Chapter Text
Darkness. All her vision blurred in what had been an oversight and the next thing she remembered was a horrible feeling of disorientation. She had woken up normally, dressed and with all her equipment she had left towards the nearest underground station of the Shimada residence. Once there, she had started to move through the intricate subway network, on her way to the venue where the long-awaited event was taking place.
But she never arrived.
Somewhere along the way someone had approached her to ask her a question. Just as she had gone to answer she had felt a tug behind her, a damp cloth over her face and the strong smell of the chemical that had knocked her unconscious. Now, she supposed hours later, she found herself sitting on a futon in a place she could not locate. Though she had her suspicions.
"Where am I?" she thought, standing up and leaning instantly against the nearest wall. Everything was spinning around her and a throbbing pain in her head let her know that she had not yet fully recovered. Her eyes wandered around the room, the décor of which reminded her of the Shimada's in Hanamura. The floor and walls featured the characteristic shape of traditional Japanese houses, with tatami mats and plain walls. There were no shelves around it, but everything was plain except for a small desk and chair. A bottle of water, a glass tumbler, and a towel, neatly folded, rested on the surface. In front of the futon was a door, but even before reaching for it, she knew what the result would be if she tried to open it: none. It was locked from the outside. So she turned on her heels, coming upon a window through which sunlight was streaming in. She lumbered over to it, peering out in an attempt to see what was beyond it. Like the door, it was perfectly blocked so that she couldn't access the outside through it, but at least it wasn't completely covered, which partly gave her a false sense of tranquillity. She spotted a courtyard, also similar to one of the many she had seen and walked through with Genji or Hanzo. Wherever she was, those who had trapped and abducted her had a similar level of wealth to the Shimada, and that could only mean one thing: she was in the residence of the main rivals for Kanezaka territory, the Hashimoto.
The pangs in her head came back stronger, so she clumsily made her way to the wooden chair and sat down in it. She rested her elbows on the table and her head on her hands, trying to make the dizziness go away as quickly as possible. If there was one thing she hated, it was the side effects such substances left in the body after they wore off. Carefully she picked up the bottle of water and opened it. The cap was sealed, so she ruled out the possibility that it was poisoned. After all, if they had wanted to kill her, they would have done it already. She took a drink and returned to her original position, trying less and less successfully not to get nervous. Why had they kidnapped her? What could they want from her? She was a simple European doctor, who had ended up in Japan in the silliest, most random way she could ever have imagined. If they wanted to use her as a weapon to harm the Shimada brothers, why take her? She might have a good relationship with them, even something akin to a friendship and not just a working relationship, but that didn't mean that they would stick up for her when the time came. Depending on the conditions they asked for, they might simply decide to abandon her in order not to lose their power in the territory. Angela felt a knot in her stomach as the idea became a possibility; she was not indispensable to them.
She wasn't sure if it had been minutes or hours when she heard voices in the corridor. They were walking quietly and speaking in Japanese, but she didn't hear much as they seemed to be consciously using a low tone of voice. Her heart began to race, but Angela didn't move from her spot. Now that her head and body seemed to be finally starting to give her a break, she didn't want to spoil it by moving around and risking another bout of dizziness. Seconds later, the door opened, and a man followed by two others entered the room. The appearance of the one walking in front was impeccable: He wore a suit of surely the most expensive brand in the country, along with apparently equally expensive shoes and a slicked back, hairstyle. He wore dark-glass glasses, and his fingers were adorned with some rings. The men accompanying him, though suitably dressed like the other, reminded him of those he had seen countless times in Hanamura. They were his bodyguards.
The man walked up to her with a smug smile, stopping a few paces before he reached her.
“I was looking forward to meeting you, Dr. Ziegler. I hope your stay here is pleasant, despite the circumstances. Is there anything you need?”
Angela remained silent, narrowing her eyes, and giving him an unfriendly expression. She was terrified, and she felt imminent danger just by the man's presence. If she had wanted to run, she would not have been able to, although it would not have crossed her mind to do such a crazy thing. She saw no visible weapons, but that did not mean they did not have any.
The silence made the man let out a loud laugh, without wiping the smile from his lips.
“I understand you're not exactly happy to be here, but I really wanted to invite you to my residence," he bowed his head slightly in greeting. Angela continued without moving. “But let me introduce myself first. My name is Dai Hashimoto, and as I believe you already know, I am the leader of this great family.”
