Mortal Kombat vs Marvel Universe (ver. 2.6)
A Marvel/Mortal Kombat Crossover Event
By Snafu the Great

DISCLAIMER: Mortal Kombat belongs to Ed Boon and Netherrealm Studios. The Marvel Universe as a whole belongs to Marvel Comics. This story had went through several ideas, but with the Phoenix Force as part of the main plot. The first idea I had that Sonya divorced Johnny when Cassie was three, calling the both of them a mistake, and Johnny is booted from defending Earth. Years later Quan Chi discovers that Cassie – now an actress and singer – is the host of the Phoenix, while Liu and the other revenants want to use Cassie to revive them.

The second idea was that the Phoenix Force possesses Team S-F before Shinnok's Amulet was stolen, creating the Phoenix Four, and the Avengers and the X-Men travel to Earthrealm to contain the quintet shortly after Shinnok's defeat, thus bringing them into conflict with the Kombatants. But I decided to scrap that idea. But I may post the scene in which the Phoenix Four threatens Liu and Kitana in the Netherrealm in place of Raiden.

But the inspiration for this version actually came from PinkRedRose2's Mortal Kombat: Desperation, primarily the scene in which Raiden and Kano kidnaps Cassie in order to keep Johnny and Sonya in line...with Raiden mass-shocking Cassie's parents, Jax and the rest of Team S-F into unconscious. So yeah, Raiden's the bad guy in this story.

CANON DIVERGEANCE! When Cassie was 19, her father had met Yao (the Sorcerer Supreme before Stephen Strange), who arrives in Earthrealm in order to tell him of his family's destiny: that Cassie and her team will save Earthrealm, and that Raiden will become corrupt, forcing him and his family to flee Earthrealm for his world (Earth-616), where they will be given a second chance at happiness. He also gives Johnny the means to transport there: a portal stone. When Raiden succumbs to the corruption and begins to corrupt his chosen warriors, Johnny, Cassie and Sonya flee.

The Cage Family de-ages (Johnny, 24; Sonya, 21, Cassie, 6) and rebuild their lives, making long-term plans to rescue the friends they were forced to leave behind. 19 years later, Johnny and Sonya have remarried, and the Cage family has risen to prominence. Johnny is a billionaire, the founder of Cage Incorporated, Sonya is a Colonel in the Army, and Cassie is a First Lieutenant. They also have another daughter, Ravenna. However, the Cage family is not the only ones who leaves for the Marvel Universe...

Last, Ravenna Cage is modeled after Daisy Ridley (Rey from The Force Awakens) and Rebecca Cage (Carlton) is modeled after Stefanie Joosen (younger) and Noomi Rapace (older).

UPDATE! Consider this the XL version, as I cleaned up some of the grammar and adding on several extra scenes. One major change involves Sonya herself and her past exposure to the Blood Code. As you know, the Blood Code grants a person superhuman strength, damage soak, and regeneration. Just as how Cassie ended up activating her X-Gene by coming to the Marvel Universe, Sonya has an unexpected boon as a result of her exposure to blood magik; her strength and defense has increased to where she hits as hard as Johnny and she has regenerative abilities. But it also left her with a slight change in her appearance, her eye color changing from blue to purple.

Second, this idea came to me, but Cassie will be involved with Simon Williams (Wonder Man). This version of Wonder Man is different as he retains all of his powers save for the immortality. Cassie is also the main reason why he is still a good guy,

Prologue: Flight

The Sky Temple – the Jinsei Chamber

One thought was going through John Carlton's head. 'This definitely is not my day.'

But despite being kidnapped by his former allies, brought to Raiden's Sky Temple, encased in a cocoon and tortured by a bug lady who had her maggots eat away at his face, followed by sustaining repeated energy blasts from a super-powered fallen Elder God who hated his guts with a passion not even his ex-wife could match on her best day, he couldn't be any more prouder of his team.

Most of all, his daughter, who Johnny watched kicked Shinnok's ass after summoning the green glow.

Oh, the irony, Johnny realized. The irony of Shinnok getting his ass handed to him by a Cage. Had it not been for the fact that he was in pain, Johnny would have been laughing his ass off over that fact.

"How is he?" he heard his daughter ask her teammate, after pulling Raiden out of the Jinsei, the thunder god purified it. "Is he still alive?"

"Barely," Kung Jin replied. "I got him. Help your father."

Within seconds, Cassandra Cage was at her father's side. "Dad...?"

Johnny groaned. "I don't feel so hot." He looked at his daughter. "And to think...I was worried when you started dating..."

Cassie held a look of relief. "Afraid I'd come home to someone like you?" his daughter asked.

