A/N: Takes place roughly a decade before the events of Mortal Kombat: Rebirth.

Hanzo shot up from his sleep drenched in sweat.

Breathing heavily, he found himself in a strange. What happened? Where was he? Why didn't he have a shirt on? Sure enough, when he looked down, he saw his torso without covering. He noticed the scar near his heart. When had he gotten that? He traced a finger down the roughly stitched scar. He had no memory of the past… How long had it been?

The last thing he remembered was leaving Kana and Jubei. Why wasn't he at the temple? He then started to notice the details of the room. It was a plain room, a lamp sat on a desk next to the bed he was laying on, currently turned off. Beneath the lamp was a sandwich, along with a glass of milk. From what Hanzo could see, it had lettuce and mayonnaise on it, along with some meat. Hanzo couldn't tell what kind. Why was food set out beside him? There was a picture of a woman hanging on the wall. She looked to be in her twenties. Possibly younger. The desk had a drawer, and some symbols that Scorpion didn't understand.

His swords. They were leaned up against the far corner, cleaned. One of them was broken in half. When did that happen? Perhaps he had been hit in the head. Yeah, that had to be it. Whatever had happened, he was in a place he didn't know.

"Ah, good. You're awake."

Hanzo dashed out of the bed, thankful he had pants on, and put the person in a chokehold. The person he was holding was an elderly man, grasping at Hanzo's arms. Glasses were on the floor, probably knocked off when Hanzo rushed him. He was wearing simple jeans, and a t-shirt.

"Where am I?" Hanzo demanded, making sure to not strengthen his hold, nor let it falter.

The elderly man choked a bit, but was able to say, "*ack* You're in my *cough* home! I found you *ugh* in the river!"

Hanzo let the man go, who rubbed his neck. "My, you're a jumpy one."

Looking at the man, Hanzo nodded, but didn't say anything. He bent down to grab the man's glasses, but he swatted Hanzo away.

"Ah ah ah! The way you handle people," the man scolded, "I don't want to know how you'd handle my glasses." He struggle, groaning when he bent down, but he grabbed his glasses and put them on.

Hanzo said, "Forgive me for my ignorance. I thought I was... I don't know what."

The elderly man waved him off. "There's nothing to worry about. If I was twenty years younger, I would've done the same in your position." He slipped the glasses on his face, and smiled. "I wouldn't want to find myself in a strange home with someone I don't know. But please, eat. I set food out for you.."

He looked back towards the desk. Hanzo followed his gaze. So, that was why the food was set out. That answer that question.

"Well, go on, boy," said the man. "Eat something before you starve."

Hanzo nodded. He stepped towards the food. He sat on the bed, eyeing it cautiously. He took off the top piece of bread, examining the contents. Someone could never be too sure if something was poisoned or booby-trapped.

"You know, boy," called out the man, "there's a difference between jumpy and paranoid."

Hanzo chuckled. He picked up the sandwich, and took a bite. It was a ham sandwich. That was when he realized how truly hungry he was. He wolfed down the rest in several more bites, taking a large gulp of milk. He could hear the man laugh, but he was too hungry to notice. When he took a bite of the apple, he saw the symbols on the desk again.

He squinted his eyes. Those four symbols seemed oddly familiar. "戰鬥或死." What do they mean? He put the thought away for later.

He turned back towards the man, mumbling, "Thank you," in between bites. After swallowing, he bowed his head, and said, "We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Hanzo Hasashi."

The man bowed as well. "Sota Yamashita. Tell me, what were you doing in the river?"

Oh, yeah. That little detail. To be perfectly honest, Hanzo didn't remember. "I don't know. I left my wife and child to see my Grand Master, and nothing after that."

Sota crossed his arms. He seemed to be deep in thought. He then shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's over now."

Hanzo scratched at his scar. Alarmed, Sota slapped his hand away. "Don't scratch at it! It's not yet fully healed."

