Based on Mortal Kombat 3 and Ultimate MK3.
Frost, Kenshi, and the vampires come from MK: Deadly Alliance.
The future vision of Shao Kahn winning is from MK9.
Ermac and Rain are from Ultimate MK3.
Otherwise, the rest really goes back to MK3. John Tobias' MK3-era artwork was just amazing, and has inspired me, since 1995, to want to adapt the story of MK3.
MORTAL KOMBAT X, Part 6: SHAO KAHN TAKES EARTH.
INT. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MORNING
The Sun rises over an empty, dead, deserted town.
Chicago, Illinois is empty today.
INT. CITY OF CHICAGO
From a far distance, we see the buildings
of the inner city, the water, a bridge.
Everything is empty and deserted.
INT. CITY - STREETS
Many mortal men and women lay on
the ground, across the city's streets.
We slowly LOOK UP to see a S.W.A.T.
officer, armed with a gun, running forth,
looking left, right.
From the S.W.A.T. man's POV:
He runs forth. Gun ready. Aims it
around. Looks up at the rooftop.
Nothing, anywhere.
BACK TO a normal angle. He
talks into his radio.
STRYKER
This is officer Stryker, contacting
Dispatch. Officer Curtis Stryker,
contacting Dispatch. DAMN it!!
Why am I not getting a signal?
BLACK.
INT. DESERT - EVENING
In the endless miles of desert sand,
nobody is walking.
Except Shao Kahn.
The silhouette of the Emperor,
holding his War Hammer, stands
far away. He slowly comes closer.
He stands over a monument made
of bone, meant to carry a dead body.
A mummy, covered in white bandages
all over like an Egyptian Pharaoh,
rests forever on the bone tomb.
Shao Kahn's Shadow Priests,
wearing all purple robes, stand
over the mummy.
Slowly, they are unraveling the
white bandages, to reveal
the body underneath.
SOON - her face is revealed completely.
SHAO KAHN
Queen Sindel. You were dead for 2,000 years.
Now . . . you will walk again.
He holds up the red Deathstone, and it starts
to glow with bright red energy.
SHAO KAHN
Now . . . using the spilled blood of the kombatants . . .
you shall rise up . . . in Earth!
CLOSE ON Sindel’s eyes, as her dead body
suddenly reanimates for the first time in over
2,000 years.
PULL BACK from Sindel’s head, to reveal
her surroundings in the desert.
SINDEL
Where am I??
SHAO KAHN
You are in Earth.
SINDEL
Earth?? . . . What am I doing here?
SHAO KAHN
I have brought you back to life - on Earth.
You are now one with this world. I will
rule the Earth as its Emperor. And you
shall be my Empress.
SINDEL
I am the Queen of Edenia. Not Earth.
SHAO KAHN
Yes. Well. Earth and Edenia
are now both one. Outworld.
You shall remain as my Empress.
SINDEL
Yes.
Shao Kahn has stolen the souls of the entire population of planet Earth, starting in China, ending in North America, claiming billions of human souls his own. Raiden has protected the souls of certain people in the Earth - the survivors of the 10th Mortal Kombat tournament, and the Outworld battles. Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya, Sub-Zero, Kenshi, Jax, Kung Lao, Hornbuckle, Bo, and Kitana are still alive, due to Raiden's protection. There are four newcomers they must meet: S.W.A.T. officer Curtis Stryker, Native American werewolf Nightwolf, crime-fighting vigilante Kabal, and Sub-Zero's sister, Frost, who was born in China but raised in Colorado.
RAIDEN
Although I've protected you all, you must
also meet the four newcomers. Their names
are Stryker, Nightwolf, Kabal, and Frost.
LIU KANG
Raiden. I don't understand.
I don't understand this. We won
the 10th tournament! Shao Kahn
cannot take Earth!
RAIDEN
Yes, Liu Kang . . . Earth did win the tournament.
Still, Shao Kahn is not a pleasant loser.
He is determined to take Earth, through
fair means or foul. Even though he lost
the tournament, he has taken Earth anyway.
LIU KANG
How?
RAIDEN
From what I know . . . he has resurrected
Sindel, the old Queen of Edenia, on
Earth grounds.
LIU KANG
Sindel? . . . Okay.
RAIDEN
The process of merging Earth with Outworld
will be a six-day process. We are on the
second day. Look . . .
Raiden points up to the sky.
Liu Kang looks up. The blue sky of Earth
is beginning to develop a purple swirl.
LIU KANG
Why is it turning purple?
RAIDEN
The merging process has begun.
In time . . . it will be red.
LIU KANG
How do you know?
RAIDEN
I've seen it.
LIU KANG
You mean . . . you can see the future??
So tell me what happens. Tell me the final
outcome!
Raiden remains silent, grimly.
RAIDEN
You would not like all the things
I've seen from the future.
INT. CHICAGO - MIDDLE OF THE STREET
Shao Kahn walks slowly down the street.
Standing by his side is Queen Sindel.
Shang Tsung walks on the opposite side of Sindel.
CUT TO a farther-away angle. Many humans form
the first ring of Shao Kahn’s Armies.
Several Masked Guards are walking at the head of
the humans.
Cryomancers form the second ring of his Armies,
walking behind the humans. They all wear the same
black and blue colors in their attire.
Tarkatans form the third ring, behind them.
Reptilian Saurians, dozens in number, are walking
behind them. Most are green, but some are gray.
They are headed by gray-skinned male Chameleon,
and female Khameleon.
Four-armed Shokan walk in rows and columns,
headed by Sheeva.
Half-horse Centaurs walk in rows and columns,
headed by Motaro.
Winged vampires march behind them.
VAMPIRES
Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn!
