"Action!" the director yelled, and a horde of thugs ran into the room. Johnny knew his line was supposed to be "Here they come," but they had already gotten his "line shot," so he decided to improvise a little.
"We've got company!" he yelled, missing the approving look from the director and the subsequent laugh of Sonya in the Green Room.. His co-star whirled around, taking a defensive stance next to Cage.
"What do ya think, Sly?" the man asked Johnny. Darting his eyes around the room, they rested on a large piece of chain that had been discarded carelessly.
"Can you get me over there?" he asked quietly, gesturing with his head. His partner smiled and nodded.
"No problem," and they began. There were two of them, and seven thugs, but Johnny wasn't worried. His partner, a larger black man, cleared a path for him, and Johnny dashed over, pulling the chain up into his hands.
"Kris, look out!" he yelled, and his partner whirled in time to catch two goons charging him from behind. Two more joined that fray, leaving three for Johnny. He whirled the chain expertly, the joined links singing with speed. He twirled it around his body and struck out, catching one of them on the shoulder. He howled in pain as one of his buddies darted forward with a kick. Johnny sidestepped deftly and caught the goon's ankle in the chain. With a simple twist, the goon fell in pain, and Johnny imagined the bone-snapping sound that would be added later. With one quick kick, he dispatched the fallen one, leaving two, one already injured. He spared a glance over at "Kris", who had just bashed two of his goons together.
Johnny reacted quickly to the punch thrown his way, and wrapped the chain around the man's arm. With a fake sweep and another quick movement, he had the remaining two entrapped in the chain. He took a step back to aid "Kris" in felling the last two, then turned back.
The last two were desperately trying to extricate themselves from the chain to no avail. Johnny judged his distance, and steeled himself, readying his body for the stunt. The ironic part about this whole thing was it looked better in real life than on a screen, but that would be fixed in editing. Taking two quick steps, he launched a shadow kick, hitting the mass of two with full force. The impact of his special move on the chain shattered it, and propelled the two thugs backwards, into the wall. They lay unmoving.
"Nice work, Sly, but Chief's gonna be mad we knocked 'em all out!" his partner exclaimed. Johnny merely shrugged and smirked.
"Well then, next time, he can come fight 'em."
"Cut! Perfect! That was beautiful Johnny! Excellent work Michael! Alright people, tear down and meet in the backset in twenty for debrief and overview!" People began milling about, and a short teenage girl came over with two towels and water for the actors.
"Thanks Stephanie," Johnny said, winking at her. She smiled shyly and returned to the refreshment table, helping the thugs who had just gotten up. Johnny took a long swig of water and wiped his brow.
"Hey, Johnny, you wanna go grab a bite to eat before debrief?" Michael asked.
"Nah, but thanks anyway. I'll see you later," he said, pointing up to the Green Room. Michael laughed.
"Man, you've been dating her for what, seven months now? You obviously can't live without her, so just ask her already!" the other man teased. Johnny laughed with him, but took in the words seriously. Michael waved him off, and he walked up the stairs to greet his love.
"Hey there, beautiful," he greeted, kissing her lightly.
"Hey yourself. You look good down there," she said.
"Hey, I look good anywhere," he countered. She scoffed and rolled her eyes mockingly, then laughed at the indignant look on his face.
"Oh, you know I'm only kidding. So, what are your plans for this evening?" she asked nonchalantly.
"Well," he began, a plan forming in his mind. "I'm going to go home, change into a nice pair of Dockers and a Polo shirt, then I'm going to take the most beautiful woman in the world out for dinner and dancing."
"That's funny," she said, countering his serious tone, "I was going to put on the new dress my mother sent me for my birthday and let the most handsome man in the world take me out for dinner and dancing. I wonder if I'll see you there," she mocked thoughtfully. He laughed and pulled her close to him, whispering in her ear.
"Well, if I have anything to say about it, you will." He leaned in for a kiss, aiming to prove his love through the simple act. A knock interrupted them, and one of the teens walked in.
"Sorry, Mr. Cage, but Mr. Kilgore wants everyone in backset now."
"He said twenty minutes," the actor argued, but the teen merely shrugged and left. Johnny sighed and turned back to Sonya.
"Well, I'll have one of the techs escort you out. I'll pick you up at seven," he said, downing his water.
"Oh, don't bother the techs, I can see myself out to the car. I'm a big girl, Sly," she winked at him and he laughed.
"Alright, but call me when you get home, so I know you're safe." She chuckled outwardly, but inside, her heart swelled at the depth of his love for her.
"Alright, I promise. Now go, or you'll be late for the debrief." Johnny kissed her once more, then left, jogging to catch up with his co-star.
Sonya made her way out of the studio and to the car. She kept thinking of Johnny, and how a few simple months ago, she had thought him self-deluded and arrogant. Now, she couldn't imagine a day without him. She started the car and backed out, giving a small courteous salute to the guard at the gate. She made a few turns, rolled out to the stop sign and turned her signal on. A violent bump from behind indicated someone had hit her very hard. She turned around, but could only make out the front of a large vehicle. All of a sudden, her window shattered, and she was sprayed with glass. A gun was pressed to her temple.
"Get out of the car, now!" She thought she recognized the voice, but did as she was told. Before she could protest or fight back, she was overcome by several thugs, bound, and blindfolded. She felt herself being thrown into the back of a van, probably what had hit her from behind. She heard her car speed off, followed closely by the one she was in. Silently, she prayed that when Johnny didn't receive a phone call, he would come looking for her…before it was too late.