This was it. The battle that would determine the fate of Earthrealm forever. If Shao Kahn won this fight then he'd be able to complete the merger of Earthrealm and Outworld that had been temporarily put on hold as he went to fight the defenders of Earthrealm. The defenders advanced but were knocked back by a blast of soul energy from Shao Kahn. The Emperor laughed sadistically as he watched all the defenders stand up, something that Shao allowed. The Emperor, wise yet cocky, would always toy with his final aggressors before completing his goal (which was usually conquering another realm.) Kahn believed that his greatest victory was now inevitable and when empowered by the souls of all the victims from Earthrealm who's souls he had stolen it was hard to not see why he was this confident.
"This is your final stand, Shao Kahn." Raiden informed him.
"For you? Yes." Kahn corrected him. "For me? I am immortal!"
"Interesting how our predictions conflict with each other." Raiden commented as he charged his lightning powers to his hands. "Now Shao Kahn, let us see who guessed right."
"It's not a prediction, fool." Kahn informed him. "It's a spoiler."
Raiden didn't reply and immediately flew forward with his signature dive where he struck his front fists into Kahn. The Emperor would've made an immediate counter by due to the lightning on his hands, Raiden's fists began shocking and thus causing Shao Kahn to lose control of himself. He couldn't feel the pain but his body still reacted to being shocked. Raiden managed to force Kahn into a pillar which the Emperor crashed through and stumbled to the floor. Raiden had figured out a method for defeating the Emperor and that was to hold him down with the use of lightning as one of his many allies could deliver a blow that would actually finish off the tyrant Emperor. Raiden began the process that he had tried previously where he brought lightning down on Shao Kahn.
"I'm holding him down!" Raiden informed his allies as they were still running across the giant room to reach the Thunder God. "Somebody attack him!"
Nightwolf immediately understood what Raiden was attempting and launched his pair of Tomahawks at Shao Kahn, one striking his left hand and stabbing it to the floor and the other doing the same to the right hand. Fujin then leapt into the air and launched his sword at Kahn and it impaled him in the middle of his chest. Hsu Hao joined in and blasted the laser from his cybernetic heart at Kahn's body. Mileena threw her Sai at the Emperor and Kitana copied her but used her steel fans instead. Stryker then joined in and began unloading rounds of bullets at the Emperor, but something wrong was happening. The bullets were being absorbed by an invisible barrier of some sort. The barrier then turned into a transparent green energy and it blasted all the defenders back as well as destroying the floor around Kahn. The Emperor stood up.
"I cannot be stopped!" He yelled as he tore out all the weapons that impaled him.
"H-how?!" Raiden himself was shocked by how Kahn's body was completely unscaved from the beating he had just sustained.
"This is what we meant." Kitana informed him.
"Yeah." Mileena confirmed. "What do you suggest we do?"
Raiden paused for a moment, for once he didn't know the answer.
"Brother?" Fujin called out.
"We should attempt to dissect him." Raiden figured. "There's no way his powers can prevent a decapitation."
"If it's what we must do." Nightwolf replied through gritted teeth. "Then we'll comply."
"Thank you." Raiden said gratefully.
"Take your time to regroup." Kahn laughed.
Nobody replied to him, they instead continued strategizing while Kitana and Mileena checked in on Sindel.
"Did he hurt you?" Kitana asked her mother.
"Nothing major." Sindel assured. "I'll be fine, petal."
"Okay…" Kitana replied. She wanted to catch up with her mother so badly and the feeling was mutual but they didn't have the time. "What about you sister?"
"I'm fine." She replied.
"Then I'm the same." Kitana said lovingly.
"NOW!" Raiden suddenly yelled, his frustrated voice echoing throughout the structure.
Goro suddenly leapt over the hole that was surrounding Shao Kahn and tackled Kahn down the hole in the floor and down to the level below. The weight of the two warriors was too much for the next level to handle and thus they crashed through and ended up on a third floor. Both men quickly stood up and engaged in a grapple. Goro used all his might but the soul empowered Shao Kahn was too mighty and hoisted the Shokan over his shoulders and smashed him into a wall and then dropped him on the floor with full force.
