Chapter 37

Kenshi Takahashi's grip on Sento trembled as he stared at Johnny, his husband's life hanging by a thread. The voices of his ancestors whispered urgently in his mind, urging him to act, but he couldn't see a way forward without risking Johnny's life. Johnny's vision blurred, but a spark of defiance flared in his brown eyes. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, he shifted his weight slightly, his body coiling for one final act of resistance.

With a guttural yell, Johnny drove his elbow backward, smashing it into Haroshi's face with all the force he could muster. The impact was enough to make Haroshi stumble, his grip on Johnny releasing as he clutched at his nose, blood pouring from it.

Johnny collapsed forward, landing heavily on his stomach. He groaned faintly, blood staining the ground beneath him.

"Johnny!" Kenshi cried, his paralysis breaking at the sight of his husband's fall.

Haroshi snarled, straightening up and glaring at Kenshi with murderous intent. But his distraction proved fatal. Kenshi seized the opportunity, surging forward with Sento raised high. With precision honed by years of training—and fueled by his love for Johnny—Kenshi delivered a powerful, decisive strike to Haroshi's chest.

Haroshi's eyes widened, a mix of shock and disbelief flickering across his face. He staggered backward, his hand instinctively reaching for the blade embedded in his chest. Blood bubbled from his lips as he looked at Kenshi, a twisted smile forming despite the pain.

"You…" Haroshi rasped, his voice weak and gurgling. "You've done well… better than I expected. I… trained you well."

With those final, chilling words, Haroshi collapsed to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring into nothingness.

Kenshi didn't spare him another glance. He dropped Sento and rushed to Johnny's side, falling to his knees beside him. Johnny's body was trembling, his breathing shallow and uneven. Blood pooled beneath him from the reopened wound in his abdomen, and his skin was pale and clammy.

"Johnny," Kenshi said, his voice soft but urgent. He gently turned Johnny onto his back, cradling his head in his hands. "Stay with me. Please."

Johnny's head lolled weakly to the side, his lips moving soundlessly. His eyes opened a fraction, their brown depths clouded with pain and exhaustion.

"Ken-doll…" he croaked, his voice barely above a whisper. "You… okay?"

Kenshi let out a broken laugh, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. " You're asking me if I'm okay, love," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I should be asking you that."

Before Johnny could respond, the sound of boots crunching against the forest floor reached Kenshi's ears. He looked up sharply, his body tensing instinctively.

But it wasn't an enemy.

"Johnny Cage!" a booming voice called out. From the shadows of the trees emerged Jax, his massive frame unmistakable. His face was a mix of relief and fury as he approached, his eyes scanning the scene.

"Jax," Kenshi breathed, relief washing over him like a tidal wave.

Jax's gaze swept over the scene—the blood-soaked ground, Johnny's battered body, Haroshi's lifeless corpse. He holstered his weapon, shaking his head. Jax stopped short, his gaze falling on Johnny's battered body.

"What the hell, Cage?" he said, his voice laced with exasperation. "Do you have any idea the stunt you just pulled going in alone?"

Johnny coughed weakly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Good… to see you too, Jax," he muttered, his voice faint but filled with his usual sass.

Kenshi looked down at Johnny, brushing a blood-matted strand of hair from his forehead. "He needs help," Kenshi said urgently, his voice cracking. "He's losing too much blood."

Johnny lay sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. His breaths were shallow and uneven, each one rattling painfully in his chest. Kenshi pressed both hands against the worst of the bleeding, his palms slick with his husband's blood as he applied as much pressure as he could muster. His blindfolded eyes darted aimlessly, his mind racing in panic.

"Stay with me, Johnny," Kenshi pleaded, his voice thick with fear. "You can't leave me. Not like this."

Nearby, Jax was barking into his radio, his voice urgent and commanding. "I need medics here now! Reinforcements too. We've got a man down, severe blood loss. Move it!"

But Johnny was slipping. Kenshi could feel it. His husband's body trembled beneath his hands, his skin clammy and pale. Johnny's lips moved, but no sound came out at first. Then, a faint, trembling voice broke through.

"Kenshi… why's it so cold?" Johnny's brown eyes fluttered weakly, barely focusing. His body began to shiver violently.

Kenshi's heart clenched, his breath hitching. "It's not cold, Johnny," he said, his voice cracking as he leaned closer. "You're just going into shock. I need you to stay awake, okay? Stay with me. Talk to me."

Johnny's head lolled slightly to the side. "Hard…" he whispered, his voice fading.

"No!" Kenshi barked, his panic rising. "No, you don't get to give up now. Keep talking, Johnny. Tell me a story. Tell me… tell me about when you proposed to me." His voice cracked again, and tears began to spill freely down his face.

Johnny's eyelids fluttered. His lips trembled, and he took a shallow, ragged breath. "The… the shoreline," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Kenshi nodded frantically as if Johnny could see it. "Yes, that's right—the shoreline. Tell me, Johnny. Please."

Johnny swallowed, his throat working painfully. "It was… sunset," he said slowly, his voice weak and broken. "You were… standing there… looking at the ocean. I thought… I thought you'd never looked more beautiful."

Kenshi's tears fell harder, his grip on Johnny tightening. "Keep going," he choked out.

