Who are you?
An enemy of Shang Tsung. Just like you.
So simple. I have missed this.
Move. You're blocking my way.
Now!
You... you should be dead.
Four centuries is a very long time. But you were never really sure, were you?
- How did you get out? - Better to ask, what will I do now?
All your evil. This is where it began. This is where it will end.
For you.
In each of us there burns a soul of a warrior.
In every generation, a few are chosen to prove it.
Centuries ago in a time of darkness and fury that fate befell three strangers.
A monk - Kung Lao...
An exiled guard - Siro...
And a thief - Taja...
Who have to defend our Earth Realm from the forces of Outworld.
By fighting for their lives.
By fighting for their honour.
Your soul is mine!
And by fighting for their realm.
It's the burden you must carry.
In a tournament called... Mortal Kombat.
Please. Be comfortable.
What have you done to me?
Shown you for what you really are. You may live a day now, maybe two.
- I'll kill you. - No. But death will come. Be patient.
You have some time to think.
Think... how you got here.
This is where we should be living. In the city, in a great house.
Tired of our little tent already?
We deserve better.
I agree. But I'm happy for now.
I mean, it's small and intimate and there are so many things we could do there.
Like what?
- You are creative. - Mm-hmm...
Enough, you two. There's time for that later.
Lots of time, I hope.
His training comes first. Come.
Well, since it's studies we're talking about...
I have a new potion I've been working on.
- I have to show you. - Later, Omegis.
Shang Tsung's training is more important right now.
Soon he will defend Earth Realm in Mortal Kombat.
Omegis.
Come to me, Omegis.
Come to me.
Come to me, Omegis.
Thank you. Come again.
Um, may I help you? What're you looking for?
Kung Lao.
Yes, can I help you?
- You are Kung Lao? - That is my name.
Now is there something you need?
- To join you. - In what?
Your battle with... Outworld.
Oh, um, so you're a fighter then.
Yes.
Well, why didn't you say so before? Are you good?
- Very good. - Let's sign him up, huh?
Siro, don't encourage him. Come on now. It's time to go home.
There you go.
Come on.
What is he doing?
Wow.
Welcome, Master...
Cho. I'm Master Cho. I have trained many great fighters.
One was Shang Tsung.
Wait a minute. You trained Shang Tsung?
No, no, no. Get him out of here, Kung Lao.
There's no way some guy who knows Shang is going to...
She talks too much.
Now I'm here to train you.
Who's there?
What do you think?
I wish I could look like this forever.
You should.
You're beautiful.
Then ask him.
I am so close to working on this myself, but I need Master Cho's help.
I'm not sure he knows.
Of course he does.
Come on, you've heard him talking about those things...
from hundreds of years ago.
He was there. He holds the secret, Shang.
And I want to know it.
Master Cho holds the key.
- Well, he guards that secret. - He hoards it. Selfishly.
- Perhaps he'll tell us in time. - No, there's no time, my love.
Come on. Ask him.
Press him.
- Have me like this forever. - You're so sure, aren't you?
- You want to live on and on and on and on. - Yes. Yes.
I want to taste it all. I want to do this until the end of time.
You heard my call...
- I'm not old. - Oh, yes you are, Shang.
As old as I am.
Your pain will remain.
But I have restored your body.
I want you to look exactly like you did as I watch you die.
Everything okay?
I had some business with a merchant, but he's sick.
- There's something going around. - Bad?
Don't know. His son seems pretty worried though.
It'll be all right. You lost your voice yesterday...
- now you're as good as new. - Yeah, Master Cho.
- He's a piece of work, isn't he? - He's more than that.
I think he's dangerous.
Doesn't it bother you all of his weird sorcery?
Besides, I can't believe Kung Lao let some guy who trained Shang Tsung stick around.
- I'm for booting him out. - I don't know.
Maybe there's something we can learn from him.
This sickness is getting around.
Yeah, we better get to the Trading Post before we catch it.
Yeah.
Focus. Centre. Inner strength becomes outer force.
Wow! Good trick.
Trick? It's not a trick.
Is that something you can teach me?
Oh, please. This guy comes shuffling in...
puts on a little light show and you two are ready to become all-powerful sorcerers.
- Young lady... - Don't do that thing with my voice.
I'll say what I want.
I would have it no other way.
You guys should really think about what you're doing here.
Don't mind her. She tends to have an attitude.
And a great pair of legs.