"Funny and beautiful. Saves the world," her father quipped. "Yeah...my work here is done. Now get me out of this damn thing."

After trying to pry it free with her bare hands, Cassie had to retort to using her baton to begin smashing the hardened resin. She was able to get her father's shoulder free when backup arrived in the form of his ex-wife, accompanied by several soldiers, her voice heralding her arrival. "This way! In here!"

After quickly taking in the situation before her, General Sonya Blade began to issue out orders. "Isolate Shinnok and D'Vorah! Secure the amulet! And I need medics on the double!"

Turning to her ex-husband and daughter, Sonya rushed over to them. She stood on the opposite side of Johnny. "You look terrible," she said. "We'll fix you up."

Ignoring the pain, Johnny instead praised their daughter. "Shoulda seen Cass. Wiped the floor with Shinnok."

Sonya looked at her daughter, pride showing in her face, while Cassie looked slightly embarrassed. "I believe it." She turned back to Johnny, the same pride showing on her face, when it had been scorn just hours earlier. "And you...you did a great job with your team, Johnny."

Johnny's grin widened. "Hear that, Cass? She called me 'Johnny.'"

"I thought she'd might," Cassie replied.

Behind them, the Jinsei, purified of Shinnok's taint, glowed its radiant blue.

But despite the good mood, in the back of Johnny's mind, the dread was starting to build. While he was happy that his daughter was safe and Shinnok was defeated, Johnny was starting to get worried.

The old man had been right about Cassie defeating Shinnok. Which meant that it would only be a matter of time before Shinnok's corruption would consume Raiden and his chosen warriors.

Once he was freed and fully recovered, Johnny knew that he had to prepare for the inevitable.

He and his family was to flee Earthrealm.

The only question is just how long did he have before Raiden sets his sights on him and his family.

Six months later.

Following what was known as the Second Skirmish at the Sky Temple, Johnny had decided to retire from acting to focus on training his team. Of course, his retirement wouldn't effectively take place until the end of the year, and he had just finished up his film project.

Aside from the run-in with Erron Black, in which Jax had been injured in defending his daughter and her teammates following Black's assassination attempt, everything was peaceful.

But Johnny knew that it wasn't going to last.

He had watched Raiden from a distance. He knew that purifying the Jinsei of Shinnok's taint had corrupted him. And Cassie was now starting to become suspicious of the thunder god as well, following her last assignment.

Johnny had found his daughter inside his condo two days earlier, hugging her knees, a haunted look in her eyes, having returned to America in the dead of night. Johnny hadn't seen her this vulnerable since the Blood Code, when she told him and Sonya on how she and Jacqui not only mowed down the Black Dragon with their own assault rifles, but how she had gutted Mavado.

Cassie had told him what had happened...although it took Cassie a moment to calm herself down first.

"It was a mission given to me by Raiden, and sanctioned by Mom. I was to go and hunt down what Raiden called a 'soul-stealer.' Once I was finished, I was to report in at the Sky Temple for my debrief."

"Only 'soul-stealer' I know is Shang Tsung, and he's been dead for over twenty years."

"Yeah, but I thought that somehow, he was brought back to life, kinda like Uncle Jax. I was reckless, Dad. I let my pride get in the way. I was so pumped after I kicked Shinnok's bony ass that like a fool, I accepted."

"It was a set-up."

"Yeah. I tracked the old guy to his last known location. He didn't fight like how you and Mom described Shang Tsung to me with the soul-stealing and the shape-changing. He mimicked fighting styles. He knew that I was there to kill him, Dad, and he fought with everything he had."

"You killed him, didn't you?"

"Only when he told me his name, did I realize not only did I fucked up, but that Raiden played me for a fool. When I asked for his name...he told me, as if he was sad, but at the same time, relieved. His name was Shujinko, Dad. Not Shang Tsung. I was so horrified over what I had done, I ran."

It was only when Cassie had told her father Sonya's reaction to her killing Shujinko – as Cassie called her and told her what had happened – did Johnny knew that Sonya herself had been corrupted by Raiden. His heart sank further when Cassie called Jacqui using a burned phone Johnny had, and she gave the same response nearly verbatim.

Unknown to both Sonya and Jacqui was that Cassie recorded the both of them, and played their responses to Johnny.

She fled the scene, not going directly to the Sky Temple. The trek to Hong Kong was dangerous, and it took her three days, avoiding the Lin Kuei that Raiden had sent after her. This she found out after subduing one of their number and getting the story from them.

Lord Raiden had ordered Subzero to hunt her down.

Cassie even went as far as to beat down Frost and give Subzero the slip before returning to America using a fake ID and an emergency credit card given to her by her father, shedding her uniform, destroying her phone, and donning a disguise.

