Bi-Han couldn't exactly blame him, but the hostility had reached extreme levels...to the point that Bi-Han was worried about the next mission they would go on. If Tomas refused to follow his orders when they were on a mission, the mission would fail. There was no question of that.

Bi-Han didn't realise where his feet were taking him until he found himself standing outside Kuai Liang's room. He knew his brother had taken on a lot of responsibility. Their world had been saved. Other worlds had been saved. But that didn't mean the threats were over. Earthrealm was still facing a lot of threats, both from outside and within. And one of the Lin Kuei's responsibilities was to protect Earthrealm from those kinds of threats.

It was late. But Bi-Han knew Kuai Liang would be awake. His own mind swirled with a myriad of emotions and thoughts that made it impossible to find true rest. Truthfully, he hadn't been able to sleep for a full night since before he'd allied himself with Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, however temporary that alliance had been.

Bi-Han raised his hand to knock, but before he could strike the wooden door with his fist, it was pulled open, revealing Kuai Liang standing outside.

"Bi-Han." Kuai Liang's eyes narrowed in concern, looking past him before focusing on his face. "Is everything all right? Do you need me for something?"

Bi-Han couldn't hold eye contact with his brother for long, because when he looked at Kuai Liang's face, he could see the scar he'd left on his brother's face. Guilt stabbed through him, like a sword piercing his chest, and he turned away. "I'm sorry I disturbed your rest. I'll leave you in peace."

"Bi-Han." Kuai Liang's hand came to rest on his arm.

Bi-Han stiffened slightly at the touch, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. Instead, he muttered, "I haven't been able to sleep."

"Come inside. We can talk." Kuai Liang gently gripped his arm, tugging him inside the room and closing the door behind them.

Before, Bi-Han wouldn't have hesitated to be inside his brother's room. Before, there wouldn't be this tension between them. Before, he wouldn't be looking at Kuai Liang's face and knowing he was responsible for the scars he'd put there...both the visible one on the outside, and the ones on the inside, that he couldn't see. "This was a mistake," he said abruptly. "I shouldn't be here burdening you with this."

"Isn't that my decision to make? Whether it's a burden to me or not?" Kuai Liang sat down on his sleeping mat and sighed quietly, then gestured to the mat next to him. "Sit down. Tell me what's troubling you, brother."

"What troubles me is our other brother." Bi-Han slowly sank down on the sleeping mat next to Kuai Liang, letting his elbows rest on his knees. "Tomas doesn't trust me. While we're here, the conflicts between us won't affect any missions you might send us on. But when we're out there, protecting Earthrealm, that tension between us will reach its breaking point." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Tensions within the whole clan are threatening to tear it apart. I might have turned from the path I was once heading down, with your help of course, but there are too many who feel the same way I once did."

"I know," Kuai Liang said calmly. "They want you to take back your rightful place as leader of this clan."

"If I do that, I will lead the Lin Kuei to ruin." He knew that; knew Kuai Liang was the best one to guide the clan forward. Bi-Han had allowed himself to fall too far...and if he took up the mantle of leadership once more, he would fail. It was a difficult truth to face, but it was still true. Even so.... "Perhaps it would be better if I left," he said abruptly. "If I wasn't here, it might be easier for you to lead the clan, to guide them along the right path."

"Bi-Han...."

"I don't mean exile." The very thought of being exiled, of being banished, was one that caused him physical pain. He wouldn't be able to survive if he could never return to the Lin Kuei. "I could leave on a mission. I could collect information. Spy for you. Return when things have calmed down a little."

"I'm not going to let you run away."

"I'm not running away."

Kuai Liang looked at him before saying, "Running away from your guilt isn't going to help at all. If you separate yourself from the clan, from me, it'll give the darkness an easy way to get inside you again."

Bi-Han looked away, unable to look at his brother's face; unable to see the scar his own hand had left there. Kuai Liang wasn't wrong. The guilt still lay on him like a heavy burden. Perhaps his brother was right, that leaving would only make him feel worse. But his mind wasn't clear enough to consider the correct path forward. "Help me," he said abruptly. "Help me see past the guilt, so I can believe and trust in what you see in me."

