Roman Haroshi observed Kenshi's silent turmoil; his expression remained composed yet perceptive. He acknowledged Kenshi's current situation without judgment, understanding the weight of the circumstances that had led them to this moment. Kenshi, however, remained stoic, his thoughts swirling with apprehension and defiance.
Haroshi's gaze then shifted to Johnny, still unconscious on the ground, his pink dress shirt a stark contrast against the dim surroundings. "You know Takahashi, I must commend you. Not many people escape my men and live to tell the tale." Haroshi remarked, his tone neutral yet pointed.
" Cut the bullshit, Haroshi. What do you want from me?" Kenshi demanded Roman to get to the point.
Haroshi's gaze remained unwavering as he replied, " Very well." Haroshi said, walking towards the blind swordsman, " It's straightforward; we want your full cooperation, Kenshi. We have a mutual interest in maintaining peace and order."
" What do you mean by full cooperation?"
" To repay your debt to me by returning to obeying my command, Takahashi," Haroshi said
Kenshi couldn't believe what he was hearing, " You want me to rejoin the Yakuza!?"
" Does it look like I'm joking?"
Kenshi's refusal was swift and resolute. "I won't be a pawn in your games," he stated firmly, his blindfolded eyes locking with Haroshi's, " Never again."
Undeterred, Haroshi's tone took on a subtle edge. "You should think carefully, Kenshi. Constant resistance will only lead to more violence, and your partner here..." He glanced pointedly at Johnny, "...may not fare as well next time."
The threat hung heavy in the air, and the unspoken implication was clear. Kenshi's heart clenched with a mixture of fear and determination. He knew the risks of defying someone as influential and ruthless as Haroshi, but he couldn't betray his principles or endanger Johnny's safety.
With a steely resolve, Kenshi made his decision. "I won't cooperate," he declared, his voice unwavering despite the underlying tension. "And if anything happens to Johnny because of your threats, you'll have more than just me to deal with."
Haroshi's demeanor remained the same. Unthreatened by Kenshi's words, he said," You're quite resilient, Takahashi. Your will to protect the ones you love is admirable, even if you're physically unable to. But it seems you still have trouble understanding the predicament you face."
Haroshi stood firm in his resolve to remind Kenshi about the consequences of defiance; his men swiftly carried out his orders. With a nod from Haroshi, the Yakuza members moved into action, dragging Johnny Cage's unconscious form across the cold, damp floor of the cellar.
Kenshi, his heart racing with fear and desperation, demanded answers. "What's going on? What are you going to do to Johnny?" Kenshi's voice quivered with urgency as he watched the Yakuza men secure Johnny's limp body. His heart sank as he watched them secure Johnny's right wrist to a pipe above his head.
Ignoring Kenshi, "Grab a tire iron," Haroshi's voice was sharp and authoritative, cutting through the tense atmosphere. The Yakuza member obeyed without hesitation, retrieving the heavy metal tool with a cold efficiency that sent shivers down Kenshi's spine.
Still unconscious and vulnerable on the cold floor, Johnny Cage remained unaware of the impending danger looming over him. Kenshi's eyes darted between Johnny and the Yakuza member holding the tire iron, his mind racing with fear and fury.
Roman's words cut through the silence like a sharp blade. "This is the price of defiance, Kenshi," he reminded, his voice firm and unwavering. "Actions have consequences."
Kenshi's eyes widened in horror as he realized the extent of Johnny's danger. "But Johnny has nothing to do with this!" Kenshi pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.
Haroshi's gaze hardened as he looked at Kenshi. "You brought him into this, Kenshi," Haroshi retorted, his tone accusatory. "Your actions have consequences, and he's paying the price for your defiance."
Kenshi struggled with the urge to intervene and protect Johnny at all costs. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to act, to stop the impending violence. But he knew any rash move could only worsen things, endangering Johnny and himself.
Sensing Kenshi's struggle, Roman nodded to the Yakuza members standing by. Without hesitation, they moved closer to Johnny, the tire iron glinting menacingly in the dim light of the cellar.
Kenshi's breath caught in his throat as he watched helplessly, his mind racing with a desperate plea for mercy and a futile hope for a miracle, " No! Wait!"
But as the Yakuza members closed in, the inevitability of the situation sank in, leaving Kenshi with a sinking feeling of dread and powerlessness. The Yakuza swung the tire iron with immense force, connecting to Johnny's abdomen with a sickening thud.
Johnny's body jerked in agony. A cry of pain escaped his bloody lips as the impact cracked a couple of his ribs. The once unconscious actor was now aware, and pain flooded his entire body. He instinctively pulled on his restricted right arm. The sound of his cries echoed in the confined space, a haunting symphony of suffering and oppression.
However, the gangster wasn't done with the actor yet. He swung the tire iron again. Again, Johnny let out another anguished cry of pain. Another one of his ribs cracked in the process. Johnny never felt this much pain in his entire life. It was unbearable.
Kenshi watched helplessly as his husband indulged in immense torment, " Haroshi, please stop." He begs as he watches Johnny's body jerk from each swing.
Haroshi just watched as his men continued the assault. It seems like the only goal of the Yakuza member is to break every rib in Johnny's body, and he is doing a good job.