It was while Cassie had told her story, the gears in Johnny's head were spinning.

The prophecy that the old man had told him three years earlier was starting to come true. He had hoped that it wouldn't come to pass, but it was starting to come true. He said that Cassie would repeat his feat of defeating Shinnok, and that came true. He said that Raiden would become corrupted from purifying the Jinsei and would to proceed to corrupt his chosen warriors. Those who had been corrupted in the past would succumb to Raiden's corruption far more easier than those who hadn't been corrupted.

And much to Johnny's dismay, by his count, at least eight people had been corrupted in the past, himself included. Whereas his daughter and honorary niece had been corrupted by the Blood Code, with himself and Sonya following thereafter, Jax, Hanzo and Kuai Liang had been Quan Chi's revenants. For Subzero, it was something of a double-whammy, as he too felt the effects of the Blood Code. Only Kenshi, Takeda and Kung Jin would put up a resistance, but would fail.

There was no way around it. He had hoped that it wouldn't have to come to this.

"Dad?"

Johnny opened his eyes. Cassie looked at him, concern on his voice, having emerged from her old bedroom, where she tried to sleep, but couldn't. She found him in the living room, hunched over in his chair, lost in his thoughts.

When he spoke, his voice was grim, the humor gone. "The old man was right...about everything."

Cassie was puzzled. "Right?" she repeated. "Right about what?"

Johnny held up a finger, as if to say, 'Just a moment.' He retrieved his phone and after scanning through several contacts, picked out Jax's number. Holding a finger to his lips, Johnny called Jax, placing the call on speaker.

"Briggs."

"'Sup, tin man?" Johnny chirped.

"What do you want now, Cage?" Jax demanded.

"Need a favor. Cassie's flight just landed and I can't pick her up."

"Cassie's here? I thought she was supposed to meet up with Lord Raiden after her assignment."

"Yeah, well...she called, saying that whatever Raiden sent her off to do has left her pretty banged up. I want you to do me a favor and take Jacqui and the guys to meet her at LAX and bring her back to the base."

A pause. Then, "Flight time and arrival?"

"Midway Airlines, flight 1225."

"All right."

"Thanks..." began Johnny

CLICK.

"...a lot," Johnny finished.

"Dad...what are you doing?" Cassie asked, following her breathing a sigh of relief.

Johnny dropped the phone and crushed it under his heel repeatedly, destroying it. "We're leaving."

Cassie blinked. "Leaving?"

Johnny beckoned Cassie to follow him. Father and daughter walked down the hall, and entered the study, where Johnny began to make his final preparations. Cassie watched as her father produced two laptops, one normal, the other hardened. The latter, he stored in a knapsack, while he powered on the second one.

"It was about three years ago," the Cage patriarch began, punching in keys. "Back when you and Jacqui were finishing up your first tour together, I was approached by an old man. His name was Yao, self-proclaimed 'Sorcerer Supreme,' of which I dismissed. But he knew things about me...about Sonya...and about you. He knew that I almost died and became a revenant. He knew about Sonya's first partner and fiance. He even knew about the Blood Code, down to who corrupted who."

Cassie shuddered. Even now, the Blood Code incident still gave her nightmares.

"He came to me," the actor continued. "Told me our family's future."

"A prophecy?"

"More like the ultimate destiny of our family," Johnny replied. "One that doesn't lie in Earthrealm. Yao came from an alternative Earth. Same as ours, only difference is there's no Elder Gods, no Mortal Kombat. I've traveled there several times." He opened his drawer and pulled out a small item and tossed it to Cassie. "Catch."

Cassie caught it with one hand and looked at it. A piece of vermillion ice set as a pendant, complete with a silver chain. She could feel the power radiating off of it.

"Portal stone," her father answered her unspoken question. "A gift from Yao, only it's triggered by my inborn powers. I've checked out Yao's Earth and managed to find a fallback spot in San Francisco. I've also sent Rebecca there to make sure things are in place in the event that we need to run."

Cassie looked at her father. "You said that Aunt Rebecca was in Europe!"

"I lied. Sorry," Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders. "I sent her on ahead to make sure everything was prepared in the event that we had to leave. That and to keep her out of harm's way just in case. Anyway...Yao told me that you would go on to stop Shinnok, and save my life. He would also go on to say that Raiden would become corrupt upon purifying the Jinsei. He told me what was going to happen, how Raiden will corrupt Sonya and the others."

Cassie swallowed. "So Jacqui and the others...?"

"I'm sorry, Punkin. Raiden's turned them. Your mother too. Had you decided to follow his orders to come to the Sky Temple after killing Shujinko, you'd been corrupted as well."

