Kung Lao and Liu Kang make their way to the Tower. No one is present.
KUNG LAO: I hope your girlfriend is worth Lord Raiden’s anger, Liu Kang.
LIU KANG: Notice that I am ignoring you.
They look around the Tower, but still find no one.
KUNG LAO: Hmm… They must have relocated Kitana.
Just then, Sheeva opens the door to the Tower on one side. On the other side, a ninja who looks like a dark wraith opens them on the other side.
NOOB: We have indeed. We knew someone would come for her.
Liu Kang and Kung Lao nod to each other. While Kang begins fighting with Sheeva, Kung Lao faces down Noob Saibot.
NOOB: May you join her in death!
They fight. The wraith is unlike anything Kung Lao has faced before, with his ability to conjure both dark magic and shadow clones of himself to fight with. Nonetheless, Kung Lao’s fighting ability and mastery of the Shaolin arts sees him through the fight, and eventually he leaves the wraith down on the floor.
KUNG LAO: Be thankful I choose not to spill your tainted blood.
As Noob struggles to remain conscious, Kung Lao notices something about him.
KUNG LAO: Who are you? There is something familiar…
Behind him, Lao notices Liu Kang is still fighting Sheeva.
KUNG LAO: Do you need help? Four arms against two is hardly a fair fight.
GORO: Liu Kang?!
Kung Lao turns around to see Goro. The Shokan roars and gets into a fighting stance.
KUNG LAO: You have had your match against Liu Kang. Now you will face me!
They fight. Goro proves just as much of a challenge to Kung Lao as he was to Liu Kang, but the Shokan’s overconfidence allows Kung Lao an edge that Liu Kang didn’t have. After a fierce battle, the Shaolin monk eventually defeats the former champion of Mortal Kombat.
KUNG LAO: Now, if you have any honour left… you will tell us where Kitana is!
By now, Liu Kang has defeated Sheeva and is also standing over Goro.
GORO: She has been taken to the Coliseum, where she has no doubt been executed.
LIU KANG: You lie!
He stomps on Goro’s face, knocking him out.
KUNG LAO: She may let live. Let us go.
They leave the Tower. Back at the Coliseum, Ermac punches Johnny Cage across the face twice. Johnny tries a kick, but Ermac grabs his leg and smashes his elbow onto Johnny’s knee, dislocating it. Ermac lays him out with a palm strike, leaving him writhing in pain on the ground.
SHANG TSUNG: Ermac wins!
Liu Kang and Kung Lao return. They spot Kitana chained up next to Shao Kahn’s throne.
KUNG LAO: There’s Kitana.
LIU KANG: I must free her!
Raiden notices their appearance and runs after them.
RAIDEN: Not now! Smoke and Johnny Cage have been defeated, and I no longer sense Jackson Briggs’ or Sonya Blade’s presence in Outworld. Despite my doubts as to whether you are Earthrealm’s saviour, you must fight!
LIU KANG: But I am not “He Who Must Win”.
Liu Kang walks over to where Kitana is, ignoring everyone else. The Tarkatans surrounding her put up fighting stances, but Shao Kahn watches him pass dismissively.
SHAO KAHN: Raiden! Put forth a worthy champion… if you can.
Kung Lao begins to step forward, but hesitates. He looks to the Thunder God, who considers the implication.
RAIDEN: Perhaps you are meant to be the victor.
Smiling, Kung Lao steps forward.
SHAO KAHN: You will face Shang Tsung.
Tsung smiles while clenching his fist.
SHAO KAHN: And Quan Chi.
It is now Quan Chi’s turn to smile. Shang Tsung is less than happy with this turn of events, but goes along with Quan Chi to face Kung Lao.
QUAN CHI: No Earthrealm boy can stop this Deadly Alliance.
SHANG TSUNG: On that we agree.
They fight. Fighting one sorcerer alone would be a challenge, let alone both of them at once, but it is a challenge Kung Lao more than steps up to. Using all of the fighting skill at his disposal, he puts up an amazing battle and, against all the odds, emerges victorious against the two sorcerers.
KUNG LAO: It is done!
SHANG TSUNG: No, Kung Lao. Not nearly so.
Quan Chi and Shang Tsung pick themselves up and walk back to Shao Kahn’s throne. The gates to one side of the Coliseum open to reveal a gigantic Shokan – or more accurately, a tiger Shokan. As the crowd cheer the beast’s appearence, he roars out loud and faces Kung Lao.
KINTARO: I will eat your heart!
They fight. The tiger Shokan proves to be the most intense fight of Kung Lao’s life. It takes everything the Shaolin monk has left in him to remain in the battle, but he eventually manages to fight his way through Kintaro’s defenses and take the melee to him. Finally, the mighty Kintaro falls to Kung Lao’s onslaught and is left unconscious on the floor.
Laughing in victory, Kung Lao parades to the booing crowd, bowing in mockery and waving his hat at them. He then turns to the Thunder God.
KUNG LAO: You see, Raiden? Earthrealm is fre
He never finishes the sentence, as Shao Kahn grabs him from behind and snaps his neck like a twig. The crowd burst into cheers as Kung Lao falls dead.
RAIDEN: Kung Lao!
Liu Kang, who’s knocked out the Tarkatan guards and is in the process of freeing Kitana, watches the whole thing happen.
LIU KANG: NO!!
As Kahn basks in the crowd’s cheers, Raiden charges up a lightning blast.
RAIDEN: I will strip the flesh from your bones!
Roaring in fury, Liu Kang tackles Shao Kahn from behind. They wrestle on the ground, forcing Raiden to cancel his attack. Kahn quickly kicks Kang off him and they both pick themselves up, Kahn laughing as he does so.