At some point, Johnny's screams turned into him choking and gasping for air. Each swing toward the actor's vulnerable body caused more and more air to be knocked out of him. Johnny tries to inhale as much oxygen as he can, but the second air enters his burning lungs, the tire iron would knock it out of him.
Kenshi watched helplessly as his husband indulged in immense torment. The silence from the actor sent chills down Kenshi's spine, " Stop! I'm begging you!" He couldn't hold his composure anymore, " You're killing him!" He spat in desperation.
Without taking his attention off Johnny Cage, Haroshi coldly said, " I've already told you, Takahashi. This was your choice." His voice never changed, " However..." he put a commanding hand up, signaling the Yakuza member to stop his assault on Johnny Cage.
The gangster was mid-swing away from another brutal impact to Johnny's chest when he saw Haroshi's commanding hand up. Understanding the command, the Yakuza member pulled away from Johnny. The actor was left breathless and struggling to breathe.
" Seem that Mr. Cage is useful to us after all." Haroshi walked towards the struggling actor, kneeling next to Johnny. With a delicate touch of his hand, Haroshi lifted the back of Johnny's head, who was whimpering in pain. " Yes, I have plans for you, Mr. Cage."
Johnny's half-opened brown eyes glazed over and unfocused. Blood continued to flow from the cuts on his face a cruel reminder of the brass knuckles assault from Yuri. Johnny tries to take slower breaths, but it results in him coughing uncontrollably; specks of blood find their way out of the actor's mouth. His lungs burned like someone lit a match to them. He weakly lifted his trembling left hand as if he was reaching for something or someone.
" K-Kenshi..." Johnny's voice was barely a whisper before his brown eyes rolled in the back of his head, losing consciousness. His arm flopped to the ground, limp and lifeless, as darkness claimed him once again.
"Johnny!" Kenshi cried out to his unconscious husband before turning his attention to Haroshi," You fucking bastards!" His bonds dug even further into his raw skin, causing more blood to escape from his wrist. But at this point, the blind swordsman didn't care. The only one that he cared about was Johnny Cage.
Still holding Johnny's unconscious head, Roman Haroshi shook his head in pity, " I truly apologize for your partner's incompetence, Mr. Cage." He said, gently laying the actor's head back on the ground before standing up. Johnny let out a weak groan, but he remained unconscious, which was his temporary escape from the unbearable pain he was in.
Roman turned his attention back to the blind swordsman, who was still shocked at the brutality inflicted on Johnny. " This will only get worse for him, Kenshi." He said, standing with his hands behind his back, " It's up to you how much you want him to suffer."
Kenshi clenched his jaw, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. On one hand, the thought of Johnny suffering because of his actions tore at his soul. On the other hand, he couldn't bow down to Haroshi's cruelty and surrender to his power's oppressive weight.
"Johnny has nothing to do with this," Kenshi repeated his voice firm despite the tremor of fear and anger that ran through him. "He's innocent in all of this."
Haroshi regarded Kenshi with a calculating gaze, weighing his words carefully. "Innocence is a luxury we can't always afford," he remarked cryptically before turning to leave, his presence lingering like a dark cloud in the cellar.
As Roman Haroshi rose from where Johnny lay unconscious on the cold cellar floor, his expression remained stoic, betraying little of the turmoil that brewed beneath the surface. Turning to his loyal lieutenant, Yuri, Haroshi issued a command with an air of authority.
"I want to speak to Mr. Cage when he wakes up," Haroshi declared, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. He was intrigued by the man who had defied him, whose actions had led to this violent confrontation.
"No, you can't do that," he protested, his voice tinged with desperation. He knew that Haroshi's words could bring only more suffering, more pain.
But Roman Haroshi was unyielding, his gaze fixed on Kenshi with unwavering determination. "I'm going to introduce myself to him properly. We are just going to have a little conversation," he stated calmly as if discussing the weather rather than the fate of two lives intertwined in a web of defiance and power.
"Whatever you are planning, Johnny won't listen to you," Kenshi insisted, his voice trembling with fear and defiance. He knew Johnny's strength of will and knew that he would never bow down to someone like Haroshi.
Roman Haroshi remained unfazed by Kenshi's protests, his expression unreadable. "Yuri, tape his mouth," he ordered, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
" Hey! No! STO-," Kenshi was cut off by Yuri tapping his mouth shut. Kenshi's eyes blazed with defiance, his muscles tensing with the urge to break free and protect Johnny at any cost.
" One more thing." Haroshi said, " I would like to have this conversation without interference." White that Haroshi snapped his fingers.
Kenshi can feel his nose being covered by a damp cloth. The smell of chloroform fills his nostrils. Kenshi tries to fight the effects, but he can already feel his body going limp. He slumps against the chair, sinking into oblivion.
With Kenshi silenced, Haroshi turned and left the cellar, leaving an atmosphere thick with tension and uncertainty. Johnny remained unconscious, his form a silent testament to the violence and cruelty that had unfolded.
Alone in the dimly lit cellar, Johnny and Kenshi were left to confront the harsh reality of their situation. Bound by chains of power and fear, they faced an uncertain future. Their defiance burned bright in the face of adversity, a beacon of hope in the darkness that surrounded them.