Kuai Liang didn't say anything for a little while, for long enough that Bi-Han thought maybe he would refuse and try to talk him out of what he was asking for. Before he could tell his bother that it was all right, that he didn't need to worry, that Bi-Han could handle his pain himself, Kuai Liang reached out and gently grasped his wrists. In one swift movement, he positioned Bi-Han across his lap.

Bi-Han closed his eyes as his emotions roiled inside him. Instead of allowing himself to focus on those, on the darkness that threatened to overwhelm him if he let it, he focused on what he was experiencing right now: his position over his brother's lap, with Kuai Liang's thighs supporting him. He focused on his trust and belief in his younger brother that Kuai Liang would be able to help him; on his gratitude that Kuai Liang was willing to try.

Despite the fact he'd all but asked for this, it still caused his stomach to drop slightly when Kuai Liang eased his trousers and underwear down, baring the lower half of his body. It wasn't dread and it wasn't fear. Instead, it was a feeling of surrender. Unlike the first time, when they'd fought until Kuai Liang had forced him to face up to what he'd done and what he'd become, this time it was him choosing to submit to his brother immediately. He let his breath out slowly, trying to relieve the slight fear that lingered below the surface, and put his hands behind his back. He wasn't trying to block the spanking, but he needed his brother to hold onto him. He just hoped Kuai Liang would understand that without him needing to say the words.

His brother didn't say anything, instead just grasping his hands and holding them in a tight, secure grip. Then, his other hand left Bi-Han's body and descended in a firm smack to his bare bottom.

Bi-Han's breath came out in a harsh gasp. Even expecting it, the swat hurt more than he'd expected it to. He reminded himself that he'd asked for this when ice began to form on his arms, and even though it took him a few minutes, he was able to push his ability down below the surface.

If Kuai Liang noticed the ice forming, he didn't say anything. Instead, he continued to swat firmly, covering every inch of Bi-Han's backside from the crest down to mid-thigh before he started over from the top once more. By the time he'd completed two full circuits of swats to Bi-Han's bottom, Bi-Han was shifting slightly and only just managing to bite back the whimper and cries trying to escape his lips.

By the time Kuai Liang paused, the sting had merged into a burn and Bi-Han's shifting had become squirming. Tears were beginning to roll down his cheeks, but they weren't because of the pain of the spanking. Really, even though it hurt, he'd experienced far worse pain in his life. What was affecting him the most, what brought the tears forth, was the emotional pain deep inside. He was fighting his way out of the darkness, but it felt like he was trapped in a constant battle. Only this one wasn't a physical one...it was an emotional battle against the monster he'd already set free once.

Kuai Liang had stopped spanking and now, he rested his hand on Bi-Han's lower back, rubbing gently, as he said quietly, "You're not a monster."

Somehow, the words made the tears flow even faster and the first sob caught in Bi-Han's throat. He didn't have the same faith in himself that Kuai Liang so clearly had...and while his brother's belief humbled him, he didn't feel worthy of it. What else but a monster would kill his own father? What else but a monster would fight his little brother and leave behind scars that would never heal?

"Bi-Han." Kuai Liang's voice was soft, but still caught his attention. "Don't get lost in your own head."

"I am a monster," Bi-Han whispered, his voice hitching. "I did so many things...terrible things. You should never have let me come back into the clan. You should have exiled me."

"Exiling you would have destroyed you just as surely as killing you outright," Kuai Liang disagreed. "And that's not what you deserve, brother. Did you make a mistake? Yes. But that doesn't mean you are beyond hope. It doesn't mean you are beyond redemption." He rubbed Bi-Han's back for a few more moments and then resumed the spanking.

Somehow, the swats hurt even more after the brief pause and Bi-Han's tears fell faster and harder. He squirmed a bit more frantically, then finally slumped over his brother's lap and began to sob hard. With each tear that fell, with each sob that was ripped from his throat, it felt like poison was seeping out of him. Tension drained from his body and finally, he just lay limp over Kuai Liang's lap.

After a few moments where he just lay over Kuai Liang's lap, crying out all of the negative emotions that had tormented him, Bi-Han felt his brother replace his clothing. Kuai Liang then helped him to his feet and hugged him tightly.