CUT TO a farther-away angle of the entire set of
extermination squads, all walking down the streets at once.
VOICES
Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn!
The vampires, the Centaurs, the Shokan, the Saurians,
the Tarkatans, the Cryomancers, and the humans are
all chanting the same thing.
VOICES
Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn! Hail Kahn!
We STAY STILL in the street, as Shao Kahn slowly
walks closer to us. Without him taking off his skull-like
helmet, the burning red glow of his eyes is visible.
SHANG TSUNG
At last, your plans have come to light!
(Shang Tsung’s attire: a black robe, and black collar
around his neck.)
SHAO KAHN
Don’t think you will gain favor with me by
talking praisingly. I have no more use for
you, Shang Tsung - none. You are lucky
enough to be given the chance to serve me.
SHANG TSUNG
Y-yes, Master.
SHAO KAHN
Tell me. Why, necessarily, should I let you live?
SHANG TSUNG
Because I will kill Raiden for you.
SHAO KAHN
Raiden? . . . No! I want him for myself.
You may have any of his mortals that you please.
SHANG TSUNG
Very well. I will show you the severed heads
of all your mortal enemies!
EXT. ARCADE BUILDING - SOON
The Sun is setting, turning the sky orange and pink
for a short time. The Sunset-soaked light shines down
upon a connected set of public store buildings.
In the glass display of Big Joe’s Arcade: a sign reading CLOSED.
Johnny Cage pokes his head out from the side
of the CLOSED sign.
INT. ARCADE BUILDING
From behind Johnny Cage’s head, and over his
shoulder, we see the army of Centaurs marching
down the street.
JOHNNY CAGE
We are doomed. This is it. We are doomed.
SONYA
Stop saying that.
JOHNNY CAGE
But look. You guys have seen it. The tournament, we
lost it, somehow. Everything from Outworld is spilling into
Earth. Outworld has, in fact, overtaken our planet. The
Emperor of Outworld has, in fact, won. Let’s not sit in
denial here. Everything is over.
RAIDEN
Nothing is over so long as any of you
continue to draw breath.
JOHNNY CAGE
No. We’re finished. Us humans, we failed
to take the tournament seriously enough. We
failed to realize what was at stake. Outworld
was at stake. And this is what happens when
Earth loses.
LIU KANG
No! We won the tournament! You and I BOTH
won our matches in the tournament!
JOHNNY CAGE
Yeah . . . well . . . we won the tournament,
but this Shao Kahn guy just invaded us anyway.
They all look out again, out the glass wall
that shows them the streets and sidewalks beyond.
Centaurs are walking down the street.
JOHNNY CAGE
Mortal Kombat is over. Planet Earth is over.
Looks like we lost this time.
LIU KANG
Listen. Johnny Cage. Listen to me!
JOHNNY CAGE
Yeah?
LIU KANG
We’ve always won before. Right?
So we’ll do it again!
JOHNNY CAGE
Win again? And then what? Then he just
. . . comes back twice as strong, or something?
No. No. Everything’s over. Earth is gonna
be one with Outworld and there’s nothing we
can do about it!
Liu Kang frowns.
LIU KANG
Yes there is.
Liu Kang starts to walk out of the building.
JOHNNY CAGE
What? No. No! No! No! Liu Kang, no!
Johnny Cage runs outside, after Liu Kang.
INT. CHICAGO - STREETS
JOHNNY CAGE
Liu, no! Wait! Come back here!
LIU KANG
Centaurs!
The Centaurs continue to pass by. A few
look at him. One laughs.
LIU KANG
Take me to your leader!
CROWD CENTAUR 1
Sey takka ta?
CROWD CENTAUR 2
Soto sah.
CROWD CENTAUR 3
Caro motho!
Crowd Centaurs 1 and 2 laugh.
Johnny Cage approaches Liu Kang’s side.
JOHNNY CAGE
Yeah. Show us your leader!
One Centaur growls. He races ahead,
at insane speeds beyond the rest of the
Centaurs, to circle around and do a 180-
degree turn, to race back in the direction
of Liu Kang and Johnny Cage.
MOTARO
If you want to face the leader . . . here I am.
My name is Motaro. I am King of the Centaurs.
INT. ARCADE BUILDING
JAX
Mr. Cage is in real trouble.
SONYA
Shit. I need to help them!
JAX
Sonya, no! NO!
Sonya races away quickly, outside.
INT. CHICAGO - STREETS
MOTARO
Here you are. Raiden’s protected ones.
You two make me laugh, letting your location
be known to us. The Emperor will be pleased
when I deliver you to him - dead, or alive. Now.
I will give both of you one last chance - a chance
to live. Will you serve Shao Kahn, the Emperor
of Earth and Outworld?
LIU KANG & JOHNNY CAGE
Never!!
MOTARO
Then it is decided: I will bring you to the Emperor, dead.
JOHNNY CAGE
Let’s dance, Mr. Ed.
Liu Kang and Johnny Cage get ready for kombat.
SONYA
Johnny, no!
Johnny Cage turns, and sees Sonya, from a distance.
JOHNNY CAGE
Sonya. Stay back. Liu and I will deal with this.
SONYA
Johnny, you’ll die!
JOHNNY CAGE
I have to try.
Johnny Cage gets close to Motaro, and is about
ready to attack him. But Liu Kang arrives and
quickly delivers a roundhouse kick to Motaro’s waist.
Moving fast, he executes a second roundhouse kick.
Johnny Cage attacks Motaro’s upper, human half
with some martial arts.
LIU KANG
You’ve had extensive martial arts training?
JOHNNY CAGE
Of course I have! You know how
many movies I’ve been in? Lots of trainers.
