In a dungeon in Outworld, two Shokan soldiers can be seen standing guard in front of a group of cells. Inside the cells contain those who have survived the massacre at the shore of the sea of blood. Inside one of the cell, Younger Johnny, Younger Sonya, Cassie Cage, and Zaveer Chujin can be seen sitting admits the small space they have, contemplating on what to do now.

"We have to find a way out of here." Zaveer says.

"And then what? Get our asses kicked by Mr. Stock Villian yet again?" Younger Johnny says.

"Nows not the time for jokes, ninety's dad." Cassie says.

"I don't think he's joking, Cass." Younger Sonya points out.

Cass and Zaveer look and see the downcast look younger Johnny has on his face. The two grow worried as this is unusual for Johnny to be like this.

"It's my fault we got captured. Had I taken the fight seriously, we wouldn't be here." Younger Johnny says.

"Johnny. None of this is your fault. We all have been outmatched in the fight. It's not just you." Zaveer points out.

"I know that. But still... I can't help but feel I could've done something differently." Younger Johnny says.

"We all wish that things could've been different." Zaveer says.

Cassie looks at Zaveer, puzzled by the statement.

"Don't tell your still blaming yourself." Cassie says.

"How can I not? My grievance broke both you and Jacqui's heart. If I haven't just walked away..." Zaveer says.

He then gets cut off from Cassie embracing him in a tight hug, catching him by surprise.

"Hate to break the moment, but when did all this happen?" Younger Johnny asks.

Cassie releases the hug and looks towards the younger version of her father.

"Its a long story." Cassie says.

"Well, I don't see us leaving and saving the universe with our might anytime soon, so I think we have all the time to hear when and how the two of you have been together." Younger Johnny says.

Zaveer and Cassie look towards each other, nodding their heads before looking back.

"It all started when my father had me join the team Johnny... your future self set up. There was Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin. All of them were chosen to be a part of this team by their respective factions. I was a different story. My dad wanted to be with them to escape the hardships that were happening in Outworld." Zaveer says.

"Why would he have you leave your own home?" Younger Sonya asks.

"In that time, my mother Mileena was still loyal to Shao Kahn and was locked up. Fearing that a rebellion would erupt, my dad took me to Johnny to be recruited into the team. And that's when the initiation began.

7 years ago

A special forces base can be seen, several guards patrolling the grounds. In the midst of them, Manado, without his burns and in his older attire, and Zaveer walking through the grounds. They eventually reach a tent and inside are Johnny, Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin. Johnny notices them and approaches.

"Manado. Glad you could make it." Johnny says.

"Likewise, Johnny." Manado says.

Johnny then looks towards Zaveer.

"And I assume this is the Mini Chujin?" Johnny asks.

"Zaveer. Yes. (Looks towards Zaveer) Zaveer, this is Johnny Cage. He's a old friend of mine." Manado intoduces.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cage." Zaveer says.

"Please. Just Johnny is fine." Johnny says.

Johnny then looks back towards Manado.

"You ready to begin?" Johnny says.

"Let's get started." Manado says.

A few hours have passed and Johnny can be seen standing in a clearing with Zaveer standing a short distance away. Manado stands to the side with Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin close behind.

"I must say, your father was taught you well. But now it's time for the final test." Johnny says.

Johnny then assumes a fighting stance while Zaveer does the same.

"Be warned young one. Don't feel bad if you lose. The others had a hard time fighting me too." Johnny says.

Manado looks towards the others who shake their heads, with smug looks on their faces.

"I will not allow myself to underestimate you, Johnny Cage." Zaveer says.

"Well, I hope your ready. Comes here comes the boom!" Johnny says.

They then fight. Johnny proves himself to be a formidable opponent. His years of fighting experience is shown on full display. But as they fight, Zaveer notices one thing Johnny lacks. Discipline. His overconfidence and ego are clearly shown in his fighting and Zaveer uses it to his advantage. After a long fight, Johnny is knocked down.