"So...what do we do now?" Cassie asked. She loved a good fight, but eight corrupted kombatants plus one insane thunder god was not very good odds for her. The fact that she had to leave her friends didn't sit well with her. But her father had a point. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

Hence, the tactical withdrawal.

"While you were hiding out here, I cleaned out my bank accounts, converted the money to gold bars and dropped them off with Rebecca. Then I came back here to plan my next move."

"And you just sent Uncle Jax and my team on a wild goose chase, right?"

"You're learning, kiddo."

Cassie regarded the portal stone in her hand. Her expression fell. "What about Jacqui and the others?"

"As much as I hate to say this, they're safer here," Johnny said, taking back the portal stone. "It's Sonya that I'm worried about."

"What about Mom?" Cassie asked. "We can't just leave her. Raiden would probably punish her in our place if we run."

"I'd had hoped that I could try and get to Sonya before Raiden could get to her, but from what you've told me, we're too late to convince her to come willingly." He pocketed the item. "We're not coming back here, Cassie. SHADOW'S FALL is now in effect."

"SHADOW'S FALL?"

"A series of contingency plans I had put in place in the event that I or all of us have to leave," Johnny explained. "One: I made sure that if we did leave, that Rebecca had the finances to make sure everything was prepared for our arrival, hence me converting ninety percent of my cash into gold and taking it with her. Two: to make sure no one gets anything that can be used to track us down, I had military grade demolition charges placed in key structural points inside the house."

He pulled out two laptops. The first one he placed inside his knapsack, while the second he powered on and punches in several keys. Cassie peeked around to look at the screen, which contained a timer, set to twenty minutes, along with the following message: ACTIVATE SHADOW'S FALL PROTOCOL? Y/N

Johnny punched in Y.

A second message appeared: WARNING: SHADOW'S FALL PROTOCOL CANNOT BE ABORTED ONCE ACTIVATED. ARE YOU SURE?

Johnny's finger hovered over the Y Key. He turned to Cassie. "On my mark," he said. "Set for twenty minutes."

Almost immediately, Cassie prepped the timer on her watch for 20 minutes.

"And...mark," Johnny said, pressing the Y Key, Cassie starting the timer on her watch.

"What's the other laptop for?" Cassie asked.

Johnny looked at his daughter and grinned. "Oh...the portal technology from both S-F and the Lin Kuei, plus all of S-F's biomedical research. May put some of it to good use. Oh, and all our family pictures and my complete filmography."

Cassie smirked. "Does Mom know you had the S-F's mainframe hacked?"

"Nope. You can thank your Aunt Rebecca for that the next time we see her. And it was money well-spent, too," Johnny said, pulling out the portal stone.

Cassie sighed. "So many memories...I'm gonna miss this place."

"Me too, Cass..."

The moment of nostalgia was interrupted with the sound of the front door open and close. Father and daughter exchanged worried looks before they moved to the window. Looking down, they noticed a familiar-looking black military-grade Humvee with the Special Forces insignia on the hood that was parked out front.

"It's Mom," Cassie whispered.

That was verified when they heard Sonya's voice coming from downs the hall. "John?"

"Be with you in a sec," Johnny replied.

Cassie swore. "She must have made a copy of my housekey." She looked at the watch. "Eighteen minutes."

"Wait here," her father ordered.

Cassie nodded. Taking a deep breath, Johnny exited the study.

Johnny knew that this would be trouble. With Sonya Blade, nothing was simple. She was to him, even after twenty-five years of knowing her, with eighteen of those years being married, a closed book. She was the hardest person that he had ever known.

Johnny did love her, but she divorced him because she felt that 'he was holding her back from her duties.' They had been getting along better until three weeks ago, when she went completely cold on him. Not even in the years following their separation was she this cold towards him or their daughter.

But he chalked it up to Raiden's corruption of Sonya.

General Blade had settled in, seated on the couch, waiting for his arrival. Fortunately, she was alone. The military cap was placed on the coffee table.

When Johnny entered the living area, Sonya rose from her seat. Johnny knew that something was off in regards to his ex-wife. He could actually feel the corruption radiating from her. That and her clear blue eyes had a dangerous glint to them, reminding Johnny of the Blood Code. Her body language tried to be casual, but it was like her eyes, dangerous.

"John," Sonya greeted.

"General," Johnny replied, also in the same tone.

Sonya slightly tilted her head. "You seem a bit defensive," she said.

"It's been a long day."

"One of those days, huh? I know," Sonya said. "Jax and the others are on their way to pick up Cassandra from the airport as we speak. She is in a lot of trouble with Lord Raiden."

Unknown to Sonya, she had set off the first red flag in Johnny's head. Despite her military decorum, Sonya had never addressed Raiden as 'Lord Raiden.' Maybe 'Sir,' but never 'Lord Raiden.'

