AN: This is my first fanfic so I'm kinda excited and so looking forward to your reviews. I totally loved the movie and I felt more could have been done with Mika and Raizo. This first chapter is quite long as I have spent time on Raizo. I felt it's mainly his story so I devoted time to him this whole chapter. His story in the first chapter serves as a prelude to who Raizo has become and the influences around him and mainly his actions in the story as a whole.

Chapter 1

You have betrayed your family…" Ozunu's whispery sinister voice rang in Raizo's ears. He was in pain tied to the pole; he knew death was coming as swiftly as the stroke of a blade that would separate his head from his neck.

"They are not my family and you are not my father and the first breath I take will be after I kill you." Raizo declared every word feeling a warm feeling spread through inside the dark depths inside him. It was like a match had been lit somewhere in his heart starting an inferno. However any thought he had was cut by the excruciating pain brought about by the inhuman pressure Ozunu was applying to his kidney, he screamed in agony….

Raizo woke up with a start and stared into the empty space of semi darkness in his room. He was sweating and his heart beat was racing feeling like it would just pop out of his chest. He checked the bedside watch, it read 6:30, it wasn't a bad time to wake up and start his daily workout. With the nightmare he had just experienced he needed to calm his mind, calmness and focus were all part of his life, his philosophy. He slipped soundlessly out of bed and went to the bathroom.

He stared at himself in the mirror. There were times and days when he stared into the mirror and barely recognized the person looking back at him. There were times when he got lost but he reminded himself he had made it this far. He had defeated his greatest enemy, the last tie to his horrible childhood, the terror that was Ozunu and it was worth it. He hardly had any nightmare concerning that awful place and all that had unfolded in it. However certain events triggered certain memories that were thought to be long forgotten. He knew it had a lot to do with Ryan Maslow's phone call to him a week ago.

Raizo had kept in touch with Maslow after that fateful day at the Ozunu compound where Europol had ended Ozunu's secret reign of terror and brutality. He had mainly wanted Maslow to keep him up to date with any new suspicious clan resurfacing activity and about his savior Mika Coretti….

He would never forget the anguish he had felt when Ozunu's katana had pierced through Mika's chest while he watched and was helpless to do anything. She had fallen down lifeless on the floor. It felt like his whole being had been ripped into two parts never to be made whole again. It was his rage driven craze that had that had seen him killing Ozunu mercilessly.

"She'll be okay, her heart is special…." He had said to a horrified Maslow after carrying Mika out of the burning compound.

The relief he had felt when he heard the weak thumb of her heart was inexplicable. It had brought him back together but also shattered him into a million fragments. Altered him in a way he had never experienced and it had shook his world. He was not prepared to deal with such overwhelming emotions, considering he had spent most of his life avoiding and shielding himself from emotions, Ozunu did not allow that. How could he handle these new ones when he was just finding himself again?

While he worked flawlessly through his Tai Chi moves Raizo replayed his conversation with Maslow over the phone.

"I need your help man" Maslow had said after explaining the crisis and situation of the case to him.

"I do not work for your system Maslow" Raizo had replied coldly.

"Yes, yes, I know that, isn't it obvious?" Maslow had replied with irritation in his voice.

"So what do you want from me?" Raizo enquired.

"Man, if there's anyone who can break through this case it's you!"

"It's not ninja related activity" Raizo pointed out.

"Yes, but helpless children are being abducted, forced into child prostitution and labor, and you of all people would know how it feels, that dead creep abducted you as a child!' Maslow said playing on Raizo's history as a weakness.

"I do not remember anything about that" Raizo growled an unmistakable black fury in his voice.

"Look, I'm sorry man, Mika is also working the case, and by working the case I mean actively involved, doing field work"

Maslow had played his last card, a winning card; he knew it took the M word for Raizo to start paying attention and jump.

"What?" Raizo retorted.

"I'll meet you at your offices" Raizo had said with defeat in his tone.

"Good, I'll be waiting, it's all for the best, you can't keep hiding from her forever you know" Maslow's tone rang with victory but it also had a man to man ring in it especially after the last statement.

Snapping back to reality Raizo heart the distinct sound of little footsteps he knew so well by now. He turned and saw the five year old small blond boy walking down the grass coming towards him.

"You didn't wake me up, I wanted to practice karate with you" the little boy said accusingly.

"It was to early, your oma would scold me Henriech" he smiled ruffling the little boy's head. Henriech was his landlady, Marlene's grandson. The little boy hero-worshipped him and followed him around like a shadow. At first it irritated Raizo when he moved in frau Marlene's quarters. He would catch the little boy peering at him curiously or trying to start a conversation with him. It was Henriech that bought him out of his shell. Just like him, the little boy was an orphan; he had lost his parents to a tragic car accident. He was lucky to have a grandmother like Marlene to take care of him and Marlene's motherliness had extend to Raizo too.

"But I want to fight, I want to beat the bad people" Henri said with conviction of a five year old.

"It's not about beating the bad people, it's about controlling yourself, and being strong inside here" Raizo pointed to Henri's little chest.

"But you can beat the bad people too Raizo, can't you?" his eyes widened looking up at him.

"Yes the bad people who try to harm oma and Henri"

"You and you, come in here now!" Marlene called out standing on the porch hands on her waist. It was breakfast time, Marlene never allowed Raizo to cook for himself even if he had his own kitchen and she insisted on partaking mealtime together. Raizo scooped Henri in his arms and went with in him, ready to face the day.