The doctor kept completely silent, not quite knowing what to say. There had been no need for a formal introduction because no one in that country but him could have possibly wanted anything from her. And the way she had been brought there had certainly not been the best. If someone had told her that she would be kidnapped in the course of her life, she wouldn't have taken them seriously. That only happened in crime shows and movies, didn't it? Her blue eyes wandered warily from the man who had just introduced himself to her bodyguards. The Hashimoto followed her gaze, and with a simple nod of his head he had them both leave and wait for him outside the room. It was never in his mind that the doctor would pose a problem or a danger. And she was well aware of that and was not crazy enough to carry out such recklessness. The fact that the two of them were alone together did not make her any more relaxed, as the other might have thought. His arrogant smile remained on his face, and so did her grim face. She just wanted to go back to the Shimada residence, was that so much to ask?
“I suppose you are a woman of few words. It may not have been the best way to bring you here, but if I must confess something, there was no other way. I doubt that your benefactors would have granted me such an opportunity.”
“What do you want from me?”
She was surprised at how firm her voice sounded, even though she had tried to control it and not show the fear and insecurity she felt to her captor. She felt an unpleasant rasp in her throat as she did so, from the substance that had been used to bring her there. She grimaced but didn't drink any water for the moment. She supposed she'd have time to do that. Because she doubted, they were going to let her out of those four walls she was in.
“Straight to the point, as one would expect. I knew you were a woman with an iron fist. I see I was right," the clan leader nodded in agreement. He stood still on the spot, not closing the distance but not widening it either. From where Angela stood, she could smell a strong whiff of smoke. It did not surprise her either. She had met many people over her years as a doctor and could tell with little effort who was a smoker and who wasn't. "Well, no doubt you will understand that a doctor as renowned as yourself is known in a wide range of places. And Japan is no exception. I certainly know that you are wasting your time and skills with your current contract. I am generous and I would like to change that."
"It's up to me to decide whether I'm happy or not," she replied, unruffled. His gaze sharpened, but she remained impassive. "And even though I'm grateful for the offer, I'm afraid I have to turn it down. I would like to return to the place from which I have been taken without permission, I have an exhibition to hold.
The Hashimoto did not answer instantly, keeping silent. He showed no anger at what any other person might have tagged as rude behaviour. Nor was it as if he was in the best position to do so, since his methods had not been the most orthodox in the first place. He shook his head, showing that these were not the words he had wished to hear.
"I'm afraid that's the wrong answer," the yakuza replied calmly. "As I have already told you, you are world-renowned for your work in nanotechnology and medicine. If you hadn't been in Japan, it might have been a bit more complicated for us to try to hire you and bring you with us, but the minute you set foot in this country the situation changed slightly, you know?”
"How exactly? If you didn't want me before, why do you want me now?" She knew the answer, but there was nothing to be lost by asking the question to confirm her suspicions. He struggled to keep his eyes focused.
“I think you already are well aware of that, Miss Ziegler. You are not a foolish woman.” She could feel the Hashimoto's gaze sharpen behind the glass of his glasses as he spoke.
“Because I'm a complication for you by working with the Shimada.”
“Bingo.”
Angela sighed. She did not know what direction the conversation was going to take at this point. The leader of the other yakuza clan was making her an offer to which there was only one valid answer: accept his terms. Because if she didn't and refused to work with them, she knew the other option was death. She brought a hand to her head and dug her fingers into her hair, massaging the area in an attempt to soothe the slight prickling that occasionally bothered her. Had she been in her right mind she might have tried to buy some time by devising some kind of plan, but she still felt a little groggy.
“Then I guess you should know my thoughts on the idea of working with you," Angela continued, still not treating him with the respect the Hashimoto was probably used to hearing. She was not in the mood for such nonsense. “My conscience will never be at ease if I work for a group of unscrupulous killers. I won't be the one to use my knowledge to help you in your immoral little games, thank you.”
“You say that as if you haven't already been doing it with the Shimadas, Dr. Ziegler," She could sense a warning tone in him. “Or do you think it's different with them? They are just like us.”
“They are not," she replied instantly. She had experienced too much infighting during her time in Japan to doubt them now. They might have been that way in the beginning, and their jobs might not have been the most honest in the country. But if there was one thing she had learned over time, it was that they did everything for the good of the Kanezaka neighbourhood. "They only protect what you destroy.”
“Your rejection hurts me.”
The door opened again, and the bodyguards entered, standing on either side of their boss. One of them whispered something to him and he nodded. With a wave of his hand, the one who had spoken withdrew, the other standing beside him. He removed his glasses, fixing his brown eyes on hers.