Swallowing back his tears and trying to regain some control over his emotions, Bi-Han wrapped his own arms around Kuai Liang and held his brother just as tight in return. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"No more apologies," Kuai Liang said gently. "I've forgiven you, brother. Now it's time for you to forgive yourself."

That command wasn't an easy one to follow, but Bi-Han decided he would try. It wasn't fair to Kuai Liang if he made his brother keep stepping in to help him with his guilt. He wiped at his eyes and finally took a step back, moving out of his brother's embrace. "Thank you," he whispered.

Kuai Liang just nodded, reaching out and placing a hand on Bi-Han's shoulder and squeezing gently. Then, he said quietly, "You're going to need to talk to Tomas. While his anger and hurt is understandable, he cannot let it dictate his actions. Not when we have Earthrealm to defend."

Bi-Han nodded slowly and took a deep breath, wiping at his eyes. Before, he would have known exactly how to deal with Tomas' behaviour and attitude towards him. He still did, but he had to fight the urge to ask Kuai Liang for his advice. He'd never been unsure or uncertain about handling Tomas in the past.

"He'll be in his room." Kuai Liang's voice broke into Bi-Han's thoughts.

"Thank you." Bi-Han brought a tiny amount of ice to his palms, allowing it to melt away into water so that he could wash his face. Giving his brother a grateful nod, he then took a deep breath and slipped out of Kuai Liang's room, closing the door behind him.

It only took a moment or two for him to decide to seek out Tomas. He could decide to wait, to confront his other brother later, but that would only serve to cause the conflicts and tensions between them to grow even more. If he left it too long, it would eventually become a festering wound. His best hope was to deal with it now.

With that thought in mind, Bi-Han walked to Tomas' room. He stood outside and raised his fist, knocking loudly.

After a few moments, the door was pulled open, revealing Tomas on the other side of it. He looked at Bi-Han and frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly. "What do you want?"

Deciding to ignore the outright hostility he could hear in Tomas' voice, Bi-Han asked, "Can I come in? I want to talk to you."

"There's nothing you need to say to me that you can't say out here."

Bi-Han could argue or protest. He could tell Tomas that they'd been in each other's rooms with no problems between them in the past. He could tell Tomas that they needed to solve the conflicts between them for the sake of their clan, and the sake of Earthrealm. More than that, they needed to do it for Kuai Liang's sake. He didn't say any of those things, though. Instead, he simply said, "I'm sorry."

Tomas looked taken aback, but only for a moment, before his face turned expressionless again. "I don't want to hear it." He moved to close the door again.

Immediately, without conscious thought, Bi-Han raised his hand and pressed it against the door, preventing it from closing. "You don't have to forgive me," he said, pushing away the stab of pain that pierced him at that thought. "But we need to deal with this tension between us. For Kuai Liang's sake, if nothing else."

Tomas' frown darkened and he said, "You should be exiled from the clan for what you did."

Hearing his own thoughts echoed from his brother's lips could have made Bi-Han's guilt worse, but when the darkness threatened to overwhelm him, he thought about the way Kuai Liang had stepped in to help with his guilt. He thought about how Kuai Liang had refused to even entertain the thought of exiling him in response to his transgressions. His brother didn't believe Bi-Han's crimes had been bad enough to deserve exile. Perhaps his brother was right and he wasn't completely beyond hope, even if he would always be battling against that dark side of himself. "Kuai Liang doesn't agree with that," he said out loud. "He understands how you feel and how you've been affected, but he's made his decision and it's up to both of us to respect it."

"Are you trying to speak for him now?" Tomas demanded, an ugly look in his eyes.

Bi-Han opened his mouth, but then closed it again as he tried to consider his next move. He could stand here and try and apologise to Tomas again, but his other brother's attitude wasn't acceptable. In the past, it never had been acceptable. And Bi-Han wouldn't have accepted it from Tomas. He couldn't accept it now. Not if he wanted to have any chance of repairing their relationship; of things ever being right between them.

Tomas' eyes widened a fraction in obvious surprise when Bi-Han pushed into his room, nudging the door closed behind him with a foot. "You can't be in here!" he protested.