Another thing was that her Texan accent was bleeding through her speech. That was the second red flag. Sonya had hid her accent, making people believe that she wasn't born and raised in Austin. The only time she let the accent loose was rare.

Johnny had found it cute. Sonya hated it.

"How so?" Johnny asked as he circled Sonya, who kept him in her line of sight.

"She was supposed to report to him at the Sky Temple," Sonya replied. "Instead, I get a call from Grandmaster Liang about the broken bodies left in her wake when Raiden sent them to retrieve her."

'You mean capture,' Johnny thought darkly.

"Cassie's a bit upset over what had happened with Shujinko," Johnny said. "She believed that she was going after Shang Tsung."

"So you know about that?"

"Cass called and told me everything. Raiden set her up. He knew that the guy Cassie killed wasn't Shang Tsung."

"Shujinko's death was necessary, for crimes against Earthrealm," Sonya replied firmly. "Raiden believed that Shujinko would be the man most directly responsible for leading Earthrealm to Armageddon."

Johnny cocked an eyebrow. Sonya dismissing Shujinko's death was red flag number three. Sonya was dedicated to saving lives, not killing innocent people. And despite Shujinko's role in the Blood Code fiasco, Sonya's intentions was to detain him.

"And the fact that Raiden sent our daughter to kill an innocent man?"

"She's a soldier under my command, John," Sonya snapped. "She takes her orders from Lord Raiden just as she takes them from me."

Any other sane person would had ran...and probably gotten blasted down by Sonya's wrist bracelets. Johnny suspected that Sonya had them charged to full power, ready to stun him once he was distracted.

But any sane person wasn't Johnny Cage. He remained cool as a cucumber, drawing on over thirty years' worth of acting experience to keep Sonya in the dark.

He was thankful that he had his sunglasses on, otherwise, Sonya would had seen his eyes looking at their daughter, having snuck out of the study, who now was sneaking up behind her, her father's Glock pistol in hand. He knew that he needed to keep Sonya distracted.

"And me," Johnny replied. "Are you...okay, Sonya? You seem a bit...off."

"I'm...I'm fine, John," Sonya replied, arms extended in an exaggerated gesture of happiness. "Never better in all my life." She lowered her arms. She was within double-arms reach of him. "Lord Raiden came to me, and explained everything. We've been going about Earthrealm's defense entirely wrong."

"Enlighten me."

"Raiden showed me the right path," Sonya explained. "All threats to Earthrealm will be destroyed: Chaosrealm, Outworld, even the Netherrealm if Liu and Kitana didn't get the message Lord Raiden delivered to them."

"Message?" Johnny parroted, confused.

"He presented Liu and Kitana with Shinnok's head," Sonya explained.

"Sounds to me that Rai-dude is the second coming of Shinnok," Johnny said.

He found himself staring down Sonya's wrist gauntlet. Behind Sonya, Cassie aimed her Glock at Sonya's shoulder.

"You will be more respectful of Lord Raiden," Sonya snapped.

"I think he'd be pissed if any harm came to his chosen champion," Johnny noted.

Sonya considered that thought for a moment. Then, she lowered her aim (and Cassie doing the same with her own gun). "You're right. I apologize."

"Sonya, listen to me," Johnny said in a calm, firm tone. "Raiden's corrupted you. He's corrupted Jax and the others. I know you. This isn't you."

"You don't get it, do you?" Sonya retorted. "Lord Raiden didn't corrupt me. You will see soon enough, just as the others have done."

"The others?"

"Jax, Kenshi, Hanzo, Kuai Liang, and Cassie's teammates."

Cassie mentally swore in her mind as her grip on her pistol tightened. Sonya had just confirmed what her father had told her in regards to her teammates.

"You and Cassie are the last, and the most dangerous," Sonya continued. "Both you and Cassandra defeated Shinnok..."

"...and Raiden wants our heads?" Johnny retorted.

Sonya shook her head. "No...no! He doesn't want to see any harm come to either of you! You're Earthrealm's chosen champion! Cassie can be the same! Even more than just a Sergeant!"

The corrupted general took a step closer towards her ex-husband, while Cassie did the same.

"Johnny...listen to me," Sonya said. "For once, try and see reason. Raiden only want what is best for Earthrealm. Just let
him show you the truth, Johnny. Then you'll understand. You can understand, and Cassie will fall in line. We can be a family again, the three of us. Just like what you wanted...what Cassie wanted."

The proper speech was now gone, Sonya having relapsed into her husky Texan accent.

'Just a bit closer,' both Johnny and Cassie thought.