Motaro growls, running forward and grabbing
Johnny Cage with his two human arms. Possessing
the strength of a horse, Motaro lifts Johnny up into
the air and throws him very far through the air.
Motaro runs toward Liu Kang, and he spins his own body
around to kick Liu Kang with his back horse-legs.
Liu Kang goes flying through the air, his body
quickly spinning 90 degrees away.
Motaro could proceed with Liu, but he instead turns
his attention to Johnny. Motaro races toward him
and knocks him back with only his left hand.
Liu Kang, with his energy so built up, uses all
his concentration to gather together orange energy
in the air. Soon enough, he throws a ball of
fire in Motaro’s direction.
The fireball flies at Motaro, who simply
raises one hand.
The fireball slows down . . . stops . . . then
reverses its direction and flies back at Liu
Kang. The monk flies through the air after
being struck by his own fireball.
JOHNNY CAGE
Take this, you . . . horse-fucker!
Johnny Cage throws a ball of green energy through the air.
It, too, stops before reaching Motaro, and instead
flies back to hit him in the head.
Johnny Cage is knocked back, worse than Liu Kang.
Motaro runs at Johnny. Before he can get up,
Motaro stands over him, dominating him.
JOHNNY CAGE
Oh, no.
As soon as Johnny Cage has risen to his feet,
Motaro grabs his neck with his right hand.
MOTARO
This is the end, human.
SONYA
Nooo! Johnny! NOOO!
Johnny looks back at Sonya, for a second.
JOHNNY CAGE
Please . . . p-please, don’t!
MOTARO
Now . . . you will die.
Motaro squeezes harder, and rips Johnny Cage’s
head off his body.
LIU KANG
Nooooo!!
Jax has run through the scene, and he slows
down as he sees the sight.
Motaro is holding Johnny’s head up. Blood
gushes out of his open neck. His body soon
collapses to the ground.
Motaro runs on, away from the mortals, back
to leading his crowd of Centaurs. Leaving the
rest of the mortals alive, for now, they march on
down the street.
One Centaur, with a long black beard, stops
to talk to Sonya.
PASSING CENTAUR
Challenge us to battle - and we will stomp out
each and every single last one of you.
The Centaurs walk on.
Jax grabs his own upper left arm with his right
hand, remembering the loss of his real arms.
The entire crowd of Centaurs is now walking
on, and the mortals are powerless to do anything
else but to watch.
SONYA
I’m so sorry, Johnny. You were right . . .
we really did lose.
LIU KANG
He knew we had all lost. At least he tried
to do something about it.
SONYA
So, now what? Now we kill ourselves?
Or do we wait for them to do it for us?
We wait for them to . . . to make good on
their word, to stomp us all out?
LIU KANG
I . . . I don’t know what to do.
SONYA
I don’t either. We don’t even have a world
to save anymore. Even if we could save the
Earth . . . it’s all gone.
Jax puts his right hand on Sonya’s shoulder.
JAX
I’m sorry, Sonya.
FADE TO: BLACK.
INT. CHICAGO - MIDDLE OF THE STREET - THE NEXT MORNING
We FLOAT ON down the street, several stories above the
road, to observe the many rooftops of the buildings in
the southeastern section of Chicago.
Newspapers are flying through the street, with nobody
left to stop it or clean anything in the city.
The sky overhead has become a stormy mixture
of purple, gray, and now red.
INT. CHICAGO - CITY STREETS
RAIDEN
Liu Kang. Look. This is the third day
of the merging process. By the sixth
day, it will be complete, and Earth will
merely be a province of Outworld.
LIU KANG
And on the seventh day?
RAIDEN
On the seventh day, Shao Kahn and I
will be the only ones left standing.
Then . . . then there will only be one left.
LIU KANG
How do you know this?
RAIDEN
I've seen it, before . . . I never shared
this with you before, Liu Kang. But shortly
before the 10th tournament happened, I
saw a vision of the future.
LIU KANG
. . . What happens?
RAIDEN
There are many possibilities. Many paths
in the road of time. I have looked ahead
into the future and seen many different
paths, many possibilities, yet to happen.
But. One of them involved Shao Kahn
as the last one left standing. I can't let
that be the future that comes true.
LIU KANG
Is there anything we can do to stop this?
RAIDEN
You must combat his entire extermination
squads, and his generals. You must combat
his Empress. And you must combat the
Emperor. We all must fight with what little
we have left in us to stop the tyranny of my
half-brother.
LIU KANG
This battle is impossible. I tried to never say
that. But look what happened to Johnny.
This battle, to defend Earth, is impossible.
Hopeless. Impossible.
Up ahead, another new figure is approaching.
Soon enough, he makes himself known. Scorpion.
Missing his mask, his bare skull head is visible.
LIU KANG
What could it be now?
SONYA
That’s Scorpion. An Outworlder.
LIU KANG
Scorpion . . . we . . . we really don’t have it
in us to fight anymore.
SCORPION
Are you serious?
LIU KANG
Yes. Besides - what is there to gain, right now,
by killing us?
SCORPION
Why did you think I was here to kill you?
LIU KANG
You’re an Outworlder. You fight for Outworld.
SCORPION
That is true. I used to fight for Outworld.
But I never intended to serve Shao Kahn.
I never intended to serve the Emperor.
The only reason I went to Mortal Kombat
was to have revenge against Sub-Zero -
nothing else.
LIU KANG
You’re not here to kill us?
SCORPION
No! I am not one who serves Outworld, or Shao Kahn.
I only went there to find Sub-Zero. Now I am here . . .
to help you . . . stop Shao Kahn.
LIU KANG
You’re here to help us?
SCORPION
If we all travel together, on the same side - Earth -
against Outworld - we will more likely win.