As Kahn slumped Goro, he turned to look out a window by his side after seeing a strange shadow and watched Fujin fly through the glass and then kneeing Kahn in the face which had enough force to somewhat daze the Emperor which allowed Goro to quickly recover and get off several extra punches (which were all completely ineffective) on Kahn before the Emperor returned to his senses and cracked his Wrath Hammer into Goro's back. Kahn then swung at Fujin but his hammer was blocked by Fujin's sword. As their weapons collided, Fujin knew he'd be overpowered in the struggle so he quickly drew his crossbow which was already loaded and blasted an arrow into Kahn's eye at point blank range. Shao didn't react to the fact that his evil looking right eye was now impaled by an arrow and advanced at Fujin. Shao smashed his hammer into Fujin's gut which winded the God. Kahn laughed at Fujin's pain for a moment before dragging Fujin to another window and throwing him out with his hammer like he was swatting a fly. Fujin crashed through the window but stuck the landing to the floor with relative ease.
As Kahn watched the Wind God fall, Baraka snuck up on the Emperor and stabbed his blades into his back before dragging him to a close enough distance where Baraka could chomp down on his neck. Baraka bit a huge chunk out of Kahn's neck and spat it out in Shao's face. Kahn shoved Baraka away by using his soul magic to blast him through a wall. Then from a corner in the corridor that the fight was taking place, Goro returned to Kahn and kicked him in the face with such force that it knocked Kahn's helmet off. Shao Kahn's hideous face was exposed and an angry expression rested on his face as he grabbed Goro by his throat and launched him across the hallway. Jarek and Tasia then ran into the room and charged at Kahn, Jarek using his signature axe and Tasia using her twin blades. The two criminals performed some excellent but ultimately pointless teamwork attacks on Shao Kahn who simply shook the pair of them off him. Sonya Blade and Hsu Hao then ran in which prompted Kahn to toss his hammer like a discus which collided with Sonya. Hsu Hao then began blasting his laser heart at Kahn as he ignored the laser and began picking up Tasia and Jarek by their throats. Shao then put Tasia in front of the laser, using her as a human shield. Tasia screamed in pain and it was blatant that the attack was only affecting Tasia but Hsu Hao didn't stop, there was no harm in harming a Black Dragon scumbag.
"What are you doing, Hsu?" Sonya asked while holding an arm over her injured body from Kahn's Wrath Hammer attack. "Stop!"
"Sorry." Hsu Hao quickly apologized and ceased his laser attack. "I didn't realize!"
"I've had my fun now." Kahn stated. "Now you're all becoming quite frustrating."
Shao launched both Tasia and Jarek into the air before crashing them both through the floor by using his soul magic to further accelerate them down to the ground along with natural gravity. Hsu and Sonya ran at Kahn but were blasted back. Goro attacked Shao once again, he wrapped all four of his muscular arms around Kahn from behind before suplexing him through the floor. Goro went to jump down the hole he had just created but Shao leapt in the air with an upwards shoulder barge which knocked down Goro as well as raising Kahn high enough to cling onto the edge of the hole and pushed himself up through it.
"I was not expecting you to betray me." Kahn admitted. "Why would you make such a brave decision, MY Champion?"
"I'm not your Champion anymore." Goro replied.
"You're right." Shao realized and thus agreed with the Shokan. "You lost that position after you failed me."
"You failed Outworld." Goro informed him. "And now your Empire is falling apart."
"It seems many of you have forgotten your place." Shao figured. "Once I conquer Earthrealm I will sort this matter out."
"That is for the next ruler to solve." Goro stated.
"There will never be another ruler!" Yelled Kahn.
As Shao made this claim, the rest of the defenders had found Kahn and began surrounding him. Before, Kahn would've been amused by the effort being shown by the many defenders but now he was becoming frustrated and annoyed despite being in no position of losing this fight. Shao was still completely fine from the fight so far but it was becoming tedious trying to stop so many fighters. In an attempt to end things more quickly, Shao Kahn utilized his now vastly stronger soul power to create fistfuls of soul energy which he threw one by one at everyone at a rapid speed like they were dodgeballs. The only person to counter this attack was Raiden who wrapped the energy in a ball of lightning before sending it back to Kahn with enough force to actually stagger him back a bit. Raiden considered that maybe Shao Kahn's own power was his weakness. Kahn tested Raiden again and blasted a beam of soul energy from his two hands but Raiden blocked it with a lightning wall, unable to send it back to Kahn due to the amount of energy and effort that it would require. Shao Kahn on the other hand, wasn't concerned about the energy he was wasting on the Earthrealm defenders as he was certain that he had more than enough to spare. Hsu Hao and Sonya ran at Shao Kahn but like everyone else who opposed him, they were knocked aside. Kahn once again summoned his Wrath Hammer and went to crush Sonya Blade but Raiden intervened by shocking the Emperor with a lightning blast that came from the tips of Raiden's fingers. With his attention now focused on the Thunder God, Shao Kahn began approaching Raiden. Hsu Hao saw an opportunity and pushed himself up so that he could grapple Shao Kahn from behind and perform a back suplex onto the stone floor. Hsu Hao then jumped in the air and landed both feet on Kahn's chest which caused them both to fall through the floor.
"We really are trashing this place huh." Kabal remarked.
"C'mon," Stryker gestured to Kabal to come down the hole. The other defenders once recovered, also joined. "Let's keep at him!"
Stryker dropped a flashbang in front of Kahn as he struggled up to his feet which successfully blinded his one working eye. Kahn's other eye was trying to heal but it was still impaled by one of Fujin's arrows and therefore couldn't but due to his immunity to pain, Kahn didn't bother tearing the arrow out and had even forgotten about it at this point in the fight. Kabal then leapt down the hole and launched one of the circular Sawblades that he had equipped to his back at Shao Kahn. The blade spun around as it travelled through the air before connecting with Kahn's chest where it stabbed him deeply. Stryker then unloaded several bullets at the temporarily blinded Emperor who had no idea that he was even being shot at due to his newfound immunity to pain. Unknown to Shao Kahn though was that the abilities he had gained from absorbing the Soulnado which allowed him to subconsciously ignore pain and have his wounds heal almost instantly was in fact draining his limited supply of energy.
Jarek and Tasia who had fallen through the floor earlier now rejoined the fight. Tasia stabbed her twin blades through both legs of Kahn and Jarek launched his lasso around the swords and pulled the blades forward, imapling Kahn's legs before eventually stopping as the hilts of the swords prevented them from being pulled all the way through Kahn's legs. Shao Kahn tried to move but his legs were being pulled forward by Jarek. Tasia ran over to help Jarek with tugging the Emperor which was helping just to anger Kahn further as well as holding him in place. Kabal then ran at Kahn from behind and hooked his sides with his two Hook Swords and began pulling back as Tasia and Jarek pulled him forward which further helped in keeping him in place.
"What's happening?!" The still blinded Emperor cried out as he had almost completely lost the ability to move.
"Somebody execute him!" Tasia ordered as she struggled with the lasso.
Shao Kahn proceeded to summon his Wrath Hammer before once again throwing it in the direction where he had heard Tasia's voice. The hammer clipped Tasia on her cheek which created a booming smack and caused her to fall back into Jarek and both criminals then lost grip of the lasso. The flesh on the left cheek of Tasia had been almost completely torn off by the small spikes on the side of the Wrath Hammer to such an extent that when Jarek checked on her as she lay on the ground he could see the bone behind her cheek.
"Tas!" Jarek cried out as she cradled Tasia in his arms. "Your face!"
"S-shit." Tasia stuttered, still feeling the impact of Kahn's Wrath Hammer. "I don't look like No Face do I?!"
"Not at all." Jarek reassured her.
"G-good." Tasia muttered. She then proceeded to touch her face. "Ow!"
"Don't do that!" Jarek advised. "I'm getting you somewhere safe."
"Was that a fucking bone that I just felt?!" Tasia asked.
Jarek didn't respond and began carrying her past the other defenders as they entered the room.
