In Earthrealm, The U.S. Army is fighting a losing battle against Tarkatans equipped with shotguns and rocket launchers, as well as twenty foot high Outworld monstrosities. Kurtis Stryker and his partner Kabal are currently standing on a rooftop, watching the Outworld invaders advance.
Stryker: Fifteen... Sixteen... Seventeen... Eighteen. Kabal, call it in.
Kabal: Base. Eagle Two. We count eighteen. One-eight bogies. Southbound on Olympic.
Base: Roger that.
Kabal: Eagle Two out.
Stryker: This is not happening.
Kabal: Not what I was thinking when I swore to protect and serve.
Stryker: What is that?
They look down the building to see Reptile climbing towards them.
Kabal: I'm thinking shoot first, ask questions later.
Stryker: Fine with me.
They begin shooting at Reptile, but he dodges the shots with ease and continues climbing. As he nears the top he leaps over them and lands behind them.
Stryker: Pistols!
They draw their pistols and fire again, but Reptile blocks the attacks by spewing forth some acid vapour, which acts as a shield. As the two officers reload, Reptile strikes with his tongue, disarming Kabal and knocking him over. He then tongues Stryker's gun, disarming him.
Stryker: Enough of this! It's you and me, Freakshow!
They fight. Although unaccustomed to fighting Outworld warriors, Stryker's rigourous training and arsenal of weapons manages to see him through the fight. Eventually he leaves Reptile on his back, defeated.
Stryker: Spitting? Sticking out your tongue? Bet your mama's real proud.
Stryker walks over to Kabal and helps him up.
Stryker: C'mon. We're going street level. We've been compromised.
Kabal: It ain't safe down there.
Stryker: Better there than here.
He walks off, leaving Kabal sighing and shaking his head. The two of them at the ground level of the building they're in. Army troopers are falling back, being chased by one of the gigantic monsters. Kabal notices someone on the bridge across from them.
Kabal: Stryker! Check her out!
Stryker looks and they both see a female in a rather revealing purple leotard and leggings.
Kabal: Whaddya think? Friend or foe.
Stryker: Foe.
Kabal: Dressed like that?
Stryker: Definitely foe. Cover me.
As army troopers round a corner to fight an unseen foe, Stryker walks out to the bridge. As Mileena approaches, he calls out to her.
Stryker: Hey, what're you doing out here?
She laughs and pulls off her mask, revealing her Tarkatan features.
Mileena: Looking for a new playmate!
They fight. Restraining himself to using non-lethal force, Stryker manages to eventually subdue the feral "daughter" of Shao Kahn.
Stryker: You're coming with me.
A loud roar causes Stryker to turn his head to the bridge to the left of him. A large creature, shaped like a gigantic pterodactyl, flies overhead as Y/N in his Symbiote suit swings, chasing it down. While he's distracted, Mileena manages to pick herself up and charge at him, when several lightning bolts shock her into unconsciousness. Raiden - who fired the bolts - floats down from the sky and lands next to Stryker.
Stryker: Who... who are you?
Before Raiden can answer, he grabs his head in pain as he receives another vision.
Stryker: You all right?
As Raiden recovers, a loud roar by the other bridge attracts their attention. They see Johnny Cage getting beaten up by a centaur - Motaro. Y/N lands and shoots webs from behind Motaro, stopping him.
Stryker: Johnny Cage fighting a giant monster? What is this, "Time Smashers"?!
Raiden flies over to the bridge and blasts Motaro with lightning. He finishes off Motaro by hitting him with his torpedo attack. The resultant force sends Motaro through the bridge and into the water below.
Kabal: That guy just shot lightning. From his hands. How'd he do that?
Stryker: No idea.
A loud growling eminates to their right. Before them, they see Kintaro approaching.
Stryker: Spread out. Give 'im multiple targets.
Kabal moves to Stryker's right, across the bridge. Before he can pull the trigger, Kintaro blasts him with his flame breath. Kabal is set ablaze, screaming in agony as his skin cooks. Stryker is prevented from rushing to his aid lest Kintaro does the same to him.
Kintaro: Humans. Less ugly when they burn.
They fight. Not holding back anything this time, Stryker lets Kintaro have the full brunt of his weapons. Even so, it takes everything he has and then some to knock the Shokan unconscious.