LIU KANG
You want to travel with us?
JAX
And we’re supposed to trust him?
SONYA
How can we trust you now, Scorpion?
SCORPION
I guess you can’t. But our time is running out.
We have almost no time left. We must fight now,
if we are to win.
SONYA
Fight’s over. We lost.
SCORPION
The fight has only just begun.
SONYA
Do you expect us to take on all those
Centaurs, by ourselves?
SCORPION
Yes.
SONYA
All those Centaurs, and all those Reptiles,
and all those . . . those other things!
SCORPION
There is a way. There always must be!
A small crowd of robots, walking identically to each other, connected to a united network of robots, approach Sub-Zero, the last Lin Kuei left to escape automation. Earlier, the younger Sub-Zero and his friend Smoke had found escape from the Lin Kuei. But Hydro, recently converted to an automated assassin, captured Smoke to have him converted as well. Now Smoke is here to fight Sub-Zero, and bring him back to Lin Kuei Headquarters. Sub-Zero urges Smoke to remember that this is not his will. Smoke is now nothing but a programmed cyber assassin, here to capture Sub-Zero. Removing his mask entirely, Sub-Zero has renounced the Lin Kuei clan entirely. He won his fight with Smoke, but is not happy about it. A deep scar has formed near his eye.
SUB-ZERO
My entire clan, the Lin Kuei, ran the
Cyber Initiative. Everyone in the clan
was converted from a human into these
. . . mechnically-enhanced things. You
don’t understand. I’ve been in this clan
my whole life. The old Gransmaster,
he would NEVER have approved of this!
Replacing human discipline with machinery!
JAX
So why did it happen, then?
SUB-ZERO
The Grandmaster died. He had a heart attack.
When he passed away, his son, Oniro, took over
the position of leading the clan. Ever since
Oniro took over, nothing has been the same.
JAX
So, the Cyber Iniative, it was all Oniro’s idea?
SUB-ZERO
Correct. I cannot prove it - but I strongly feel
that Oniro arranged the death of his father, the
old Grandmaster, just to take over his position.
Cyrax and Sektor were the first two conversions.
After that came Hydro. Right then, me and Smoke
ran away. We sought refuge in Outworld . . . where
we met you. Now . . . now Smoke is one of them, too.
The only one left to convert is me.
JAX
Yeah, well, we won’t let them.
Sektor is not resisting the augmentations, and as such, he is taking one step ahead of the rest of the cyber-organisms. Sektor has gotten his hands on heat-seeking rockets, once sought by the Black Dragon gang, and he is able to add it to his own permanent arsenal.
CLOSE ON Kano. He twists his head to the left
for a second. His animalistic half is in control.
Then his head returns to normal - the human side
of Kano.
SHAO KAHN
Kano. Your soul still occupies your body, your
doppelganger. You may notice that you and the
doppelganger are wrestling for control of that body.
KANO
I’ve noticed!
SHAO KAHN
I could own your soul. But I let you live.
I let you walk the Earth. I have some use for you.
KANO
You do?
SHAO KAHN
You will teach my Armies how to use Earth’s weapons.
KANO
And if I don’t?
SHAO KAHN
I will take your soul.
KANO
So! Teach your armies! What kind
of weapons are we talking here?
SHAO KAHN
Guns. Knives. Rockets. You will teach these
weapons to my Armies, until they have all learned
how to use the weapons for themselves.
KANO
You picked just the right guy for the job!
I know all about weapons. I - I used to have
all kinds of connections. You know. Back when
they were . . . still around.
SHAO KAHN
Come with me. Step with me into this portal.
Shao Kahn uses both hands to manipulate orange
energy. Slowly, he begins to tear open a portal.
Kano swallows nervously.
KANO
I’m ready for their education!
Soon, the portal is open completely. Shao Kahn
steps inside, followed by Kano.
EXT. WATERFRONT WAREHOUSE - EVENING
Shao Kahn and Kano step out of a portal
to walk on the street in front of a waterfront
warehouse.
Here, many Shokan are standing in a crowd,
almost neat enough to make rows and columns.
SHAO KAHN
Attention! Here he is. Your education in weapon
training begins!
KANO
Ahh! Yes! Hallo there! The name’s Kano.
And I’m here to teach you guys all how to use
weapons to kill people. Now. You ready for
your first lesson?
Kano presents a knife in one hand.
KANO
Knife. Kniiiife. This black part, here - you grip
the knife by this. This blade, the sharp part, is
the “blade”. You THROW the knife at a person -
and you do some real damage.
Kano presents a gun.
KANO
This is a “gun”. It kills people.
CROWD CENTAUR
THAT little thing kills people?
KANO
Watch.
Kano aims the pistol at a brick wall, and POW!
The used bullet flies out of the gun and strikes Kano
on the metal part of his face.
KANO
Ahhh, damn it! Okay. Now, ladies and . . . gentlemen.
Look. Look at the thing I just shot!
CENTAUR
I am not impressed with this “gun”!
KANO
Fine, look at THIS!
Kano falls down to one knee, holds both arms
out ahead of him, and begins to open fire on a
car parked in the street. His goal is to break the
glass windows of the parked car.
POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!
And then he is out of ammo. Click. Click.
KANO
Out of ammo. Damn it! Observe. “Out of ammo.”
Means no more bullets. For right now. See, that’s how
it works, you get SIX shots - that’s with a six-shooter,
anyway - and then that’s it. Then you have to reload,
put more bullets into the chamber.
Now. This is nothing. This is a Glock. This is a kid’s gun.
A REAL assault rifle - higher caliber, I’m talking a 39
magnum rifle - THAT has some real kick to it.