Johnny's lips twitched in what might have been a faint smile. "I… was so nervous," he murmured. "Had the ring in my pocket for weeks. Kept… waiting for the right moment."

"You found it," Kenshi said, his voice trembling as he clung to Johnny's every word.

Johnny's eyes flickered open slightly, meeting Kenshi's tear-streaked face. "You turned… and smiled at me," he continued, his voice weakening with each word. "And I knew… I couldn't wait any longer."

Kenshi's chest tightened painfully, his tears falling onto Johnny's battered face. "You got down on one knee," he whispered, his voice shaking. "You were shaking so hard."

Johnny coughed weakly, a faint chuckle escaping his bloodied lips. "You… said yes," he whispered. "Best moment of my life."

Kenshi sobbed openly now, his tears soaking into Johnny's torn shirt as he pressed harder against the bleeding wound. "And you've been the best part of mine," he said, his voice breaking. "Johnny, I love you."

Johnny's eyes began to close, his lips forming the faintest smile. "I… love you too, Kenshi," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

And then his body went still. His chest stopped moving.

"No!" Kenshi screamed, his heart shattering as he shook Johnny's limp form. "Johnny! No, no, no, please! Don't do this!"

Jax was at his side instantly, his hands gripping Kenshi's shoulders. "Kenshi, the medics are coming!" Jax said urgently, his voice rough with emotion. "They'll be here any second!"

But Kenshi barely heard him. He pressed his forehead against Johnny's, his tears mingling with the blood on Johnny's face. "Come back to me," Kenshi whispered brokenly. "Please, Johnny. Come back to me."

The sound of approaching footsteps and voices grew louder. Jax turned and waved frantically at the medics, who rushed forward with a stretcher and medical equipment.

"Kenshi," Jax said firmly, shaking him slightly. "Let them work. Let them save him."

Reluctantly, Kenshi released Johnny, his bloodied hands trembling as the medics took over. He knelt there, his body shaking with silent sobs as they worked frantically to stabilize Johnny.

"He's not breathing," one of the medics said urgently. "Start compressions!"

Kenshi bowed his head, his hands clenching into fists. "Please," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Please don't take him from me."

As the medics worked tirelessly, Jax knelt beside Kenshi, his strong hand gripping Kenshi's shoulder. "He's a fighter," Jax said quietly, his voice filled with a quiet determination. "He'll make it. He has to."

Kenshi nodded numbly, his tears falling silently as he prayed to whatever power might be listening. "Come back to me, Johnny," he whispered again, his voice filled with a desperate, unyielding hope.

The scene was chaos. Flashing red and blue lights painted the darkened woods, the crackling of emergency radios cutting through the night air. Johnny lay on the bloodied ground, surrounded by paramedics working furiously to bring him back to life. Kenshi knelt just a few feet away, his blindfolded eyes fixed on the scene, his hands trembling and stained with Johnny's blood.

One paramedic was performing relentless chest compressions, their brow furrowed with focus. Another prepared the defibrillator, speaking in clipped, urgent tones. "Charging... Clear!" The sound of the shock was sharp and electric, and Johnny's body jolted violently in response before collapsing back against the ground, lifeless.

"He's got no pulse!" one of the paramedics shouted, their voice sharp with urgency.

"Starting compressions again!" another replied, pushing forcefully on Johnny's chest.

Kenshi's blindfolded eyes turned toward the sound of their voices, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. Each word they spoke felt like a hammer blow to his soul.

"Clear!" the paramedic called, pressing the defibrillator paddles against Johnny's chest.

Kenshi flinched as the electrical shock jolted Johnny's limp body, his head snapping back for a moment before falling still again.

"Still no pulse!" one paramedic shouted, their voice tinged with frustration.

Kenshi's breathing grew ragged, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "Come on, Johnny," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Fight. You have to fight."

Beside him, Jax placed a firm hand on Kenshi's shoulder. "Kenshi, you're hurt," Jax said, his voice steady but concerned. "Let them take a look at you."

"I'm fine!" Kenshi snapped, shrugging off Jax's hand. "I need to make sure Johnny is okay!"

But the truth was, Kenshi wasn't fine. His body ached in ways he couldn't ignore anymore. The adrenaline that had fueled him through the fight and chase was rapidly draining away, leaving him weak and disoriented. His hands shook as he reached for Sento, but the sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground.

"Kenshi!" Jax exclaimed, moving closer as Kenshi swayed on his knees.

"I'm... fine," Kenshi muttered weakly, though his voice lacked conviction. His head felt heavy, his vision dimming behind his blindfold. He struggled to stay upright, his focus still on Johnny's motionless form.

"Charging again!" one of the paramedics called, their voice piercing through the haze in Kenshi's mind.

"Clear!"

Kenshi's head snapped up slightly as the defibrillator discharged again, sending another jolt through Johnny's body. But Kenshi couldn't see if it had worked. His strength was leaving him fast, his limbs heavy and unresponsive.

"Kenshi!" Jax's voice sounded distant now, as though coming from underwater. "I need help over here!"

Kenshi's knees buckled completely, and he slumped forward, catching himself on his hands for a moment before collapsing onto his side. The last thing he saw was Johnny's body jerking from another shock, the paramedics working tirelessly to save him.

"Ken—!" Jax's voice faded entirely as darkness overtook him.