"Your honor me with your kombat." Zaveer says.

Zaveer then approaches Johnny and offers him a hand. Johnny accepts the hand and is brought back to his feet.

"Impressive, Zaveer. All I have to say is... Welcome to the team." Johnny says.

"Thank you, Johnny." Zaveer says. Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin then approach him and compliment his success.

Manado and Johnny look on with smiles on their faces.

"They'll get along just fine." Johnny assures.

"Of that, I am certain." Manado says.

Present day

"After that, I became a member of the team. And I got to know everyone very well. I've been on the team for a good month or so before our first Mission, which eventually led to us fighting against Shinnok. I won't go into detail about the events leading up to fight, but when everything settled, I, Cassie, and Jacqui found love for each other." Zaveer says, holding Cassie's hand.

"Talk about love triangle of the century." Younger Johnny says.

"It never got bad, Johnny. The three of us found a way to make it work. And eventually, I proposed." Zaveer says, pulling out two rings with bright red jewels, much to Johnny and Sonya's surprise.

"It was the happiest moment of our lives, but then it became the saddest." Cassie says.

"What do you mean?" Younger Sonya asks.

"Right before the wedding, my dad disappeared. All of Outworld searched for him but were unsuccessful. Eventually, everyone began to fear the worst, myself included. Though I still held out hope, I began to wonder if he would ever be found. And when that happened, I began to grieve. It wasn't a good time for me. And because of me grieving, I couldn't bear to do the wedding, so I called it off." Zaveer explains.

"Let me get this straight. Manado disappears, you start to think that he might be dead, you begin to grieve and you just call off the wedding?" Younger Sonya asks.

"Yes. It broke Cassie and Jacqui's hearts that day. I didn't want to do it, but I couldn't bear to do it with everything else happening. You and Johnny understood the situation. Jax on the other hand, not so much. I still remember the day he confronted me." Zaveer explains.

2 years ago

Zaveer can be seen standing within a special forces base with a large pack on his back. Johnny and Sonya standing beside him. Zaveer looks down as he looks at his father's golden amulet that he's holding. He then looks towards to his right and sees Cassie and Jacqui looking through some equipment, a look of grief plasters onto his face. Johnny then approaches him.

"You know you'll have to make it up to them eventually." Johnny points out.

"I know. I just don't know how to go about doing it." Zaveer says.

"In time, you'll figure it out. Just know you still have us if anything happens." Johnny says.

Zaveer then softly smiles.

"Thanks, Johnny." Zaveer says.

Zaveer then looks towards Sonya.

"I must be on my way. My mother wants to to join her in another search." Zaveer says.

"Understood. Good luck in your search." Sonya says.

Zaveer nods his head and prepares to open a portal but before he can, a voice catches his attention.

"Chujin!" The voice calls out.

Zaveer turns his head to see who it was, only for a metal fist making contact with his face, sending him flying before rolling across the floor. He looks up to see Jax approaching him, clear anger seen on his face. Jax then forces him back to his feet and punches him again, knocking him down again.

"How dare you? You broke my daughter's heart!" Jax yells.

Zaveer slowly rises to his feet.

"It wasn't my intention, Jax." Zaveer says.

"Silence!" Jax says.

He then delivers another punch to his abdomen, knocking Zaveer down to his hands and knees.

"That's enough, Jax!" Sonya yells.

"Stay out of this, Sonya!" Jax calls out.

"All of this solves nothing, Jax!" Johnny points out.

"It will teach Zaveer some discipline." Jax says.

Jax then grabs Zaveer by the shoulder and forces him back up to his feet. He then proceeds to punch him in the face over and over again until he delivers an uppercut to his chin, sending him flying through the air before landing hard on his back onto the ground. Jax walks forward to continue but Johnny and Sonya grab hold of him and pull him back.

"He's had enough, Jax." Sonya says.

"Not to me." Jax says, struggling to break free of their grip.

