When night fell, Batman and Sonya began to plot on how they were going to find Jax. Nightwing came to their room a while after, and brought Johnny Cage with him. Nightwing was filled in on the plan while Johnny supplied Batman with some changing clothes seeing that his costume was shredded and torn. Johnny gave him his spare tuxedo while he put on his blue striped, black spandex. Batman put on the blue suit and placed his utility belt back on. Batman created a map of the areas he and Sonya explored. As they were going over their plans, two guards approached the door way. Batman quickly put away the map and they acted as if everything was normal.
"Shang Tsung wishes to see Johnny Cage and the one called Bat-man," one of the guards stated.
Batman and Johnny Cage looked at one another. As Johnny Cage was exiting first, Batman leaned over to Sonya to whisper her something.
"Here is the map if you and Nightwing decide to carry out the plan without me," he said slipping the piece of paper to her knowing she would not wait for him to return with it, " Be safe and stick together."
Batman exited the room behind Johnny Cage. The guards took them to a wooded area, deep in the woods where six other combatants where standing with Shang Tsung. The area was cool and moist, with the moon shinning light through the trees. Batman didn't understand what was going on as Shang had previously said that everyone was dismissed. The guards guided the two over to where everyone else was standing and stood bye for orders. Shang Tsung signaled for everyone's attention.
"Earlier I stated that the tournament would be postpone, but something that was called to my attention was of minor detail. I have selected you all to continue were we left off."
"What about the ones who already fought, I thought we were suppose to be getting a free pass or something?" Johnny Cage asked.
"What I say can always change Mr. Cage," Shang Tsung replied with an evil smile, "And sense you are of much concern about how I run my tournament, I think you will go first."
Johnny Cage shrugged his shoulders as if to say whatever. Defeating Baraka had given him a lot of confidence and he was ready for anything Shang could throw at him. He stepped forward and waited for Shang Tsung to call his opponent. Shang called on one of his guards who was standing among the eight who were called to fight. Johnny Cage quickly whipped him up, down, side to side, and all around. He ended the fight with an upward flip kick that put the guard on his back.
"Oh and by the way, I spare his life," Johnny Cage said with a smile.
For some reason Shang Tsung was reacting differently to these words as he previously would. He grinned evilly at Johnny Cage and began to run his fingers through his snow white beard. He took his eyes off Johnny Cage and down towards the guard. He reached his hands out and they began to glow green. Shang Tsung's eyes did the same as he smiled maliciously. The guard suddenly began to toss and turn on the ground. He was scratching violently at his chest and pleading to Shang Tsung. Shang ignored his cry for mercy, and snatched his very soul from his body. The guard laid on the ground lifeless with his skin gray and shriveled. Johnny Cage removed his glasses as he could not believe his eyes. Batman now had a vivid clue of what Shang Tsung was truly capable of.
"You can't do that sorcerer," yelled a voice, "His life was clearly spared."
"Indeed it was Nightwolf," Shang Tsung stated to him, " but he is not under the rules of Mortal Kombat. Me taking his soul is more of a demonstration, rather than me breaking the rules."
Nightwolf was a loyal friend of Raiden's who decided to enter the tournament to fight alongside Liu Kang. Raiden warned him of Shang Tsung's tactics and how he would bend the rules at every chance given. He refused to be intimidated by Shang Tsung who was clearly flexing his muscles.
"Wait a minute, does that mean my match doesn't count?" Johnny Cage asked.
"Yes it does, but don't worry. You served your purpose," Shang Tsung said.
Johnny Cage walked back and stood beside Batman. He wasn't quite relieved, but felt better about not having to fight another combatant. Shang Tsung had something else in mind. He had struck a deal with Quan Chi to have a match arranged seeing that he did not truly trust in the Grand Master's Lin Kuei warriors. He had them hired to eliminate the Earthrealm combatants, but had a suspicion that they might be against him. Although he could not prove this theory, he decided that getting rid of one or two of them couldn't do any harm.
"Scorpion versus," Shang Tsung paused for a second to build expectation and then pointed at one of the Lin Kuei warriors, "Sub-Zero."
