(The scene cuts to a quarry carved on a mountainous terrain, littered with construction vehicles. On a nearby hill, the Lin Kuei cryomancer Kuai Liang - better known as Sub-Zero, lies on his belly overlooking the quarry with a spyglass. His gaze focuses on an underground entrance built into one of the rocky hills of the quarry. Several converted cyborgs are carrying equipment further into the complex. As Sub-Zero continues to observe, a yellow garbed ninja sneaks up behind him. Sensing his approach, Sub-Zero looks away from the spyglass and turns around just as the ninja pulls out his ninjato sword. He is unable to do anything more as the faster ninja brings his sword to bear, pointing it in his direction. Sub-Zero finally gets a good look at the ninja and his face sags in bemusement.)
Scorpion: Your hearing is failing, Sub-Zero.
Sub-Zero: I recognized your footsteps, Hanzo.
(The ninja is indeed Hanzo Hasashi - once known as Scorpion, but no longer. Hanzo puts his sword back in its sheath as Sub-Zero gets to his feet.)
Scorpion: Where's Sektor? I will not let him threaten my clan again.
Jack Atlas: The old Cyber Lin Kuei factory was defunct, buried beneath this quarry- until the time disruption. Now, Sektor's returned and reactivated it. He's building an army by processing Lin Kuei warriors kidnapped from the temple.
Akiza Izinski: This definitely reeks of Kronika!
Leo: Then what are we waiting for?
Sub-Zero: We could enter through that tunnel, but a frontal assault would be...
Crow Hogan: Bloody.
Sub-Zero: ...needlessly dangerous.
Crow Hogan: Eh, same outcome.
Luna: There's another entrance, one that seems less populated.
Leo: Then let's go in there and show Sektor and whomever else Kronika has in her thrall that nobody threatens innocent lives on our watch!(The group of eight warriors make it through guards and wallow through corpses to make it thus far. A whirring sound catches their attention and they run for cover as the doors behind them open. Two new figures enter the room, along with a few more. The first is a cyborg covered with a yellow paint job, and the second is the hooded woman seen at Kronika's side. It's apparently clear from the magenta-colored crystals on their chests that the other two are the Barians Dumon and Marin-friends of Nash! The woman is carrying a vial of Jinsei, which she puts into one of the machines in the room. As she does so, a nearby buzzsaw comes to life and starts bisecting a body strapped to a circular operating table. Another buzzsaw chops the head off a flayed corpse, and another device brings forth an unactivated cyborg body. The gang observe this process, looking toward the yellow cyborg.)
Scorpion: Cyrax is your inside man?
Sub-Zero: He was converted against his will. If we disable the behavior inhibitors that control him...
Scorpion: ...He will turn on Sektor.
Sub-Zero: All Cyber Lin Kuei are linked to a common network. Cyrax can shut them down from within.
Jack Atlas: Who is the woman?
Sub-Zero: I don't know. Focus on disabling Cyrax. He's the key.
(As they walk, Cyrax looks over to the woman.)
Cyrax: We require additional candidates for cyberization.
Frost: Once delivered, how long before the next generation is ready?
Dumon: That, we do not know.
Marin: Nonetheless, we must continue to produce more soldiers for our army! If our mistress is to succeed in rewriting history, we must ensure that there are enough troops to defend the keep at all costs...
(Just as she finishes her sentence, she and the other woman are blasted in the back by an ice ball from Sub-Zero and frozen solid. As the Lin Kuei Grandmaster finishes a slide and strides forth, Cyrax charges in to attack. But before he can get close, Scorpion teleports in from behind and grapples Cyrax in a full nelson hold. As Hanzo struggles with Cyrax, the ice surrounding the unknown woman and the female Barian cracks and they break free. Frost's hooded garment is destroyed in the process, revealing that she is in fact a cyborg as well. She turns to face Sub-Zero, whose face narrows in disgust.)
Sub-Zero: Frost.
(Frost generates some ice magic of her own and blasts the ground near Hanzo's feet, forcing him to let go of Cyrax. As Hanzo regroups, Sub-Zero approaches Frost.)
Sub-Zero: I gave you a home. I was your mentor. Yet after all this, you ally with Sektor? He corrupted the Lin Kuei!
Frost: YOU corrupted our clan when you made peace with this Shirai Ryu filth! With Kronika's help, I will restore the Lin Kuei's honor.
Jack Atlas: You lot keep our informant distracted; I'll see to our unwanted nuisance! I've been where you are before, Frost. I got out. So can you!
Frost: I don't need you to save me.
Jack Atlas: You can only save yourself.
Frost: I don't need saving! I'm not some sad little girl who's waiting to be rescued. I wanted to be this way. Kronika sees my true potential.(As Jack calls upon his Red Dragon Archfiend, the others call upon their dragons to aid them as well. Frost displays not only a frightening control over her latent ice powers, but entirely new abilities as a result of her cybernetic upgrades. She is stronger and faster than ever before. But Jack's experience and Signer power proves to be more than Frost can handle, and she is soon defeated by this new foe.)