"I was a fool to leave you," Sonya continued, her voice in a breathy whisper. "I know you want me. Why else would you agree to train Cassie and the others?" She even went as far as to unzip her jacket, giving him a good view of her cleavage. "Think of it as not joining Raiden, but rather joining me. Liu Kang has Kitana, and I want you."

Cassie noticed her mother's hand balling into a fist, preparing to blast her father with the gauntlet. She reversed her grip on the Glock, now gripping the barrel.

"The offer is tempting..." Johnny mused. He removed his glasses, so that he could look Sonya in her eyes. "...and I have missed being with you, Sonya..." He then looked at Cassie, now within striking distance, slowly raising her hand, Cassie gripping the Glock's barrel. "What do you think, Cass?"

Sonya's eyes widened as she spun around...

CRACK.

...just as Cassie smashed the handle of her pistol into her mother's face with all her might. Sonya dropped like a sack of potatoes. Johnny crouched down and checked for a pulse. Sonya was still alive.

"Y'know, if it wasn't for the fact that we were running, I'd probably get court-martialed for knocking out the General," Cassie mused.

"Get the laptop, Cass," her father ordered. "I got Sonya." He looked at his watch. "Shit. Ten minutes."

Cassie nodded and ran off to the study. Meanwhile, Johnny had removed Sonya's gauntlets and spare demolitions. Rather than just leave them when the place blew, Johnny pocketed the gauntlets, promising to return them to Sonya once she was free of Raiden's corruption.

The second thing that Johnny retrieved was the bronze talisman Sonya used to communicate with Raiden. As he considered tossing it to the floor, it came to life, and Johnny found himself looking at a projected image of the dark thunder god himself.

"Sonya Blade, were you..." Raiden caught himself when he found out that he was not looking at one brainwashed general, but rather one pissed off ex-husband of said brainwashed general. "Johnny Cage. Where is General Blade?"

Johnny tilted the talisman, allowing Raiden to see her crumpled form on the ground. "Sonya's a bit indisposed at the moment," he replied. "Real cute, trying to sucker me in using my ex-wife."

A loud thunderclap was heard outside. Then a second. Smirking, Johnny walked over to the window and looked outside. There, standing beside Sonya's Humvee, and looking very irate, was Raiden himself.

Johnny turned from the window and walked back to Sonya. She was still out cold. "Wondering why you can't teleport into my home, Sparky? Performance issues much?"

"You try my patience, Johnny Cage," Raiden seethed. "Liu Kang wasn't as troublesome as you."

"Amazing what wards and charms can do," Johnny said, mentally thanking Yao for warding his home, barring Raiden from entry. "Very effective in keeping out uninvited guests." His expression fell back into seriousness. "I know what you did, Raiden. You corrupted Sonya and the others."

"You call it corruption," Raiden insisted, "I merely showed them the truth."

"Your truth, not ours. You sound an awful lot like Quan Chi," Johnny noted, as Cassie ran back into the room, satchel slung over one shoulder.

"Five minutes, Dad!" Cassie shouted.

"So...your daughter was here all along," Raiden muttered, turning to face the female Cage. "You disappoint me, Cassandra Cage."

"You knew that the guy I killed wasn't Shang Tsung," Cassie accused.

"True. But Shujinko was a threat. And you needed to be humbled following your victory over Shinnok."

"Jealous that I was able to stop him when you couldn't?" Cassie taunted.

"Mind your tongue, young one."

"Fuck you, Raiden. I don't take orders from you, Raiden. Not anymore. You've lost it," Cassie snapped.

"Same goes for me," seconded Johnny. "Consider this my resignation as your champion. Oh, and we're both taking Sonya with us."

"And where will you go?" Raiden demanded. "Outworld? Kotal Kahn wants your heads. Seido? Hotaru will repatriate all of you. Liu Kang and Kitana would rather kill the three of you should you try and flee to the Netherrealm. There is no place where you can hide from me. I will find you. All of you. If you are not for Earthrealm, then you are against me."

"Then the next time we meet, we'll be enemies," Johnny said, tossing the talisman to the side. After restraining his unconscious ex-wife, Johnny pulled out the portal stone, and began to focus his inborn energies into the item. Seconds passed. Then, behind Johnny a portal shimmered into existence.

Outside, arcs of lighting tried to shatter the windows, but to no avail.

"Raiden's outside?!" Cassie gasped.

Johnny adjusted Sonya's weight. "Don't worry. He can't get inside." He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "We'll come back to free the others. I promise."

Cassie nodded. "Let's go."

Father, daughter, and one unconscious ex-wife made their final exit, leaving behind everything they knew, the portal winking out from behind them.

The Netherrealm, around the same time.

She had been in hiding this entire time, secretly biding her time.