Scorpion had been awaiting this day for a long time. He stepped forward and was ready to fight the man who murdered him, slaughter his clan, and family. Sub-Zero made his way in front of him with confidence seeing that he fought, defeated, and killed him before. Quan Chi stood sideline with a look of evil intent smeared across his face. Sub-Zero and Scorpion stood across from one another. Suddenly, the wooded area went from cool to shivering cold as Sub-Zero eyed his opponent. The leaves under Scorpion's feet started to burn. The emotion between the two were beyond intense. Ice began to form on the trees and the ground around Sub-Zero as he was itching for the fight to start. Scorpion eyes flared with fire as he held his spear in hand.
"Begin!" Shang Tsung yelled.
Sub-Zero wasted no time launching a freeze blast at Scorpion. Scorpion faded away only leaving a silhouette of himself behind. He appeared behind Sub-Zero and punched him in the back of his head. Sub-Zero fell, but rolled to his feet and took a fighting stance. Scorpion pulled out one of his swords as he was out for blood. As Scorpion was coming at him, Sub-Zero used his ability to create a sword made of ice. Both combatants sported some very impressive swordsmanship skill. Batman wasn't amazed as he had seen a lot of unnatural abilities, but Johnny Cage on the other hand just couldn't rap his brain around what he had been witnessing. Scorpion and Sub-Zero came at a stand still with their swords blade to blade, and there eyes locked on one another.
"Killing me is one thing, but my clan. My family!" Scorpion said with pure hatred.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I would never waste my skill on your pathetic clan," Sub-Zero responded.
"Liar!" Scorpion screamed with a demonic voice.
Scorpion broke the stand still and continued to fight violently, as if he wanted to rip Sub-Zero's heart out and stomp on it. Scorpion gain the edge as he smashed Sub-Zero's ice sword with his blade. Sub-Zero had to act quick as Scorpion was going for the death blow. Sub-Zero stepped back, leaving an ice clone of himself between him and Scorpion. Scorpion ran into it and froze solid.
"That is just incredible," Johnny Cage said shaking his head.
Sub-Zero formed another ice sword to finish the fight, once and for all. Suddenly Scorpion burst from the ice in flames and threw his spear with lighting speed. It pierced Sub-Zero in his shoulder.
"Get over!" Scorpion blurted out before dragging him through the air like a rag doll.
As Sub-Zero's defenseless body made it over to him, Scorpion grabbed him by his throat. Scorpion's body began to spew small flames as his rage was skyrocketing. He lifted Sub-Zero off his feet and held him in the air.
"You must pay for what you have done! This is were you meet your end," Scorpion said as he raised his other hand up to remove his mask.
"Wait!" Batman yelled out as he overheard every word and understood what Scorpion was feeling, "You don't have to do this."
"What is the meaning of this. Scorpion finish him," Quan Chi commanded.
"No! Killing him won't fix what he has done," Batman said, trying to reason with him.
"You don't understand my pain! He took everything from me!" Scorpion said as he was more than ready to remove his mask and burn away Sub-Zero's flesh.
"I do understand your pain! My parents were kill right in front of my eyes when I was a boy and just like you I wanted revenge, but killing him won't ease the pain. It will only consume you deeper within it," Batman reason.
Scorpion thought for a second as Batman's words got to him. Scorpion thought about forgiving the death of his clan and family, but the pain was to deep. He began seeing the faces of his son and wife, and realized he had nothing to lose. He turned his sights back to Sub-Zero, but Sub-Zero used this time to compose himself. He slapped Scorpion's arm away from his throat, and jammed two ice daggers into his chest. He then kicked him to the ground. Sub-Zero created an ice blade, leaped into the air, and struck downward as hard as he could. To Scorpion's surprise he missed his head by a couple of inches as Sub-Zero was looking at him man to man.
"Your vendetta against me stops here. I did not murder your family," Sub-Zero stated.
"Until I have your head, you will never escape me," Scorpion said before disappearing in a puff of flame and smoke.
At that very moment Raiden, who was still in his room, fell to his knees and began screaming as he started having a massive headache. He started seeing various images of the future. One was very vivid. He could see Scorpion killing Sub-Zero, in which Quan Chi takes his soul and turns him into some kind of black specter. As he was seeing this, it suddenly wisp away as if it was no longer going to happen. As if it was wiped from history.