It's been a long time.
- Release me from this or... - Or what? Listen to you.
Frozen there, yet still ranting and still threatening.
So like you.
- Is that why you came? To gloat? - No.
To enjoy.
- You'll pay for this. - I already have.
Watch this.
I do not teach you such things to make your life convenient.
There are more important skills than starting fires.
- Today we must move forward. - To what?
To looking inside people.
Deep inside.
To see their very souls.
What do you see?
They're friends.
And what else?
He wants her, it's sexual.
Better.
Now look again.
Harder. Deeper.
And listen.
There will be a silent voice...
What does it say, Shang Tsung?
Yes.
His heart is pounding. He's nervous.
Afraid she will reject him. Wait.
He's being unfaithful. There is another woman.
- He's fighting not to think of her. - Excellent.
- Unbelievable. It's so easy. - For you.
For one with the heart of a sorcerer.
And I can teach you more. Much more.
I want to know it all.
And how will you use it, Shang Tsung?
In a fight?
To know when an opponent is weakening or overconfident.
To even know when his spirit is broken.
In Mortal Kombat...
I'd be invincible.
That shows how little you know.
These powers can be used for your good, to protect you.
Or for evil, to consume you.
But you will teach me to use it and control it.
If that is meant to be.
Of course. I'll be patient to learn these secrets, Master...
of this and of your long life.
That you will never learn from me.
Gain immortality from winning Mortal Kombat or not at all.
But why learn the powers of sorcery just to end up dying like any other man?
Because that path leads only to darkness and misery. Believe me. I know.
- I understand. - Good.
Your mind must be clear now.
You'll soon fight the contest of your life.
- He's strong, but small. - You can take him.
Watch his feet. Okay, now go! Concentrate.
Fight!
Watch him.
No!
Shang Tsung, No!
Shang Tsung, you have violated the rules.
This match is forfeit.
Take him away.
See to him.
Move it.
Shang Tsung's still alive, you know.
Last I heard he was somewhere here on Earth Realm.
Is that true?
He's no concern of mine anymore.
Why did you ever train him in the first place?
Many years ago, before there was Mortal Kombat...
my village was attacked in an Outworld raid.
Everyone was killed. Including my family.
I'm sorry.
When Mortal Kombat began...
I started training fighters. As many as I could.
Shang Tsung was the best.
That's past. You're the champion now. And I will train you to remain one.
What would you teach me?
You will see.
Where are you going?
Exploring.
Much has changed.
You have to... you have to help me.
Have to?
There was a time when I would've done anything you asked.
But now? I have to do nothing.
It was a long time ago.
Wondering why you're here?
Shao Kahn...
You are alive now because my guards have been watching you.
There are those from many realms who want you dead for what you did today.
Let them try.
Stand still or I'll kill you myself.
No one would even miss you.
A cheat.
Dismissed like a dog.
You heard them cheering as you were leaving the arena. Did it bother you?
No.
Liar.
I feel your humiliation...
your anger...
your need for revenge.
Yes.
I have it, too.
Do it now, Shang Tsung.
Look in my soul.
No.
You want to.
You want to see inside an Emperor's heart.
Yes.
Go ahead.
What do you see?
What am I?
Ruthless.
Full of hate.
Does it repulse you?
Or is it all too familiar?
I can train you to use it.
What more can I learn?
That which your Master withholds from you.
Defeating a fighter honourably or through treachery is only the beginning.
Searching his soul is one thing.
But taking his soul...
will allow you to live... forever.
Your soul is mine.
Ruthless. Full of hate.
Does it repulse you? Or is it all too familiar?
Stay with me and learn.
What more can I learn?
Where were you this time?
In my own hell.
I didn't win Mortal Kombat.
Because of your desperation, but you can fight again.
The Elder Gods will not preserve my youth until the next fight.
That's a generation away.
- Then live your life. Do not destroy it. - I haven't destroyed anything.
If you serve Shao Kahn, you will. You know what he did to me...
- to everything he touches. - I'm going to survive.
Don't turn your back on me. What do you want, huh?
- What can I say to you? - Tell me how you've stayed alive for so long.
Give me the secret and we can start over again.
I cannot.
Then it's you who has turned your back on me.
Thieves.
This is the spot. The place where I stole a soul for the first time.
Then he chose it well.
Shang Tsung, look at me.
Me. Look into an Emperor's heart.
Taking his soul will allow you to live forever.
