Welcome back to Mortal Kombat Ryujin! Last time, the battle against Shao Kahn went down. The former tyrant of Outworld was kept from the throne, and rather than reclaim it himself, Kotal Kahn ceded the throne to Kitana. Now with Outworld's forces secured, attention can be turned to rescuing Sonya and the younger Johnny Cage, which Cassie and Cynder are on their way to do. So, how's this going to go down? Read on to discover...
(Our story resumes in the rafters over a pit strewn with litter and what appear to be some human remains, and barred across chain link fence. This place, clearly some kind of illegal fight club, all looked over by the twin Kanos. There are two individuals currently fighting in the ring right now, but we can't make out their faces, as instead we focus on Cassie Cage and Cynder, up in the rafters, observing the scene.)
Cassie Cage: Looks like we're in the right place. (Looking at the ring through binoculars) Got eyes on Mom.
Cynder: Why am I not surprised Kano, either of them, would run a place like this...
Cassie Cage: (Looking over at Cynder) Sounds like you've got experience dealing with illegal fight clubs.
Cynder: It's a really long story. And one we don't have time to tell.
Cassie Cage: (Seeing its a sensitive topic) Say no more.
(At this point, Cassie cage notices something odd about Sonya's opponent, he appears to be someone she knows, evidenced by the tomahawk strapped to his belt)
Cassie Cage: Holy shit, is that...? (Making sure her binoculars aren't broken, or that her mind isn't.) It is! It's Nightwolf!
Cynder: Nightwolf?
Cassie Cage: Old ally of Mom's. Chosen warrior of the Matoka. Since he's not a Revenant, I'm going to guess it's his past self. But... what's he doing here?
Cynder: My guess, he got captured by Kano at some point after the timeline's merged.
Cassie Cage: I thought Raiden said he didn't detect anymore timeline aberrations.
Cynder: If I had to guess, he either knew about Nightwolf and didn't plan to tell us, or he just outright lied.
Cassie Cage: This complicates the mission.
Cynder: Not really. If Nightwolf is an ally, we'll get him out of here too.
Cassie Cage: Alright then. Let's get down there.
Cynder: No chance, Cassie. This one's too dangerous for you. If Sonya or Johnny dies, you stop existing. Leave this one to me. Stay up here and wait for my signal.
(With that, Cynder melts into the shadows as Cassie Cage continues her observation of the scene. Meanwhile, we transition to down in the pit, where Nightwolf and Sonya are at least faking a brawl to keep the twin Kanos from killing them)
Sonya: You've still got it, Nightwolf.
Nightwolf: Coming from a warrior like you, that means something.
(Just as the false brawl is about to continue, Cynder rises up out of the shadows, stepping between Sonya and Nightwolf)
Sonya: Cynder?
Cynder: Sorry to keep you waiting, had to get Shao Kahn under control.
Sonya: How'd that go?
Cynder: Shao is not Kahn again, that's for sure. Though neither is Kotal.
Nightwolf: Shao Kahn has been dethroned? Thank the Great Spirit for that. Who took his place?
Cynder: Currently, Kitana Kahn reigns, since Kotal Kahn abdicated in light of recent events.
Nightwolf: Kitana? A wise decision on his part.
Sonya: On that, we couldn't agree more.
(At this point, the Kanos finally notice Cynder has arrive)
Young Kano: Well, looks like the literal black dragon came back for Round Two!
Cynder: Save your breath, Kano. You won't have much of it left once I'm done with you.
Kano: Well, this one's got some fire in her! Let's see if we can't dash that.
Cynder: Sonya, Nightwolf, you guys try to find a way out of this ring. I'll handle whatever they've got coming.
Young Kano: Oh, you're going to like this then. Its time for the host's pick match. And since there's two of us now, we each get a pick.
Kano: Normally I'd yield the first opponent to the younger me, but not this time. Because if there's one thing we Black Dragons know, there's no fun in a fair fight.
