A/N: The time frame for this story is set after season 4 of Buffy, but before the start of season 5, which means no Dawn. Mortal Kombat is set during the events of the first game. Some elements of the first film might get thrown in as well. Smallville is set early season 5 following Hidden.

The warrior stood back up to his feet despite the excruciating pain he felt coursing through his body. His left arm hung uselessly by his side. His legs were barely supporting his weight. His opponent was staring at him with piercing eyes. Eyes that he could swear were looking into his soul. Things would be easier for him if he just conceded defeat. It would save him much pain and anguish. But all of Earth was counting on him. He couldn't fail now. He just couldn't.

And so he pressed onward. He launched a quick punch, which his opponent blocked with his left arm. The young warrior felt the bones shatter instantly. His cries of pain…no. Pain was an understatement. There weren't any words to describe what he felt at that moment. Unfortunately this was not the end for him. His opponent kicked him in the chest breaking some of his ribs in the process as he slid through the dirt. To follow things up he drove his foot into both his legs making them just as useless as the rest of his body. The roars of the crowd drowned out his yells. The opponent stood over him with uncaring eyes.

"Finish him!" Shang Tsung ordered his fighter. Scorpion scoffed one final time at his less than worthy opponent wondering just how he managed to get this far in the tournament.

Not even a challenge, Scorpion thought and ripped off his mask.

He took a deep breath and an intense ball of flame flew from his mouth down to his opponent. The unknown man screamed in agony as his body was consumed. His flesh burned off his body slowly and painfully. As he continued to be burned alive he caught the smallest traces of a smile on Scorpion's skull head. The man died long before he had a chance to fry completely. Scorpion put his mask back on and thrust his fist high into the air getting a roar of approval from Shang Tsung's minions.

"Scorpion wins! Flawless Victory! Fatality!" Shang announced then smugly glanced at the thunder god Raiden. "This makes nine victories for Outworld. I am correct?" He asked fully knowing the answer.

"Don't be so cocky sorcerer," Raiden said looking up at Shang. "You've yet to win the final tournament."

"Yet if you continue to bring these pitiful fighters to represent Earthrealm then I shouldn't have anything to worry about," Shang responded to him. Raiden narrowed his eyes at Shang Tsung, but knew deep down that Tsung spoke the truth. If he did not find more capable warriors by the next tournament he will have failed in his duty as protector of Earthrealm.

"We shall see about that," Raiden said and was gone in a whirl of his cape.

My master will be most pleased, Shang thought pleased with himself over the victory. All it took now was one more victory and Outworld could invade Earthrealm.

One Generation Later

Sunnydale, California. A quiet town to casual passer-bys, but a living nightmare to those who know the truth about it. Charged with protecting the city (and every now and then the world) is Buffy Anne Summers; the Slayer.

"299, 300, 301," Buffy counted as she wailed on the heavy punching bag. Ever since her run in with Adam, she's been training herself extra hard.

These big bads get worse every year, she thought reaching 310.

First the Master, then Spike, Drusilla, and Angelus, then the Mayor, followed by Adam; what's next? Some unstoppable god from another dimension? 330, 331…

"Geez. What did that punching bag every do to you Summers?" Buffy was so shocked by the sound of the voice that she wound up sending the entire bag crashing into the side of the wall.

"Cordy?"

"Haven't been gone long enough for you to forget about me just yet," Cordelia said twirling a stake in her hand. "Heard a lot went down since I moved to L.A."

"You don't know the half of it," Buffy said taking a seat. "What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't a girl come down to her hometown to visit some old friends?" Cordelia asked in a fake offensive tone.

"Seriously, why are you here?" Buffy asked again.

"Fine," Cordelia sighed. "Angel sent me on a solo mission to hone my skills. He wanted me to find and close my own case. He claims he'll know if I'm lying or not. So I figured why not drop in on the old Hellmouth. But that's not the reason I came looking for you though."

"Is something wrong?"

"Things have changed since I left Sunnydale," Cordelia began pacing the room. "I have a power of my own now. I can see things before they happen. And when I entered Sunnydale, I saw you. Someone was attacking you. There was blood; lots of blood."

"Blood? Whose blood was it? Mine?"

"I don't know Buff. This wasn't a pristine clear vision. Regardless I'm going to do whatever I can to ensure that you stay amongst the land of the living."

"Wow Cordelia. That's real caring and nice of you."

"Hey. I'm not that same shallow and vain girl you knew back in high school," Cordelia said with her hands on her hips.

"Really?"

"Real… just don't die," she finished and decided to leave. "Hi Willow," she said exiting Buffy's training area.

"Wasss that Cordelia?" Willow asked turning to watch her leave.

"In the flesh," Buffy answered walking over to the broken punching bag. "Giles is gonna be pissed. This is the fourth punching bag I've broken in a week."

"You have been burning the midnight oil since your scuffle with Adam. When was the last time you took a break?"

"I haven't," Buffy confessed. "I have already been killed once as a Slayer. I'm not going to let it happen again."

"You technically weren't dead," Willow corrected.