“I have been quite clear, and you knew the consequences of not wanting to work with us. In that case, you are well aware of what will happen next," he reached behind him and the man who had just arrived placed the doctor's mobile in his hand. “However, I don't want you to get a last bad impression of me, so I will make one last generous gesture for you. You have two hours to think about it. If you decide to work for us, we'll spare your life and you'll have everything you want and need for your work. Provided you meet certain requirements, of course. If you refuse to do so, you can make a phone call to say goodbye. At least you can go with a clear conscience wherever you think you are going.”
“Just one? So I have to choose who I want to say goodbye to?”
“I don't think you'll have a hard time, doctor. We know you don't have a lot of family to say goodbye to.”
“Oh, that's great.”
Angela snorted, not knowing why she was surprised that they had that information. They had done a good study on her and surely knew absolutely everything about her long before she had set foot in the country. And not only about her professional career, but also about her personal life. Was there anything they did not know? She considered the conversation over, thinking the man was leaving. But he added something that took her aback.
“One last thing. We are prepared to offer the Shimada brothers a deal which they should not hesitate to accept. If they cede full control of Kanezaka to us, we will let you go without any disturbance on our part. We think it's a good deal given how important they seem to consider you. Although I'm afraid that will be up to them.”
He showed his teeth in a cruel smile, leaving the mobile phone on the surface of the table. With a final farewell gesture, he left the place followed by the bodyguard, leaving the woman in silence. Once the door closed, the blonde could hear the door being locked, so she assumed that she was once again trapped without the option to escape. She looked at her mobile phone as she felt the lump in her throat grow stronger. Were the brothers really going to be offered her life in exchange for an entire neighbourhood? Would they accept these conditions? She was terrified, and her survival instinct told her that she might still have a chance of getting out of there. If she agreed to the conditions, she might not see the Shimada brothers again, but she could not do her job knowing that the Hashimoto were still kidnapping, trafficking, and killing innocent local citizens. Or that her research or treatment of his men could harm Genji or Hanzo. However fanciful or sci-fi it might sound, she would not be the cause of others suffering. Rather, she would bear the consequences of her decision. And the possibility that they would agree to hand over complete control of the neighbourhood they were protecting seemed surreal to her, no matter how much they appreciated her or didn't want to involve her in their battles for control of the area. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't get anything clear.
Minutes passed, but no matter how much time went by, she was increasingly aware that there was no other way out. If the Shimada knew where she was, maybe she would have a chance, but she didn't want to get her hopes up too high, and that the call would only result in a farewell from them as well. The thought of them actually abandoning her was terrifying. When the time had come for her to think about whether to accept or refuse, she heard the sound of the key in the door again.
A new guy who had not made an appearance before appeared in front of her, waiting for the blonde to speak. She, inwardly defeated but outwardly firm, let him know that her convictions were still firm. He spoke then, his English somewhat more clumsy than his boss's, but with the same amusement he had employed while enjoying the situation in which the young woman currently was.
“The Shimadas have rejected the deal.”
Everything fell apart in Angela's mind. Completely static, she repeated those words over and over in her head: "the Shimada have rejected the deal, the Shimada have rejected the deal...". She felt like an idiot for having believed just for a moment that maybe they would accept or hatch a plan to get her out of there without the people of Kanezaka being affected. She was still a stranger who had only been working with them for a few months. And if they had agreed, would she have been happy? One person's life for the safety of hundreds. She could not even have had a clear conscience if she had escaped from there on that condition. But she couldn't help but feel broken by the realisation that everything was over.
The yakuza looked at her for a few seconds, savouring the blonde's defeat. Within seconds, he indicated that she had only a few minutes to make what would be her last call. In his presence, of course.
The doctor, who had not touched the phone until that moment because she knew that if she had, they would have come in either to arrest her or to hasten her unfortunate end, unlocked it and took it in her hands. She dialled the number she had memorised so well over the last few months and with a slight tremor brought it to her ear. It barely took more than a tone for them to pick up the call. She didn't even know what she would say to them.
“...”
“Angela? Is that you!?” Genji's voice sounded desperate and anguished on the other side of the phone. But in a second, his intonation changed to a more menacing one. “Because if it's you, Hashimoto, I'll make sure you regret you were born, you son of a bitch.”
“Genji.” That was all she said. His tone of concern pierced painfully into her core, causing her eyes to water with distress. She wanted to tell him so many things... But the Hashimoto's inquisitive gaze remained fixed on her, warning her without words.
“Did they hurt you? Are you all right? Fuck, tell me they didn't lay a finger on you. I swear they're going to pay for what they d---"
“I'm fine, Genji," she cut him off, keeping her voice serious, impassive. “I don't have much time to talk, so I want you to listen to me carefully. Leave me alone. I never want to hear from you again. Neither you nor Hanzo. Nothing at all.”