The other revenants thought her to be dead, having been slain during the Netherrealm War, her soul obliterated. But in truth, she fled that cursed realm when Shinnok was sealed inside his own amulet by Raiden after being beaten by Johnny Cage.

But what really made Jade laugh was that Kitana had lost to the daughter of the aforementioned Cage during the second battle at the Sky Temple. Both her and Sindel, the former who could had easily killed the young fighter. Jade knew that Kitana was powerful. Shao Kahn made sure of that.

Jade had watched the attack from the shadows, waiting for her own time to strike. But she relented once Team S-F stormed the Sky Temple.

Jade had long since foreseen her own demise at the hands of Sindel during Kahn's failed invasion, which is why she had initiated a fallback plan. Jade knew what was to come in a series of dreams, showing her future events: Kahn's invasion...Sindel's resurrection and deadly housecall on the Forces of Light...her resurrection as a revenant at the hands of Quan Chi...and Shinnok's first defeat.

What Quan Chi nor Shinnok did not take into consideration was that Jade herself had descended from a line of Edenian mystics who had the power to revive the dead. Not unlike the revenants themselves, but completely alive. It was a secret she had kept from Shao Kahn, and from Kitana for her own protection.

Using the spell to restore her soul (and life) had hurt like bloody blazes, and it had left Jade bedridden for several days. The spell could only be used two times. Jade would die if she tried it a third time.

With Shinnok's second defeat and Quan Chi dead at the hands of Hanzo Hasashi, Jade decided that now it was the time to act.

Getting into the Netherrealm was easy enough. In the twenty-five years following her flight from the Netherrealm, Jade had spent that time in Outworld, teaching herself sorcery, and learning from the few remaining masters of the arcane who were in hiding. Jade was no Shang Tsung or Quan Chi, but her skills were more than a match for Kotal Kahn.

Jade had heard that Kitana and Liu Kang had set themselves up as the Emperor and Empress of the Netherrealm following Quan Chi's death and Shinnok's second defeat, with Sindel and Kung Lao as their top generals, Nightwolf as their senior adviser, and Noob Saibot, Enenra, Kurtis Stryker and Kabal as their lieutenants. They had claimed Quan Chi's fortress as their own, yet were unable to duplicate the revenant spell, thankfully.

The plan was simple: get Liu and Kitana out of the Netherrealm and restore their souls and lives. But given the fact that Raiden had corrupted himself by purifying the Jinsei and had proceeded to corrupt his chosen warriors, Earthrealm was out of the question.

Then, she received visions of a different Earth, one where the Elder Gods nor Mortal Kombat existed. A perfect place for the three to rebuild.

First, however, she needed to get the attention of the Emperor and Empress.

Killing off several Oni? They would probably send one of their lieutenants. But beating down Kung Lao and Sindel when you happen to stumble upon them by chance at the Krossroads? Even better.

Jade knew Kitana better than anyone. She would not let such an affront slide.

Dressed in dark clothes, concealed by the dark hooded cloak that concealed her face, Jade sat on a rough piece of stone, a hand-carved flute in her hand. She had been playing it to kill time, but had gotten bored with it.

Jade picked up the hooves of demonic horses. Looking to her left, she could see the Emperor and Empress riding hard to her location, followed by their undead subordinates. The Emerald Assassin grinned as she rose to her feet, gently sweeping the dust from her cloak as they came to a stop.

"Is this her?" Liu asked.

"It is, my Emperor," Sindel replied. "She was the one who initiated kombat with Kung Lao and myself."

"You are either very brave or very foolish to attack my generals," Liu growled as he and Kitana dismounted from their demonic horses.

"Who are you, and your reasons on why we should not kill you?" Kitana added.

Jade removed her hood, showing her face. "I've come to pay homage," she replied.

Kitana's reddish-golden eyes widened in shock, as did Liu's and the others. "Jade..." Kitana whispered, shocked beyond belief that her childhood friend, thought to have been dead, was alive.

"How..." Liu began.

Jade cut him off. "...did I escape Quan Chi and Shinnok? My death was inevitable, but not even they realized that I knew the secret to truly restoring my soul and my life." She gestured to the concrete-gray skin, the yellowish veins and the fiery eyes. "Not the mockery that Quan Chi and Shinnok so favors. Yes, I am alive and well, and have been for the past twenty-three years."

"Impossible..." Liu said.

"Yet, Raiden did the same to Hanzo Hasashi, Kuai Liang and Jackson Briggs," Jade pointed out.

"Do not speak his name in my presence," Liu growled.

"Liu...calm," Kitana ordered. Turning back to Jade, she asked, "Why are you here?"

