OK, it's pretty hard trying not to come up with a storyline that's not just more of the same - see solidSimpson's ideas - nothing personal, solid, but it really does seem like MKDA redux. Then again, mine might seem that way, too, but here are some plot points I thought might be good for the next MK:

- Sub-Zero was inadvertently killed when he tried to rescue Frost from what he believed to be her impending death upon her theft of his Dragon Medallion. Frost has gone from the arrogant, promising Lin Kuei recruit to the arrogant new Grandmistress of the ancient clan. Only time will tell if she will continue Sub-Zero's vision for a Lin Kuei reformed for the better.

- Nitara has destroyed the orb that bound her native realm to Outworld. With her race once again free, Nitara will enter the latest (next)tournament as a means to lay claim to all Outworld, and eventually all other traversable realms... including Earth. The Vampire nation is now a greater threat than ever before.

- Upon betraying Shang Tsung at Quan Chi's command, Kano came to be possessed by the spirit of Earth's greatest champion and the man who was once killed by Shang Tsung himself - Liu Kang. Kano, after proving himself worthy to be among Kang's surviving Shaolin brothers, continues their great traditions and prepares for another Kombat tournament... even as Kano's own consciousness battles from within to retake control of his body. Kano Kang is a potentially great force for good, as well as a potential danger to all those around him.
(P.S.: I'm not too fond of bringing back Liu Kang myself, especially in this fashion, but this was one of the few instances where I decided that I don't necessarily have to like an idea of mine in order for it to be good, especially since this ties in kinda nicely with a few further plot points. Keep reading...)

- After her plans came to pass as designed, Nitara unmercifully dismissed Reptile as a servant. Reptile carried the physical and emotional scars of their final battle as he wandered aimlessly through Outworld. He unwittingly stumbled upon the incubation site of the last Great Dragon Egg, just as it was receiving its final ritual from its holy guards. Filled with uncontrollable rage, Reptile attacked the holy men. This act caused the Egg to rupture with a rumble that shook the entire world, and with a powerful blast of light, the Dragon King left its dead infantile host body to inhabit the body of Reptile. The lowly servant was no more, and what was once Reptile was now recognizable by its evolution of Reptile's former body as the Dragon King, whose coming was foretold to accompany the end of all time and the beginning of eternal destruction and chaos.

- Raiden, after forsaking his Elder God status to lead the mortals to the defeat of the Deadly Alliance, is now losing his immortality the longer he remains on Earth as punishment by his once-fellow Elders. Raiden knows he cannot help his beloved mortals as he often has in the past if he completely loses his godhood. Torn between his desire to aid them should the need arise and his desire to live among them, Raiden once again calls upon the god of wind Fujin to lead the mortals against the Dragon King and the various other threats to peace Earthrealm faces.

- When Moloch and Drahmin confronted Quan Chi in his fortress, a great battle ensued. The two Oni seemed on the verge of scoring revenge against the sorcerer for abandoning them in the Netherealm, when Quan Chi grabbed Drahmin and rocked him backward into his astral chamber. Drahmin emerged no longer the rotten-fleshed Oni that had been tortured in Hell until he became a sub-human creature; he returned as the legendary warlord feared throughout all of Outworld. Since returning to human form, he has slain the fearsome beast Moloch and set out on his own mission to return to his former reputation - even if it means single-handedly murdering all who cross his path. (For those who saw Drahmin's original storyboard prior to MKDA's release - betcha didn't remember THAT piece of MK history, didja?!)

- Johnny Cage used the funds from his extremely successful box-office hit "Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance" to open his own studio, C.A.G.E. Productions. When he was attacked by the Dragon King's army on the set of his latest martial arts film and left for dead, Cage abandoned his brand new studio without a trace and trained in seclusion harder than ever before for the coming battle, only to discover that his shadow powers are rapidly becoming more unpredictable than ever.
(I know a lotta y'all hate Cage, but I just had to bring my boy back. Just like Scorpion is Boon's favorite character, and the precious few MK fans who actually HATE Scorpion will never get their wish of not seeing him in a game... outside of MK3, but who counts _that_ game, really?)

- Given carte blanche by her government to stop any unearthly threats to peace, Commander General Sonya Blade is credited with the reconstruction of the Outerworld Investigation Agency that was once destroyed by the Red Dragon spy Hsu Hao. With agents Cyrax and Kenshi having been rescued from Outworld and safely back on Earth, Sonya is free to traverse as many realms as possible to participate in the latest tournament to stop the threat of the Dragon King, though her number one enemy, Kano, roams free among the company of those she once called allies; the Shaolin.

- With the destruction of the Deadly Alliance, Mavado had no choice but to return to the helm of the Red Dragon and continue their covert criminal operations. But when Fujin appeared to Mavado and informed him of all the current events that were taking place, Mavado falsely requested to aid Fujin in his quest, with the ulterior motive of seeking out Kano and facing off with him again in one last attempt at wiping out the Black Dragon.

Please tell me what y'all think. Luv it or hate it, but don't hate me - these are just my ideas.