He knew that much was going to happen, but right now he had only one concern. "Then my mother... Who was she? Tell me her name you-"

Jiro interrupted him with a brutal punch to the face, then smirked again.

“You've gotten sassy in your time away boy. I also make it my policy to never remember the name of a dead whore. I think she did go by ‘Trixie’ or some other cliché when working though."

“Why tell me all these things now?" Carter questioned, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his jaw.

Jiro answered with another punch, this time to his throat and Carter was left gagging. "I wanted you to know how futile all this was.

Running away didn‘t work for your mother, and it hasn't worked for you.

It will never work. I'll make sure you say as much before you die."

“Now then, since this is your first time in the torture chamber let me point out a few things." He gestured proudly to the darkness around them.

“Not much to see is there? Really gives a sense of just how alone you are. In addition this room, much Like my private office next door and the holding cells, are all enchanted to be soundproof. No matter how loud you scream it won't carry beyond these walls, let alone outside this building. That means I can do whatever I want with you for as long as I want without disturbing the work of my underlings or attracting unwanted attention."

Carter tried to ignore his threats and simply vented his frustrations.

“Why couldn't you just let me go? Am I really so important to you?"

This earned him another hard punch to the face that left Carter tasting blood from the busted lip it gave him. "You idiot. Isn't it obvious this was never about you or your mother or anyone else who has tried to leave? I can get another errand boy easy. What I can't easily get is a reputation for absolute ruthlessness. Right now everyone in this city is scared to death of me because of that reputation. That's not the kind of power you can buy, but it is the kind that can be Lost all too easily. I lose credibility if anyone, even my lowest servant, dares to defy me and goes unpunished."

Jiro stood over him to his full height, and sneered.

“You're worth nothing, you are nothing boy, you always have been. The most you ever achieved was being my personal carter for whatever crap I wanted you to move. That's all.”

Carter shook his head. "No... I'm more than that. I have a real name now, a family! A woman I love!" He wouldn't think of Taki in the past tense, he couldn't... not yet.

“What nonsense are you spewing now?"

He smiled, even as blood dripped from his cut lip and bruises started to swell on his face, his eyes moistening. "I am Carter... I am Carter!

Of the Viridian Mantis Clan!"

For a moment Jiro's confident expression was shaken. He had never seen

Carter speak with such resolve or passion before. Yet the reality of the situation remained, which led to a mocking chuckle from the crime boss.