After the preview, we cut to the Golden Desert, where Reiko is telling Goro some interesting information about the Osh-Tekk people that he learned from his years fighting alongside Kotal. While they gain incredible power in sunlight, they become much more vulnerable in darkness. Goro, having slaughtered many of the Osh-Tekk people before, is unimpressed, but Reiko reminds him that circumstances have changed since those many years ago and they must rely on strategy this time.
Case in point, a small army of Osh-Tekk warriors led by Kotal K'Etz and Reptile arrives at the temple where they were told Mileena's forces were hiding out the very next day. It turns out that Reiko actually leaked this location on purpose as part of his plan, and the sun is suddenly blotted out by thunderstorms conjured up by Rain, who works for Mileena. K'Etz leads his soldiers onward, to find Goro waiting for them at the temple's entrance. Recognizing that Goro has turned traitor, K'Etz draws forth the wrath hammer of Shao Kahn and slams it into Goro's face, shattering several of his teeth. Despite this, however, Goro is fazed very little.
As Goro and K'Etz continue their duel, the Osh-Tekk warriors are suddenly attacked by the Red Dragon, who were using cloaking technology acquired from the Lin Kuei to keep themselves hidden, and are led by Mavado. Goro gains the upperhand against K'Etz, revealing that he betrayed Kotal because he was outraged at being sent on tasks such as going after "rats" like Mileena and her forces. Goro then gets ahold of the wrath hammer, and uses it to smash K'Etz's head into pieces.
In the aftermath of the battle, Reptile returns to Kotal Kahn and tells him of Goro's turning traitor, Reiko's recruitment of the Red Dragon, and his father's death. Enraged, Kotal begins to cut himself with his blade, and invokes the "gods before gods" to bind his soul to the blood code and make him a blood god, so that he might gain the power to take down Goro! Just as Reiko hoped, Kotal is going to extreme measures to avenge his father's death.