Chapter 11 – Nothing to lose

"What?" Morris blurted to Spike. "I thought you said you loved Kazamas."

"Yeah, except that one." Spike pointed to Jun. "She's been trying to prove I've been smuggling diamonds ever since I got here." Morris raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"You are smuggling diamonds." Morris said. Spike frowned.

"Don't be fucking clever." He said. "Intelligence is overrated and so is she." Morris made eye contact with Jun. She looked hard, stern and stoic. Morris turned back.

"To be honest, I would do her." Spike rolled his eyes.

"Not in bed, you twat, in spirit." He murmured. "Between you and me, everyone says she's an angel, but I know her better than anyone. She's dead as a rock and half as likeable."

"You're just saying that because she's after your diamonds." Morris said. "That and she's Jinrei's friend. Speaking of which, why shouldn't I trust him?" Spike seemed shocked. "I'm serious, Spike, Jinrei's a bellend and I think he wants me dead." Spike then started to laugh.

"Morris, Jinrei's no murderer!" Spike said in between giggles. "He's mad, but as harmless s a kitten."

"Then what's with the letters to Asuka?" Morris said. "It didn't take long to put two and two together." Spike sighed.

"Fine, yes, Jinrei's dangerous, though he doesn't mean to be."

"Yeah, helpful. 'Oh, Jinrei's stabbed me, but he didn't mean to, so I don't die now' doesn't cut it for me."

"Look. Jinrei's small fry compared to Jun. People say she's pure and kind and good hearted, but when it comes to people like us, she's got no pity."

"What do you mean by 'people like us'?" Spike looked to Jun, and pulled Morris deadly close.

"Bad people." He said. "As far as she's concerned, there are two types of people, angels and demons, no middle ground, no grey area, nothing. In her eyes, criminals, whether by choice or design, are simply evil, and she'll happily watch you die." Morris rolled his eyes.

"Seriously?" Morris laughed. "Even if she was that judgmental, I'm a good guy!" Spike rolled his eyes.

"Prove it." Morris laughed for a short while, before preparing to speak.

"You'll rush in and you'll both get killed!" He laughed harshly. "And it's your, FUCKING, FAULT!"

It took one strike, with a muffled crack, and the snow became red with scarlet. The boy took the pipe with him…

Morris realised he had nothing to say, and dropped his arms.

"Exactly!" Spike murmured. "Now run along back to Jinrei and Nature Girl and Johnny. I've got stuff to talk about." Morris nodded rather lazily, then stopped.

"Wait, who?" However, he was pulled into consciousness, already knowing the horrid truth.

The next morning, two hours after Johnny took Asuka

Morris awoke with a hazy perspective. He couldn't make out shapes, and his eyes stung with the saltiness of tears in his eyes. He pulled himself to his hands and knees and began to choke slightly. He sat back. He looked to his left.

"Sir?" Came a worried murmur. Morris looked. A family watched him. The little Japanese girl was standing closer to him than the others. "Are you Morris Wellington-san?"

"What?" He asked. "I'm pissed. I had a nasty dream. I don't know where I am. Speak English or I might kick you." Morris lazily wiped the tears out of his eyes.

"I speak English, Wellington-san." The father said. Morris shook his head slightly.

I've got one hell of a hangover. He murmured. He searched his brain for a memory of the previous moments. I'm sure something important happened. He stopped thinking for a moment. He decided to look for something, anything...

… he saw Asuka's breasts.

Well, yes, they're nice… Morris thought. … but there's something else…

This time he saw Xiaoyu's bottom.

"Xiaoyu, get your arse out of my brain, I'm thinking!" He shouted. The young girl backed off slightly. "The fuck's the matter with you?" She came a little closer, pulling a small piece of paper from her pocket. She handed it to him. He looked to it. It had a picture of him. He looked to her. "Yes?"

"She's a big fan, Wellington-san." Her father said, handing him a pen. "Many of our friends are." Morris thought a small while, signing the picture with a little curiosity. It never occurred that people liked him, or even that he was famous. But, this was a martial arts competition, on TV all around the globe.