Jack Atlas: You deceive yourself, Frost.(Sub-Zero blocks several strikes from Cyrax, but is forced to backpedal when the cyborg swings his buzzsaw hand out. Sub-Zero blocks a righthook and punches Cyrax in the gut, lands a follow up punch to his face and a roundhouse kick that sends the cyborg staggering. Cyrax rights himself and faces down the two Grandmasters. Behind him, several more cyber-Lin Kuei- all in white armor as opposed to Cyrax's gold - activate and jump down from their restraints.)
Sub-Zero: The upgrade, Cyrax. Is this Kronika's doing?
Cyrax: To better serve her, Sub-Zero. We defend Kronika as she re-writes history.(The cybernetic Lin Kuei advance toward Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Both men ready themselves.)
Crow Hogan: So, you're nothing but pawns?
Cyrax: We act to secure the Lin Kuei's glory in the New Era.
Yusei Fudo: You guys take on the tin cans...(His Stardust Dragon appears before the fighters)I'll deal with Cyrax.(As he walks off toward Cyrax, the others fight the androids. Sub-Zero generates ice from the water vapour in the air around him. After gathering it close into his hands, he extends his palms toward the cybernetic assassins. The ice pours out like a blizzard and all of the cyborgs are instantly frozen solid. During this time, Yusei and Cyrax face each other down.)
Cyrax: You will be forced to serve.
Yusei Fudo: I'm not like your mechanical buddies, Cyrax. I won't take a knee to Sektor!(They fight. While Cyrax's skill as an assassin and his lethal weapons are only amplified by his cybernetic upgrades, Yusei's Signer power and his skill in battle remain unmatched. Using as minimal force as possible, he manages to overcome Cyrax's assault and leave him defeated on the ground.)No one should be a slave.
(Soon enough, though, a new enemy literally emerges from the shadows! Kuai Liang recoils in surprise, but steels himself at the sight before him. It is his brother, the man once known as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero before him, but now known only as the wraith Noob Saibot.)
Noob: Recognize me, little brother?
Sub-Zero: Bi-Han?!
Noob: Yes. It is I.
Scorpion: You were killed- swallowed in a storm of souls.
Noob: Quan Chi's creations do not die easily. Kronika offers me a new clan to lead. (He shifts into a fighting stance. A shadow clone of himself jumps out of his body to his side, standing in the same stance.)Its shadow will darken the realms.
Akiza Izinski: Then it looks like we'll have to put a damper on those misguided dreams of yours!(With Black Rose Dragon at her side, they fight. Since his death, Bi-Han's dark powers have continued to grow stronger, but the woman formerly known as the Black Rose and her own powers were always stronger than his. After an intense exchange, it is the Black Rose who emerges victorious.)My strength is more than vengeance.
(By the time the fight has finished, Cyrax awakens and begins to pull himself back to his feet. He gratefully takes a helping hand up from Sub-Zero, and as he stands, he takes a look at his robotic hands, realizing what has happened to him.)
Cyrax: No! He ripped out my heart, made me a machine...
Sub-Zero: Your soul is intact, Cyrax. Trust me, I speak from experience.
Cyrax: Kuai Liang, is that you? You look so old. And... Scorpion? And who are they?
Scorpion: We'll explain later. For now, know that we share the same goal: the Cyber Lin Kuei's destruction.
Sub-Zero: We need your help, Cyrax.
Leo: I can disable their communications network. It'll shut down this factory and nearly every Cyber Lin Kuei connected to it.
Crow Hogan: Am I missing something here, or do you not want to lose our latest acquisition?(Just as Leo and most of his Morphtronic monsters start working, a multitude of missiles are launched, homing in at a rapid speed in their direction. Moments before impact, Cyrax fires out his digitized trapping net, which catches the missiles and detonates them before they can wipe out the group. There is no mistaking who fired the missiles. Sub-Zero and Scorpion get into fighting stances, while Cyrax merely stares down the robotic nemesis walking into the room. His cyborg form is colored dark red, and he retains his higher thoughts, twisted as they are by his methods.)
Sektor: Frost warned me that you two had become allies. I did not think you capable of such dishonor, Sub-Zero.
Crow Hogan: Guess it's my turn for some action! You guys help out our tech-whiz. Sektor is mine.(To Sektor)You and all your mechanical minions are toast, pal!
Sektor: The past you know is no longer set. The Cyber Lin Kuei will usher in Kronika's New Era.(They fight. Sektor remains as deadly as he ever was when Sub-Zero faced him in the past, with his numerous gadgets and weapons only enhanced by his cybernetic augmentations. But it is still not enough to overcome the strength of the Black Wing Signer, who is able to defeat this metallic nemesis.)
Crow Hogan: The Cyber Lin Kuei are finished. And now, so are you!
Leo: I'm in. I'll reformat the system drives and shut the rest of these bad bots down.