The scar was a large one. Hanzo just couldn't figure out why it was there. He remembered ever other scar he had gotten. But not that one.

Sota continued. "A month of fixing you up, and what thanks do I get? Scratching away my progress."

That caught Hanzo's attention. "Wait, what did you say?"

Sota looked offended, but he carried on nonetheless. "I said, 'I've been fixing you up for a month.'"

Hanzo suddenly became horrified. It all came back to him. In less than the time it takes a humming bird to flap its wings, he remembered the attack.

"We have quite the surprise for you, Hanzo."

"This entirely your fault, old friend."

"Mom!"

"KANA!"

Scorpion fell to the floor, letting loose the lunch he just ate. Sota jumped back. After there was nothing less to expel, he fell to the ground. His body went into violent convulsions. He landed in his own vomit, but he didn't care. He was now crying.

His son. His wife. His entire clan.

Gone.

He was the only one left. There was no one. No one to call ally, friend, or family. The tears mixed with the vomit, deluding it slightly.

Sota ran towards Hanzo, shouting, "My God, boy, what has gotten into you?"

Hanzo then began whimpering. "No! Kana. Jubei. Why? Why?"

Picking Hanzo up, Sota leaned him against the bed. "What has happened?"

"They're dead." Hanzo looked directly into Sota's eyes. "They're all dead."

"Who? Who are all dead? Who is Kana and Jubei?" Suddenly, realization hit Sota like a ton of bricks. "Oh. You're wife and child."

Hanzo put his face in his hands, sobbing loudly. Sota could do nothing to ease Hanzo's pain. He rubbed Hanzo's shoulder.

Several hours had passed, and now Hanzo had finally calmed down. However, he had not spoke since his initial outburst.

Hanzo had been sitting in the room Sota had given him. Hanzo hadn't moved. The vomit cleaned up long ago by Sota, who was not in the room.

He thought about the day. Bi-Han piercing his heart with his own blade. Bi-Han broke it in half. He was currently running his hand along the blade. It sliced a shallow cut along his palm. Hanzo didn't even flinch. A drop of blood fell to the floor, making a loud noise. Or maybe it was just so quiet, it seemed loud. It still didn't stir Hanzo.

But the door opening did. Hanzo looked up, and saw Sota with a bottle in his hand. He nodded, and continued rubbing his hand along the blade.

Sota sat across from Hanzo. Neither said a word for a few minutes.

Finally, Sota broke the silence. "I'm not going to try to understand how you feel. But I can empathize with your pain."

Hanzo looked away.

"Boy, you need to say something."

"Who is she?" Hanzo asked.

Sota raised an eyebrow. Hanzo pointed to the picture. "Ah," Sota replied. "She was my daughter."

"Was?" Hanzo said.

Sota nodded. "She died several years ago." Tears began forming in his eyes. "I don't quite remember how it happened. All I remember is that I woke up to find her bleeding in my arms."

"I'm sorry," Hanzo said.

Sota looked Hanzo in the eyes. "For what? You didn't do it. No, I suspect the one's who did were vile people. She was only nineteen."

So, Hanzo was correct in his assumption. "Most likely. I bet you were a good father."

Chuckling, Sota said, "She was raised by her mother for the most part. I was away more than I wished to be. But I swear on my grave, I loved her more than anything."

"What happened to her mother?" He was intruding on someone's private life. But he was curious.

"Died." Sota didn't look as sad. "Thankfully, she died peacefully a few years before my daughter. Her name was Aiko."

Hanzo leaned closer. "Your daughter or your wife?"

"Both of them, actually. If Aiko was going to be a boy, we would name him Kazuhira."

"'Peace.'"

Sota nodded. "Exactly. But, I'm happy she was a girl." He then raised another eyebrow. "Now, tell me about your wife."

A pang of fresh sadness lanced through Hanzo. However, he said something. "Her name was Kana. She was a caring person." A tear formed in Hanzo's eye. "The kindest soul I've ever met. Some years ago, when she said she was pregnant with Jubei, our son, I'm not going to lie. I did freak out just a bit. But she was able to keep her cool throughout the pregnancy."

