(5 Years Ago: Cave North of A Village)

A child, 11 years old to be exact was hiding inside a cave, his breath wavering as he felt his heart was going to burst.

'What's wrong child? Scared? You should be! Just wait when I take over."

'You take over? You mean when I take over, you dolt!"

'We'd all be dead if any of you take over!"

Tears ran down the child's face, he was scared, alone...with only the many souls entrapped inside him.

Rain started pouring down outside the cave, and a crack of lightning put the child on edge.

Then the thunder god himself, Raiden, entered the cave and started walking towards the child.

Child: "No, stay back!"

He warns and accidentally fires a blast of green energy, but Raiden swipes it away using lightning.

Raiden: "You cannot harm me...even if you wanted to."

The child then starts crying, causing Raiden to kneel down.

Raiden: "What is your name?"

Child: "...Ermac."

Raiden: "I am Raiden...God of Thunder and Lightning."

Ermac was shocked but then had a look of relief and confliction.

Ermac: "If you really are Raiden...please kill me. I don't want people to die...or to live like this."

Raiden: "I would rather save you...if you will let me, Ermac."

He states offering his hand to Ermac who looked at him, he then took his hand, and in a flash of lightning, they were gone.

(Present: Sky Temple)

Ermac was meditating, near the Jinsei, it's energy calming the souls within him, and while doing so, he was listening to Frost's rants.

Frost: "I mean seriously?! Could the all poweful Lord Raiden, not find any better Kombatants? My brothers excluded, everyone else shouldn't be a Kombatant. Scorpion obviously cannot be trusted. Johnny Cage is a cocky self righteous asshole! Kenshi is blind for fucks sake! Kung Lao could care more about seeing a flower bloom than actually fighting. Jax is a 2nd rate fighter at best! And the twin sisters probably can't fight for shit. Then you..."

Frost then gets infront of Ermac, close to his face, he was unfazed and kept meditating.

Frost: "Actually from what I hear, you're the most powerful fighter here...so why even bother with everyone else?"

Ermac: "Because what you just said about my friends is the opposite of what they are...Scorpion atones for his sins and would sacrifice himself for the greater good. Johnny may appear as arrogant, but he's a good person, and even better friend. Kenshi may be blind, but that does not make him useless. Kung Lao is the most experienced and skilled out of all of us. Jax may seem lesser, but he'll prove you wrong. As for the princesses...they can fight better than you."

He states then teleports away, leaving Frost in the Jinsei Chamber.

???: "Can't fight for shit...is that right?"

Frost then turns to see Kitana who was not wearing her mask, having a calm, but annoyed expression.

Frost: "Yeah, what of it?"

Then a fan was thrown close to her face, getting lodged into a pillar, Frost looked at Kitana with a smirk.

Frost: "You missed."

Kitana: "Did I?"

She states then Frost then feels blood dripping from her cheek, she wipes it and the fan teleports back to Kitana's hand, who had a smirk.

Kitana: "You. Me. Right now."

Frost had a pissed off look and cracked her knuckles.

Frost: "Gladly."


(Cage Yacht: Training Room)

Scorpion had set up multiple targets around the room, he had his kusarigama in hand and started spinning it.

"You disgust me! You let outsiders masquerade our as clan and let their killer get away!"

He then closed his eyes and spun the kusarigama around, and started practicing, it was as if using his spear, but more complex, he had hit all of the targets in one single attack.

"Not to mention you've befriended 3 members of the Lin Kuei!"

The weapon then ignited in flames as Scorpion started performing a vortex attack, the flames increasing.

"You given up retribution! You forsake our fallen! Our parents!"

Scorpion's body then was engulfed in hellfire as he kept the vortex going, unaware of the room being lit ablaze.

"Speak! You worthless piece of-"

Scorpion: "SHUT UP!"

He states then stops the vortex but the damage was done, the room was scorched and half the weights were melted, and other equipment was on fire.

He takes a breath, then starts to exit the training room to see Ermac standing on the side of the door.

Ermac: "Did he try to break free?"

Scorpion: "No, just...lost control."

Ermac: "Hanzo, I can always set up a mental block-"

Scorpion: "It won't work...Believe me. I've learned to with it...with him."