SHAO KAHN: Witless boy. Do you know who I am?
LIU KANG: The murderer of my friend!
SHAO KAHN: I am Shao Kahn! Konquerer of Worlds! You will taste no victory.
LIU KANG: You will taste your own blood!
They fight. Shao Kahn is every bit the mighty warrior he claims to be, with control of both dark magic and superhuman strength at his disposal. But Liu Kang, fuelled with vengeance at seeing his friend die, takes it to the emperor and dishes out an absolutely brutal beating. Finally, after an epic battle, Kahn is knocked to the floor.
LIU KANG: On your feet!
As Kahn struggles to his feet, barely conscious, Liu Kang raises his fist, which lights up with his signature fire.
LIU KANG: For Kung Lao, the Shaolin and Earthrealm!
In slow motion, Kang charges forward and punches Shao Kahn straight in the chest, his fist bursting through the other side of Kahn’s body. He withdraws his fist and Kahn falls to his knees, coughing up blood. With a final gurgle, he falls forward, unmoving. The arena is completely silent.
SHANG TSUNG: I cannot believe… Earthrealm has won.
As with Liu Kang’s victory before, a light from the heavens shines down on him, the Elder Gods noting his victory in the new tournament.
RAIDEN: The Elder Gods have spoken. Earthrealm is free of Shao Kahn forever.
With a flick of his head, Tsung motions to two Tarkatan guards. They pick up Kahn’s body and walk off. All of Kahn’s minions follow, save Kitana. Kitana walks up to Liu Kang’s side. They look briefly at each other, but say nothing as they both lay eyes on Kung Lao’s body and walk over to it.
RAIDEN: But the price of victory was almost too steep to pay. Kung Lao’s death is my fault. I encouraged him. Our triumph was not meant to be achieved in this way. I see now. “He must win” refers to you. But to prevent Armageddon, you needed to defeat Shao Kahn, not Shang Tsung.
Raiden takes his amulet off his chest and looks at it once more. More cracks adorn it.
RAIDEN: It cannot be! Shao Kahn is dead! Yet the future remains unchanged!
Liu Kang looks up in confused anger at Raiden, which goes unnoticed by the Thunder God.
Back in Shao Kahn’s throne room, all of his lieutenants (Baraka, Goro, Mileena, Sheeva, Ermac, Sektor, Cyrax, Shang Tsung and the centaur Motaro) are discussing what to do next.
GORO: Shao Kahn is finished.
BARAKA: Mileena is his heir. She should rule.
SHANG TSUNG: Mileena? She exists only because of my sorcery.
SHAO KAHN: And you breathe because I restrain mine.
The lieutenants turn around. Shao Kahn is indeed alive and walking toward them, albeit shakily and with a hand on his former chest wound, with Quan Chi by his side.
SHANG TSUNG: Emperor!
MOTARO: You live!
Everyone except Tsung bows before him.
SHAO KAHN: I am not so easily killed. Quan Chi accelerated my recovery.
SHANG TSUNG: Emperor, I
SHAO KAHN: Not. One. Word. Because of you, Outworld can no longer merge with Earthrealm!
QUAN CHI: There may yet be an alternative, Emperor. Invasion.
SHANG TSUNG: Uh Invasion?!
Shao Kahn holds his hand up. Tsung immediately shuts up.
SHAO KAHN: Do you mock me? Sindel’s Ward prevents me from setting foot in Earthrealm.
QUAN CHI: Have you considered why your wife and empress chose to betray you in this particular fashion?
SHAO KAHN: Of course. But even after millenia, her motives are a mystery.
QUAN CHI: She realised that the safeguards afforded by the Elder Gods through Mortal Kombat are but fiction. She sacrificed herself to give Earthrealm protection the Elder Gods could not. So Earthrealm could not suffer as had Edenia.
SHAO KAHN: Indeed.
The scene cuts to a desert wasteland in Earthrealm. Quan Chi and Noob Saibot are standing before a green swirling of magic.
QUAN CHI: I have mastered the spells necessary for her resurrection. Her ward will be nullified. And with it the barrier that prevents your entry into Earthrealm.
From the magical swirl, a skeletal hand raises itself from the ground.
QUAN CHI: I will return her to you, of course.
Another skeletal hand joins it.
QUAN CHI: You will find her much more… cooperative.
SHAO KAHN: This is a very magnanimous offer.
QUAN CHI: I wish only to serve, Emperor.
The rest of the skeleton pulls itself from the sand.
SHAO KAHN: I am weary of sorcerers, Quan Chi. Prove your worth. Bring her to me.
Quan Chi rolls the skeleton over with his magic and begins reproducing
it’s former muscle mass, blood, organs and skin. The skeleton screams out loud as the process completes itself. Noob readies himself in a combat stance as Quan Chi approaches the form. Finally, the newly resurrected woman – Queen Sindel – sits upright. Her pupils are glazed over with white, and there’s not a stitch of clothing on her (although the camera doesn’t view her from her cleavage down).
QUAN CHI: Sindel.
SINDEL: Quan Chi?
QUAN CHI: Shao Kahn looks forward to your return.
SINDEL: The emperor! Yesss.
Quan Chi motions to Noob, who lets his guard down.
SINDEL: What of Kitana?
QUAN CHI: Kitana now allies herself with Earthrealm.
SINDEL: Then she is no longer my daughter. Take me to Shao Kahn.
QUAN CHI: Yes, Empress.
He stands up.
QUAN CHI: (to Noob) The invasion of Earthrealm can now begin.
The camera cuts to a black screen. A loud cry of “Incoming!” is heard as explosions go off. Briefly, the sound cuts to white noise, then as it returns to normal, it brings with it the sight of a devastated New York City.