A/N: Angsty-Scorpion needs the hugs.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

No one ever tells you how cold a lifeless body can become.

They don't tell you about the colour.

The bodies of my fallen clan were so grey and still, I almost mistook them for statues.

Snow crunched softly beneath my feet as I wandered alone through my village. Death followed me, and was before me.

It was so dark—so cold—I could barely see.

My fault… I wasn't here…

"Kana," I sobbed breathlessly. My beautiful wife was laid out before me, and I couldn't bring myself to touch her. "I'm so sorry…"

Her face was grey like all the others, but her eyes opened slowly. Brown and sickly—unseeing.

I jumped back. "Kana?"

Her arm swung out in a ghostly manner, and she pointed at me accusingly. Her glazed eyes revealed the truth. And they screamed at me. "You did this."

A snapping noise caused me to turn around, only to discover that the bodies of my clan now surrounded me. They closed in, in a tight circle.

"You did this."

My throat constricted and I couldn't get a sound out.

I saw my son standing among the dead. Eyes wide with fear.

I fell to my knees and reached for him. I wanted to tell him I was sorry. I wanted to tell him I loved him.

A strange voice laughed like a howling on the wind. And my body shivered as a familiar burn began to seep through my skin.

"You did this."

I made a choking noise as my skin began to blister and boil. I clawed at my face desperately.

"You deserve to feel our pain."

The fire erupted around my skull soundlessly and without warning.

My eyes liquefied and poured down my cheeks from their sockets as the skin on my head crackled and split—peeling to reveal the bone underneath.

Finally, finally I was allowed to let out a gut-wrenching scream of agony as I burned alive. The smell of roasting flesh consuming me.

That voice spoke out again, a soft whisper in my mind.

"How quickly a face melts…"

I jumped up screaming as I awoke. Something was holding me down as I struggled to get away.

I had to get away. The pain was going to come. I was going to burn.

Something cool grabbed my face, and I caught a glimpse of piercing, blue eyes.

I let out a shuddering breath as I focused on those eyes. No one's eyes should be that blue.

I relaxed a bit when I realized it was Sub-Zero. And that I was still on Johnny Cage's couch.

Sub-Zero had his hands on either side of my face—he was keeping them cold on purpose to snap me out of it. And calm me, perhaps.

He was saying something, but whatever it was I missed.

I sat back against the couch and tried to even my breathing. I still remembered choking on flames.

Cage was standing nearby, clearly concerned. "Is he alright? What happened?"

"It's okay," Sub-Zero answered. "A nightmare. Go back to sleep."

Johnny nodded and left a bit reluctantly. I waited until I heard his bedroom door close.

"I'm fine," I said, albeit with a shaky voice.

"No, you're not." The young man continued to stroke my forehead gently.

I shot him a look.

"Screaming in the middle of the night is not fine," he countered.

I moved his hand away from me and sat up a bit straighter on the couch. I was not in a sharing mood.

He sat next to me anyway and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Is that why you haven't been sleeping?"

"Huh?"

"You think you could fool me with those bags under your eyes? Johnny may not have noticed, but I could tell how tired you've been."

Well, he couldn't have noticed for a while. It didn't matter.

"Go back to bed, Sub-Zero."

"And what will you do?"

"Why do you care so much?" I said harshly.

Sub-Zero didn't even bat an eye. "You can't live without sleep. You won't be of any use to us."

I didn't even want to close my eyes. Every time I did all I saw was my son's terror-filled face.

"There's nothing to do about it," I told him. "I do not want to sleep ever again."

"It was only a nightmare."

"No," I said quickly. "Not for me. Never for me."

A sadness touched his eyes, and I immediately regretted telling him anything. The young man had enough of his own burdens.

He grabbed my shoulder a little tighter and I winced. His touch was like poison. I felt guilty for feeling any comfort when my family had none.

Sub-Zero was no longer cold. "Hanzo…"

I could turn the pain into something else.

"My name is Scorpion!" I hissed sharply. "Keep your fucking, Lin Kuei hands off of me!"

He snatched his hand back as if I burned him. Gods…

The hurt I saw on his face quickly turned into hate. "Fine! Rot in the Netherrealm for all I care!"

He stormed off into his bedroom, but strangely enough kept his door open.

I rested my head in my hands. I deserved to be alone.

But I couldn't breathe in here.

I pulled at the front of my shirt. The tension in my chest felt so tight…

I had to run. I had to get away.

When I flung open the door to Johnny's apartment, I had no idea of where I might go.

But I was on automatic and I let my feet carry me out of the building and into the night.

I ran and ran.

Forcing myself to go faster until my legs ached.

I just had to get away. It didn't matter where.

Running was important.

Run.

After what seemed like hours my body began to protest the strain and I was forced to stop. I gasped for breath as I sat down on the curb. My sweat immediately chilling my body in the night air.

I really didn't want to be alone.

I wanted my family.

I'm so sorry…

I came back to the apartment some time later. Sub-Zero was there on the couch, his hands steepled together against his mouth.

My breathing was still a bit ragged. It wasn't too difficult to find my way back, but it took a while.

I swallowed any bit of pride I had left.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too." He looked so unhappy. "Where did you go?"

"Nowhere." That was the truth.

He nodded. "I understand."

I cleared my throat. "You're on my bed."

"I thought we might switch tonight."

Oh, no. "No, I—I don't want to sleep on an actual bed."

"It wasn't a problem in Edenia."

My face heated quickly. "That was different."

"Was it?"

"I was drunk…"

"But you managed to sleep."

I didn't deserve his kindness.

Sub-Zero stood up. "I have another theory. If you'll trust me."

I nodded, because that was all I could manage. I was so tired.

He grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward the bedroom. I let him push me forward.

"So, Scorpion—"

"Hanzo. I mean, Hanzo is fine."

"All right. Hanzo, what side of the bed do you prefer?"

A/N: Light fluff at the end? I'll be writing more. I appreciate everyone's patience. (: