A portal has opened up in some ruins, and Shokan warriors have emerged from it. The MK team quickly arrive and fight the Shokans, eventually sending them back through the portal. With them gone, Stryker seals up the rip.
It has started to rain and as Sonya and Jax take cover under on of the jets, Sonya asks if Jax still intends to leave. It turns out that Jax's grandfather has died, and he only found out after the funeral had been held due to how busy he has been fighting against the Outworld invaders. Jax says his grandfather was always there for him, but when he needed him...Jax has decided he needs to get away from this endless fighting. He doesn't want to take a short break either, he plans to go for good. Some of the others understand and say they will be there for him if they need him. Jax tells Sonya he intends to go as soon as they return to base.
As soon as they get back, Jax packs up his things and says goodbye. An alarm goes off and Nightwolf tells everyone they have another rip. Sub-Zero says they hate to leave like this, but duty calls, and Jax tells them to move out. Most of the team leave, but Sonya waits and then goes back to him. She kisses him and tells him not to take too long before running off to join the rest of the team. Jax says he'll miss everyone, but tells Nightwolf something he couldn't bring himself to say in front of Sonya -he says he doesn't think he'll ever be coming back.
As Jax walks out, Raiden appears. He says he knows how he feels, but he has a responsibility to the team and they need him. However Jax says he is no good to them if his heart is not in it. Raiden hopes he finds what he is searching for, and admits that even he will miss him. A few weeks later, Jax has moved in to a place where his Grandfather would sometimes live -an isolated cabin next to the sea.
Jax is looking through some family picture books and says his Grandfather was the only family he could remember. He isn't the only one in the cabin though as a woman called Ruby is also there, but Jax knows her. She was looking after Jax's grandfather and Jax doesn't know how he'll ever be able to thank her enough for taking care of him. Ruby says his Grandfather was an amazing man, and he helped her as much as she helped him. When she came here to study the wildlife, everyone said Jaxon Briggs was the man to talk too.
What everyone forgot to tell her however is that his Grandson was just as amazing and very attractive. She asks if he is O.K. but he says he doesn't know anymore. He has loved the weeks they have spent together, he just doesn't know if he should go back to his old life or find a new direction to go. Ruby hopes he stays right here with her.
Meanwhile, despite it being late, Sonya is bugging Nightwolf as she wants to know how Jax is doing. He thinks she wants to spy on him, but she says she just wants to know how he is doing and believes Nightwolf has a way of finding out. Turns out Nightwolf, as he set something up just before he left, just in case he needed to find him. As Nightwolf sets up the software, he somewhat alarmingly managed to get a camera set up in the cabin itself, which shows Jax and Ruby. Sonya's reaction to Ruby isn't good.
Ruby is asking about Jax's work, and whilst he says it was just some boring stuff, but she presses him, saying she finds everything about him fascinating. Meanwhile, Sonya and Nightwolf aren't the only ones monitoring Jax -Shao Kahn is at it also! This is because Ruby is actually one of his spies, and he is pleased at how well she is performing her duties. He tells Ermac to prepare his forces. Back on Earth, Sonya is clearly jealous of Ruby, and Nightwolf is amused when she recommends the team flies over to where Jax is and try to talk some sense into him.
Sonya's shouting gets Kitana's attention, who asks what is going on and sees the screen. Nightwolf facepalms as Sonya is about to try and explain, but thankfully an alarm goes off as Nightwolf reports there is another rip. He finds out that it is right next to where Jax is, and sure enough, several ninjas break into the cabin.
Even without his arm implants, Jax proves to be a capable fighter and takes down several of the ninjas. However, Ermac appears, and says that Ruby is finished unless Jax surrenders.
Jax's reaction to this is to scream "nooooo!" and then he runs across the room and does a jump kick. Ermac apparently wasn't expecting such a reaction as he gets hit, and after a brief fight, ends up being thrown into a table. But before Jax can finish him off, Ruby grabs his arm. He turns around and is sprayed in the face with some kind of gas, which knocks him out.