"Give me an answer!" She demanded.
"You'll be fine."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"It was your bone." Jarek finally confirmed as he sat her outside the room in the Fortress' stairway. "Shit there's nobody with medical supplies…"
"You realize this now?" Tasia asked. "Look, I'll be fine. You actually being worried makes me worried."
"Sorry." Jarek apologized.
"Just go help the others." Tasia instructed. "They could use a meatshield."
"Har har." Jarek made an obviously sarcastic laugh. "Just stay safe."
"Stop worrying about me and piss off already!" Tasia demanded.
Jarek did what Tasia requested and returned to the fight against Shao Kahn. Shao had fought Kabal off him and had slammed his fists onto the ground which knocked everyone down. Shao Kahn began tearing out the many blades that were impaled into him as well as the arrow in his eye. Kahn tossed a handful of weapons across the room with ease before setting his newly healed eye on Jarek.
"Fuck." Jarek cussed.
Shao Kahn began chasing Jarek as the criminal began running back to the stairway but suddenly stopped and listened. Jarek could hear footsteps. Distracted by the sound, Jarek was left vulnerable to Kahn's hammer as he batted Jarek across the room right as the door from the stairway flung open and all the other defenders who had been previously captured in Outworld began filling the room thanks to Meat and Skarlet rescuing them from their bindings.
"How are you all here!?" Kahn asked in genuine shock. He then looked over and saw the duo of Skarlet and Meat. "You."
Shao Kahn stared daggers at his failed creation known as Skarlet, who stared back at her failure of a father figure. Shao Kahn then turned to Meat.
"And what the hell are you?" Kahn asked.
"A creature made by a sorcerer who works for YOU." Meat gave a fiery reply.
"Damn you Shang Tsung!" Kahn cursed. "So it was you two who freed these pathetic defenders?"
"We didn't want to fight Ermac." Meat stated.
"Ermac... another failure to come from those Flesh Pits." Kahn jabbed at the constructs. "I see that no good deed goes unpunished."
"You planned to have us publicly executed!" Yelled Kung Lao. "Is that what you call a good deed?"
"Not only would I have given you time to savour your final moments but I would've made your deaths a grand spectacle." Kahn explained his logic. "And I funded for the Flesh Pits to be built! Were it not for me then none of you monstrosities would've ever been born!"
"You expect us to be grateful?" Meat asked. "I have spent countless years trapped in that damn place! And not just me! Many many many more are in the very position I was in until earlier today."
"I don't care."
Meat charged past his allies and leapt at Kahn in a fit of rage. The Emperor grabbed him with ease and went to snap his neck only to be stopped by Skarlet who used her ability to control blood to teleport Meat himself back.
"You pathetic coward!" Kahn insulted. "To think that I was considering adopting you as my daughter."
"Enough!" Scorpion ordered.
"Leave her alone!" Kung Lao yelled.
"We've heard and… "seen" enough of your abuse, Shao Kahn." Kenshi informed the Emperor.
"Let's get down to action!" Johnny Cage eagerly recommended.
"Gladly." Responded Shao Kahn.
Johnny Cage squared up to Shao Kahn before performing the splits and delivering a nut punch. Just like pretty much everything else Shao Kahn had sustained in this fight, he didn't react to the pain.
"Aaand cut…" Cage said as the Emperor picked him up and launched him across the room like a frisbee all the way into a wall on the other side of the open floor.
The Emperor turned to the others and went to use his soul empowered energy to send a blast that would knock down the newly arrived defenders. Unlike the previous times, Kahn was unable to send a blast at full force as it merely staggered his enemies back instead of wiping them off their feet. Shao Kahn had finally realized that his supply of soul energy was running out. The Emperor began panicking as he thought that he may not have enough energy required to complete the merger. Ignoring those who opposed him, Shao Kahn rose a hand in the air and exerted all his energy and unleashed it in the form of a beam into the sky which signalled that he had continued the merger.
"Somebody stop him!" Jade instructed.