(And just as Kano gets the words out of his mouth, a side wall of the pit opens, allowing in Kabal, and an individual who greatly resembles Nightwolf, only clearly is not alive)
Kabal: So she's the one who burns me is here?
Kano: Burn you? She goes full black ops on you!
Revenant Nightwolf: (Seeing Kano's intent) By the time we found you, you were this close to death.
Kano: Thankfully I was able to patch you back together. Well, as much of you as I could anyways.
Revenant Nightwolf: Sadly we were never able to confirm if it was Sonya or the dragon.
Kabal: (Now enraged) Doesn't matter, they're both dead!
Young Kano: (Covering the microphone for the speaker system) Is that really how it happened?
Kano: No. But he's motivated now, isn't he?
(With that, Cynder gives a signal to Sonya and Nightwolf, confirming they have an exit, but before they can get through it, Kabal rushes in and body checks Cynder to the floor. While he makes his way to confront her, Revenant Nightwolf menaces Sonya and his past self.)
Kabal: Time for a bit of pre-emptive justice.
Cynder: I'm not the one who does that to you, Kabal. I only appeared in this realm two days ago!
Kabal: Kano wouldn't lie to me.
(Now Cynder gets her time in the ring, as she takes on Kabal. While Kabal is fast, he's not as experienced as his present counterpart, and is easily knocked out by Cynder)
Cynder: News flash, every word out of his mouth is deception.
(With Kabal unconscious on the floor, Cynder turns her attention to Revenant Nightwolf, who is currently fighting his past counterpart)
Nightwolf: Kano nearly destroyed the last shred of identity the Matoka had left!
Revenant Nightwolf: Through us last I checked. And look at the power it brought us!
Nightwolf: The mantle of Nightwolf is one of protection, not of war! You disgrace the Great Spirit and everything we stand for!
Revenant Nightwolf: I disgrace us, Grey Cloud? I am trying to save us! Kronika has agreed to ensure the Matoka never fall to colonization! If I must work alongside Kano to achieve this, then so be it.
(At this point, Cynder leaps into the fray, headbutting Revenant Nightwolf to the ground)
Cynder: I may not know much about your Great Spirit, but even I can tell she is disappointed in you.
Revenant Nightwolf: Stay out of affairs that you have no place in, beast.
(Revenant Nightwolf is a strong opponent, as the power of the Great Spirit has no doubt been replaced by Quan Chi's curse, but even so, Cynder perseveres, and Revenant Nightwolf falls)
Cynder: You don't deserve your mantle.
(This insult seems to have spurred rage in Revenant Nightwolf, who gets back up and charges at Cynder, only to be stopped when Nightwolf throws a tomahawk into his chest, which Cynder uses as a point of leverage to stab Revenant Nightwolf through the skull with her tail blade, pulling it loose as she lands, killing Revenant Nightwolf)
Nightwolf: (Removing his tomahawk from Revenant Nightwolf's chest) Your disgrace ends here.
Kano: Wow. I have to say, I've been doing this for 30 years now, and that had to be the absolute best fight we've ever had down here!
Cynder: Enough games, Kano! We're not fighting for your amusement! You want a battle, get in here and fight us yourself!
Young Kano: As fun as it sounds to kick your ass, the next opponent we've got set up, he's real beaut.
(With that, we see exactly who the Kanos have planned, as Young Johnny Cage, a little battered and bruised but still alive, gets thrown into the ring at Cynder's feet)
Kano: You want to get out of here? Then the toll is Hollywood's life.
Sonya: (Helping Young Johnny Cage to his feet) Cut the horse shit Kano, we're not fighting Cage!
Kano: You'd better, else the whole lot of you are going to die!
Cynder: I know your type, Kano. You'll kill us regardless!
Kano: Caught me there.
Young Kano: Give a good fight and we'll make your deaths mostly painless.
Young Johnny Cage: (Seeing something in the rafters, then weakly) I know all three of you have wanted to punch me in the face at one point. So here's your opportunity.