The ninjas gets up to take Jax away, as Ermac unmasks and tells Ruby the Emperor will be pleased, although she seems unhappy about what she has just done. Meanwhile the team have seen everything, and believe Jax is going to be taken to the Outworld. Sonya says this is all because of that backstabbing girlfriend, but Kitana reveals she knows who Ruby is. After her father died, Ruby vowed to help her rebel, but she then betrayed her by joining Shao Kahn.
Sonya wants to go and save Jax, as Kitana says she thinks Jax may have been taken to Ruby's realm where Jax will be interrogated. The Emperor will want to get information out of him, such as where their base is. Sonya, being Sonya, wants to go in now, but Kitana says they need to think up a plan first. Meanwhile Shao Kahn tells his new captive to co-operate, as he will regret the rest of his short life if the Shadow Priests have to interrogate him.
Ruby, now dressed like a ninja, is also present. Jax says he thought they had something special, but she says she was just doing her duty, and it is nothing personal. Meanwhile the team have thought up a plan -when the reach the Outworld, they will split up with one group fighting and distracting any enemies, whilst the other goes to Ruby's fortress and look for Jax. Raiden isn't going, since he is powerless in Outworld, but he at least makes a portal for them. Soon the Dragon Jets take off and go through the portal.
As soon as the team arrive and land they are attacked by Ermac and his forces. Sub-Zero creates a large wall of ice between the two sides, but Ermac starts using his powers to melt it. Kitana tells Nightwolf and Sonya to follow her, whilst the others prepare to fight Ermac and his ninjas.
Kitana knows her way around as she has been in Ruby's fortress before, but she tells the others to stay alert. As they head around a corridor, they suddenly have to duck as several shots are fired at them. Some cyber ninjas have appeared, but it doesn't take long for them to be defeated.
The group enter a room and see Jax, but there is also a Shadow Priest. Sonya tries to kick him but he teleports out of the room before her kick connects. Nightwolf frees Jax whilst Sonya finds his arm implants, but then the wall behind the group moves, revealing Shao Kahn and more cybers.
He sends the robots to attack, but they turn out to be completely useless and get trashed in seconds. However, he has another surprise and has Ruby sent out, who challenges Kitana. Kitana betraying her friends is one thing, but betraying her realm was despicable. The two start to fight.
Kitana knocks Ruby back, saying that victory without honor is fleeting. Ruby starts to apologise, but Nightwolf says they need to get out of here. However, as they try to leave, Shao Kahn has an entire army of robot ninjas enter the room, saying they are weak and cannot stand another onslaught. Ruby has moved back, and decides Shao Kahn won't have it his way this time. She flicks a switch...
...which opens a trap door. Nightwolf, Jax, Sonya and Kitana all fall, and Ruby jumps down after them. Shao Kahn fires a beam at her, but he just misses. When the team stop falling down a tunnel, Ruby appears and says she must trust her to get them out of here. She is in as much danger as them now she has betrayed Shao Kahn, so the team decide to let her help them.
Outside, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang and Stryker are fighting many ninjas, when one of Nightwolf's arrows explodes and sends three of the bad guys flying. He and the rest of the team run to the jets, as Sonya tells everyone to get into their vehicles as they are about to leave.
Before they go, Jax asks why Ruby helped him, and if what they had was real. Ruby says it was, but they are from different realities, and what they want can never be. Whilst she has seen that she was wrong to side with Shao Kahn, she belongs here in Outworld and she cannot return with him. She must help her people try and overthrow the Emperor. Sonya says they need to go and drags Jax, but he then turns around and starts to run.
The jets blast off and are soon back through the portal they appeared from. Back on Earth, Jax watches some horses running through a canyon below, as the sun sets in the distance. Sonya appears, and asks if he is still hurting. Jax says that he doesn't know if he really was in love, or just in love with the idea.
Sonya is afraid to ask what Jax intends to do next, but he tells her that now he has seen what Shao Kahn will do, and what lengths he will go to in his attempt to take the Earth, it has made him think. Being on the team is a big part of who he is, it is his duty. He can't turn his back on his responsibilities. He tells Sonya not to worry -he'll stay and fight to the end.
NOTES