Maybe Dad and Hannah have seen me. He thought. Then he thought some more. Though, then again, maybe the Stamfords have…

… maybe…

… the…

… Stamfords…

"Oh god…" Morris dropped the pen and paper. "Asuka…"

Xiaoyu bit her fist. Her mind whirred and whirred, coming to conclusion after conclusion. In her mind's-eye, Asuka was still alive, she had escaped, she was dead, she was in a different country, something had happened and she had not a clue. She looked around Jinrei's room, her mind still in a desperate, confused mess. It's only an hour. They can't have killed her… but they could've… she wouldn't get far… she's back in Osaka… they can't of buried her… oh where are you?

"Xiaoyu?" Jinrei interrupted her thoughts. "I've phoned Lei. He says he's looking into it, but Morris's missing and nobody knows who could possibly be behind it…" He bent down and hugged her. "… do you?" She shook her head, as tears began to well in her eyes. He looked deep into her saddened eyes. "You can cry, Xiaoyu." She blinked away the tears.

"No…" She said. "… no, tears won't get her back. We've got to think of something." Jinrei sighed.

"Sometimes tears are all we have." He said. Then a knock came at the door. He looked to Xiaoyu. "Lock the door and tell them we're busy. We'll find Asuka, Xiaoyu, but we can't until we have something to go by." Xiaoyu walked over to the door.

"Come back later." She shouted, locking the door as she did. She turned back. "So, grandfather, what are we…" Then the door fell down. She turned around.

"Actually, I want to talk to Jinrei right now." Morris said tensely. He walked over quickly .Jinrei stood up.

"Morris, I've contacted the police and…" Suddenly Jinrei took a body shot. Unprepared and shocked, Jinrei was helpless as Morris slammed his face against the wall.

"Where is he?" Morris barked. Xiaoyu stood up.

"Morris, what the fu…" Suddenly Morris pulled her grandfather's head away and smashed it to the wall again.

"WHERE IS HE?"

"Who?" Jinrei asked through gritted teeth.

"Johnny Showdown! Tell me!" Morris waited. "NOW!"

"Why?" Jinrei murmured. "What do you want with him?"

"I WANT TO SNAP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Morris shouted. Jinrei found himself remembering Jun's words.

"He is a Wellington." She said. "Wellingtons are never to be trusted.

"You're serious…" Morris paused. He let go slightly. Jinrei turned around, expecting a reason. What he got was a fist. The wall behind him snapped, and he slid to the floor.

"GET OFF MY GRANDFATHER!" Xiaoyu shouted, but Morris ignored her, plucking Jinrei off his feet. He held him still before punching him again.

"Good to see you're catching up, you stupid old bellend!" Morris shouted. "Statement of the fucking year right there! 'You're serious.' Why yes, old-man-beardy-tits, I am serious, I'm very fucking serious! I'm going to fucking murder that little shit Johnny and you're going to tell me where to find him!" He picked Jinrei up, who simply blanked for a moment.

"Her love was destroyed by him. Tricked by the liar. The thief." She turned back. "The murderer…"

"I won't let you!" Jinrei shouted, pushing Morris off. He kicked out, sending Morris into the back wall. "What do you want with Johnny?"

"Oh stop fucking thinking about Jin's little devil and open your fucking ears for one single solitary fucking minute!" Morris shouted back. "I'll spell it out for you, shall I? HE'S! GOT! ASUKA!"

"I don't believe you!" Jinrei shouted.

"I don't care whether or not you believe me!" Morris stood up. "I want you to tell me where Johnny is!" He swung a punch, but it was unplanned and easily blocked by Jinrei. Jinrei put Morris in a complicated pin.

"Calm down. This isn't helping Asuka at all." Jinrei said.

"Help this!" Morris suddenly pushed backward, sending himself and Jinrei into the bathroom door. The door shook and splintered, and snapped with the force. Jinrei and Morris collapsed onto the floor. Jinrei punched Morris, scarring his cheek. Morris pulled at the sink. Jinrei punched him again, but Morris wasn't stopped, snapping the pottery sink out of its place and whirling it into Jinrei's body, breaking the thing and bursting the taps. Water smacked into Jinrei as Morris broke down onto his knees. "PLEASE JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" He curled into a ball. Jinrei watched as Morris burst into tears in front of him. "I just want her back…"

Time stood still for a short while. The spraying of the water kept up the pace, filling the small tiles, blue and silver leaf at first, though now yellow and beige with the cracks from the various impacts. Morris laid bleeding and crying, refusing to come to terms with anything. He had had enough, and now he just wanted some peace. His ears only picked up the shriek of the liberated water as it escaped its cylindrical brass prison, and his heavy and constrained breathing. His brain stopped. His limbs stopped. His mouth and heart stopped. He slowly and surely wept his worries away. He contemplated running. He'd forget Asuka. He'd forget his mother. He'd forget Xiaoyu and Johnny and Spike and everyone else in the world. He had done it before. He could run. He could hide. He could shut himself off. He didn't need Asuka. It was better before Asuka. He was comfy on the streets. No responsibility. No life. No death. Only food, drink, fights and chases with the police mattered there. For ten years, he had been from France to Italy to Russia to China to Japan. He had no friends. He didn't need friends. He had the food from another's table. He had the occasional peek at an unwitting woman undressing. He had the odd street fight if he was feeling particularly annoying or angry. Asuka had brought him nothing but trouble. How could he help her? Why should he help her? Asuka brought him bad dreams, Xiaoyu, harsh fights to the death, Johnny Showdown, disappointment, disillusion and despair. She had brought him nothing but pain. Before was nothing to live for. Nothing to gain. Nothing to lose.

And now you do.

"There's a tape here, that was at the door…" Came a nervous murmur. Morris looked up, interrupting his own thoughts. He looked to Xiaoyu, who was holding a VHS tape, with a pink and blue band wrapped around it. He looked to the floor, and saw his own reflection.

"He'll film it too." Morris murmured, trying to goad a fight. "Not on the first day, mind you. He'll send you a different tape first. He'll describe what he will do to her, in as much detail as it takes to really boil your blood. He'll then tell you on what condition he'll leave her alone, and by then you'll be way too angry to think it through. You'll rush in and you'll both get killed!" He laughed harshly. "And it's your, FUCKING, FAULT!"

Morris finally decided and drew up a plan.

"Wanna bet? I'm too sexy to blame" He murmured to himself. He pulled himself up and walked over to Xiaoyu. "And that, my flat chested friend, would be mine."

"Why?" She asked. "What's on here?"

"Pornography." Morris said, before rolling his eyes. "What do you think is on there, you fucking gonk?"

"It's a ransom…" Xiaoyu said, before pulling it closer. "Whoever it is, he's after you, isn't he?" Xiaoyu shouted now, realising the ugly truth. "HE GOT HER TO GET TO YOU!" Morris began to clap.

"Well done, Xiaoyu." He looked to Jinrei and back to her. "We're all using our brains today, class, now give teacher the tape so he can bring back Asuka."

"NO!" Xiaoyu pushed past him and ran to the window. "You're to blame. I'll do it!"

"Yeah, not funny anymore Xiaoyu, now give me the tape." Xiaoyu opened the window, and crouched on the sill.

"I'll be back tomorrow." She said. "With Asuka." And with that, Xiaoyu leapt out of the building. Morris ran over, and looked for her. He shouted for a while. Jinrei touched his shoulder suddenly.

"Morris, wait." He said. "What do the kidnapper's want with…"

"I'm after Xiaoyu before she kills herself." He said. "BECAUSE I WANT TO KILL HER MYSELF!" With that he burst out the room. As he left, a smile grew on his face for the first time in a good while. Xiaoyu has the tape. So that's step one. He thought to himself. Now for step two.

The video began with a distorted wail, a void of insane, mindless noise. The scene then cut awkwardly to a scene of nightmares. Asuka's teeth were clenched, the gag silencing her and the blindfold impounded the hideous image. She was wearing little, what remained of her now ripped outfit, and was soaked in icy water and blood, shivering in the cold and terrifying atmosphere. She was tied to a chair and sat at a rusty, metal table, with the only light the angle poise lamp. Johnny sat on the table, smoking the cigar with an air of sophistication and class. He turned his head, smiled and waved friendlily.

"Morris!" He said as if greeting a neighbour. "How nice to see you alive. A pleasant surprise indeed." He jumped off the table, looking to the camera with a air of charm and menace. He looked to Asuka, summoning a knife to his hand. "Look Asuka, Morris is watching on camera. Say hi!" He un-gagged Asuka and slid the blade into her forearm. Asuka wailed in pain, making Johnny hum with hideous glee.