"I was dead enough for the Watcher's Council to activate Kendra though. I miss that girl. At least she didn't turn on us in the end," Buffy said with contempt in her voice. If she ever saw Faith amongst the living again it would be too soon.

"The point I'm trying to make Buffy is that you're working yourself ragged."

"Slaying's all I have going for me at the present time. You know what they say; evil never sleeps."

"But you should Buffy. You hardly hang out with us like you used to back in the day. You remember those days don't you?"

"You mean back when we dealt with easy to kill vamps and not creatures capable of world destruction? I think about them as much as I thought about burning down the school gym just to smite our old principal back then."

"Didn't burning down the gym get you kicked out of your old high old school?"

"Yep and I made some pretty good friends as a result wouldn't you say?" Buffy said; lips forming into a smile. The two friends leaned forward and hugged one another.

"Does this mean we're hanging out again?" Willow asked.

"Sure. Did you have anything specific in mind for hanging out?"

"Have you heard of Johnny Cage?"

"The actor? Who hasn't? What about him?"

"Part of his next movie is being shot right here in Sunnydale."

"Hey guys. Maybe I'm hallucinating but did either of you happen to see Cordelia a few minutes ago?" Xander asked interupting the conversation.

"Afraid so Xander," Buffy laughed. "Strangest thing. She was acting rather different. She kept talking about wanting to find you no matter what. She mentioned three times about how it was a mistake for you guys to break up. It was almost as if she was under the influence of a love spell."

Xander froze in place. "Oh no, not again," he quivered remembering what happened the last time he dealt with a love spell.

"Oh you are too easy," Buffy said breaking into a fit of laughter.

"Glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor Buffy," Xander said sliding down the wall to the floor.

The Kent barn

Clark Kent's senior year of High School ended with quite literally a bang. Make that several bangs. Like his good friend Chloe Sullivan said it was as if Smallville had some sort of intergalactic bull's eye on it making it prey to two devastating meteor showers. Even after Clark stopped the second meteor shower a pair of Kryptonians, hell bent on laying waste to all who got in their way, arrived on Earth. They were gone now, but they still did considerable damage to Smallville. Many people died that day all because Clark had refused to act until it was too late. It cost him his powers and for a brief period his life.

If there was any bright spot in all of this chaos it was Clark getting back together with his girlfriend Lana. Unfortunately their reunion was rather short lived. Lana was acting differnetly as the days went by. After a few weeks Clark finally called her out on it. Lana confessed that she didn't think things were going to work between them. She had insisted it had been the mortal terror talking when she gave Clark the crystal and said she loved him. Clark took it as calmly as he could though everyone could tell he was hurting on the inside. He buried himself in his chores since then insisting to anyone that asked he was ok and to give him so space. Much to Clark's chagrin there was one particular female, who would never give him a break no matter how many times he asked.

"Chucking bales of hay again, Smallville?"

Right on cue, Clark thought.

"Lois. What are you doing here?" Clark asked setting down a bale of hay.

"Uhh, I live here." Lois said. Clark noticed she had both her hands behind her back.

"Oh yeah. My attempts to forget you live here must be paying off," he joked.

"Very funny Clark," Lois said hitting him on the shoulder with her left fist. "The reason I've come seeking you out is because," she pulled her right hand out from behind her back to reveal a cake. "Happy birthday."

Clark looked at the cake and then at Lois. "Who are you and what have you done with Lois?"

"What? I'm not allowed to do something nice for one of my best friends?"

"Who is it? I'd like to meet him."

"You are just bursting with jokes today aren't you?" She said hitting him again. Clark looked at the cake once more.

"You didn't do anything to this cake did you?" He asked.

"Oh for crying out loud," Lois muttered. She sliced off part of the cake and took a bite.

"Satisfied?"

Clark cracked a smile and took a slice of the cake himself.

"I see you couldn't wait for me to get here before you started eating the cake," Chloe said walking inside the barn.

"Hey I was getting hungry," Lois used as an excuse to which Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Happy Birthday Clark," she said giving him a big hug. "I know that it's a little late and all, but my dear cousin and I have been busy with your present."

"Don't I want to know what it is?" Clark asked uneasily.

"Yes you do Clark. Ever since graduation day you've been cooped up in this barn moping. More than usual I might add," Lois said. Clark crossed his arms and gave the cousins a stern look.

"So now that we're out of school and on our summer break, we figured why not get out of Kansas for a while. California here we come," Chloe finished. Clark opened his mouth to speak, but Lois cut him off.

"Don't even think of trying to talk your way out of this Clark. Chloe already booked the tickets and we aren't getting our money back."

"I was going to say you guys were good friends." Clark replied.

"Sure you were Smallville," Lois stated sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"So where exactly in California are we headed?" Clark asked while the three friends dug into the cake.

"A place called Sunnydale. From what I've heard it could be even weirder than Smallville," Chloe answered.

"How? Is the place built over the very mouth of Hell or something?" Clark asked and a pause in the conversation followed.

"Nahhh," they all said in unision.