"I made a promise to you, Kitana," Jade replied. "A promise to defend you. I honor that, even now. Your place isn't here as a revenant of Hell, nor is it in Earthrealm and Outworld."

"Jackson Briggs said the same thing," Kitana rebuked, hand slowly going for her bladed fans. "And as I have told him, being a revenant suits me. I am a victim no longer."

"Not the proper way to assert yourself, Kitana," Jade noted.

"Jax said that as well. Edenia is gone. I have no desire to take Outworld's throne for myself." She gestured to the Netherrealm with one hand. "This is my home now." She looked at Liu. "And I have my Emperor with me." She turned back to Jade. "Because of our friendship, I will give you one chance."

"And that is...?"

"Kneel before your Emperor and Empress," Kitana demanded. "Kneel and swear your fealty. You know what will happen should you refuse."

Jade instead, grinned evilly. "You took the words right out of my mouth," she said, raising one hand, palm outstretched, the hand encased in a soft, golden glow.

The Emperor and Empress of the Netherrealm both cried out in pain as their bodies betrayed them, Liu and Kitana falling to their knees. Sindel and the others were of no help, as Jade quickly turned her attention to them next.

In Ancient Edenian, Jade intoned, "Bound by steel!"

From out of nowhere, steel chains ensnared the other revenants, the chains wrapping around their torsos (and around Sindel's neck to keep her from using her hair and scream). The horses, unable to carry the extra weight, bucked, throwing their riders off before running off further into the Netherrealm.

With Sindel and the others properly subdued, Jade turned to Liu and Kitana. "Traitor!" Kitana shouted. "Release us! Now!"

"I can't do that, Kitana," Jade replied, sadly. "Not yet. I told you that I swore my life to your service. Even now, I honor my vow, even if it means protecting you from yourself."

Jade placed both hands on the Emperor and Empress' foreheads. "Sleep."

Liu and Kitana keeled over, out cold before they hit the ground. With Liu and Kitana incapacitated, Jade proceeded to open a portal. Using a levitate spell to lift Kitana and Liu off the ground, Jade sent them both through the portal. Turning back to the still bound revenants, she said, "You will never see them again. Take comfort that they are now in good hands, and will be given a second chance."

To Kung Lao and Sindel, Jade said, "Congratulations. The Netherrealm is now your responsibility."

The portal winked out of existence once Jade walked through it. Upon disappearing, the chains that held Sindel and the other in place dispersed.

So ended the rule of Liu Kang and Kitana, the Emperor and Empress of the Netherrealm.

Back in Earthrealm...

To say that Raiden was furious was an understatement. He had been angry when Havik freed Shinnok's amulet from the dimension he had placed it in for safekeeping. He was angry at D'Vorah for manipulating Kotal Kahn and working with Quan Chi.

But now, Johnny and Cassandra Cage topped that list.

It had been easy to corrupt those using Shinnok's essence, playing on their emotions, their weaknesses. For those who had been corrupted in the past, they were the easiest to convert, such as Hanzo, Jax and his daughter, Kuai Liang and Sonya. Kenshi and Takeda had to be subdued, as did Kung Jin.

That left Johnny and Cassie.

He had expected to see Cassie arrive at the Sky Temple after killing Shujinko. But she chose to run instead. Then he ordered Kuai Liang to use the Lin Kuei to bring her in. But she managed to elude them, and returned to America, safe and under her father's protection.

He had expected Johnny to play the fool and fall for Sonya's trap. But that didn't go as planned. Now, he was down three kombatants.

After Johnny had ended the call, Raiden had contacted Hanzo and Kenshi, along with Jax and Team S-F, ordering them to converge onto the Cage residence, with orders to retrieve Sonya and to bring Johnny and Cassie in, to which he would deal with them personally.

What he, nor did his corrupted champions didn't expect was to be blown back by the force of the explosion as Johnny Cage's home erupted in a geyser of flame and smoke, flaming debris raining down on the street, some of it crashing onto Sonya's Humvee.

Raiden turned to his corrupted charges as they pulled themselves back to their feet. "They are not dead," he intoned, his fiery golden eyes ablaze in fury. "They have escaped." He turned to Hanzo and Kuai Liang. "Leave no stone unturned. I want them found. I don't care if they went to the Netherrealm! I want them found!"

The grandmasters of the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei both bowed and rushed off to obey. Raiden returned to the Sky Temple in a bolt of lightning. Meanwhile, something caught Jacqui's eye. A picture, one corner of it ablaze, fluttered to the ground. It was a picture of Team S-F, following Shinnok's defeat.

Her face devoid of emotion, Jacqui watched as the flames consumed the photograph. But somewhere within the recesses of her mind, she wondered if she would see her best friend again.