Prologue:
Five years ago; Shinnok was defeated, D'vorah and Kano were both incarcerated for their crimes against the realms, and Outworld avoided Earthrealm after their forces were driven off by Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei.
Raiden, God of thunder and Earthrealm's protector went mad. Where once he was seen as a noble and just being, with white eyes and a blue and white attire, was now a ruthless man clad in darkened clothing, eyes once white now blood red, and with Shinnok's amulet on his chest. All concepts of mercy were beneath him, Shinnok's last attack made him snap, he began to believe that mercy was a weakness, that any potential threat to his realm was to be eliminated; he made his new intentions plain when he decapitated Shinnok and brought his still living head to the new rulers of the Netherrealm.
He then began his crusade across the realms. Seido, the realm of Order was no threat, the Netherrealm stayed away but Raiden still watched that realm cautiously. Chaosrealm was left a lifeless husk of a realm, buildings destroyed and its population fewer as ever. But of course Raiden and Outworld would be at odds with one another, and that the realm would continue to retaliate against him.
Chapter 1:
Outworld was under siege; the marketplaces were being ransacked and the Emperor's courtyard was being destroyed. Blades clashing, missiles firing, lighting crackling through the sky as citizens screamed in terror and agony, being struck down by Raiden's forces. Outworld's structures were demolished as cyborgs rained hell from above while the Shirai Ryu attacked from below. The ground was stained in blood, a mass of exposed organs littered the streets. After a long assault on the marketplaces and courtyard, Raiden's forces headed towards Kotal Kahn's temple, more Osh Tekk warriors charged towards them and attacked, many were quickly overpowered but were able to take a few Earthrealm warriors with them. One of the cyborgs were quickly struck down by a massive brute, hunch-backed with a piece of cloth over his head revealing only one red eye, on top of him sat a short female creature, it was the symbiotic pair Ferra and Torr sent by Kotal Kahn to defend his temple. The pair wreak havoc at the cyborgs and Shirai Ryu, Ferra screams out her simple commands to Torr like a child.
"Left!"
"Right!"
"Kick Him!"
"Break the face!"
"Tear off arms!" Screamed Ferra, as Torr savagely tore the warriors apart, sending some flying with each swing of his arms. Suddenly a kunai at the tip of a chain flew towards them, it pierced Torr through the chest, only having enough time to recover from the stab wound before he feels himself being pulled forward. Ferra falls off Torr's back as the brute is sent flying towards his challenger. The warrior screams, "Get over here!" Before Torr's face collides with the warrior's elbow. Torr falls to his knees, the kunai lodged in his chest is pulled away and retracts back into the warrior's sleeve. Ferra, though vulnerable rushes towards her companion managing to avoid all the other fighters in her way. She jumps back on him as he rises.
"Who dares attack Torr?" Ferra cries out.
"I did!" Said the warrior standing in front of them, maskless and in yellow ninja attire, with silver pieces of armor guarding his shins, shoulders and forearms. It was Hanzo Hasashi, master of the newly re-established Shirai Ryu and former Netherrealm spectre once called Scorpion.
"Chain man challenge us? Big mistake!" Cried Ferra, as Torr rushes at Hanzo, growling like an animal. Having the faster reflexes, Hanzo is quick to dodge Torr's swings, delivering several hits at the brute's chest and abdomen. Hanzo's hand engulfs in hellfire and he swings at Torr, singeing his skin. Torr moves back in shock and pain, groaning in agony. He looks down at the burn on his abdomen before slowly raising back up to face Hanzo, growling angrily.
"Oh, you made Torr mad!" Said Ferra.
"You do not frighten me, freaks." Hanzo responds, raising his fists, ready to engage. Torr is the first to swing, repeatedly Hanzo dodges landing several punches at Torr's chest and abdomen, slashing at him with his kunia and kicking him several times to bring him down on his knees. Torr is far larger and more durable, those few hits and slashes weren't enough.
Hanzo continues to strike at the brute, unsheathing his katana, he hits Torr on the chest, leaving a long vertical slash. Torr steps back, dropping on one knee, clinging onto his wound as Ferra pleads for him to get up. Hanzo walks closer and raises his katana ready to finish them both; seeing the look of sadness in Ferra, it's enough for Hanzo to snap out of his aggression and move back.
Suddenly a blast of ice strikes the pair, Ferra and Torr groan in agony as they're frozen solid to Hanzo's shock. His eyes follow the direction from which the blast came to find a blue cyborg standing in front of him, ice exiting from his chest cavity only to close it shut once Ferra/Torr were frozen solid. Shifting into a red coloration, the cyborg fires a barrage of missiles from his back; flying high into the sky only to fall back down upon losing their altitude. The missiles crash at the frozen husks of Ferra/Torr, engulfing them in a mixture of fire and ice. Hanzo moves back, covering his eyes with his arm to avoid the bright light. The explosion ends, he sees bits of ice lying on the floor. Ferra and Torr were now dead. Looking back at the cyborg with such shock and rage in his eyes, all he sees is that red chassis and blue eyes of LK-9T9: Sektor. However Sektor has been dead for years. His red shell shifts into a gunmetal gray as the cyborg walks away; this new model was dubbed Triborg, all that was known about him was that he was capable of shifting into different LK-Units: Sektor, Cyrax and Sub-Zero, however he recently adopted an unused cybernetic body for Smoke.