First the group of Saurians known as Reptile, Khameleon and Chameleon began attacking the Emperor. Reptile clawed at Kahn's body using his sharp nails as his chameleon comrades began utilizing abilities of those they had previously encountered in their journeys. Chameleon turned an orange yellow and began setting Kahn on fire with Scorpion soon joining in to further burn the Emperor. Khameleon and even Tanya joined in with burning the Emperor with Khameleon adapting to Tanya's pyromancy abilities to be able to unload fireballs on Shao Kahn. Liu Kang realized what his allies were doing and joined in by using his fire elemental abilities to help with trying to burn the Emperor to a crisp. Despite all this offense he was suffering, the Emperor wouldn't budge at all. Shao had put all his focus on the merger and was as still as a statue, hoping that he had the energy to finish the merger.
"It's not working!" Scorpion shouted.
Jade joined in by delivering her signature blazing nitro kick to Kahn before flipping back and extending her staff. Jade then began repeatedly striking Kahn's body in several places with the end of her staff. Kenshi joined the fight by beginning to perform kicks and punches from afar which were hitting Kahn thanks to Kenshi's use of telekinesis. Kung Lao then launched his razor hat at the head of Shao Kahn in an attempt to finish him once and for all. This was unsuccessful as Kahn saw the oncoming hat coming at him and turned his head to the side, causing the hat to only scratch against the metal material of Shao's helmet. Meat also decided to launch his head at the Emperor in a pointless attempt as his head bounced off Kahn's chest and rolled back to Meat's body as Skarlet continued to watch, unable to bring herself to attack the only father she had.
"What can we do?!" Kung Lao asked in frustration as his hat returned to him.
"Make way." Tremor commanded. Everybody turned and faced Tremor as he walked forward with a boulder raised over his head. The defenders backed away from the Emperor and Tremor then hurled the boulder at Shao Kahn but even that wasn't enough to budge Shao Kahn.
"He won't stop!" Khameleon shouted while beginning to give up as she began to become tired.
"We have to try!" Chameleon replied to his sister.
Suddenly, the building began shaking violently. Everyone turned to Tremor for a second time and saw him standing with his eyes closed. The geokinesis gifted criminal was concentrating on demolishing the Fortress from the earth beneath it.
"What are you doing?!" Reptile asked.
The other defenders who Kahn had previously blasted with his soul magic were beginning to recover, the tremors going through the building seemingly woke everyone up. The defenders regrouped, some stumbling their way to their allies and others needing help to even stand.
"Trem?!" Jarek called out. "Are you crazy?!"
"Do not distract him." Fujin instructed.
"Everybody retreat!" Raiden ordered. "Lead the way, brother."
The defenders complied and began moving down the stairway under the leadership of Fujin. Shao Kahn meanwhile, didn't let the collapsing building stop him from continuing his progression with the merger. Raiden stayed to make sure everybody had evacuated. Once he was certain that everybody was on the move, Raiden himself went to leave but spotted Jarek at the doorway with Tasia.
"Leave!" Raiden ordered.
"Somebody's gotta stop Tremor!" Jarek replied.
"This is suicide!" Tasia added.
"His strategy could work." Raiden considered.
"You're letting him sacrifice himself?!" Tasia asked.
"It may be necessary." Raiden admitted.
"Bullshit!" Yelled Tasia. "You know this will do absolutely nothing to stop Kahn! You just want to find an easy way to eliminate our kind."
"If I wanted you dead then why am I going to do this?" Raiden asked.
"What are you doing?" Jarek was confused as Raiden grabbed his wrist and then Tasia's arm.
"Get off me!" Tasia demanded.
Raiden ignored them and used his ability of teleportation to bring himself, Jarek and Tasia away from the crumbling building and watched as the rest of the defenders soon came sprinting out the structure and joined the group of three.
"Is everybody alright?" Raiden asked.
"We're living." Sonya replied as she held a hand over her stomach in pain. "That hammer sure does pack a punch."
"You're telling me." Tasia said as she pointed a finger at her own cheek. "And where's my weapon?"
"Here." Kabal handed her the swords that she owned. "I picked them up on my way out."
"Oh shit." Johnny cussed. "Do you need any help, Sonya?"
