Following after the already previewed pages depicting Scorpion’s death and rebirth and the opening salvo of the Scorpion vs Raiden fight, Scorpion elbows Raiden in the face, stabs him in the chest with his spear, and wraps it around his neck, telling him that “if he’s in there, he hopes this hurts”. Bringing him to his knees and strangling him, Hanzo, in full Scorpion mode, blames Raiden for giving him the dagger, destroying the second Shirai Ryu, and now killing Takeda. But Kenshi’s son calls to him, severely weakened.. Scorpion goes to assist him, while Raiden, coughing, apologizes, stelling them he is now purged, and that they must act quickly to save Takeda’s life
.
(It isn’t explained specifically, but the implication is that going by Kano’s earlier statement that only death can free someone of the Kamidogu curse, I’m guessing that Scorpion stopped Raiden’s heart just long enough for it to count as a momentary death for a god who can never die – this is likely how Raiden is freed.)
The two take Takeda to the Jinsei Chamber, home of Earthrealm’s life force. Raiden attempts to heal Takeda (awash in blue enrgy and lightning), but he does not wake up; he states that the Netherealm is fighting for his soul, but Takeda is fighting back; Hanzo taught him well. Takeda then awakens, feeling ‘invincible’. Raiden now explains his actions:
We flash back to the aftermath of the Netherrealm war: Raiden implores the Elder Gods to destroy Shinnok’s amulet which now keeps him prisoner; they banished him once, he returned and they banished him again; he needs their help to end this. The Elder Gods explain that destroying the amulet would release Shinnok; that which binds him also keeps him safe. Raiden suggests safeguarding it within a dark dimension; The Elder Gods agree; but a lock is only as good as its key – by their behest, the Kamidogu appear before Raiden.
Each blade has tasted the blood of the One Being, its essence dwells within them. United, their force will contain Shinnok, with the help of the blood of a god – the elder gods enact a ritual, sending the Kamigodu flying into Raiden’s flesh. The ritual worked.
Back in the present, Raiden explains that it was not safe to keep the Kamidohgu in one location; he entrusted them each to deadly champions. Hanzo is irate at this, as Raiden never explained their possessing, psychotic side effec ts. Raiden tells him in was in the champions’ best interests to consider them nothing more than sacred relics in the event they were ever pressed for information (“you can’t betray ignorance”.) He did not, however, foresee a demon corrupting the blood magik. Scorpion suspects Quan Chi; Raiden doubts this, but states that Fujin is investigating the Netherrealm border, just in case. Scorpion asks who else has these daggers; Raiden states that all the other Kamidogu are accounted for save one, stolen years ago…
Bukkittinggi, Indonesia:
Sub-Zero crashes through a window, pursued by generic Lin Kuei cyber-ninjas. Addressing him as
Kuai Liang, they advise him to stop running. Sub-Zero, wielding the remaining dagger, tells them he has no weaknesses. Blazing with red energy and hovering in midair, he unleashes a massive ice wave which freezes them all; and hears the voice through the dagger in his ear; “Blood is the path. The time of the blood god is near.”
Raiden notes that Sub-Zero never returned, Scorpion postulates that he betrayed him. Raiden states that whoever corrupted the Kamidogu is clearly after Shinnok’s amulet; Sub-Zero must be saved, to save themselves. He asks for Hanzo’s help. At Takeda’s prompting, Hanzo agrees.
In Outworld, An unknown person addresses Reiko, who is studying texts; Goro’s failure was a setback but it revealed blood magik as the source of Kotal’s strength.
Reiko has done everything the mysterious figure – who he addresses as ‘cleric’
D) - has asked, but obtaining the daggers could take years. But the cleric knows where they are. Reiko wants to know how much longer he must share Mileena’s bed; the cleric assures him when the daggers are united, Reiko will not need Mileena, or even himself. He will be emperor of Outworld, and the blood god…
Outworld, the Jungle:
D’Vorah spears a lizard with one appendage and eats it; Sonya is disgusted. D’vorah offers to regurgitate it to share it, only for Sonya to cut her off. Johnny offers Reptile 10 bucks that says “his baby mana snaps before D’vorah.” Sonya is snappy as usual, Johnny defends himself by insisting he’s trying to keep a light atmosphere. Quiet time ensues as the party looks up to find Erron Black heavily beaten, bleeding and tied to a tree above them. Sonya orders hi cut down so he can talk.
We flash back to the confrontation with Mavado over Cassie and Jacqui. The girls conspire to escape in the commotion while Mavado reminds Kano he outbumbers him two to one; Kano takes off one of the Red Dragons’ heads with a laser blast for his trouble.
The fight begins, and amidst the chaos, Erron unties the girls. He offers to get them out if they’ll fight; Jacqui understands, and instantly punches him in the face.
Kano promises to reunite Mavado with Hsu Hao, mocking his death at the hands of “a blind man and a dead guy”. He has mavado on the ropes but is saved by one of the RD goons hitting him in the side of the head with a projectile.
Jacqui continues to pound on Erron, who’s trying to explain something, she is in turn punched out by Kano. He helps Erron up and tells them that they have to fall back, asking for the teleportation stone. Kano laments Erron’s behavior; “this is why you could never be Black Dragon Erron, you’re trying to save people instead of exploiting them.” With that, he flees, leaving Erron to Mavado’s mercy. Mavado slashes him up, only to be startled by Jacqui and Cassie, who gun down more of his men. Mavado states that Reiko wants them alive, but he didn’t say “in once piece”. He attacks, and Jacqui grabs him from behind. Cassie breaks Mavado’s leg at the knee, grabs one of his swords,
and vivisects him from groin to neck, spilling his guts everywhere.
Back to the present, Cage looks in bewilderment at Mavado’s remains
(“My little princess did THIS?”) Erron rises, bloodied, and tells them the Red Dragons left him to pass on a message: “You are invited to Shang Tsung’s island.”
Sonya states that Tsung is dead, she askes who is there. The answer is Reiko’s spiritual advisor, an ancient cleric named…Havik.
On Tsung’s island, standing alongside Reiko before a banquet, Havik (in his MK9 main outfit), addresses his new guests: “Please enjoy this feast we’ve prepared. It may be your last."
