Chapter Text
It was a rough sight. Cole Young was beaten over and over until the referee called his opponent the winner after he tapped out. The sight reminded them of training back at home, the repetitive sounds of punches and the dull scent of sweat and blood.
Nevertheless, the two girls remained silent and out of his view. They worked in tandem, Leiyin shifting the air around them to mess up any technology, and Meilin had created a thin veil of ice around them. The twins dressed similarly, in dark clothes with hoods pulled over their heads. Information missions were always the same: the fewer people who saw them, the less likely they were to be questioned. The crowd's cheers drowned out the girls' thoughts as hit after hit was thrown between the two men. Cole Young had some promise; he knew how to fight, but not how to hold his defense.
"Nǐ quèdìng jiùshì zhège ma?" Leiyin mumbled beside her sister, their eyes trained on the same person.
Are you sure this is the one?
“Shì de, léidiàn dàrén yǐ míngquè biǎoshì——tā jíjiāng dǐdá." Meilin replied.
Yes, Lord Raiden was clear. He is to arrive soon.
Leiyin didn’t bother with a response, her eyes following another man of interest who had entered. He walked past them without a second glance, the sound of his dog tags clanking together following him, and the twins took that as their sign to leave, slipping out the back door into the alleyway.
Meilin tapped her pendant twice as Leiyin stepped closer to her before a bolt of lightning struck them, and they disappeared. The Shaolin Temple courtyard appeared in front of them, and the back of Liu Kang’s head was in front of them; the older man was most likely meditating.
“And where were the two of you?” His voice rang out in the silence, though he did not turn to face them.
Meilin replied almost on instinct. Both girls felt as though they had been caught sneaking out like the teenagers they saw on TV.
“Lord Raiden sent us out; we were not seen Ba-“ Meilin cut herself off before she could properly utter the word. The two girls stiffened at the slip of tongue, waiting for the negative reaction, but it never came. Liu Kang hummed in response but didn’t question her. He was a man of few words.
“He left not long ago, but I am sure he will return soon.” He replied, and both girls nodded even if he couldn’t see them. Knowing it was best to leave the man to meditate in peace, the two took their leave.
The Shaolin Temple in this timeline was much like their own; the same tan stones and rough paths filled the building. The only positive difference is that they were seen as warriors here and not just the daughters of champions. It was freeing not having the other warriors hold back during training.
“For someone who wants to keep our identity a secret, you almost call them Baba quite often.” Leiyin had only begun to tease her sister when they got far enough, disappearing through the twisty halls of the Temple.
“It’s disrespectful to address them by their names; they’re still our parents,” Meilin replied, the two making their way into their semi-permanent rooms. When they had arrived at the Temple merely months earlier, the monks had been kind enough to allow them to stay in an empty room. Used to sharing everything in life, the twins had no qualms about sharing a room once more.
“But they don’t know that. We could, like, totally talk back to them and not get in trouble.” Leiyin, for one, was going to take this opportunity to do things they would normally have to get permission for.
“That’s a terrible idea, and you know it.” The two girls worked in tandem, changing into more comfortable lounge clothes and taking turns braiding each other’s hair. They both settled into their separate beds in comfortable silence, Meilin picking up a book and Leiyin fiddling with her hair.
“I miss them.” Leiyin was the one who broke the silence first, still staring down at her hair. “You don’t braid like Baba.” It was a routine started when they were young, only little girls, when Liu Kang would settle them down for bed and take time to brush and braid their hair. It was something so simple, yet they missed it so badly that they tried to replicate it themselves, with no success.
“We will return to them soon. I know it.” Meilin didn’t look up from her book as she spoke, but her hesitation was clear nonetheless. Leiyin eyed her sister, noticing the shift in her sister's voice but choosing not to comment. They were sent here for a reason, even if they didn’t know what it was yet. The universe always acted in ways unknown, sometimes a blessing, sometimes a curse.