"A new trophy, Father?" Shao Kahn looked up from his workbench as Kitana entered the room. He preferred to be left alone when working in his workshop, but Kitana was in desperate need of support.
Her mother, Empress Sindel, had recently passed. As such, her father was much more lax in his insistence on privacy. Despite her intrusion, though, she still awaited permission to actually cross the threshold into the room. He motioned with his hand for her to do so and held up the human skull for her to see. From the bucket of fleshy strips by the blood-coated workbench, it was clear that he was in the process of stripping it down.
"The trophy is, yes. But the bone is much older. I only recently acquired it, in fact."
"Who were they? I-If you do not mind my asking."
He chuckled. "Of course not. He was an old enemy of mine. Long since dead, of course. It was only recently that his remains became available to me."
"Did you kill him?" Kitana asked, pointing to the many cracks and fractures across the back of the skull, suggesting a blow from the emperor's mighty Wrath Hammer.
"Very observant. Yes. I had expected it to take more than the one blow to end him, but that was all it took, in the end."
"I would have expected you to continue striking, regardless. As a statement to warn his allies away from seeking vengeance."
"You know me so well, Daughter. Yes, I did intend to, but his fool wife begged me not to."
"And you acquiesced? What did she offer in return?"
"I offered her the undesecrated remains of her beloved if she became my concubine."
"I see." Kitana would have to take his word for it, as she had never met any of her father's supplemental lovers. And she was glad for it.
"But, she has since passed and is no longer able to uphold her end of our bargain. Thus, her beloved's head is mine to do with as I see fit."
"Here, you missed a piece." Kitana took the skull from her father's hand and carefully, but firmly, scraped the errant piece of flesh from the inside of the eye socket with her closed fan. She then passed the skeletal head back to her father, who looked over the area carefully.
"Not a scratch. Very precise."
"Just as you taught me, Father."
Shao Kahn considered Kitana a moment before grinning. "Would you like to help me craft my new mask from this skull?"
"I-I would be honoured, Father!" Kitana was filled with glee to be able to partake in any kind of activity with her father. She walked around him to stand by his side at the bench. He held the skull down, its crown against the bench.
"First, take that knife. Place it here, between the jawbone and the cheekbone. Now, very slowly, tilt the knife downward. Slowly. Slowly. Do you feel the resistance yet?"
"I do."
"Good. Now, push a little harder. We don't want to cause unnecessary damage. A little more. A little more. There you go."
"Wow. That pop was... oddly satisfying."
"You are learning. Now, the other side."
"This is exhilarating."
"Indeed. Now, we dispose of the jaw."
"You don't intend to use it?"
"No. It would only get in the way. My people must hear my mighty bellows as I conquer foes at the arena!"
"I see. What do we do next?"
"The next step is to carefully carve the face off. Take that saw. Get some practise with the jawbone."
"Ugh, the sound is sickening."
"You will become accustomed to it, in time."
"Blegh. Done."
"Very good. Now, as it is your first time, we will begin at the centre of the skull and work our way forward once you are more comfortable with it."
"O-Okay. Ugh, that sound!"
"Block it out. You will need a stronger stomach if you intend to serve as one of my assassins."
"Y-Yes, Father. I-I will try."
"There, see? Was that so hard?
"N...No, Father."
"Good. Now, do the same, but one inch closer to the face."
"Yes."
"You are improving."
"I must."
"Indeed."
"There is some resistance here."
"That will be from the backs of the eye sockets. Carefully, crack them open."
"Yes, Father."
"You wield that saw handle efficiently. With a little more practice, you will be able to crack a living person's skull with it."
"Thank you, Father."
"Now that the sockets are gone, proceed."
"Yes, Father."
"Very good. Excellent work." He held the mask up over his face, leaving only his chin and burning red eyes exposed. "This will make a very handsome mask. Don't you think?"
"Once the edges are smoothed down, yes. Very."
"Good eye, Kitana. But, I can handle that part myself."
"Are you sure, Father?"
"I am. That is the boring part. You will not learn any new skills from doing that. You run along. I will see you tonight at dinner."
"Yes, Father. Thank you for your lessons."
"Thank you for your assistance. You have helped your father to finish his masterpiece that will strike fear into the hearts of all of his enemies."
"It was an honour, Father."
With a bow, Kitana left the room. A few minutes later, the jagged edges had been sanded down and smoothed over. Shao Kahn looked down at the skull face in his hands, turning it over and taking in every inch of its smooth, white surface. He picked up his metal helmet and connected the mask to it firmly. Standing before his full-length mirror, he slowly lowered the helmet over his head.
"I have taken everything from you now, my old nemesis. Not only your realm, your people and your wife, but your daughter is now fully indoctrinated into my service. None will miss you, Jerrod, for they will see you every day, though they may not know it, protecting my face with the remnants of your own. But, you will live on forever as an example to all other realms of the fate that awaits those who oppose me. All Hail Shao Khan."
This is how you portray Shao Kahn as a fucking monster; not by making him a dumb brute who quotes Donald Trumps and makes unwanted sexual advances on Cassie Cage, but still can't win a fight to literally save his life. Netherrealm ruined this man and you're an idiot if you think otherwise.