Stryker: Never knew I had it in me...
A loud groaning catches Stryker's attention.
Stryker: Kabal!
He rushes over to his partner, who's clothing and skin are practically charcoal and activates his radio.
Stryker: Base! Eagle Two!
Base: Go Eagle Two.
Stryker: Need Medevac. Current position. Kabal is down. Third-degree burns.
Base: Medevac unit routing to you. ETA ten minutes.
Over by the subway, Stryker fails to notice Ermac sneaking up on him. Ermac grabs Stryker with his telekenesis and lifts him into the air.
Stryker: What the?!
Base: Say again?
Stryker: Eeeeugh!
Base: Eagle Two, report! Eagle Two!
Stryker is then telekenetically hurled into the subway. He bounces hard off the escalator railing and lands facedown on the platform. As he struggles to his feet, Ermac floats down to face him.
Ermac: The emperor will have your soul.
Stryker: Yeah? Come and get it!
They fight. Ermac's telekenesis and mastery over magic is something completely alien to Stryker, but he adapts quickly and fends off the assault with his own weaponary. After an intense battle, Stryker finally drops Ermac.
Stryker: I think I'll be keeping my soul.
Stryker's attention is bought to the top of the escalator by another voice.
Nightwolf: I have been searching for you, Kurtis Stryker.
Stryker draws his pistol and trains it on the newcomer.
Stryker: Well you found me! Who are you?
Nightwolf: I am Nightwolf. Lord Raiden is gathering Earth's defenders. You are among them.
Stryker: What the hell are you talking about?!
Nightwolf: Raiden leads Earth's defense against these Outworld invaders. He is our best hope for survival.
Stryker: Yeah, well. "Earthrealm Defender" is about ten steps above my pay grade.
Nightwolf: I see you doubt yourself, even after your victories. Come.
After some consideration, Stryker nods his consent, puts away his gun and follows. On the bridge, only a smoking outline remains of Kabal's body.
Stryker: What?
Both he and Nightwolf have run up to the outline.
Stryker: Where is he? Medevac hasn't been here.
Nightwolf: Perhaps he has gone to find help.
Stryker: Naw, he was way too banged up. Someone took him.
In Shang Tsung Flesh Pits, gadgets are strewn across a bloodied table. Among the gadgets are a scalpel, scisccors, tweezers, breathing apparatus and a mask. Kano takes each piece of the breathing apparatus off the table as he attaches the pieces one by one to Kabal, whose skin is scarred heavily from the burns, but it's no longer looking like charcoal. He begins to wake up, groaning as he does so.
Kano: Easy there, mate. You've had a rough one.
Kabal: Kano?
Kano: Heh heh, in the flesh.
Kabal: I was... on fire...
Kano: Burned to a crisp, you were. Good thing I found ya.
Kabal touches the mask on his face.
Kabal: I'm hideous...
Kano: Shang Tsung's magic healed the rest of ya. But your lungs? Yeesh.
Kabal: Take it off.
Kano: Can't. It's permanent.
Kabal: What?
Kano: No mask, no breathing.
Kabal: I'm... a freak!
Kano holds up a pair of hookswords. As Kabal is looking at the rest of his attire, Kano offers the weapons to him.
Kano: Go on. Give 'em a whirl.
Kabal: I don't use those anymore.
Kano: Yeah, you're all proper police now. The Black Dragon ain't the same without ya, mate. You should come back. We're in the money on this war.
Kabal: You sold those monsters their firepower.
Kano: Guilty as charged.
Kabal: This is YOUR fault!
Kano: What're you on about, eh?
He drops the hookswords.
Kano: You're here, ain't ya?
Kabal: I should be dead! Now you're gonna be!
They fight. Kabal finds out that not only is he still an able fighter, but he finds himself fighting with multiple new powers he didn't have before, including super speed. He gets the hang of these new powers quickly and uses them to completely overpower Kano, knocking him to the ground.
Kabal: Now how do I get outta here?
Kano: Not so keen on being dead now, are ya?
Kabal retrieves his hookswords.
Kabal: How do I get outta here?
Kano: Heh, good luck. No one gets outta Outworld with Shao Kahn's say-so.