Sota chuckled. "That sounds exactly like my wife."

"So, when Jubei was born, I was the happiest man in the world." Hanzo's smile faded. "I just regret him being born into the Shirai Ryu."

Sota perked up at hearing that. "You're a Shirai Ryu?"

Hanzo nodded. "I thought it would make me a better man. In the end, it just killed everyone."

"How so?"

"There was a man, his name was Bi-Han. When we were younger, we were like brothers. Then, he joined the Lin Kuei, and I joined the Shirai Ryu. The next time we met, we nearly killed each other." Hanzo clenched a fist around his sword. "That was about four years ago. A month or so ago, he..." Hanzo looked down at the sword, now stained in his blood.

Sota nodded in understanding.

Hanzo looked back up. "Sota. Can you leave me alone for about an hour?"

Without a word, Sota got up, and exited the room.

Several days later,

Hanzo was currently looking into the mirror. His hair had grown out, his beard could be compared to Santa's beard, and his face was still dirty. One name rolled around in his head right now.

Bi-Han.

He who Hanzo once considered a brother.

The man who murdered his family. Anger filled Hanzo, a pure bitter hatred that would not go away. It would be inside him. Just because of a simple rivalry between the two clans. Bi-Han was the straw. For that, he must die.

Hanzo noticed something else as well. His eyes were whitening. He never took the time to look into a mirror, but Sota had been giving him strange looks as of late. Now Hanzo knew why. He looked closer, but nothing changed. It didn't bother Hanzo physically. He could still see perfectly fine. Better than before, even. But why?

He rubbed at his hair and beard. Hanzo opened the medicine cabinet in the mirror, and grabbed razor. A half hour later, he only had a minor goatee. Just the way he liked it. He took out a shaver, and turned it on. He looked into the mirror, and turned it towards his hair.

Sota limped towards the bathroom door, banging on it. "What are you doing in there, boy?"

He was taken aback when Hanzo stepped out. His eyes. That was what nearly gave Sota a heart attack. They were totally white. Completely blank. But despite that, Sota could see the burning anger in his eyes. He then noticed Hanzo's haircut. It was short now. That answered Sota's question.

Hanzo passed Sota, walking towards some clothes Sota bought him. He grabbed the black zip up hoodie. He put on a black shirt, and his combat pants. He put them on quickly. He grabbed his kunai launchers, and looked at Sota. He bowed deeply in front of the older man. "I am forever in your debt, Sota-san."

Sota place his hand on Hanzo's shoulder. "I guess this is goodbye."

Hanzo nodded. "But I need to find my family's killer."

"Hate leads to anger, my friend," Sota replied. He was quoting Star Wars, but it seemed lost on Hanzo. "That anger you are feeling towards the man who did this will be your demise."

He turned his back on Hanzo, and said, "I will not stop you. It is your life. Throw it away if you want."

Hanzo put the launchers on his wrist. Pulling up the hood, he turned to leave, but stopped. "What do they mean?"

"Hmm." Sota turned back.

Hanzo pointed to the symbols. "Those. I've been seeing them everywhere."

Sota chuckled. "They're Chinese. That was where my wife was from."

Hanzo looked from the symbol back to Sota. "What do they mean?"

Sota turned around, and sat down on his chair.

"They mean 'Fight or Die.'"

Nodding, Hanzo turned back. He heard Sota call out, "Remember this, Hanzo! Don't let your thirst for vengeance cloud your mind!"

Hanzo stopped. That name. 'Hanzo.' It just didn't feel right, bearing that name. It belonged to the Hasashi family. And Hanzo died that day.

"That is not my name," Hanzo said. Sota raised an eyebrow. "He died with his family."

He turned to face Sota. "My name is Scorpion."

Without another word, only a nod of understanding from Sota, Scorpion turned and walked away.