“W-what?”
The silence that followed the statement seemed like an eternity. She could feel the green-haired yakuza on the other end of the line not believing what she had just said. She did not believe it either, no matter how convinced she had tried to sound. Nor did she believe she had to be doing something like this to try to protect someone she had only known for a few months. They had always made it clear that they would do something for her safety, and at that moment she could never have imagined that she would be doing the same.
“You heard me. I have been offered conditions that I cannot and will not refuse. So, I end my contract with you. Don't contact me again.”
“What are you saying, Angela? Are they threatening you? Is that why you're saying all these things? Just hold on a little longer, we need a little more ti—"
“That's enough. I don't want to repeat myself. I'm going to stay with them, Genji. It's my decision. Respect it.”
“No, I won't.”
Genji's firmness and insistence left her at a loss for words once again. He did not believe her. She listened on the other side of the line as he and Hanzo spoke in Japanese. The older one had raised his voice, while the younger one argued with him, displeased with the way things were going. For his part, the Hashimoto was smiling more and more. They hadn't tapped the phone because they hadn't felt it was necessary, so he wasn't hearing the conversation at all. Yet the screams could be heard through the phone, and the doctor's face was all he needed to know that their plan was working. They did indeed love her more than they could have ever imagined. And she was hurting them. At least one of them.
“He couldn't have offered you something as good as you say," Genji insisted again, nervous. Hanzo could still be heard saying something in the background, but she could not understand him. “We're willing to... Angela, I'm willing to do everything for you.”
“Hashimoto told me that you turned down the offer they made you. My safety in exchange for Kanezaka," she countered. She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to bring it up. She was afraid to hear the answer she might get from Genji. Because it was the one thing she had no knowledge of. She didn't know how much of what she had been told was true or false.
“Angela, I...”
Silence. Genji fell silent. And that made the world crumble beneath her feet as she waited, the phone trembling in her hand. Was it true? Was her life not worth enough to give up territory for her?
“That’s why I made this decision.”
“I don't know what those bastards have told you but- SHUT UP FOR A WHILE, HANZO!!!!”
Angela was surprised at how harshly the younger Shimada's voice sounded. The desperation. The pain. She'd caught him somehow, and it seemed that this deal was real and had been offered to the brothers. And that they had indeed declined. She did not want to think about it. She listened once more as they argued until Genji spoke again.
“Are they listening to this call? Angela, tell me, are they listening to us?”
“Genji," she kept silent, not knowing what to say, how could she answer him without telling him outright? Then something crossed her mind. And she wished with all her heart her hours of chatting with him in Hanamura had not been in vain. “Nein.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Angela held her breath, fixing her blue eyes on the yakuza in front of her. The man made no movement or gesture, confirming that he was ignorant enough to know any German at all. Now the only thing left was for the green-haired man not to be one either.
“Listen to me Angela, you're right. We rejected the deal but...”
She felt her whole being shrink, and her vision blurred for an instant. She convinced herself that it was the affirmation she had been expecting to hear from them. That they had done what they had to do for the good of everyone else. She was about to speak, but Genji interrupted her again.
“We have a plan. Nothing is going to happen to you, do you hear me? I know... It's hard for you to trust me right now, but I promise you're going to be fine. I'm good at sneaking into other people's places.”
“It can't be that easy..." She gave a vague, neutral answer, without giving too many details that could make the man present distrustful.
"I'll come for you tonight and we'll both get out of there, okay? But you have to promise me one thing," the ninja's tone of voice had changed to a more confident one. That made the blonde begin to really trust what he had said. Did they really have something in mind?
"What?" She asked uncertainly.
“That you'll go on a date with me when I've rescued you.”
Angela choked on her own saliva. She could not believe what the boy had just proposed. How could he joke in a situation like that? Although, knowing him well, she was aware that he was completely serious. A myriad of joyous moments they had lived through in the last few months ran through his mind and before she knew it she was smiling faintly. Such was the irony of the situation that she struggled to hold back the urge to laugh at the young man's witticism. Who knew if it would be the last time they might be talking if it all went wrong in the end. The Hashimoto indicated to her that she was running out of time, to which she responded with a nod.
“I will," was all she said.
He listened as Genji stammered, incredulous that she had answered yes. He let out a soft laugh, relieved. On the other side Angela could hear Hanzo shouting something at his brother, probably telling him off for what he had just said. But for a moment, the confident voice Genji used to address her next managed to instil some reassurance. Confidence, even. And hope.
“Wait for me then, tenshi. I'm coming for you.”
And the call hung up.