CENTAUR
I am not impressed by any of this “gun” talk!
I don’t think we need them!
KANO
These are Emperor’s orders. Now, you wanna
go against Emperor’s orders?
The Centaur falls silent.
KANO
Okay, then! Let’s go on! “Out of ammo.”
Cannot kill anyone. Must reload. Now. How to
reload a gun. This is why I like knives better . . .
He opens up the gun. He pulls out the six chambers
from the barrel. He loads one bullet in. Rotates the
chamber. Loads the second bullet in. Rotates the
chamber. Loads the third bullet in. Rotates the chamber.
KANO
I’m telling you. Killing people, it’s kind of like fishing.
Do you guys have fishing? You guys go fishing, where
you come from? Well, it’s like fishing. There’s . . .
there’s a process to it, there’s rules. You learn the
rules, and you go and you hunt, and you kill.
Number One rule of a gun. AIM. Aim at just the
right spot. Now, MOST guns - you aim an inch or
two to the right. That’s the hard part.
CENTAUR
(to his friend) I still don’t think these guns are necessary.
His Centaur friend nods his head.
SOON - Kano walks around in front of the vampires.
KANO
Now, I want YOU to aim at those targets,
and try to shoot down those targets.
The vampires aim their new guns at their
red-and-white targets.
POW! POW! POW! POW! Kano smiles
as he watches the vampires at work.
SOON - he shows the Shokan how to aim
a double-barreled shotgun.
KANO
THIS has some kick to it. You fire a shot,
you’re forced to take a step or two back.
This is not a pistol, like the last gun.
No, no, baby. This is bigger than a pistol.
SHOKAN
Shokan weapons never run out of ammo.
KANO
Well . . . sorry, but, this isn’t Shokan.
The Shokan aims the rifle up, near Kano’s head.
KANO
Hey, hey! Watch it, now! Let’s not misfire!
Wait. That’s one more lesson. Another lesson!
Misfire! Try not to shoot each other out there!
SHOKAN 2
Why are we listening to a . . . human anyway?
Why do we have to listen to him? The Shokan AND
the Centaurs are both listening to Kano!
SHOKAN 1
Well, this is how it works. He can teach us Earth’s weapons.
SHOKAN 2
Still! Do you accept this?? Do you accept
that the Shokan and the Centaurs have to work
together like this? That we’re forced to train
alongside those . . . Centaurs? Do you LIKE this??
SHOKAN 1
No! No, I don’t like this! But what choice
do we have? We must learn from this Kano.
SHOKAN 2
I’m not training under this human, next to
those Centaurs!
Sonya and Kano fight each other on the rooftops of Chicago, and Sonya throws Kano off a roof, watching him die a second time.
JAX’S VOICE
What happened?
SONYA
Me and Kano got into a fight.
JAX’S VOICE
And who won?
SONYA
I threw him off the roof.
JAX’S VOICE
Nice.
SONYA
(exhausted) So Kano is dead. And with him dies
Shao Kahn’s attempts to educate his armies
with Earth’s weapons.
INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY
Jax is talking into his wrist-comm.
JAX
I’m glad to see you’re okay. I’ll see
you here back at the hotel.
SONYA
For sure. Lieutenant Blade out.
INT. CHICAGO - STREETS - NIGHT
A crowd of robots walks down the street,
making identical motions. The robots are
all silver in color. They walk in perfect rows
and columns down the Chicago street.
INT. HOTEL - 5th FLOOR - NIGHT
Sub-Zero and Jax look out the window together.
JAX
So all these robots are looking for you, huh?
SUB-ZERO
I was the last Lin Kuei to escape the clan.
This is strictly against their rules.
JAX
Hmm. Hey, whatever happened with your
friend Smoke?
SUB-ZERO
. . . Smoke?
JAX
Yeah, your Lin Kuei friend wearing the gray?
Weren't you two both escaping your Lin Kuei clan?
SUB-ZERO
Yes. We were. We thought Outworld would be
a place of refuge from them.
JAX
But?
SUB-ZERO
But, one of their cybernetic assassins followed us
to Outworld, and captured Smoke, to have him brought
back to Headquarters. There, he was converted.
JAX
Converted? Converted into what?
SUB-ZERO
Into one of the mindless things you see out there.
JAX
. . . What?
Jax looks out the window again, out at the robots
that walk down the street.
JAX
I'm not comprehending this. How does a
human being get transformed into a robot?
SUB-ZERO
All that metal that you see, it's just outer
casing, placed over the body. It's like
armor. Underneath, those men are still
very human - flesh and blood.
JAX
Really!
SUB-ZERO
Really.
JAX
. . . Then . . . they're not robots. They're not
machines. They're more like . . . half-human,
half-weaponized machine assassins.
The ultimate ninja assassin.
SUB-ZERO
Not ninja.
JAX
Right, right. Sorry. Lin Kuei.
SUB-ZERO
Mindless and obedient. All sense of
individual thoughts or personality gone.
JAX
And your buddy Smoke was
turned into one of those things?
SUB-ZERO
Yes. He may be any one of them now.
JAX
I don't understand. Why is it that all these
robots are silver, except these two colored
folks in the front? Ketchup, and Mustard.
SUB-ZERO
Yes, "Ketchup" and "Mustard" are Sektor and Cyrax.
Their job is to lead the search-and-capture missions.
They want to do to me what they did to Smoke.
I would be left . . . as one more of those things.
Sub-Zero shakes his head.
SUB-ZERO
I'll never have my life back. Never!
Even if I get out of this alive. I'll never
be able to just go back to the good days.
The days when my clan was on top of it
all. When Smoke was just a human. And
Hydro! And my brother! And the real
Grandmaster. Now . . . now everything
I know and love is gone.
