A/N: Recently, I received a review for my short story, "Chance," and I was blown away by how much this person wanted me to continue on with Jessie's story. So, here's my attempt at a continuation, and I hope it meets with some approval. BlackxValentine, soooo much credit goes to you for your support, and for being a great sounding board for my ideas. Thank you. If anyone else has helpful critiques (and I stress HELPFUL), I'd appreciate the input. To those who do read this, let me know what you think.

OOOOOOOOOO

-Outworld, 3 years ago-

Johnny Cage knew he was going to die. He knew it, but he refused to go down without a fight. No matter how much pain burned his body with imaginary fire, no matter exhausted he already was from the long battle, no matter how much the rest of him wanted to surrender, his mind and his heart would endure until the very end.

A punch to his face sent him flying against the stone wall. Funny, you really could see stars if you hit a surface with the back of your skull. His head throbbed as he sank to the floor. Pain. He'd felt it before, but now it came in many forms, which made it an excruciating experience. Except, his legs weren't hurting. Actually, he couldn't feel anything at all below his waist. Christ, had the last blow caused paralysis?

Still, he was not about to give up. This was the final combat, and Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade were the last warriors to decide the outcome of the Tournament. Shang Tsung had challenged them both to fight, and here they were. Side by side in Tsung's vast chamber. Giving everything they had left in order to protect their world. This time, though, everything they had didn't appear to be sufficient. Tsung's powers had grown remarkably since their last encounter, and Earth's warriors were severely outmatched. Had Raiden been able to foresee this? Possibly, but dwelling on the idea wasn't important anymore.

As he fought to bring his vision back into focus, a cry caught Johnny's ears. Prying his eyes open, he saw Sonya double over from Tsung's kick. Her fight wasn't going well, either. Grabbing her arm, he effortlessly flipped her tired form over his head, reveling in sound she made as she crashed onto stone ground. For a moment, she didn't move. Johnny waited anxiously. Her face was swollen with bruises, and blood trickled from her mouth. This was the worst pain: watching someone he loved suffering cruelly. Without a doubt, Sonya was the strongest woman he knew, both in body and mind. To see those faltering made him feel as though his heart was bleeding.

This mattered not to Tsung. He approached Sonya with slow steps, a small smile curving his lips. Instinctively, Johnny attempted to rush at him, but couldn't manage to push himself up. Crouching low, Tsung said something to her, words Johnny could not hear. However, Sonya's eyes flew open and she spit in his face. A last act of defiance. Outraged, he raised his arm and lifted Sonya into the air with his power, proceeding to bend her entire body backwards. Her screams of agony filled the entire room.

"Sonya!" Johnny cried. In the back of his mind, he'd known that she also wouldn't survive this. That didn't make watching her being tortured any easier. To hell with the fact that he couldn't move. He'd make himself move. He had to! Gathering what strength he had left, he pulled his limp legs along behind him, falling numerous times along the way.

No use. Slowly clenching his fist shut, Tsung bent Sonya's body until there was the sickening snap of bones in her back. Her screams abruptly ended as she wilted in the air.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Johnny's anguished bellow took the place of her screams.

Tsung's trademark statement, "Your soul is mine," was uttered, and her blue-toned spirit was absorbed into him. Stolen, Johnny thought. Carelessly, her dead body was flung aside like a piece of trash. Johnny watched where she lay. Sonya Blade—his companion, his love—dead on the cold stone ground, her tough beauty shining through, even in death.

Collapsing on the ground, he tried to fathom what had just happened. Sonya was gone…he was not capable of defeating Tsung…the Tournament would belong to him…Earth could potentially be lost in the next Mortal Kombat. That thought caused him stop breathing. The primary reason that he and Sonya had competed in the Tournament was on Earth at this moment. Waiting for them. Wanting them to return safely from Outworld.

They would not be keeping that promise.

He knew Tsung was hovering above him now. What more could be done other than to accept fate? Closing his eyes, Johnny waited for the blow that was delivered to his chest, accompanied by a powerful shock of energy that jolted his nervous system, bringing his heart to a complete stop. For the second time, Johnny Cage had died.

On the floor, two of Earthrealm's greatest warriors finally lay dead at Tsung's feet. Perfect. This was going to work to his advantage at the next Tournament. Smiling evilly, he could feel the new presence of the two souls he'd just enslaved churning beneath his skin.

Johnny and Sonya's bodies were mere feet away from each other. His cold hand reached towards Sonya, and Sonya's reached toward him. Neither of them knew that the other had been thinking of the same thing as they died: their daughter, Jessie.