5-4-1. With the former-emporer Shao Kahn already killed, the Deadly Alliance
still needed to tie up one other loose end before they could begin pursuing
unmatched power: the death of Liu Kang. For many years, Shang Tsung had only
hoped for the chance to avenge his defeat at the hands of Kang (1-1-3). He also
desired to attain the soul of Earth's greatest warrior, but up until this
point, it was an impossible ambition for him. But with the Deadly Alliance now
formed, the assistance of Quan Chi proved to fulfill this long-time goal.
5-4-1a. After Quan Chi provided the necessary assistance, it was Shang Tsung who
dealt the fatal blow and took the soul of Liu Kang. When Kung Lao learned of
this, he again abandoned all of his peaceful Shaolin beliefs, and vowed to
exact revenge on Shang Tsung. However, Kung Lao realized that he needed
additional training to be prepared for battle against the Deadly Alliance, so
he tracked down the master Bo'Rai Cho (0-1-4f), who had been the one who
trained Liu Kang so many years ago (1-1-1b).
5-5-1. A Red Dragon (0-5-3) member named Hsu Hao was ordered some time ago, by a
superior of his named Mavado, to infiltrate the U.S. Special Forces unit
(0-5-5) that has been hunting both organizations' long-time mutual targets: The
Black Dragon (0-5-4). Despite being criminals, the Red Dragon are far more
meticulous in their ways, and as such, the Special Forces were not aware of
them as they were of their rivals.
5-5-1a. Hsu Hao had been posing as an agent in the Special Forces since the time
of Shao Kahn's Earth invasion (chapter 3). When it was believed that Sonya had
eliminated the last member of the Black Dragon upon her defeat of Kano during
the Earth's war on Kahn (3-3-1d), Hsu Hao was ordered by Mavado to remain with
the Special Forces as an informant until further notice.
5-5-2. Nitara, a female vampire warrior whose people had been trapped by Shao
Kahn for many years, discovered an Orb that could be the key to freedom for her
home realm. However, the Orb rested on a submerged pedestal among molten rock,
so there was no way she could gain access to it.
5-5-2a. Aware of the cybernetic body of the Special Forces Agent Cyrax (4-2-1c),
and the creature Reptile who is again desparate for a new master (5-4-2b),
Nitara devised an elaborate plan to manipulate them into unwittingly working
for her. Nitara soon approached Reptile, who did not hessitate for one moment
to agree to become her loyal servant. The first order she gave him was to wait
for the next time Agent Cyrax enters the Outworld, and then to attack Cyrax,
and most importantly, damaged the console on Cyrax's arm.
5-5-2b. Just as his new master had ordered him to do, Reptile ambushed Agent
Cyrax. Cyrax managed to win the fight, but Reptile still succeeded in
destroying the arm console unit, just as Nitara had ordered him to do. The
console is used as part of the inter-realm travelling technology that Cyrax
needs to return to Earth realm after coming through, so he was stranded in the
Outworld. Nitara then approached Cyrax and struck a deal with him: if he could
retreive the Orb for her, she would transport him back to Earth realm.
5-5-3. Kenshi is a skilled Japanese warrior who had encountered Shang Tsung long
ago. He vows to free the souls of his ancestors that are being held by Tsung
(0-6-2). Kenshi had been tracking Tsung for some time, but when Tsung escaped
back into the Outworld, Kenshi agreed to become an agent in the Outerworld
Investigation Agency (0-5-5a) so he could enter Outworld to help bring their
stranded Agent Cyrax back to Earth realm (5-5-2b).
5-5-3a. Of course, when in the Outworld, Kenshi's real purpose was to track down
Shang Tsung. Just when Kenshi was close to finding Tsung's whereabouts, and his
fellow OIA Agent Sonya Blade and her team had almost finished their mission to
destroy inter-realm portals (4-2-1c), Hsu Hao was finally given the order he
had been waiting for (5-5-1a): Mavado told him to destroy the Outerworld
Investigation Agency's (0-5-5a) facilities. He did so with a small nuclear
device. Jax then quickly notified Sonya that they now have two agents stranded
in the Outworld: Cyrax and Kenshi. Sonya went through a portal into the
Outworld, on a rescue mission for both of them. Meanwhile, back in the Earth
realm, Jax has now identified their traitor, and will pursue Hsu Hao.
5-5-3b. Mavado himself, Hsu Hao's superior in the Red Dragon (0-5-3), was
recruited by the Deadly Alliance. They want him to eliminate Kenshi, who is a
threat to Tsung, but he has his own goals: to eliminate Kano, now believed to
be the last remaining member of the rival Black Dragon (0-5-4).
5-6-1. Now an elder god (4-2-2), Raiden's priorities still remained with the
Earth realm, which he had been defending for so many centuries. When he became
aware of the actions and intentions of the newly formed Deadly Alliance, Quan
Chi and Shang Tsung, both of whom he had encountered during various battles in
the past, he pleaded with his fellow elder gods to intervene. He saw the Deadly
Alliance as the biggest threat to the Earth realm that it has ever seen. The
others, however, did not see eye-to-eye with Raiden. They firmly maintained
their position that it was not their place to intervene with the events now
transpiring. Angered, Raiden defied the other elder gods, and relinquished his
new position to return to mortality, and gathered the allies he had fought
alongside in the recent wars prior.
5-6-1a. Sub-Zero was serving as grandmaster of the newly reformed Lin Kuei
(0-5-1b) when Raiden once again appeared before him. When Raiden informed him
of the recent events involving the Deadly Alliance, Sub-Zero agreed to join
Raiden's forces once again. Doing so would further confirm to the world that
the new Lin Kuei is, in fact, an organization of Earth realm defenders, rather
than the clan of thieves and assassins they once were. Along with him, Sub-Zero
brought his latest recruit and current trainee, Frost (5-1-2).
5-6-1b. Johnny Cage was unsatisfied with the storylines in his recent films,
repeatedly being killed off and coming back to life. The studio insisted that
it would enhance the dramatic aspects of his work, so he patiently waited for
an opportunity to do better work while he reluctantly completed filming the
movies. When Raiden approached him to help out against the Deadly Alliance, he
took the chance to go into action without a moment's delay.
5-6-1c. The man known as Mokap was a former martial-arts teacher in the north
side of Chicago, IL. When he was called upon by action star, Johnny Cage, to do
motion-capture for the special effects in his films, he was flown to Hollywood.
Although others were used in the films as well, Mokap was brought in repeatedly
due to his vast knowledge of fighting techniques.
5-7-1. A new tournament begins. This time, it is primarily a struggle between
Raiden against the team of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, now known as the Deadly
Alliance. Just as Raiden has once again gathered his forces of Earth warriors
to defend his home realm, the Deadly Alliance has also acquired allies. Shang
Tsung and Quan Chi also possess the inherent advantages of being the hosts of
this new tournament. No longer willing to be the servants of those in power
that they had been for so many centuries, only time will tell what will come of
their pursuit of total domination...