"Such an angelic voice." He said, ramming the gag back onto her. He turned back. "Morris. I've been thinking. I've been feeling really, really guilty recently about your unfortunate death. I couldn't fix it, though." He looked back to Asuka. "Isn't that right?" He then unexpectedly slammed her head down. Even through the gag, a moan escaped her as blood dripped from her forehead.

"Then you turned up alive!" Johnny leapt onto the table in excitement, squatting down like a chimp. "I was so happy; I decided that I would throw a party!" He pulled a party popper out of his pocket and pulled on the string. "YAY!" He looked to Asuka. "Aren't you excited! WE'RE HAVING A PARTY!" He snapped the gag off her.

"MORRIS, DON'T COME, HE'LL KILL…" Johnny slammed her head down on the table. Blood dripped like raindrops in a April torrent.

"Don't ruin the surprise." He moaned like a child. "I love parties, you see." He looked to the camera and touched his nose jokingly and knowingly. "Of course, we're all grown-ups now, so I thought a stripper would be a good idea, didn't I, Asuka?" He stroked her hair, twisting it calmly, curiously, as if he didn't know whether to stroke it or bite it.

"MORRIS, RUN! I'LL BE FINE!" Asuka screamed as Johnny pulled her hair into a tightened fist. He brought the fist onto the table, slamming Asuka's head down again with a dangerous and forceful 'whump'. She coughed in pain, and her tears dropped onto the table, embracing and mixing with her blood like dancers.

"Miss Kazama, don't pretend anything." He looked back to the camera, his smile still warm. "Now, I've got three friends with me, just to fill up the numbers, so don't involve the police or anyone else. Overcrowding can ruin a party."

"HE'S JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU ANGRY!" Asuka shouted to Morris. "DON'T FALL FOR HIS TRICKS! HE'S WEAKER THAN YOU! HE'S NOT AS STRONG AS…" Johnny's smile became still as he suddenly clasped her throat. The corners of his lips began to sink and morph. His eyes held no glee now. He looked over.

"Pardon?" He asked slowly. Asuka spat at him. He looked to behind the camera. "Untie her." An inaudible question, a confused protest, came from behind. "Just do it!" He ran over the camera, smiling again. This smile was fake, though. Anger was the only emotion visible. "Excuse us for one moment…"

More feedback. The violent wails of technology clashed with silence. A shot came up on screen. The camera was on the floor, viewing the wall, as shadows danced around. Suddenly, Asuka's body rolled along the floor from behind the camera. She got up immediately, with tears and horror in her eyes and blood on her cheeks and jaw. She backed out of shot, scrambling, leaving a red trail. An already horrid shot, but then Johnny came into shot. He was being held back by several large thugs, with the lamp in his hand.

"LET ME GO!" He shouted like a wild man, as the musclemen murmured calming rationalities, all unheard and useless. All sense had died, and only the mad impulses that comes with strong emotion was left. "LET ME GO, I'M GOING TO SNAP HER IN FUCKING TWO!" Johnny suddenly broke free, and he ran out of shot. Suddenly their shadows where seen, as they danced a macabre show of violence and hatred. Asuka's terrified moans and the crushing of flesh and bone were all to be heard, in tune as the shadows broke together like waves in the wind.

White noise took over again shortly. A blank of jittering lines and shrieks that impounded only horror.

The scene finally cut back, to a sight that would break the viewer. The angle poise lamp was on the floor, discarded, dented and bloodstained. Asuka was on her knees, almost completely stripped minus a few rips of cloth to keep the decency and sophistication that Johnny now tried desperately to hold onto. She was covered in black bruises and messy cuts, as if anything and everything in the room had been thrown against her. Johnny stood behind her, smiling as he did before, though now he looked unnerved. He shook with rage. Now the result of Johnny's anger, his flying, uncontrollable ire, was in full view, and frankly it was an ugly sight.

"Sorry about that, Morris." He said. "A few technical difficulties." He bent down, taking the cigar he was smoking out of his mouth. "It won't happen again." He stared harshly at Asuka, taking the cigar out of his mouth and making sure she saw it. He suddenly slammed it harshly against her breast, crumbling it away and burning her skin. She barely had the strength to scream, simply moaning in agony and falling forward in a faint. Johnny looked back to the camera, his smile now gone. His eyes gave no hint of mercy. "Midnight, Morris. Warehouse 324, Tokyo Docks. You won't forget this party."

And with that, the screen blacked out.