"I know you're angry with me," Bi-Han said. "And I understand why. But our clan is already conflicted. If we cannot resolve our differences, all we'll do is tear the clan further apart. I can keep on apologising, but that isn't going to repair things between us. And it's not going to fix your attitude towards me." He advanced on Tomas.

Tomas took a step back and raised his hands in front of him, dropping into a fighting stance. "Don't come any closer," he warned.

Instead of moving closer, Bi-Han summoned up his ice powers. He watched as ice formed around Tomas' ankles, snaking up his legs to encase them fully up to his knees.

A look of panic came over Tomas' face and he slowly lowered his hands. "Bi-Han?" An uncertain, not quite fearful note crept into his voice.

Bi-Han stepped closer to Tomas and reached out, grasping his shoulder. "If you use your powers against me, I'll encase your hands in ice too," he warned. Without giving Tomas a chance to respond, he stepped round behind the other man and pushed against his back, forcing him to bend at the waist. He then raised his hand, smacking it firmly against Tomas' backside.

His younger brother yelped and immediately threw a hand back to try and protect his backside. "Stop!" It was probably meant to be an order, but his breath hitched and it sounded more like a plea.

Ignoring the protest, Bi-Han merely pulled Tomas' hand out of the way, holding it against his back, as he settled into a series of smacks, swatting firmly.

After only a few smacks, the sound of tears reached Bi-Han's ears. He wasn't surprised, to be honest. Tomas had clearly been affected by what had happened between them...by everything that had happened. Just like lancing a wound to drain it of poison, Bi-Han hoped his actions now would drain his younger brother of the darkness caused by the negative emotions Bi-Han's actions had triggered in him.

After a few moments of delivering firm smacks to Tomas' bottom, enough to make his own palm sting, Bi-Han paused and adjusted his grip on his brother slightly. "You don't need to accept my apology, Tomas," he reiterated. "You don't need to forgive me. But you need to let go of this darkness inside you. If you don't, it will rise up and destroy you. It will destroy everything that makes you a good person, and you will go down a path you cannot return from."

"How do you know?!" Tomas demanded, his voice raw.

"I've experienced that same darkness you have," Bi-Han said. "I know what it feels like to battle against it; to try to rise above the emotional turmoil that you're experiencing. I fell once already," he admitted quietly. "I fell, but Kuai Liang was able to pull me back to myself. He gave me what I needed to come back. I know you haven't fallen, I know you haven't let the darkness consume you, but I can still help you. If you're willing to let me step in and be your brother again," he whispered.

Whether it was the words, the helplessness of his position, or the spanking itself, Bi-Han didn't know...but the tension seeped out of Tomas and his body slumped slightly as he began to cry more audibly.

Bi-Han shifted, moving so that he could wrap his arms around Tomas, melting the ice so that his brother could stand. He was more relieved than he could put into words when Tomas didn't pull away or try to fight him, instead twisting round so that he could hold onto Bi-Han tightly.

The spanking hadn't been nearly as severe as Bi-Han could have given out. He knew that the reason why Tomas was crying so hard was because of the emotional turmoil he was feeling. He didn't try to speak. He didn't try to stop Tomas from crying. He just held his younger brother through the storm of his weeping, relieved that he wasn't being rejected or pushed away.

Finally, eventually, Tomas' tears slowed to quiet sniffles, although he still held tightly...almost fiercely...to Bi-Han. He pressed his face into Bi-Han's shoulder and whispered damply, "I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to apologise," Bi-Han whispered back. "I understand why you were so angry and so hurt. But you can't let it affect you the way it has been. Kuai Liang needs our support. He needs us to be united, not fighting each other."

Tomas nodded slightly and took a deep breath before stepping back, raising his hands to rub his tears away. "Okay," he whispered, letting his breath out slowly. "After everything, even after all you did...you're still my brother. I'll let you back in." The last words were uttered in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Thank you." Bi-Han felt some tension seep out of his own body and he reached out, placing a hand on Tomas' shoulder and squeezing gently before suggesting, "Shall we go and speak to Kuai Liang, so we can help him decide what the next move of the clan should be?" At Tomas' nod of agreement, he began to guide his brother from the room, so they could go and speak to Kuai Liang.

The End