Once again, Earthrealm was winning.

Shao Kahn could not believe his eyes. He sat down on his throne, nervously tapping his fingers. He was not used to losing. The emperor watched Liu Kang showboating to his audience, consisting of Kitana, Kung Lao, Sub-Zero and Raiden.

This new, powerful warrior beat Shang Tsung in the Mortal Kombat tournament, and he just beat Kintaro. With the aide of Johnny Cage, he had also beaten the former Mortal Kombat champion Goro. It was not looking good for Outworld.

Did that stop the emperor? Ha! Of course it didn't.

"Liu Kang." Shao Kahn said, looking into the eyes of the new Mortal Kombat champion. "Come here." He pointed at his feet. The Shaolin cartwheeled to the emperor and flipped into his fighting stance.

"You may think that you have won, but don't get your hopes up. You'll make me laugh." Kahn taunted, menacingly. Liu Kang stared into the eyes of the konqueror, fearlessly. Fire was in his eyes. The emperor stopped taunting and stepped back a bit, in slight intimidation.

A small ball of fire formed in Liu's hand, and he played around with it for a moment before he blew it off his hand and assumed his position. "Show me what you can do." He said, as he backed away from the emperor.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The emperor laughed in the face of the champion, almost sure he would win. Plenty of warriors had faced Shao Kahn and died at his feet, shit, most of Earthrealm couldn't even get past his deadly fighters. Liu Kang would be no problem.

Raiden stood in the audience, a few feet away. He was still unsure that Liu Kang would win, as he had expressed the night earlier. But he remained hopeful, as he had beaten all of his opponents including the shokan Kintaro. Sub-Zero, Kitana, and Kung Lao were the only remaining fighters in the audience aside from him.

"Fight!" yelled Raiden. The long awaited battle commenced.

Liu Kang got a head start by landing a flying kick on the emperor, but Kahn caught his leg and threw him to the side. The second he got up, Kahn hit him with a deadly shoulder charge. Did that stop Liu Kang? Definitely not.

He got back up and charged at the emperor, hopping over him and landing a kick from behind and above. As Shao Kahn was on the ground, Liu walked over to him and tried to stomp on him but he got out of the way just in time.

Kahn uppercutted Liu towards his throne.

He walked over to his throne and picked up his staff which was sitting there. He tried to crush Liu's skull with it. Liu caught the staff and shoved it forwards into Kahn. Then he ran up to him and hit a vicious bicycle kick, and sent Kahn to the ground.

The emperor pulled himself up and laughed. "Was that your best?" He asked.

As he regained his footing, Liu tossed a dragon fireball at Shao Kahn, but it just bounced off of him. He tried again. Same results. "Pathetic." Shao Kahn taunted, as he tossed a green projectile of his own at Liu, sending him into the throne. That hurt like hell, Liu would have told you.

Kahn picked up Liu in a choke hold and threw him out of his throne back onto the pavement. He pulled one of the spears from the side of his throne and tossed it at Liu Kang. It missed. All he had to do was try again, and indeed he did.

The second one punctured Liu's chest, causing him to bleed out. Shao Kahn laughed. "Prepare to die!"

The emperor picked up his wrath hammer, which sat near the left side of his throne, and he hit another shoulder tackle on Liu Kang, sending him several feet backwards near the audience. Kitana, Kung Lao and Sub-Zero were looking at him in complete horror and disbelief.

"Come on Liu!" Kung Lao yelled! "Your realm is depending on it!" Kitana encouraged him.

Liu Kang pulled himself up, weakly. He pulled the spear head out of his chest and tossed it at Shao Kahn, but it just bounced off of him. The emperor and the peaceful warrior charged at each other.

They collided, and Kahn's hammer smashed Liu Kang's skull. He became very dizzy and fell into his knees. Kahn sent him into the air from the strike of the hammer. Liu crashed back onto the ground, and as soon as he landed, Kahn stomped on him a bunch of times.

"Is that all you got?" Liu Kang asked, struggling to get up.

Shao Kahn choke lifted Liu Kang into the air. He tightened his hold on him, and strangled him. "The chosen one." Kahn taunted. "You Shaolin are weak." He slammed Liu Kang on the ground. He turned around and walked away, believing he had won.

Liu Kang was not done.

He got up, weakly, and tossed a chain of fireballs at Kahn. But again, they all bounced off of him. His body lit up green as each one bounced off. To finish the job, Kahn tossed his hammer at Liu Kang, hitting him in the abdomen and landing the final blow.

Shao Kahn had won.

The three in the audience looked at each other in complete shock. They hurried to Liu's aide. Shao Kahn walked away, laughing and boasting about his victory. Liu Kang remained by the throne, with the mighty hammer tossed into him.

"Outworld has won again." Kitana said. "He cheated." Sub-Zero said. "Of course he did." Raiden said. Kitana grabbed Liu Kang's hand to check for his pulse. "I'm sorry, Kung Lao. Sub-Zero. Raiden." Kitana said.

"Shao Kahn thinks that he has won." Raiden said. "But this tournament is not over. We have another fighter." He said. "Who?" Kitana asked. "Where are they?" Sub-Zero asked. "I'm going to go get him." Raiden teleported away. Meanwhile, Kitana was still checking for Liu's pulse. She found it.

Meanwhile…

Johnny was barely conscious. He wasn't dead, but he was on his deathbed. Sonya sat there with him, holding his hand. Raiden teleported in front of them. "Raiden!" Sonya greeted him. "You gotta help him!" She pleaded. Raiden agreed.

"Yes. Step aside, Sonya." He said, as he walked up to the weakened Johnny. "He's dying!" Sonya reiterated, in a panicked way. Raiden was super chill, he almost looked emotionless. "Do not worry…" The thunder god boosted up his hands with healing energy, and he pressed Johnny's chest.

His body absorbed the energy and all of his wounds healed up. Once Raiden was done, Johnny felt like he had been reborn. He felt recharged, and ready to go. "He will not die today." Raiden said, smiling. "He's back!" Sonya said, happily.

"I'm back! The scars are gone! Thank you Raiden!" Johnny said, energetically moving around and giving Raiden a hug. He also gave Sonya a hug, which she accepted but pushed him off after a few seconds. Despite what the look on Raiden's face said, he was more than happy to have Johnny back.

Everyone's victorious, happy faces didn't last long.

"Sonya. Jax lost both of his arms fighting Kintaro." Raiden said. "What?! Where is he?!" Sonya freaked out. "He's okay, I healed his wounds." Raiden reassured her. "Johnny, Liu Kang has been beaten by Shao Kahn." He continued.

The energetic thrill in Johnny died down for a moment. "Liu Kang lost to Shao Kahn?!" Sonya asked, surprised. "But he was the chosen one!" Johnny yelled, in sadness and dissapointment. "Yes, he was but he lost." Raiden said, hanging his head down.

"So now it's up to the runner up, the greatest actor… no… the greatest martial artist of all time to go and kick his ass." The thunder god rose his head back up, and smiled. "Woah woah woah." Johnny said. "I almost died fighting Mileena. What chance do I got against Shao Kahn?" He asked.

"A much better chance than we ever would have thought." Raiden encouraged him. "Go out there and save your realm." Johnny nodded, and put on his sunglasses. "Our realm." Sonya added. "You bet." Johnny replied.

They headed back to Kahn's arena.