Kabal: Outworld? Shao Kahn?
Kano: Shao Kahn's the big boss round here, and soon, Earth's new master.
Kabal points the hookswords at Kano's neck.
Kabal: Where is he?
Kano: Don't bother. You can't get near him.
Kabal: No. But I'm guessing you can.
In Shao Kahn's throne room, Mileena, along with several Lin Kuei cyborgs and Tarkatan minions, drag Motaro's body through a portal on a slab.
Shao Kahn: What is this?
Mileena: Raiden has killed Motaro.
Kabal enters the room, with Kano in front of him. The latter has one of his own knifes being weilded by Kabal and pointing into his back.
Kabal: That's him? On the throne?
Kano: You're a right genius, you are.
Sindel: It's no great matter. I will go to Earthrealm. To finish Motaro's work.
Shao Kahn: Yes. Shang Tsung.
Shang Tsung: Yes, Emperor?
Shao kahn: The empress requires something of you.
Kahn blasts Tsung with his magic and sucks out all of the souls within him, disintegrating him into nothing.
Kano: See there? I'm thinking he's a bit much-
Kabal hits him with the blunt end of the knife, knocking Kano out.
Kabal: I can take him.
Shao Kahn blasts the power of the souls into Sindel. While he's doing so, Kabal walks into the room. Noob Saibot and Mileena notice this and move to intercept him.
Mileena: No one attacks the emperor!
They fight. While fighting two on one would be a severe handicap for most, Kabal's new powers enable him to take the fight to both of Shao Kahn's minions. After an intense battle, he puts both Mileena and Noob down for the count.
Kabal: And I thought I was a freak.
With Mileena and Noob down, the Tarkatan and Lin Kuei minions all surround Kabal.
Shao Kahn: Quan Chi! Seal the portal!
Kabal: Time to go.
He zips across the room just as the minions all try to grab him, coming to a stop at the portal.
Kabal: Huh?
After a moments hesitation, he leaps through the portal before Quan Chi seals it. He lands back at the bridge he was at previously, and the portal closes behind him. He rolls over onto his back and sits up.
Kabal: This speed's incredible! Guess it's a side-effect of the Outworld magic.
A newcomer examines Kabal through a database on it's heads-up display. The search comes up blank.
Cyber Sub-Zero: You are not authorised for portal use.
Kabal: Yeah? Says who?
It was Cyber Sub-Zero, his robotic suit is colour-coded blue, and his hands pulse with ice energy.
Cyber Sub-Zero: Sub-Zero. Unit L-K-5-2-0.
Kabal: Heh, you say that like it means something.
Cyber Sub-Zero: As you will soon discover.
They fight. As a cyborg, Sub-Zero is more powerful than ever, boasting an array of ice attacks and cybernetic powers his previous form could never muster. However, Kabal's mastery of his new powers proves to be an equal match to the cyborg, and with a few clever moves Kabal manages to disable Sub-Zero and power down his systems.
Kabal: Ha! Not as cool as you thought.
Just then, Sheeva walks onto the bridge.
Sheeva: Why do you turn on your brother, Lin Kuei?
Kabal: That is not my brother. He's machine. I'm human.
Sheeva: You do not appear human.
Kabal: Don't let the mask fool ya.
They fight. As powerful as Sheeva is, she is little match for Kabal and his super speed. After a brief battle, Kabal soon has Sheeva knocked out on the floor.
Kabal: Starting to feel like the old days - only faster.
Behind Kabal, Smoke and Raiden walk onto the bridge.
Smoke: Sub-Zero!
He rushes to his friend's side and kneels by him. Raiden faces Kabal.
Raiden: You have great power indeed, Kabal.
Kabal: Wait. You're the lightning guy. You helped Stryker. Stryker! Is he-
Raiden: He is safe. He has joined us in the fight against Shao Kahn. We would welcome your aid also.
Smoke: Sub-Zero!
Raiden turns to Smoke.
Raiden: That which made him Sub-Zero no longer exists.
Smoke: He is my friend. What they did to him... it is... hideous.
Kabal: You're right. We gotta help him if we can.
Kabal helps Smoke lift Sub-Zero up for carrying.