JAX
Hey . . . listen. I understand it's not easy.
You see people dropping like flies. You
wish the world was easier. But it's not.
SUB-ZERO
I'm the last one left that's a human.
The last one left! I'll never have
the life that I need back!
JAX
Hold that thought. Looks like Ketchup and
Mustard just found a way to break inside the
building.
Although Smoke failed to capture Sub-Zero, now Cyrax and Sektor approach him. Inside the hotel building, Sektor fires heat-seeking rockets, and Sub-Zero tries to manipulate ice to protect himself, but he is eventually struck by a rocket and knocked down, to be captured in a bio-net by Cyrax. Kept in containment, he is told by both robots that he will be coming back to Lin Kuei Headquarters to proceed to automation.
Nightwolf, seeing Sub-Zero beaten, transforms into a wolf. Shedding his humanity, he unleashes his animality, the wolf called Kiva. Sub-Zero is no longer a friend, while Nightwolf is Kiva. He attacks Sub-Zero for a second, but is then attacked by a robot, and so Nightwolf takes everything out on all the robots in the area. Sub-Zero is glad to have Nightwolf as an ally. Cyrax, robot, is assumed killed in this battle. Sektor leads the robots away from the hotel, retreating. Once Nightwolf is done, he begins to calm down. He ends up attacking Sub-Zero again, who freezes the werewolf's legs until he will transform into a human again at sunrise. Still, Sub-Zero thanks Nightwolf for saving his life.
They remain on guard at the hotel together, on Floor 3.
SUB-ZERO
We’ll need to get food and drink.
Frost and I can go get some, and
come back.
SONYA
Are you sure?
SUB-ZERO
We are the only two who can freeze things
that get in our way. We’ll bring back enough
food and drink for everyone.
SONYA
It would spoil.
SUB-ZERO
Not if it’s frozen.
Sub-Zero and Frost walk out of the hotel door together.
The door closes behind them.
INT. HOTEL - HALLWAY
Sub-Zero and Frost begin the long process
of leaving the hotel, by walking down the
hallway.
SUB-ZERO
I don’t have a keycard on me. Do you?
FROST
No.
SUB-ZERO
Shit. We’ll just have to knock on the door
when we want to get back in.
FROST
Suppose everyone is asleep.
SUB-ZERO
We’ll knock. Wake someone up.
FROST
We could always just freeze the door,
and shatter it, you know -
SUB-ZERO
No! Never. Then, any kind of monster could
get inside the room.
FROST
Well, whatever. Let’s go get some food and drink.
(eying a vending machine)
Gaaaasp! Chocolate M&M’s!
SUB-ZERO
Don’t be silly. The machine isn’t working.
FROST
Ohhh, man, I don’t have any money on me right now.
SUB-ZERO
Let’s walk.
We FOLLOW SUB-ZERO on his walk down the hallway.
SUB-ZERO
Now. In order to get all the way there safely,
we have to constantly watch the other’s backs.
Make sure nobody is coming, from both south
and north, all the time. We can freeze whatever
we want, but we still must stay hydrated -
Turning his head, he suddenly realizes
she’s not next to him anymore.
SUB-ZERO
Frost??
Shatter! Much ice breaks apart, behind him.
Frost is dealing with a vending machine
whose glass has been frozen and shattered.
SUB-ZERO
Frost. Did you do this?
FROST
Don’t look at ME.
She reaches in, to take out the chocolate.
FROST
Don’t mind if I just take all the chocolate there is!
Hey. How many you want?
SUB-ZERO
I’m fine.
FROST
Come on. Take one!
She tosses him a candy wrapper. He catches
it. They proceed to the elevator.
SUB-ZERO
If you had grown up in the Lin Kuei,
like me, instead of Colorado, life would
have been very different.
She presses the elevator’s button.
In a short time, it opens.
FROST
But I didn’t grow up in China.
I grew up right here.
INT. ELEVATOR
Frost presses the G button.
FROST
So, we go and get food, and drink,
and bring it back for everyone?
Enough to last how long? 3 days? 4?
SUB-ZERO
I would say about 7. Remember.
Everyone dies if no one eats food.
FROST
What about toothbrushes? Toothpaste?
We need to get some of those, too. WAIT!
Those are complimentary at hotels. All
hotels have ’em. We just have to FIND the
toothbrushes and toothpaste . . . no, wait,
that’s gonna take all night. Let’s just buy
them from the store. Or - loot them, whatever.
The doors open, and Sub-Zero and Frost
proceed to the hotel’s front doors.
SUB-ZERO
I do have aching in my teeth and gums.
I haven’t brushed my teeth OR my gums
in . . . a week.
FROST
How do you do that? How do you
not feel all gross in the mouth?
SUB-ZERO
It’s funny, but sometimes, little things, like
Shao Kahn’s invasion, make you so busy
that you forget to brush your teeth.
FROST
Where does it hurt?
SUB-ZERO
My upper-left gums. Also, my lower right. I
have one tooth in my lower right that’s throbbing.
FROST
You know what you need?
SUB-ZERO
What?
FROST
I know all about this. Orajel - for the gums.
New toothbrush and toothpaste, for the teeth.
Hot salt water, rinse it around, for the gum
pain. It disinfects. Maybe also some mouth-
wash. You need new dental floss - get all that
food out from in between your teeth. Those
little pieces of food, that’s what generates the
bacteria as you sleep.
SUB-ZERO
I’m fine.
FROST
You’re not fine, if you have tooth pain and
gum pain, brother. Let me help you.
SUB-ZERO
Fine.
INT. CHICAGO - STREETS - NIGHT
Some, but not all, of the white light posts
are still active in Chicago at night.
