[AUTHOR’S NOTE: Aftermath is a DLC continuation of the Story Mode
of Mortal Kombat 11. It takes place directly following the
final battle between Liu Kang and Kronika, with the Neutral
Ending as the beginning point.]
The scene opens at the Dawn of Time. From afar, we see an
outstretch of rock, and on that rock is the Hourglass of Time.
As the camera zooms in, we see two figures in front of the
hourglass. One is the Fire God Liu Kang, who has just knocked
the other – Kronika, the Keeper of Time – to her knees.
As Kronika rises, Liu Kang charges up a fireball and blasts her
straight in the chest. He shoots three more, each striking the
helpless Kronika, before charging up a final blasts that shoots
out from his hands like a flamethrower. The blast engulfs Kronika
entirely, and when it ends we see that her entire body has molded
into what looks like molten organic glass.
Liu Kang approaches the now crystalline form of Kronika. He chops
her outstretched hand, shattering her arm to the elbow, then
repeats the motion with her other arm, shattering that too.
Growling in fury, he roundhouse kicks her across the face,
and her entire head explodes into pieces. He then contemptuously
pushes down what remains of her body, letting it break apart
completely upon impacting with the ground.
With the Titan of Time lying dead at his feet, Liu Kang closes
his eyes, trying to find focus again…
RAIDEN: Our work is finished, Liu Kang.
Liu Kang opens his eyes and looks around. Behind him stands
Raiden…but something is different. Raiden’s attire is the same
from before, but his voice no longer reverberates with power.
LIU KANG: Lord Raiden.
Raiden looks up at him. There is no electric blue glow in his
eyes. His pupils are brown and look entirely human.
RAIDEN: I am merely Raiden, now. You have proven worthy to take my
place as the new Protector of Earthrealm, once it is restored.
LIU KANG: You honour me, Raiden.
Liu Kang clasps his hands and bows.
RAIDEN: The honour is mine, Lord Liu Kang. The sands of time are
yours to shape. It falls upon you to architect a new history.
LIU KANG: The fate of all realms… in my hands? Raiden, I cannot
do this alone.
RAIDEN: I shall advise you for as long as my mortality allows. But
have no doubt, you are up to the task.
LIU KANG: Then together, let us begin.
As Liu Kang turns to the hourglass, the title of the DLC appears
across the sky for a few moments, before fading out:
“MORTAL KOMBAT 11
AFTERMATH”
As the new God of Fire and Thunder begins to motion with his
hands, the sands inside the hourglass begin to shift, while
turquoise time magic reverberates off both. However, that’s
not all that happens – the hourglass itself begins to crack
across its glass surface. Liu Kang seems a little perplexed
by this, but still continues to manipulate the sands within.
Suddenly, a fiery portal opens to his right and a voice
shouts from within:
UNSEEN: Cease, Liu Kang, before you doom us all!
Kang looks to the portal. Three figures step through,
concealed in shadow at first through the brightness of the
portal, but as they step closer the figures become recognisable.
The leftmost is Fujin, God of Wind and brother of Raiden.
The rightmost is Nightwolf, formerly Grey Cloud, of the Makota
tribe.
And the man in the center is aged, with a long flowing beard
and grey hair, but he is none other than Liu Kang’s old enemy…
Shang Tsung.
Raiden steps in front of Liu Kang, his now mortal eyes widening
in shock.
RAIDEN: Shang Tsung?!
LIU KANG: Nightwolf? Fujin?! What are you–
SHANG: Cease your magic, before the hourglass shatters.
RAIDEN: Even here, at the dawn of time, you spew lies and deceit.
We will not hear it!
SHANG: In defeating Kronika, you destroyed her crown. Without it,
you can’t restart history. The hourglass will shatter. All realms
will be lost.
Raiden looks to Fujin.
RAIDEN: Fujin, is this true?
FUJIN: Kronika’s every action was taken to ensure her crown’s
preparation. She would not dare to restart history without it.
Behind them, Liu Kang stops manipulating the sands, causing
the magic to fizzle out. He turns to the new arrivals.
LIU KANG: How do you know this?
NIGHTWOLF: Kronika came to each of us. For our help, she offered
places in her New Era. For refusing her, we were banished to a
void beyond time.
FUJIN: We could observe the events leading up to your siege of the
Keep, but we were powerless to intervene.
SHANG: But then you killed Kronika. The void’s seal was broken
open, permitting our escape via the hourglass.
LIU KANG: If you know so much about the hourglass, how do you
propose I reset the timeline?
SHANG: With the crown.
Liu Kang and Raiden exchange looks with each other.
LIU KANG: The crown is destroyed.
SHANG: Only in our present. Not in our past.
LIU KANG: And while I cannot restart history without the crown…
SHANG: You can send travelers back into the current timeline.
Raiden folds his arms, looking unconvinced, while Shang Tsung
slowly clasps his hands together.
LIU KANG: I see… I must return to the moment before Kronika’s
defeat, end that battle differently, so that her crown remains
intact.
Tsung waves a hand in the air, seemingly dismissing the thought.
He turns away from the group as he walks, gathering his
scheming thoughts.
SHANG: That leaves too much to chance. Kronika must never possess
the crown. Otherwise you cannot guarantee victory.
Liu Kang walks toward Tsung, facing him directly.
LIU KANG: What do you propose, sorcerer?
Tsung starts to walk around the group again.
SHANG: That you send me into the past to steal the crown from
my island before Kronika sends Cetrion to claim it. I’ll then
deliver it to Lord Raiden and together we’ll defeat Kronika. With
the crown and hourglass under our control, we can restart history
safely.