Nightwolf: And give them the satisfaction of watching us fight like dogs? That won't happen.
Young Johnny Cage: (Looking to Cynder specifically) They're going to kill us anyways, so the least we can do is buy some time to find another way out of here. So will one of you quit being a diva and hit me already?!
(At this point, Cynder realizes Young Johnny Cage has seen Cassie Cage up in the rafters. Cassie Cage, having seen this as well, gives a signal to Cynder that she's ready to go whenever. Sonya meanwhile has seen that Cynder has a plan, and punches Young Johnny Cage in the nose. Meanwhile, Cynder pretends to circle the battlefield, Nightwolf by her side, until she flares her wings, which Cassie Cage interprets as the signal, setting off explosives in the corner, allowing Special Forces troopers to storm in while she drops down from the rafters and starts taking out the Black Dragon guards trying to rush them. Meanwhile, Sonya and Young Johnny Cage are trying to kick open the gate, until Young Erron Black shoots the lock off, before almost shooting Young Johnny Cage, a shot Cynder stops by tail whipping Young Erron Black's gun out of his hands.)
Cynder: (To Sonya) You guys get out of here! I'll handle the cowboy.
Young Johnny Cage: Don't need to tell me twice. (Clutching his side) Definitely should follow your advice about my spleen
Sonya: (Standing by Cynder's side) Like hell I'm just standing around while these Black Dragon creeps get away.
(Seeing Sonya can't be convinced to leave yet, Cynder looks to Nightwolf, who gets the message and starts helping Young Johnny Cage out of the arena and into Special Forces custody before saving Cassie Cage from a Black Dragon sniper by throwing a tomahawk into his face)
Cassie Cage: Thanks, Nightwolf.
Nightwolf: Not a problem. Now let's see if we can't fix this Black Dragon problem.
(While this is going on we transition back to the arena, where Sonya and Cynder are battling Young Erron Black)
Young Erron Black: Well this is going to be a real thrill. Not only am I bagging the legendary Sonya Blade, but it looks like the Black Dragon is finally going to get that mascot I recommended.
Cynder: Like hell, Erron Black.
(Now Young Erron Black challenges Cynder for the third time, and just like last time, he gets knocked out faster than you can imagine thanks to some help from Sonya.)
Cynder: Three strikes, stay out.
(With Young Erron Black down, Cassie Cage opens the entrance to the ring, with Nightwolf carrying an injured Young Johnny Cage not far behind her)
Cassie Cage: (Handing Sonya a pair of weaponized gloves) We need a med evac, but we're going to have to fight our way to the drop zone.
Cynder: Do we ever not?
Cassie Cage: Good point.
Sonya: Alright then, let's get out of here!
(With that, the team runs for the exit, taking out Black Dragon goons as they go, but just as they manage to escape, Kano appears with a minigun)
Kano: And where do you think you're going?!
Cassie Cage: Take cover!
(Kano begins firing into the crowd, getting a good shot in on Cassie Cage while everyone else makes it to safety behind a truck. As the bullets stop flying while the gun cools down, Cynder prepares to fight Kano one last time.)
Cassie Cage: (Seeing what Cynder is up to) No chance, Cynder. It's too dangerous!
Sonya: (Activating her gloves) For one, maybe.
Cassie Cage: And that's even worse!
Cynder: No worries, Cassie. I'll make sure things go right this time.
(By the time they have their plan, Kano has nearly made it to the truck, at which point Cynder uses her Wind element to blow the minigun from Kano's hands as Sonya leaps down off the top of the truck, punching Kano square in the face, prompting him to flee the scene. But as Sonya and Cynder give chase, Young Kano leaps in and takes out Sonya, knocking her to the ground just as Cynder can rejoin the battle)
Young Kano: One thing I love about this future? You're dead, and I outlived you.
Kano: Too bad those Netherrealm stiffs did you in rather than me.