Sub-Zero and Frost walk on. A traffic
light’s red, yellow, and green lights are
all on at once. They blink on, and off,
repeatedly, forever.
Sub-Zero and Frost walk on.
FROST
So now where? Walgreens? CVS? Target?
Wal-Mart? We can do our shopping anywhere
now - you know, cause there ain’t no cops to
stop us.
SUB-ZERO
That’s not why we’re doing this.
We’re not doing this because there’s
“no cops to stop us” - but because
there’s no people around to interact
with, to get this done the right way.
FROST
Yeah, well, whatever you say, Captain.
SUB-ZERO
Do you know what we both have in common?
FROST
Nothing?
SUB-ZERO
We both are siblings of Sub-Zero,
who went to the Mortal Kombat tournament.
FROST
Too bad I never really got to meet him.
SUB-ZERO
If the legends are true, then neither one
of us is quite the assassin he was.
So the two siblings freeze all the vampires they find, on their way to find food and drink. They return with enough for everyone.
INT. CHICAGO - STREETWAY - MIDDAY
The mortals are traveling together.
They come up against an oncoming horde
of over 200 Shokan, half-human, half-dragon.
SONYA
If I’m not mistaken, these look like the Shokan.
LIU KANG
We avoided the Shokan in Outworld, before. But
I don’t understand. Goro is dead. Grum is dead.
So is Kintaro. Who leads the Shokan now?
A female Shokan, dressed in red, steps forth.
LIU KANG
A woman?
FROST
Who in the Hell are you?
SHEEVA
Princess Sheeva, of Kuatan.
LIU KANG
Princess??
SHEEVA
I was a wife of Goro, Prince of the Shokan race,
in Kuatan. I will make you pay for killing him.
LIU KANG
You were his wife?
SHEEVA
His seventh wife.
She gets all four hands ready for fighting.
SHEEVA
I grew up on the Amazon island in Kuatan.
Us women were raised to be nothing but
fighters and brutal killers. Now you will
see how deadly an Amazon Shokan is.
KITANA
Certainly not what little girls in Edenia used to
think of, when they heard the word princess!
SHEEVA
Once I have killed you all, your souls will
go to Shao Kahn. No longer will you be
able to stop it. So which of you wants to
get knocked down by me first?
LIU KANG
I, Liu Kang, challenge you to Mortal Kombat.
SHEEVA
I accept your challenge!
Sheeva leaps up into the air, and lands smashing
into the ground, right next to Liu Kang, because
he ran away just in time.
The gravel street breaks apart by her body.
SHEEVA
What’s the matter, Liu Kang? Are you afraid?
Liu Kang uses both hands to gather energy.
Soon, he throws a fireball at her chest.
SHEEVA
Fool! We Shokan were the original
masters of manipulating energy!
Sheeva uses all four hands to gather energy.
The fireball she produces is twice the
size of Liu Kang’s, because she has
twice the amount of hands working on it.
Once it’s done forming, she throws the
fireball much faster than Liu Kang would.
It flies through the air, but he leaps away,
and the fireball instead hits a gas station’s
sign, causing the Deacon Gas sign to fall
off its post and hit the ground.
SHEEVA
Grr-RRRR!
Very quickly, she throws another fireball
through the air at Liu Kang. He tries to
run away, to the side, but he still gets struck.
Like a high dosage of electricity, the fire-
ball sends him flying away through the air.
Liu Kang lays down on the ground.
Rubble has already begun to form
underneath him.
Liu Kang spits out some blood.
In the foreground, Liu Kang BLURS -
in the background, Sheeva becomes clear.
She walks calmly, at a medium speed,
toward Liu Kang. She is just toying with
her finished prey now.
From behind Sheeva, we FOLLOW HER
WALK to the exhausted monk, who stands
back up to his feet and, like a boxer, refuses
to give up or fall. He keeps both fists up.
Liu swings a fist at Sheeva - a fist that
she catches, in one hand. She begins to
squeeze his fist.
He swings a left fist at her. She catches
that fist, too.
She squeezes both of his fists. Crunch.
He screams from the pain.
Sheeva uses her other two hands to beat
Liu Kang, when he cannot run away.
He endures a terrible beating from her.
KUNG LAO
Noooo!
Kung Lao runs at Liu Kang and Sheeva,
yet himself is approached by two more
female Amazon Shokan.
FEMALE SHOKAN 1
Where are you going?
FEMALE SHOKAN 2
You’ll be going nowhere!
A FAR-AWAY DISTANCE reveals
that, on this long stretch of road in
Chicago, there are more Shokan around
than there are people.
Clearly, the Earth mortals have already lost.
The Centaurs show up as well.
There is only one possible way left to win. They all huddle together to discuss the new plan. They pledge their loyalty to the Centaurs, infuriating the Shokan. Finally, the Shokan and Centaurs fight, to settle the dispute of which is superior. Sheeva fights Motaro. The fight arouses the anger of all the Shokan, and Centaur, who engage in an all-out brawl. The mortals quickly run away, and get half a mile away before the Centaurs notice they're missing. Raiden shows up, and uses most of his remaining power to open a portal to a place a few miles away.
The next morning, Raiden tells the mortals that his power is weakening to almost nothing. He no longer has the easy ability to generate portals to other locations in space. Soon enough, he fears that the very protection he has given the mortals will be worn thin to nothing.
Mileena, Jade, and Pearl arrive, to tell Kitana to come back with them. Kitana refuses, and fights the three assassins.
Liu Kang, Princess Kitana, Sonya, and Jax
stand side by side.
Mileena approaches Kitana.
MILEENA
Have you forgotten your ways, sister?
You serve Outworld.