Zaveer, his face bloodied and beaten, rises to his knees and spits to the side, blood coming out of his mouth as a result. He then rises back to his feet and glares Jax down.

"Let him go." Zaveer says.

Johnny and Sonya look to him in confusion.

"He'll just continue his beatdown on you." Johnny points out.

"Let him. All his pent up anger needs to be released so he can calm down." Zaveer says.

Johnny and Sonya reluctantly release their grip on Jax and he then nonchalantly walks up to Zaveer. He then sends a punch to Zaveer, but he effortlessly catches the punch and pushes him back.

"I tried to end this peacefully, but I see you make that impossible. You want a fight, you shall have it." Zaveer says, assuming a fighting stance.

They then fight. Jax's fury gives Zaveer a fight of his life, especially after the beatdown he previously received. However, the very rage Jax has also doesn't have fighting at his full capacity and Zaveer uses that to his advantage. After a brutal fight, Jax is knocked down.

"I'm sorry, Jax." Zaveer says.

Zaveer then picks up his pack and walks away from Jax, who can be seen sitting on the ground, his face looking down but anger still can be seen clear as day. After walking a short distance, Zaveer turns towards Jax.

"I don't expect you to listen to me. But know this. I never intended for any of this to happen. But how would your daughter feel if he saw you like this?" Zaveer asks.

Jax then looks towards Jacqui, a look of distraught and shock plastered on her face. Jax then looks away, anger dissipating from his face and replaced with what could be described as grief.

"I just hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me." Zaveer says.

Zaveer then turns back and opens up a blue portal with his gem. He then walks through the portal, with it closing behind him.

Present day

Younger Johnny and Sonya look on with shock, having heard the story they were just told.

"After that, I never spoke with him again, especially after he stayed at the farm after the death of his wife. I don't even know if he has forgiven me." Zaveer says.

"He may not have, (place a hand on his shoulder) but I have. And I'm sure Jacqui has too." Cassie assures.

"How can you be so sure?" Zaveer asks.

"Take it from me. We're not one to hold grudges." Cassie says.

Zaveer then smiles at her. Suddenly, a scream catches their attention. The Shokan guards heard it as well and ready their spears. They look on at the entryway, waiting for anything to come through the door. After a moment, the door burst opens and the bloodied body of a Shokan soldiers flys through the air and lands in front of the two soldiers. They then see that the person responsible is Old Manado as he walks into the dungeon.

"Dad!" Zaveer calls out.

Cassie, Johnny, and Sonya look on is surprise. Old Manado then looks toward the Shokan soldiers.

"Let them go, or you will share the fate of your comrade." Old Manado warns.

The two Shokan soldiers look to each other for a moment before charging towards him. They then attempt to stab Manado, who backpedals to avoid the strike. One of the Shokan soldiers then attempts to swing the spear to Old Manado's head, but he catches the spear and uses it to block another spear strike from the other soldier. He then kicks the spear out of the soldier's hand and uses it stab the first soldier in the chest. As the soldier falls, Old Manado approaches the second soldier. He then dodges a punch from the Shokan and pulls out his daggers. He then uses both blades and stabs the Shokan through the eyes. As the Shokan goes limp, Old Manado rips out the blades and the soldiers falls dead to the floor. Old Manado then approaches the cell where Zaveer, Johnny and Sonya are locked in.

"Thanks for coming back." Zaveer says.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you here." Old Manado says.

Using his red energy, Old Manado then disintegrates the lock and the cell door swings open. Zaveer, Johnny, and Sonya quickly exit the cell.

"Let's move quickly." Old Manado suggests.

A battle cry is then heard and the four of them look to see a group of Shokan standing in front of the entrance of the dungeon, all of them holding either spears, swords, and metal claws. Old Manado then looks toward Zaveer, Johnny, and Sonya.

Free the soldiers, I'll deal with this." Old Manado says.