He states and started heading upstairs and Ermac looks back at the training room which was destroyed.

Sub-Zero then walks by and sees the training room, he raises an eyebrow and looks at Ermac.

Sub-Zero: "Scorpion?"

Ermac: "Yes...but it is nothing over his control."

Sub-Zero: "Okay then. Have you seen Frost? I need to inform her about a mission."

Ermac: "At the Sky Temple. She has...colorful opinions on the team.'

Sub-Zero: *sighs* "Thanks, Ermac."

He says then teleports as Ermac makes his way upstairs.


(Living Room)

Johnny was sitting on the couch, he scrolled through texts, looking over them, a somewhat gloom look on his face.

Ermac comes in and feels the thoughts coming from Johnny and he goes over to Johnny.

Ermac: "Are you okay, Johnny?"

Johnny looked up at Ermac, his usual facade now showing, but slightly faltered.

Johnny: "What? Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Ermac: "Your thoughts say otherwise."

Johnny then sighed and places his phone down.

Johnny: "It's my parents...they're texting to see if the "private school" is to my liking."

Ermac: "Private school?"

Johnny: "That's the cover story I told them so Raiden could recruit me. They don't know about the things we do."

Ermac: "And you wish to tell them?"

Johnny: "Yeah. I mean, no! But...I don't know. I mean believe it or not, my parents can be a-holes...but they love me in their own way, hoping I end up as lawyer or doctor."

Ermac: "But you want to be an actor."

Johnny: "...Okay, dude, we talked about reading minds during convos like this."

Ermac: "Sorry."

Johnny: "But yeah...I want to tell em, but I can't. And only God will know how they react."

Ermac: "It seems being one of Earthrealm's Kombatants is stressing you out. What about Sonya?"

Johnny: "I mean, we're still going out. But now that you mention it...she's been either canceling or rescheduling our dates, or straight ignoring me and I haven't done anything wrong...that I know of.

Ermac: "I'm sorry to hear that...perhaps I can be of help?"

Johnny: *chuckles* "Thanks man, but you don't have to."

He says then leaves the room, leaving Ermac there, confused.

Ermac then stands up and heads to his room, he then sits on his and cross his legs then starts to meditate.


(Sky Temple)

Sub-Zero arrived at the Sky Temple and saw his sister and Kitana fighting on the training ground, he saw Kitana actually winning against Frost and he watched, analyzing her fighting style.

Her style was nothing but grace and agility, It was as he watching a ballerina dance, Kitana notices him watching the fight...well her, very analytically.

She smiles and winks at him, he chuckles then Frost sees him and confusion raises in her.

Frost: "What are you doing here Kuai?"

Sub-Zero then steps onto the training ground and looks at his sister.

Sub-Zero: "I came looking for you, Kenshi and Smoke are going to the South under Lord Raiden's orders, there are rumors of a Kombatant there, he wants you to join them."

Frost: *smirks* "Finally, Lord Raiden sees a use for my talents."

She looks at Kitana who raises an eyebrow at her.

Frost: "We'll finish this next time."

She states then teleports, Sub-Zero looks at Kitana who walked up to him, the two stood in silence till Kitana broke it.

Kitana: "About when we were...intoxicated..."

Sub-Zero: "Yes...that was...unexpected."

Kitana: "Yes, but from what I can recall it was also fun."

She says smiling and Sub-Zero had a expression of surprise, then Kitana trips him causing him to sit back on the steps.

Kitana then straddles him and pulls down her mask, he does the same and they start making out, in between Sub-Zero pulls back, confused.

Sub-Zero: "Wait, I thought Edenians didn't consort with commoners."

Kitana: "We don't...but you are an exception."

Sub-Zero was still confused but shrugs as they proceed to be each other's embrace.


(Docks)

Kenshi and Smoke were loading their luggage in the truck, then Frost comes from the yacht with her things then hands to Smoke.

Frost: "Where are we headed?"

Smoke: "Texas. There's a Kombatant there that's very skilled in Marksmanship."

Frost: "Marksmanship? Not that impressive?"

Kenshi: "Rumor is, that he shot a hummingbird from 50 yards."

Frost: "...Okay, that's actually impressive."

They then get in the truck, Smoke started the engine and they started to drive off, leaving the docks.