#kombatember

“Kung Lao.” He skids to a halt, practically crumpling to his knees as his hands slide through wet hair and slick red to shakily cradle his head in his lap. “Oh, by Shinnok’s mercy, no.”

There’s a line, cleaved cleanly across the flesh of his throat, parting his trachea open like a fish’s dead maw. Kung Lao himself is staring straight up, his eyes bright green and manic as they flick across the sky, but when Raiden comes into view, his gaze locks onto him, a gurgling, wet, cough bubbling up past his lips as one hand lifts weakly off the ground to reach for him. Raiden quickly takes it in a vice, thumb running gently over the back of his hand.

“It will be alright,” he says, hoping his words are audible over the clashing sounds of kombat all around them. “When we are victorious, Master Quan Chi will revive you with the Netherrealm’s fire.”

Kung Lao blinks, jerking slightly as he chokes again. Raiden feels the hope in his heart falter.

“Lao,” he hisses, “you cannot leave me yet.”

He is not meant to. It is not their time. By the great orders of Shang Tsung himself, they are meant to be young harbingers in a new wave of conquest. They are creations, born to carry the legacies of their faithful forefathers, born to serve, and serve together.

But now…

Raiden curls over Kung Lao, pressing his limp hand to his cheek as something foreign and inhuman rises in his throat.

They were not meant to get attached, he knows that. The ranks of great darkness are not built for love, and yet… they found it. In the long years of training, and the feasts of endless victory. Fleeting and hidden and visceral and awful. Two mutants of hell’s belly forged to fight at each other’s side and finding commonplace in the steady rot of their hearts.

“Lao…” Raiden whimpers, pulling him closer. He feels fingers twitch against his cheek, another wet, popping, gurgle sounding out before they ever so weakly slide in to cup the side of his head. Raiden makes a pained sound.

“We will not surrender,” he says roughly. “I promise you that.”

He pulls away with a breath to meet Kung Lao’s eyes a final time, dull green blinking slowly as Raiden’s face tenses in anger.

“I will not surrender until their blood runs endless at my feet.”