Raiden snorts in contempt.
RAIDEN: Why are we listening to this snake?
SHANG: Because I am a snake who’s toiled beside Kronika, learning
her secrets. I know them. Do you?
He ends his sentence with an arrogant smirk. Liu Kang raises a
hand toward Raiden before he can do anything about it.
LIU KANG: He has a point, Raiden.
Kang looks over to Fujin.
LIU KANG: Fujin, a word?
Both of them walk away from the group, far enough that they can’t
be heard by the others. Raiden and Shang Tsung remain face to
face, with Nightwolf looking over at Liu Kang and Fujin.
RAIDEN: How is it you conspire against Kronika? Did her promises
of grandeur not suit you?
SHANG: She wanted me to be her pawn, not her partner. She sculpted
my entire existence to serve her, to collect souls for her crown.
When my purpose was served, she betrayed me, casting me into the
void.
RAIDEN: Your grievance does not fool me, Shang Tsung.
SHANG: Then trust that we have a shared interest in breaking
Kronika’s stranglehold on our destinies.
RAIDEN: Inevitably, our interests will diverge.
SHANG: This alliance is temporary. Have no illusions otherwise.
As they speak, Liu Kang and Fujin walk back towards them, still
in conversation.
LIU KANG: I understand your misgivings, but it is the only way.
Fujin holds his arms up in protest and stops for a moment.
FUJIN: But the risk, Liu Kang–
LIU KANG: –will be rewarded.
Fujin lowers his arms and closes his eyes, seemingly conflicted.
LIU KANG: Say nothing to Nightwolf.
He puts a hand on Fujin’s shoulder. Fujin nods in response, and
they rejoin the others.
LIU KANG: We will proceed with your plan, Shang Tsung. I must
stay behind, to operate the hourglass, but Nightwolf and Fujin
will go with you, to supervise.
SHANG: I welcome the assistance.
Insincerity drips off every word he speaks.
RAIDEN: I will join you.
LIU KANG: No, Raiden. I need your counsel here. Have faith in
Fujin and Nightwolf.
Raiden walks toward Fujin.
RAIDEN: If I have faith in anyone, it is you, brother.
He places a hand on Fujin’s shoulder, who returns the gesture with
a smile. Liu Kang walks toward the hourglass.
LIU KANG: I will try to send you back to the time merger.
His arms light up with fire as his tatoos glow with blue.
LIU KANG: You should have enough time to claim the crown before
Cetrion delivers it to Kronika.
NIGHTWOLF: Your confidence is inspiring.
Like Shang Tsung before him, his tone is laced with sarcasm.
Everyone looks at him for a moment.
LIU KANG: As the Keeper of Time, I am still a novice, Nightwolf.
Kang looks back to the hourglass.
NIGHTWOLF: May the Great Spirit protect us.
Liu Kang once again starts to magically manipulate the sands in
the hourglass. A massive sandstorm rises from it and obscures
our view of events.
The scene cuts to a wide shot of the Outworld Koliseum. The
influence of Kotal Kahn is evident, from the Osh-Tekk design
of the buildings to the large statues of Kotal himself on
opposite sides of the superstructure.
We cut to the inside of the Koliseum, and admist the raucous
cheering of the crowd, we see Kotal Kahn…imprisoned in the
center of the stadium in a stock. He struggles within it, but
cannot even move a muscle. Shao Kahn stands next to him (with
Kollector slightly behind), addressing the crowd.
SHAO KAHN: You’ve suffered too long at this pretender’s hands. But
I’ve returned, and I will save you from his madness!
The crowd – only caring about seeing a good show – cheers his
words. Shao Kahn magically summons his warhammer into his hands.
SHAO KAHN: Only I can rebuild the empire. All realms will tremble
before me! Outworld will again be conquerors, never the conquered!
The crowd begins to chant Shao Kahn’s name, increasing in
intensity. He roars in triumph as they cheer in excitement. Shao
walks over to Kotal, preparing his warhammer to crush Kotal’s
head into paste. But before he can properly begin his swing, a
loud banging resounds throughout the Koliseum.
Shao Kahn’s soldiers walk over to the main doors of the stadium.
Though they are barred, the doors vibrate as the banging
continues. The soldiers draw their weapons as the bars on the
doors begin to splint and break. Finally, we see the other side
of the doors; six Outworld soldiers hold a battering ram and
slam it into the door, breaking it open.
Behind them, numerous other soldiers, Tarkatans and Shokan – as
well as Kitana, Jade, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Sheeva, Baraka and even
the older Erron Black – raise their hands and cheer. Taken aback,
Shao Kahn’s soldiers back up as the new arrivals stride into the
Koliseum. The crowd also falls into a shocked silence as Kitana
faces down her adopted father.
SHAO KAHN: Where’s this boldness been hiding, Kitana? Had you
shown it before, I’d have had no need for Mileena.
Kitana slowly walks toward him.
KITANA: My ‘sister’ was an unholy monster. Exactly like you,
‘father’.
As soon as she is within striking range, Kitana pulls out her
bladed fans and lunges at Shao Kahn, who backpedals just in time
to avoid being vertically sliced down his chest. He dodges
several more swipes and parries one with his warhammer, swinging
it back at her. Kitana dodges two of his strikes, then attacks him
again with the fans, forcing him to parry them.
The rest of the soldiers have now started fighting. In the midst
of this, a tornado of sand appears in the middle of the arena,
depositing Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf.