Act Two

[Yeh Ren]

☼Yeh Ren and Kagrra are walking down the hallway of a hotel. Both are dressed in their civies, thought Yeh Ren is still masked, and is visibly limping, but in surprisingly high spirits☼

Yeh Ren: Honestly, as long as you aren’t hurt, I’m ready to put this whole Gone business behind me.

Kagrra: Good. No, I’m fine.

Yeh Ren: I don’t care about ‘getting back at him’ at this point. I got my hits in, and besides, I’ve got bigger things to worry about.

Kagrra: Hm?

Yeh Ren: You didn’t hear?

☼Yeh Ren stops and turns to face Kagrra☼

Yeh Ren: They vacated the world championship.

Kagrra: Really?

Yeh Ren: Yeah. They’re holding a tournament for it.

☼He repeats in Japanese☼

Yeh Ren: I’m in it.

Kagrra: Really?!

☼She smiles excitedly and hugs him☼

Yeh Ren: This is the first time I’ve been even close to a world title shot. And I gotta say, with the way things are around here, I think I could go far in it. Every round I advance elevates my stock in IWF.

☼He repeats some of what he said in Japanese. Kagrra nods along☼

Yeh Ren: The thing is…

Kagrra: What?

Yeh Ren: Gone is in the tournament, too. In fact, if we both win our matches then we’re against each other in the next round.

Kagrra: Oh…

Yeh Ren: And…that’s part of what I’ve wanted to talk to you about for the past week. Here, sit down.

☼Yeh Ren helps Kagrra down and he sits facing her, both against the wall☼

Yeh Ren: It’s not just Gone. There are other people like that around here. Him moreso than the others, obviously, but…ok, the guy I’m wrestling on Monday. Joel Frost. Me and him could have a good ten minute match, win or lose, nobody gets hurt.

Kagrra: Ok…

Yeh Ren: But there’s other people here more after the hurt than just the win. And there are other places I got offers from who are a little more…

☼He says something in Japanese☼

Yeh Ren: Athletically inclined. I could wrestle there without having to worry about any of that.

Kagrra: Is this about…in the bar…

Yeh Ren: It’s not about that, it’s not about anything or anybody besides you and me. I’ve been wrestling death matches in garbage promotions for a while, and I know you hated it. I joined this one to get away from that. Maybe it wasn’t far enough. I’m fine with staying. If you aren’t, I want to know now before the tournament.

☼Kagrra looks down for a moment, thinking. She looks back up at Yeh Ren☼

Kagrra: I do not like seeing you getting hurt every other night. But I do not like seeing you start at the bottom when you go some place new. You are getting a chance here. I want you to stay.

Yeh Ren: And you’re staying with me?

☼She smiles and nods☼

Yeh Ren: Good. Now, for the other thing.

☼Kagrra cocks her head as Yeh Ren pulls something out of his pocket. He palms it tight for a moment, contemplatively☼

Yeh Ren: You never met my grandmother. We weren’t particularly close, but I don’t have a lot of family, so the little bit I do have means a lot to me. A week before she died…

☼He puts the item in his hand into Kagrra’s☼

Yeh Ren: She gave me this.

☼Kagrra looks in her hand. It’s an old, incredibly tarnished locket☼

Yeh Ren: The pictures are beyond faded, I don’t even know who they’re of and she obviously isn’t around to tell me. Someone in the family, but I don’t know who. It was the only thing she ever gave me. So I kept it someplace safe. It has left that place a total of one time since then. And that’s now. When I give it to you.

☼There’s a brief moment of silence. Kagrra stares at Yeh Ren through misty eyes. Finally she pounces on him, throws her arms around him and chatters at lightning speed in Japanese☼

Yeh Ren: Okay, okay.

☼Yeh Ren stands up and helps up Kagrra☼

Yeh Ren: Alright, go to our room and wait for me, I’m going to get us something to eat. Alright?

☼She has a vice like grip on his arm and is beaming at him☼

Yeh Ren: Don’t give me that look. I’m immune to that look. I’m not going far, just down to the hotel lobby to order some food up. I won’t be long. Promise.

Kagrra: Alright.

☼She pouts playfully and lets go of his arm. They part, Yeh Ren heading back to the elevators and Kagrra going down the hall towards the room, almost floating. She looks at the locket and holds it to her chest. She unlocks the door and flings it open. She practically dances into the room and flops onto the bed, opening and closing the locket. The door slams behind her. She jumps up and turns to see John Gone in the room. She freezes, her eyes wide. Gone smiles.☼

Gone: Uh oh.

☼The scene fades out☼

[John Gone]

Yeh Ren practically skips out of the elevator, bottle of champagne in hand. He sprints down the hall, tipping an imaginary hat to a maid as he passes her, toward his room. He unlocks the door and flings it open and almost dances into the room. Hey, Kagrra. I don’t know what the drinking age is here, but I got… He stops short, noticing the bathroom door is shut and water is running. He shrugs and sits down on the bed, idly fumbling with the top of the champagne bottle. He perks his head up as the door opens. John Gone walks out, drying his hands off. He notices Yeh Ren. Oh. It’s you.

In a flash, Yeh Ren drops the champagne bottle and runs at Gone. Gone catches him around the neck with the towel and starts to choke him. He pushes Yeh Ren into the shower and lets go. Come on, you’re in no condition to fight. Yeh Ren jumps out of the shower and runs at Gone again. Gone sighs and kicks Yeh Ren right under the rib cage. Yeh Ren doubles over and Gone pulls him into the room and throws him into the wall. Yeh Ren crashes hard against the wall and lands on the floor. Gone walks up to him and crouches down. He pushes him against the wall and leans in.

Do you feel that? He cocks his head. Your head going light. Your blood flowing faster. You’re taking in more air, you feel energized. He scoffs. That’s fear. Yeh Ren shoves Gone’s arm off and kicks him away. You think I’m afraid of you, G- as Yeh Ren goes on the attack again, Gone grabs the champagne bottle and clubs him in the stomach. Yeh Ren doubles over and gets shoved back against the wall. Don’t interrupt me. He crouches back down. And trust me. It’s fear.

See, at the moment you’re at a disadvantage. I found out just how much punishment you can take. Not nearly as much as you implied that you could. He shrugs, almost out of disappointment. But you haven’t found out how much punishment I can inflict. Yet. You don’t know how much this is going to hurt. And that has your fight-or-flight sense taking over. Not that it’ll do you any good. I don’t- Yeh Ren coughs and sputters. I don’t know who you think you’re intimidating, but it isn’t- Gone cuts him off. Also… He looks around, broadly. You know that your girl came in here. For a fact, you know this. But she isn’t here now. And I am.

He cocks his head. You weren’t away that long. But she’s not unconscious on the floor, she’s not tied up in the bathroom. That would be one thing. But to just flat out not be here? There’s no closet, only one elevator, and those windows don’t open. So you have to be wondering just what the hell happened in here just a little. He holds up his thumb and forefinger close together, right in Yeh Ren’s face. But you don’t know. And you don’t know what I’m capable of. He smiles. That’s fear you’re feeling.

He stands and pulls out a matchbook and cigarette. He turns and walks out of the room, putting the cigarette in his mouth. Either that… once he’s out in the hallway, he lights the match and the cigarette. He takes a drag and takes the cigarette out of his mouth with one hand, pulling the door halfway shut with the other. Behind the door are two metal tanks, hissing just loud enough to be heard if one were paying attention. Or your hotel room is filling up with oxygen. He tosses the match into the room, shutting the door behind him.