As the three of them rush to free their fellow soldiers, Old Manado approaches the Shokan.

"Withdraw, or feel the wrath of Outworld's protector!" Old Manado warns.

The Shokan look on in confusion as Old Manado then summons his red energy and sends a fist to the floor, the resulting shockwave engulfing the Shokan with red energy, knocking them down. A couple more then rush in and Old Manado assumes a fighting stance. One of attempts to grab Old Manado, but he grabs hold of two of his arms and rips them off. As the Shokan falls, Old Manado then uses the arms and swings them at another Shokan, knocking it down. Old Manado then drops the arms and kicks another Shokan back.

He then looks up and backpedals, avoiding a stab from kollector. Kollector persists and swings his blades at Old Manado who manages to dodge the blades. He then sends a ball of red energy at Kollector. He manages to dodge the blast, only to be knocked down by Zaveer, courtesy of a shoulder strike. Old Manado then approaches Zaveer.

"Keep the Shokan off my back. I've got this." Zaveer says.

Old Manado then rushes to fight the Shokan as Kollector rises to his feet.

"You greed knows no bounds, Kollector. It will prove to be your undoing." Zaveer says.

"No, Chujin. Shao Kahn will pay handsomely for your head, once I rip it from your body." Kollector says.

They then fight. Kollector proves to be a formidable opponent to Zaveer. Having six arms to fight with, combined with his magic and fighting skill proves to be quite the challenge. Zaveer persists however and faces him head on. After a long fight, Kollector lies on the ground, unconscious.

"Payday's not today." Zaveer says.

Old Manado is then seen knocking down another Shokan as one tries to sneak up from behind him. Zaveer quickly rushes and kicks the Shokan away. The Chujins nod their heads at each other and approach Johnny and Sonya, who have managed to free the soldiers.

"Is that everyone?" Old Manado asks.

"Yeah, that's about all of them." Younger Johnny says.

"Then let us go, we don't have much time." Old Manado says.

They then turn to leave but are confronted by D'Vorah.

"You are not going anywhere." D'Vorah says.

"Crawl back to your hive, D'Vorah. Lest you want to die here and now." Zaveer says.

"This one does not care for your empty threats, Chujin. You will become the hive's next meal." D'Vorah says.

Zaveer then approaches her before assuming a fighting stance.

"No one will be a meal here, Kytinn. But one of us will indeed fall." Zaveer says.

They then fall. Zaveer is in for a tough fight against the power of the Kytinn. D'Vorah's power over her species proves to be difficult to overcome, but Zaveer's persistence and determination see him through and in the end, D'Vorah is knocked unconscious.

"And it is you who will fall." Zaveer says.

Zaveer then looks towards Old Manado who approaches him.

"Are you alright?" Old Manado asks.

"I'm fine, dad." Zaveer says.

"Listen, I know I haven't always been the best father, but I want you to know that..." Old Manado says before being cut off.

"Dad, you don't have to apologize. I know that you did everything you could. And if I'm honest, I couldn't ask for a better father." Zaveer says.

Old Manado then smiles and embraces Zaveer in a hug.

"Thanks, son." Old Manado says.

After a moment Old Manado releases the hug. And looks towards everyone else.

"Let us be on our way. We have a battle to win." Old Manado says.

Old Manado then summons his red energy and a portal opens. Old Manado, Younger Johnny, Younger Sonya, and the remaining special forces soldiers walk through the portal, but Zaveer and Cassie remain behind.

"I guess this is it, huh?" Zaveer asks.

"It appears that way." Cassie says.

"Listen, you know I'm not the best at this. But after everything is over, would you like to... start over?" Zaveer asks.

Cassie says nothing but approaches him and lands a kiss on his lips, giving him a surprise. After a Moment, she releases front the kiss.

"I would love to." Cassie says.

Zaveer smiles as the two walk through the portal, hands held to each other as the portal closes behind them, for they will face the battle in front of them together.