Immortality shall be mine.
Don't they know who I am?
I can steal, too.
No, don't!
Your soul is mine!
No! Shang Tsung, don't do it. There will be no turning back! No!
There is no turning back now.
As there was none for me.
Then you and I are done.
I feel it!
It was the moment I turned away from him.
We both did.
Your story's hard to believe.
That Shang Tsung was ever different, let alone that he fought for our side.
Everyone begins life innocent.
But forsaking Earth Realm for Outworld?
- Nothing but pain and suffering. - Much of which Shang Tsung helped create.
He achieved greatness there. The draw of evil is powerful.
- I'm sure it is. - But you have never felt it.
My whole life I've been trained to fight against it.
To see Shao Kahn and his empire wiped away?
Yes.
Are you willing to do anything to see it happen?
I am.
To lose everything?
I've lost much already.
And you'll lose more. Especially for you as you do not age.
I can teach you things that may help you endure as you live on for years.
- Like what? - Many things.
Some of which you may not like.
Kung Lao, there's something you should see.
It's still early. Where is everybody?
Hiding in their homes.
The sickness. Dozens of people have it.
- Everyone's scared to come out. - Has anyone died?
No. Not yet.
Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you.
This, I swear.
Don't you already know?
Yes.
You still here?
Why aren't you serving your new master?
You are my Master.
What is this?
I've come to ask your forgiveness.
That's right.
He means it, Master. Share some tea. Act of friendship.
- What have you done? - What we had to do.
Your potions, use them, Omegis...
achieve what you seek and be forever cursed by it.
Curse you, Omegis.
He's cursed me.
He's finished.
Are you sure we have to do this?
Master knows us too well. Our strengths, our weaknesses.
He could destroy us some day.
Why don't we just kill him?
I'm not sure he can be killed.
- But this is worse. - So be it.
We should leave here.
There really is no turning back, is there?
Not anymore.
The Outworld?
Yes. And my future.
Our future.
What...
Shang?!
- You are now part of my past! - No! Don't leave me. No!
- I cannot change what has happened. - Yes, you can.
You can change what's happened to me.
So, you do have a price.
Make me mortal again.
You want me to kill you?
You want to die?
I want to age and I want to die as all mortals do.
The Master cursed me with immortality.
And now there is nothing I can do to stop it.
I understand.
Do you have the power?
Release me from the Master and mortality will be yours.
What're you doing?
What have you done to her? Tell me!
She'll live, as will the others. They'll all recover in a week or so.
What is it?
I take a small amount of life force so that I can live.
Taja was right.
You are like Shang Tsung.
No, I leave their souls intact.
It began centuries ago.
Now I cannot stop. It's a small price, but I must survive.
Outworld must be vanquished. Shao Kahn must die.
So the end justifies the means.
Get out of my sight. Get out of this trading post.
As you wish.
I came here for sanctuary while I restored my powers.
I'm now ready to finish what I started.
Yes! Finally.
Finally indeed.
Both of you together. The two who betrayed me.
- You are a fool to return here. - A fool? You, I could sense.
But I couldn't find Omegis.
I let you live hoping you'd call for her help.
Your skills have improved. My compliments.
- What do you want? - After centuries of being buried alive?
To kill you both.
You taught me how to look into souls.
And do you know what I see in yours, Great Master?
Defeat. Utter defeat.
Is this wise? He escaped here once before.
He's not the only one with a sense of irony. This place held him for hundreds of years.
Now it can hold him forever.
This time I will seal it myself.
And now for our bargain.
To make me mortal.
- I can't. - What do you mean?
I don't have the power. Perhaps with his help.
But now...
I could kill you. But I think I'll let you live, just as you are.
How dare you deceive me again!
- Hey, you're up. - Yeah, I'm okay.
But I'll tell ya, if that old creep ever shows up here again, I'll break his neck.
As if you could.
Yeah, he is pretty powerful.
Maybe you should have let him teach you something.
I thought about it.
- Are you kidding? - No, I'm not.
With the life we lead, we can use any power available to us.
He's right.
So you make a deal with the devil. Some sort of bloodsucker like him.
Like I said, I thought about it.
So why didn't you?
I guess I didn't trust myself. If I started, it would be the beginning.
Think he'll be back?
I don't know.
But I'm hoping we've seen the last of him.
Like you said.
My powers have increased over the years.
Omegis?
Master Cho, it's time for you and I to make a deal.