The Cyber Lin Kuei were all but extinct following Sub-Zero's battle with Sektor but due to the Special Forces' incompetence, Triborg was reactivated and took control of many newly made and previously discarded cyborgs, forming a rival clan to the Lin Kuei: the Tekunin. While their intentions for the realms are questionable, Raiden was quick to ally with them. They seem to share a common cause for keeping Earthrealm safe, but it's only a matter of time before their true motives come into conflict.
The Shirai Ryu and Tekunin ascended the temple, the floors littered with dismembered Osh Tekk bodies—on the lower levels, Erron Black laid crippled. Hanzo and Triborg make their way to Kotal Kahn's throne room where Ermac and Reptile stood, guarding their emperor.
"Come no further, Earthrealmers!" Growled Reptile.
"You dare threaten us?" Hanzo replied, raising his arms, ready to engage in combat with the Saurian. Through the walls, more Tekunin warriors bursted out. Triborg raises his arm, "Gōngjí!" yells Triborg, as the cyborgs crawl through the debris and charge at Kotal Kahn. In the blink of an eye, a spark of lightning crashes through the roof of the temple, through the fading flash of light, emerged Raiden.
"Raiden." Said Kotal Kahn calmly.
"Kotal Kahn—it is time for Outworld to pay!" Said Raiden slowly approaching the Emperor.
"For what, Thunder God?"
"For everything—for millennia, Outworld has attacked many innocent realms and claimed many as its own, but Earthrealm has always suffered the most. Even after the deaths of Shao Kahn and Mileena, it is clear that Outworld cannot be trusted." Said Raiden.
"It is you who cannot be trusted, Raiden!" Reptile snarls and charges at Raiden, "Syzoth, no!" Kotal cries out as Reptile lunges at Raiden, before he could strike the Thunder God, Raiden grabs him mid-air by his right leg, his right hand crackles in small sparks of lightning as he strikes Reptile on the groin before tossing him aside. Ermac engages but is quickly knocked out by Raiden's blast of lightning.
"I have left Earthrealm alone since Shinnok's failed invasion. Ended the Reiko accords. We've stayed away ever since you first attacked us." Said Kotal Kahn.
"Don't lie to me Osh-Tekk filth! Triborg and his Tekunin have tracked many of your spies, each portal they've uncovered came from Outworld. Seido and the Netherrealm are wise to stay clear of my home but you clearly don't know your place."
Kotal Kahn rises from his throne and approaches Raiden, "I tire of you Raiden, I will not stand idly by while you continue to slaughter my people, whatever Shinnok did to you—it's not you." Raiden just stares, a blank expression, "Slaughter your people? Like how you were quick to slaughter mine? Five. Years. Ago." Raiden lunges at Kotal Kahn, attempting to strike him with his staff. Kotal retaliates, pulling out his Macuahuitl blade and blocking Raiden's strike. Hanzo and Triborg stand watching, anticipating the victor. Their weapons drop to the ground, and fists fly. Sparks surround Raiden's hands as each strike shocks Kotal Kahn, each strike nearly bringing him down on his knees.
Kotal Kahn gets back up, summons a sunstone and throws it at Raiden. Raiden teleports before the discus can collide with him, teleporting behind Kotal Kahn, and kicks him on the knee, Kotal Kahn drops down before striking back at Raiden who grabs him by the throat and shocks him. As electricity covers Kotal Kahn's entire body, his body spasming, Raiden lifts him by the throat and slams him to the floor, cracking it and causing the emperor to fall multiple stories down from his throne room. Kotal Kahn drops to the lowest floor, as debris falls at him, the larger chunks crushing few of his Osh-Tekk warriors that came to his aid; though injured, Erron Black dodges the debris, while Kotal struggles to get up as each piece of debris repeatedly brings him down on his knees. Hanzo and Triborg jump down, surrounding the emperor as Raiden teleports in front of him, creeping slowly towards him, grabbing his throat and lifting him up. Raiden stares down at Kotal Kahn, his grip tightening as Kotal struggles to breathe: "If I ever see your filth in Earthrealm again, I will turn Outworld into a lifeless husk!"
Raiden drops Kotal, teleporting away with his forces. Kotal Kahn sits on his knees, his hand wrapped around his neck, taking heavy breaths. "Emperor!" Reptile drops down and rushes to his aid. Ermac follows suite, helping Erron Black up while Reptile assists Kotal.
"Raiden will pay for this." Snarls Reptile, "We can't defend against him on our own anymore. There's only one thing left to do." Exclaims Kotal, as he faces towards Reptile, his face bruised as blood pours from his lip, "the tournament, we must bring it back."