"It's just another day on the job." She responded. "Thanks though."
"And how is it that you all are here?" Fujin queried.
"Shao Kahn had left his soul construct Ermac to occupy us as we were trapped in restraints made from Kahn's magic." Liu Kang accurately detailed. "Thanks to Skarlet and… sorry what was your name, friend?"
"Me?" Meat asked, not used to being talked to.
"Why yes." Liu confirmed.
"It's Meat."
"Meat?"
"It's because of my-"
"I can see why." Liu informed him. "I'm just surprised is all."
"Liu Kang…" Goro called out quietly.
"Goro." Liu greeted.
"THE Goro?!" Meat finally realized that he was standing next to the nine time Mortal Kombat Champion himself.
Goro smiled at Meat in appreciation of his surprising admiration for him before turning back to Liu Kang.
"I firstly need to apologize for supporting Shao Kahn's plans for conquest by agreeing to be his Champion." Goro apologized. "Secondly…"
Goro stretched his lower right arm out. Liu Kang took one of his three enormous fingers and shook it as a sign of respect.
"I have the utmost respect for you, Goro." Liu Kang informed him. "I look forward to working together for the greater good."
"As do I." He replied.
"I'm proud of you two." Mileena told Skarlet and Meat.
"It was no problem." Skarlet replied shyly.
"It is great to see you again, Skarlet." Reptile said as the two embraced in a friendly hug.
"And how are you, my love?" Mileena asked Baraka.
"I'm fine." He replied. "Just missing the others."
"The Tarkatans?" Mileena asked.
"Specifically Karbrac." Baraka added. "I put him in charge while I went to help with whatever this task has been… I hope he's doing alright."
"I'm sure he's doing an excellent job." Mileena assured. "He will make a fine successor to your army."
"Indeed he will." Baraka agreed.
"I am proud of everyone who stands by our side today." Raiden stated. "Thank you all."
"Um… HELLO?!" Tasia yelled.
Hsu Hao sighed. "What is it?"
"Our friend's currently sacrificing himself for our own safety!" Tasia snapped. "Some fucking respect would be appreciated."
"And you're all talking like this is over." Jarek added. "How do you think that this will stop Shao Kahn when nothing else we tried before did?"
"His powers weaken over time." Kung Lao assumed.
"Lao's right." Liu Kang agreed. "He sent a blast of his soul energy at us and it merely staggered us back a couple of steps. I then looked at his eyes and I saw something. Fear. Shao Kahn is afraid that he may not win."
"Ok but how would HE know this?" Jarek pointed to Raiden.
"I-" Raiden went to give his excuse but suddenly the Fortress came falling down. The Skyscraper structure tilted to its side as it plummeted into the ground leaving only rubble. Everybody stood in both silence and shock as they examined the remnants of the building.
"Well?" Tasia questioned. "What are we waiting for?!"
Tasia quickly began sprinting over to the rubble with Jarek quickly following.
"Keep an eye out for Shao Kahn." Raiden advised as the other defenders also began to approach the rubble.
After several minutes of searching through the rubble, no life forms could be found. Shao Kahn and Tremor were both missing.
"Still nothing!" Tasia yelled in frustration.
"Keep searching." Fujin instructed.
"We have to find Shao Kahn's body to confirm his defeat." Nightwolf added.
"And I need to hope that my friend isn't dead!" Tasia cried out.
"What if he isn't dead?" Johnny questioned.
"Then I'll be relieved." Tasia responded truthfully.
"I meant Shao Kahn…" Cage clarified.
"Fuck you!"
"We now know that he at least can be defeated." Liu Kang replied. "So we'll just have to keep up the fight."
"If he is dead then shouldn't the merger have ceased?" Nightwolf asked. "I think he lives…"
A sudden noise came from beneath a pile of rubble as large pieces of stone were being thrown off the pile with ease. The defenders braced for Shao Kahn only for Tremor to emerge from the rubble.
"Tremor!" Tasia cried out in joy, a rare emotion for her to show. Tasia then did something even rarer for her and hugged his friend. Tremor didn't return the favour.