Young Kano: Looks like we get a do-over then.
Cynder: (Stepping in front of Sonya) You want her, you go through me.
Kano and Young Kano: Gladly.
(With that, Cynder fights off both Kanos, while Sonya gets back to her feet and aids in the battle. During this, Sonya realizes that any damage inflicted to Young Kano immediately becomes apparent to Kano, and starts kicking him in the gut repeatedly. But as this gets old for him, Kano attempts to blast Sonya with his eye, only for Cynder to knock him out with a blow straight to the eye, leaving Sonya to tie him down just as Young Kano gets back up)
Cynder: Here's a news flash for you. With both of you here, your existence is not assured.
(Now the battle begins, Cynder against Young Kano. Apparently Kano's younger self was over-reliant on his cyber eye, which gives Cynder one hell of an opening to take him down.)
Cynder: Time to end this madness.
(With that, Cynder grabs Young Kano by the throat, just as Kano arrives, having beaten Cassie Cage and Nightwolf, holding Young Johnny Cage with a knife to his stomach)
Kano: Now this is a hell of a pickle. Can you snap my neck before Pretty Boy gets gutted? And don't forget. This is two for one. If he dies, so does your friend over there!
Cynder: (Laughing) Good thing it's two against one as well. (Holding Young Kano to the sky) Lieutenant? This one's all yours.
(With that, Sonya leaps back into the fray, and shoots Young Kano through his non-cyber eye, killing him instantly and causing a giant hole to appear in Kano's face.)
Kano: No... It can't be...!
Cynder: (Stepping right up to Kano) Hasta la vista, baby.
(Now with all the righteous fury she can muster, Cynder grabs a hold of Kano's cyber eye, and rips it clean out of his skull, leaving him blind as he fades into sand, removed eye and all. And when we turn around, we see Sonya has ripped out Young Kano's cyber eye.)
Sonya: It's over. At last.
(As the scene settles down a bit, we see Cynder and Sonya tending to their wounded comrades, Cynder handling Cassie Cage and Nightwolf while Sonya bandages up Young Johnny Cage)
Cynder: Just got word to Spyro and the others. They're nearing Shang Tsung's Island as we speak.
Cassie Cage: Here's hoping they can stop Kronika from getting Shang Tsung's soul collection.
(Now we focus in on Sonya and Young Johnny Cage specifically)
Young Johnny Cage: Now that was a sweet finish. I'm totally stealing that for my next flick.
Sonya: You're actually working on that time headache plot?
Young Johnny Cage: With a bit of work, it's box office gold!
(As Sonya finishes bandaging his arm and starts to leave, Young Johnny Cage starts seeing what his future self was talking about back at the Special Forces base, and turns back to Sonya)
Young Johnny Cage: How about we do dinner sometime? You know, as thanks for saving my life, and, to apologize for me being, well, me? (Thinking he's coming on too strong) No pressure, or romance, or anything like that... just...
(Despite Sonya's silence, we can tell she's taking him up on that offer, just as she spots something out of the corner of her eye)
Sonya: What the heck is that?!
(At this point we see it, or rather, him. Geras has entered the fray, crushing the heads of Special Forces operatives left and right)
Cynder: Geras. Spyro's told me all about him. You guys get out of here. I'll handle him.
(With that, Cynder steps up to Geras, prepared to battle him)
Cynder: That's far enough, Geras!
Geras: Cynder, the Terror of the Skies. Puppet of Purple Dragons, good and evil alike.
Cynder: No longer.
Geras: Do not deny what you are, and always have been.
(Now thoroughly enraged, Cynder battles Geras. Despite Geras having the nigh invulnerability advantage, Cynder still has him floored in under a minute)
Cynder: This is your last warning. Exit this battle immediately.
(Despite her threat, Geras gets back up and is about to kill Cynder, just as Sonya spears him through the side with a forklift, before Cassie Cage throws two explosive charges at Geras' feet while he's pinned to a wall)
Sonya: If this doesn't kill him I don't know what will!
