Fire and Ice (MK9 - MK11)

Chapter 12: Cassie Cage

The scene cuts to the Sky Temple. Team S-F creep up behind a wall overlooking a crevice as D'Vorah speaks with Liu Kang, Kitana and Sindel.

D'VORAH: Lord Shinnok is nearly finished. Soon the Jinsei's corruption will be irreversable.

KITANA: The invasion can then proceed. Raiden and his allies will be unable to offer resistance.

Kung Jin missteps, and some stones crumble under his feet and fall into the crevice below them. Takeda and Cassie stop Jin from falling.

LIU KANG: Once the realm falls, our path to victory will be clear. Advise Lord Shinnok that the Oni and Orochi are ready. At his command, we'll unleash them on Earthrealm.

D'Vorah nods and walks into the Sky Temple. Kung Lao and Smoke walk up to the rest of the revenants.

LIU KANG: Have you found Raiden's portal to the Heavens?

KUNG LAO: Yes, but his wards protect it. We can't break through.

Team S-F peer over the wall at the revenants.

KITANA: That is unacceptable. After Earthrealm is destroyed, we must complete Lord Shinnok's vengeance; invade the Heavens and destroy the Elder Gods.

LIU KANG: (To Kung Lao and Smoke) Come.

The three male revenants walk off.

TAKEDA: Make war on the Heavens?! If Shinnok can take down the Elder Gods--

JACQUI: End of the universe. Got it.

KUNG JIN: Kung Lao... to see him like this...

CASSIE: We'll all be hangin' 'round the Netherrealm water cooler if we don't pull this off. C'mon.

As they creep along the wall, a rock comes loose from where Takeda puts his foot. Unlike Kung Jin before him, the rest of Team S-F are unable to catch him and he falls, just barely grabbing into the crevice edge in time.

JACQUI: Takeda!

She reaches her hand for Takeda to grab. Sindel and Kitana notice the noise. Realising they've been spotted, Cassie motions to Jin and they spring out of cover, running forward and engaging in kombat.

Kung Jin swings his staff at Kitana as Cassie fends off Sindel's strikes. Kitana gets through Jin's staff swings, punches him in the stomach and kicks him in the face as he bends over, staggering him. Cassie punches Sindel, who blocks two more strikes from her and sends her reeling with a punch of her own. Cassie begins to retreat as Sindel advances on her.

SINDEL: Has your mother ever told you what I did to her friends? Killed them all in the blink of an eye.

CASSIE: And your own daughter. You proud of that?

SINDEL: We are bonded in death. You will join us and I will give you a proper upbringing!

They fight. Without the magic of Shang Tsung and his consumed souls in Sindel's body, she is unable to bring up the same power and strength that killed so many of Earthrealm's warriors. That is why she finds herself unable to take down Cassie so easily and that allows the leader of Team S-F to rally and beat her down, eventually leaving her unconscious on the ground.

CASSIE: Nice offer, Mommy Dearest, but I'll pass.

Jacqui is still trying to reach down and pull Takeda up from a sticky end at the bottom of the crevice the Sky Temple rests on. They both strain to reach each other's outstretched hand. Takeda suddenly loses his grip and falls... but Jacqui leans down and grabs his hand in the nick of time. Both of them struggle for a few moments, but eventually Jacqui pulls Takeda back up.