They Save The Truth For A Rainy Day

“Alright, easy,” he cooed, stroking Kuai Liang’s back like it would soothe him. Despite the fact he shook with his sobs, the straps tying him securely to the table kept him mostly still. “I just need to give you this new medication, and then it’ll be over, okay?”

He pressed on the plunger, watching the purple liquid slowly disappear as he forced it into Kuai’s veins. Kuai made some hurt noises, but he always tended to, even when he was completely consumed by the virus. The whimpers were heartbreaking enough that Tsung knew a lesser scientist would have stopped for fear of breaking some moral code of conduct.

Shang Tsung had a job to do however, and it was one he was determined to see all the way through.

“There, there, it’s over,” he whispered as the last of the liquid was emptied into the man. He pulled the needle out, gently rubbing the area as if to soothe it. “There we go. That’s a good boy.”

He placed the needle to one side, before reaching to undo the straps. Feeling himself being freed, Kuai Liang pushed himself onto his side, rather than on his stomach, and curled up into the fetal position. His eyes were closed, but still there were tears in the corners of them, clinging to his eyelashes. The leather and metal mesh of the muzzle on Kuai’s face looked wet too.

“Oh, darling, don’t be like that,” Tsung sighed, reaching a hand to brush some of Kuai’s hair from his face. It had grown so much since Kuai had come here, and Tsung supposed maybe he should cut it, but he couldn’t help but find it suited the other man. “You know this is all for your own good, right?”

Kuai’s eyes fluttered open, and two milky white eyes stared up at Tsung. It was the one part of Kuai’s physical appearance he hadn’t yet found a way to reverse. He’d managed to return Kuai’s skin tone to its natural bronze, rather than the strange sickly almost green tone it had been previously. He’d even managed to get a rather horrific gash over his one eye to actually heal. But the eyes seemed to be stubborn and wanted to stay.

Well. The eyes and the insatiable hunger for human flesh.

Tsung supposed he should have felt proud. He’d come far further in finding a cure for the infection than anyone else. He’d not only managed to return Kuai to a more human-like appearance, but he’d also managed to bring back his consciousness. The infection turned people into mindless zombies, whose only purpose was devouring any human within their path. But Tsung had managed to get Kuai to a point where they could hold actual conversations.

Granted, Tsung was only so far ahead in his research because he was practically the only person looking for a cure. Every other scientist was banding together to create vaccines, to protect the uninfected. Tsung had been thrown aside for wanting to find a cure instead, told he would be creating unnecessary suffering in his attempts. But then Bi-Han had brought Kuai Liang to his laboratory, begging for Tsung to find a way to save him from the illness.

And oh, how could Shang Tsung ever say no to potentially being the saviour of humanity?

“H-Hurts,” Kuai whispered through his tears and sobs. His hand reached weakly for Tsung’s shirt. “I-It hurts, Doctor Shang.”

“I know,” he whispered sympathetically. He wasn’t a complete monster, despite what his scientific peers thought of him. He tried to keep Kuai Liang as comfortable as he could. “Shh, I’ll give you some painkillers, and then I’ll get you something to eat, okay?”

He was starting to run out of corpses to feed his subject. He’d have to get in contact with Kano to bring him some more. For as much of an oaf as he was, Kano was very good at providing fresh bodies. Shang Tsung tried not to think too hard about how he was getting them.

“I- I want Bi-Han,” Kuai cried, pulling on Tsung’s clothing slightly. “Please. I want to see my- my brother.”

Shang Tsung had mostly tried to keep Bi-Han away since he’d taken Kuai in, although offering him progress reports of course. He worried that letting Bi-Han actually see too much of Kuai would make the other regret his actions and attempt to take Kuai Liang away. Tsung needed to finish his research.

“I will see what I can do,” he lied. He always lied about this. Telling Kuai what he wanted to hear initially, but then later pretending that Bi-Han was busy and couldn’t make it. Whatever it took to keep Kuai calm, really. “But first, painkillers and food.”

Kuai Liang stared at him, but eventually let go of his shirt, letting out a defeated “okay.”

“Good boy.” Shang Tsung reached for Kuai Liang’s arms and helped to sit him up. “Let’s go.”

He got Kuai up onto his feet, feeling a strange satisfaction as Kuai pushed himself close. He wrapped an arm around the other man's waist, guiding him across the lab. Soon, he’d make Kuai see that all of the pain was worth it. When they both revealed to the world that the infection was curable.

And Shang Tsung’s name would go down in history.

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