(With Geras pinned and primed to detonate, Cynder, Sonya and Cassie Cage head for the hills, just as the charges explode, knocking everyone to the ground. As Cynder picks herself up, we focus in on Sonya and Cassie Cage.)
Sonya: You alright?
Cassie Cage: I'll be fine. My family's full of tough stock.
Sonya: (With a chuckle, realizing she means her) Listen, about what I said to you and Spyro back at base, that mission in the Netherrealm. It was... unfair of me. You've turned out to be a damn fine soldier. Seeing the person you become makes me almost proud I end up with Cage. Almost.
Cassie Cage: Trust me, Spyro and I both wish we could do that mission over.
Sonya: It may not have been easy finding out a possible method of my death, but after re-reading it, I have no complaints for either of you. You followed orders and saved your squad, and Spyro definitely proved worthy of my trust. I'm just glad my sacrifice saved Earthrealm, and you, from another war.
Cassie Cage: Weird, Raiden said something similar and Spyro socked him for it.
Sonya: Your Raiden was a jerk, so I get that. But the other Raiden was right. While things will not go back to how they were, we don't need them to. Choosing our own destiny and all that.
(And with that, mother and daughter have made up, but not before the remnants of what was Geras appear to start moving, which Nightwolf sees)
Nightwolf: Sonya, we've got trouble!
Cynder: (Seeing what Nightwolf sees) Oh crap! Spyro wasn't kidding! We've got to get out of here! Everybody evacuate, NOW!
(And before Geras can reform, everybody is out of there as we transition to Kronika's Keep, where Revenant Liu Kang personally stands guard while Kronika rewinds time. Ultimately, he can't help but sneak a peek at the Hourglass.)
Kronika: I know you're trying to see into the Sands, Liu Kang. That's not how it works.
Revenant Liu Kang: My apologies, Lady Kronika.
Kronika: (Changing the subject) Geras has failed. And your fellow Revenant, Nightwolf, is dead. (Sensing Revenant Liu Kang needs to say something) Speak your mind, Liu Kang.
Revenant Liu Kang: We've lost Outworld's forces with Shao Kahn's capture, and now that Kano is dead the Black Dragon are out of the picture as well.
Kronika: You needn't worry about our forces, Liu Kang. The Cyber Lin Kuei and the Netherrealm still stand ready. And Shao Kahn and Kano have served their purpose. Distracting everyone from Shang Tsung's Island, where our most important work rests.
Revenant Liu Kang: That place? What could anyone possibly need there?
Kronika: The art of Timecraft requires a large amount of chronal energy. Souls act as a perfect vessel of this energy, capturing every second they were alive.
Revenant Liu Kang: And Shang Tsung collected them. Now I see where this is going.
Kronika: His Well of Souls, a destiny I personally crafted for him should I ever have need of it, remains untouched in the depths of his island. With that collection of souls, I shall have enough power to usher in the New Era.
Revenant Liu Kang: (With a dread smile) Even so, I would humbly request to send some of the Netherrealm's finest to aid in securing them.
Kronika: (Realizing exactly who Revenant Liu Kang intends to send) An excellent suggestion Liu Kang. She will do nicely.
(With a bow, Revenant Liu Kang leaves the Hourglass chamber to send for whomever he was speaking of as our tale ends for today)
And that looks like a good place to wrap up. I bet none of you expected me to throw Nightwolf into the mix! After not knowing what happened to Revenant Nightwolf, and realizing there were ways to get some of the DLC characters in, I figured I would do so, but only for the DLC characters that are Mortal Kombat characters. So don't go expecting Spawn, the Terminator, or the Joker to enter this battle. But you can expect Shang Tsung and Sindel to show up as the story continues. Next time, we finally get to Shang Tsung's Island. Will Spyro and company have enough power to stop Kronika from getting the Well of Souls? Tune in next time to find out! Same time... same channel!