KITANA
Wrong. You're just brainwashed to do
anything they tell you to do.
MILEENA
I'm not here to fight you, sister.
I'm here to bring you back.
JADE
Yes. You will have a lot more use to us,
fighting FOR us, rather than opposing us!
KITANA
Jade! How could you? Did you forget
life in Edenia?
JADE
I remember life in Edenia. But I also see
the world I live in now. I see who rules it.
And I see who I serve.
Jade puts a green veil over her face,
like Mileena's. Kitana's is still gone.
JADE
You will serve Shao Kahn, too,
Kitana . . . just like you used to.
KITANA
No. NO!
JADE
Yes, for many great years, you fought bravely,
courageously, for Outworld. I hope to see you
do so again.
Kitana fights Mileena.
Kitana fights Jade.
Jade throws a boomerang, which
returns to her.
Jade is capable of turning solid matter
into jade by touching it, altering the
landscape of the area around her and
creating new areas to hide behind.
She can turn anything into solid jade.
Even Kitana's fans, Jade turns into jade.
Then she throws the jaded fans right back
at Kitana.
Sub-Zero fights Pearl.
Jax fights Pearl.
Shao Kahn arrives, accompanied by
Sindel and Shang Tsung.
SINDEL
Three of you failed to convert Kitana to
Outworld's side? Pathetic. All of you. Pathetic!
SHANG TSUNG
What shall I do with them, Master?
SHAO KAHN
Mileena . . . send her to the Rejuvinating Springs.
SHANG TSUNG
Yes, Master. And Jade and Pearl?
SHAO KAHN
Leave them here. Take their outfits.
SHANG TSUNG
Yes.
INT. CHICAGO STREETS - SOON
Jade and Pearl, now completely naked,
sit on the ground, covering themselves up,
while Shang Tsung walks away with their outfits.
INT. CHICAGO STREETS - FARTHER SOUTH
KITANA
Mileena, Jade, and Pearl are no longer a threat.
LIU KANG
But so many remain. Shao Kahn. Sindel.
Hey - look!
Liu Kang points to an injured man laying
beside a public building, groaning in pain.
The group walks closer to the fallen man.
FALLEN MAN
Ohhhhhh . . . my arm . . . my arm.
KUNG LAO
Are you okay?
Kung Lao helps the man up to his feet.
FALLEN MAN
Yes. Yes, I am.
He transforms back into Shang Tsung.
The collar around his neck remains unchanged.
Shang Tsung quickly fights Kung Lao,
who is ill-prepared. After a string of
attacks using both hands, he knocks
Kung Lao backward to the ground.
LIU KANG
Shang Tsung! You will fight me!
Liu Kang and Chan run at Shang Tsung,
and both begin to fight him at once.
Shang Tsung is simply smiling and laughing.
SHANG TSUNG
Hmmm hmm hmm hmm. You will see that my
warriors are rising!
Shang Tsung points.
Dozens of human skeletons are walking down
the street, to follow Shang Tsung.
LIU KANG
What are they?
SHANG TSUNG
The dead and buried. I have risen them up
using my legion of enslaved souls.
Shang Tsung arrives, accompanied by a skeleton crew of human bodies, nothing left but bone, filled with the souls from his own collection. As Liu Kang and Kung Lao approach Shang Tsung, he makes himself look like Kung Lao, and he confuses Liu Kang enough to get him to fight the real Kung Lao. Then, Shang Tsung makes himself look like the old Kung Lao, from the first Earth tournament. Both monks fight the man, who soon is clearly Shang Tsung again.
In the graveyard, Ermac is the one casting souls out into human bodies. They fight Ermac.
Rain summons the rainfall. They fight Rain, taking him down as well.
Reptile is in charge of leading the Saurian army. Liu Kang urges Reptile to understand that his home realm of Zaterra was taken over by Shao Kahn, and destroyed, causing the near-extinction of his race. Reptile refuses to believe this. Liu Kang is a liar, he has been told: a manipulator, willing to make up anything to have his way. Reptile will not be persuaded by his attempts to lead Reptile against Shao Kahn. The Emperor has told him the story of Zaterra: it was a dying world, on the path to death, before Shao Kahn arrived and offered a new chance for hope for life, by joining it together with his own Outworld. The realm has lived on, as a province of Outworld, due to Shao Kahn's noble actions. Liu Kang is able to eventually persuade Reptile to see the truth, and to lead Reptile to lead his own Raptor men against Shao Kahn, hoping to get Zaterra back in the control of its own people. Reptile has become a friend and ally. All the Raptors are led up in arms against Shao Kahn.
S.W.A.T. officer Curtis Stryker takes on undead banshee Sindel near a wrecked bank. He avoids her supersonic scream, and uses tactical riot gear to deal with her. Now the Bride of Shao Kahn is down, and so is Shang Tsung, and even Sheeva and Motaro. Now Shao Kahn arrives, refusing to let go of Earth. Raiden and Shao Kahn fight. Shao Kahn beats the weakened Raiden, and he laughs as he remarks that now he will kill every person until he and Raiden are the last two left standing.
Finally, it's Noob Saibot who fights and stops Shao Kahn. Once Sub-Zero, and now a wraith, Noob Saibot stops Emperor Shao Kahn from keeping his grip on Earth.
Shinnok arrives, and remarks that, although his son, Shao Kahn, was born to do his father's bidding, he ended up on a path all his own. Now that Shinnok has gotten his own Essence back for himself, he is again all powerful. Shao Kahn may be a half-mortal, half-Elder God, but Shinnok is pure Elder God. Now that Outworld has been split apart into 9 realms again, Shinnok will own them all.
- Skate park scene. Jail cell scene. Police station exterior scene.