"Good to see ya, Trem." Jarek stated.
"Where is Shao Kahn?" Tremor quickly asked.
Upon uttering this question, there was movement on the other side of the Fortress' ruins. Shao Kahn came crawling out a pile of brick and stone and began standing up.
"No…" Sindel muttered. "It can't be…"
"How are you still alive?!" Raiden asked.
"Thought that I'd be defeated so easily, Raiden?!" Shao Kahn asked as he summoned his Wrath Hammer. "Ha! I am Shao Kahn! Emperor of Outworld! Conqueror of realms! I am-"
Kahn suddenly felt something. A sharp pain in his chest. Then another stabbing feeling in his back. Then his legs and arms. Everything was beginning to feel like agony. Shao Kahn had realized that his brand new ability to sustain pain was only temporary and he had now lost said power. So now? Now Kahn was now feeling literally everything that he had previously shook off in his battle with the defenders. Shao Kahn's own ability of soul manipulation would prove to be his undoing. The Emperor collapsed to the floor while still crying out in agony.
"The pains finally caught up with him." Raiden realized.
"So we've won?!" Johnny asked.
"I wouldn't be so sure." Raiden replied. "He's capable of anything."
"So what do we do with him?" Nightwolf questioned.
"Kill him." Kenshi guessed. "What else would we do?"
"I will consult with the Elder Gods about how we should handle his fate." Raiden promised. "For now we should restrain him."
"On it." Stryker said as he drew a taser and a pair of handcuffs.
As Stryker approached Kahn as the Emperor cried in pain on his side facing away from the defenders, Kenshi sensed something.
"Look out!" He warned. "Kahn's doing something."
Kenshi's senses were correct as Shao turned as fast as he could and launched a soul ball at Stryker. The police officer couldn't dodge it in time but managed to block it with his fists. Upon connection with Stryker's fists, the soul energy exploded and covered the surrounding area in a green swirl. After a moment, the swirl passed and Earthrealm had reverted back to its normal self. The merger had been stopped and all the Earthrealmers who had been victims of the Soulnado had returned to existence as if nothing happened.On top of this, the damage caused from the invasion as a whole appeared to be no more with buildings now recovered in a state matching to that before the merger.
"What just happened?" Stryker asked, baffled by the fact that they were now inside the Empire States building despite having watched it fall moments ago.
"We just stopped the merger." Raiden informed everyone.
"And we stopped Shao Kahn too." Kitana added. "Today is a great day for both Eathrealm and Outworld."
"Well done everyone." Fujin praised his allies.
"There is still much work to be done." Raiden stated. "We need to spread word that the invasion is over, we need to explain this whole mess to the people of Earthrealm, we need to deal with Shao Kahn and somebody needs to claim the throne of Outworld."
"May I suggest bringing Shao Kahn into Outworld custody while we decide the next ruler?" Kitana suggested.
"I approve of that." Raiden approved. "Just be sure to comply with whatever decision I and the Elder Gods make with Shao Kahn's fate."
"Of course." Kitana confirmed.
"The taser made him pass out." Stryker said as he dragged the cuffed Emperor to the other defenders.
"I'll carry him." Goro offered and scraped up the unconscious Shao Kahn and scooped him over one of his upper shoulders.
"The portal back to Outworld is still intact." Jade revealed as she pointed to the unscaved portal that had fallen into the rubble and the portal device was left flat on its back.
"Then we'll be going now." Kitana decided. "And mother… we need to catch up."
"Indeed we do." Sindel spoke with a warm smile on her face. "Lead the way, my daughter."
"I'm sure our comrades will be sending the news to the Government." Sonya referred to the Special Forces.
"First we need to tell them the news to pass along though." Hsu Hao pointed out. "Let's not forget to bring Kano and No Face with us."
"Excellent." Raiden commented. "Fujin and I shall consult with the Elder Gods."
"Where's Jarek, Tasia and Tremor gone?" Kabal asked.
"On the run again." Stryker sighed. "I was hoping to give them another chance."
"Everything is nearly resolved." Raiden concluded. "Thank you all and I will see you all very shortly."