Chapter 1: Next of Kin

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The scene shows the exterior of Earthrealm's Sky Temple. A raging storm echoes through the landscape, with red lightning cutting through the cloudy night sky and going straight into the top of the temple itself. The temple is shown from several angles, gradually getting closer with each passing camera shot. As we close in, the sound of someone screaming in agony echoes over the continuing lightning strikes. 


The camera cuts to an overhead shot of the Temple, directly above the hole where the lightning is shooting into. Many floors of the Temple have been outright demolished by the lightning, and the hole extends to the very bottom floor that houses the Jinsei, the life force of Earthrealm. The camera pans down the hole, and it becomes apparent that the red lightning is being blasted directly into a person, and once the bottom of the hole is reached we can see who that person is. It is the fallen Elder God known as Shinnok. Bound by chains and bloodied by the continued assault, Shinnok is powerless to do anything but scream at the lightning striking his body. The strikes stop for a moment, allowing Shinnok a moment to catch his breath and speak. 


"You... you should thank me, Raiden. Our battle changed you... for the better!" he chuckles through the pain. Raiden stands across from Shinnok, in front of the Jinsei itself. Upon a closer inspection, it becomes apparent that Shinnok is correct in that Raiden has changed; his eyes now glow a bright red instead of blue, his attire is more armoured and warlike, and most tellingly of all he wears Shinnok's amulet in the centre of his chest. In response to the taunts, he charges up red lightning through his hands and blasts it at Shinnok once more. The blasts continue for several seconds as Raiden closes the distance between himself and his mortal enemy.


"Be silent, Shinnok!" Raiden commands then stops the blasts and Shinnok sinks to his knees, the chains on his arms preventing him from keeling over entirely. He nonetheless manages to chuckle, in spite of his predicament. Raiden hovers his hand over Shinnok's head for a moment, then he suddenly grabs it, channeling more lightning directly into Shinnok for a brief moment. After the assault, Shinnok finds his tongue once again "But you wear my amulet. Finally you embrace the truth the Elder Gods deny. The truth I was cast out for speaking" Shinnok taunts "The truth I embrace, Shinnok, is that mercy is wasted on those who defile Earthrealm" Raiden growls.  He places a hand on Shinnok's chains "I will destroy our enemies before they destroy us... starting with you!" He yanks the chains, pulling Shinnok to his feet. Shinnok begins to chuckle in response "How, Raiden? Not even you can kill an Elder God" he grins with amusment Raiden says nothing, but instead charges more lightning through his hand. Shinnok braces for another assault, but Raiden does not blast him this time. "There are fates worse than death"  He closes his fist, and the lightning forms into a blade pulsing with red electricity. Raiden draws his arm back and then slices the blade clean through Shinnok's neck. Shinnok gags as blood begins to spill from the wound, and a moment later his severed head falls from his shoulders. Raiden dismisses the lightning blade and drags Shinnok's head - still leaking blood - across the Jinsei chamber to a nearby table. 


When Shinnok opens his eyes once more, he tries to speak, but cannot form any words without the use of his lungs. Raiden slams his fist down onto the table, sparking once more with red electricity. 


"I will deliver you to Liu Kang and your Netherrealm minions. You will serve as warning - and an emblem of my wrath" he says as he walks to the hole in the Temple and teleports away. As soon as he does so, another figure appears in the Jinsei chamber. As this person walks into the fray, the raindrops from the raging storm slow and then stop entirely, suspended in midair. The person is a woman, bald headed, clad in white and shimmering with a faint blue hue that permeates her skin. She walks over to the table with Shinnok's head on it. 

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