Dumon(OS): And what will you do afterward?(The gang looks to see they've still got trouble on their hands)
Leo: Well, I'll have made a new friend.
Dumon: Have you ever considered what your actions will do to this timeline? How will your new allies react to this course of action?
Marin: You and Cyrax will never be an acceptable pair!
Sub-Zero: My former pupil once acknowledged your words...
Scorpion: And yet, here we are!
Dumon: I do not believe this is an acceptable turn in this discussion.
Sub-Zero: Then... It appears we are at an impasse.(As Hanzo deals with Dumon, Sub-Zero takes on Marin. Yet, although she is considered to be "The Sword of Ice", it is clear just who that title belongs to here)Your fate was sealed the minute you threatened us!
Marin: That may be true for now, Kuai Liang. But make no mistake, there WILL be heavy reparations for this humiliation!(Joined by Frost and Noob Saibot carrying a deactivated Sektor, they are engulfed by one of Kronika's sand tornados and teleported from the facility.)
Scorpion: They've escaped! We should pursue.
Sub-Zero: First we speak with Raiden.
Leo: Alright! Mission accomplished.
Yusei Fudo: Uh, Leo... Perhaps you might need to be outside with your new...friend.
Leo: What? But what if there's some action? I mean, having both of us inside would be...
Rest of the group: Unsafe...?
Leo: Not the word I was looking for.(Back at their new digs, even Ebon isn't happy to hear the news)
Ebon: You're sure?
Dumon: It is true. All of our assets have been deactivated, save for one.
Marduk: But how'd he do it?
Dumon: He assumed that he and Cyrax would be...
Everyone else: Friends?!
Kiel: That boy and that machine?!
Morgana: Well, that sure puts a damper on things. What now?(Meanwhile, Geras is with Erron Black and Kano)
Kano: Our lady Kronika'll get all the service she needs. But I can't quote a fee until I know the job.
Geras: You will see.(They enter a room with Sektor's body on a table.)Can you restore him?
(Kano looks over Sektor, using his metallic eye to shoot out infrared rays and scan the cyborg's inner workings. Several areas of Sektor appear on a nearby monitor showing damage in multiple areas.)
Kano: There's some frame damage, circuitry looks good. (He deactivates the eye scanner.)But it looks like someone did a software wipe. Fixing that won't come cheap.
Geras: Once he is repaired, can he be replicated? Hundreds of times? Thousands?
Erron Black: That's a tall order.
Kano: But anything's possible, with the right help.
Geras: Serve Kronika and she will provide.
O. Kano: Take the deal. Trust me. Otherwise, who can you trust?(Young Kano walks over to his future namesake, and both leaders of the Black Dragon admirably size each other up.)You weren't kidding. S'like a mirror, reflecting the past.
Y. Kano: How about that? Over fifty and still a ripper.(He punches his older self on the shoulder, which is not even felt by the elder. Erron coughs loudly before the two Kanos can get any more intimate.)
Erron Black: There's still the matter of our fee.
O. Kano: We get paid in the New Era. Kronika'll make sure the Black Dragon come out on top. Not only in the black market...in every market.
Y. Kano: Right then. Let's get to business.
(The scene cuts to the Special Forces headquarters. Sonya is chatting with Jax over cups of coffee. Nearby, Jacqui is typing on a communications device. The camera focuses on the screen, and the device displays "Calling Dad" over a picture of Jacqui and her father, the elder Jackson Briggs. The call is interrupted with a red bar displaying "Call Failed". Jacqui ends the call, looking concerned and agitated at not being able to reach her father. The older Johnny Cage walks over to her.)
Johnny: Reach your dad yet, kid?
Jacqui: The network's still down. I hate being so far away. Dad must be climbing the walls.
Johnny: Be patient. You'll get through.
(They both look over to the younger Jax.)
Jacqui: I know my dad's still alive, but... it's like I'm seeing a ghost.
Johnny: You and me both. But they aren't ghosts. Oh... they're definitely real.
Jacqui: Can this get any more bizarre?
(At the Briggs household, things have been no better for the older Jax. And it's clear from the surprise visitors he's about to have, there might be no telling what'll happen)
Kronika: Jackson Briggs.(Jax awakens at the sound of his name but makes no effort to confront the intruder in his house. Kronika looks at him with what appears to be pity and remorse.)Do not fear. I have come to offer you a new life - a better life.
Jax: That's awfully generous, seeing as we've never met.
Zhalia Moon: Let's get out of here. His fighting days are done.
Kronika: No, they're not.(To Jax)We have not met, but I know you. How valiantly you served, how horribly you have suffered. That was not my plan for you.
Jax: Your plan?
Kronika: You were to retire distinguished, not in disgrace. Years from now. General Jackson Briggs. More importantly, your daughter was not to serve, nor endure the same tragedies you have.(She looks to the pictures on the wall.)Your home should be filled with grandchildren. Help me and it will be.
(Jax looks to her, his face uncertain but pondering the weight of her words.)
