Week 24: Married with Children
Title: Flesh of my Flesh
Author: Dusty_evals aka Jaimed1968
Rating: R
Characters: Bankotsu and Jakotsu
Genre: alt cannon
Word Count: 1220
Summary: Bankotsu's out for revenge… only to find out that sins from the past are haunting him. A follow up to 'The Final Conquest.'
Screams rent the air of the mountain estate as the sun sank slowly into the western sky. The sounds were a cacophony with the yells of alarm and the concussions of ordinance as Bankotsu stalked through the corridors of the fortress of his last employer. Grim determination showed in his hardened blue eyes as he recalled his last assignment ten years ago, the assignment that had cost him his life. "He'll pay dearly for his part in my death," he snarled as he came across a few guards.
"Halt!" one ordered as they brandished their pikes toward the intruder.
"Is this the best that he has?" Bankotsu groused as he grabbed the first guard's pike, yanking it toward him as he swung a massive fist into the side of the guard's armored head. A sickening crack reverberated through the hall as the guard fell dead at his feet. The second one lurched forward, hoping to skewer the invader on his pike, only to realize to late that he was on his own trip to death. Having snapped the pike in half that Bankotsu had in his hands, he quickly shoved its pointed head into the oncoming soldier, eviscerating him in a matter of seconds.
Drawn by the commotion from the halls Lord Yamamatsu stormed out into the corridor, his face red with anger at having been disturbed while being occupied with his concubine. "What the hell's going on?" he demanded as he looked about the corridor, expecting an immediate answer from the dead bodies.
"I'd hoped that you'd gotten my message," a voice off to his side replied darkly.
Looking toward the sound, squinting into the darkened corridor as the light of day quickly faded, the lord replied defiantly, "I received no message. Who are you and what do you want?"
Stepping into the fading sunlight, the fiery red-orange of the light enhancing his light gray haori and hakama, Bankotsu snarled, "The message about cleaning your neck… for you're about to die!"
Lord Yamamatsu's eyes widened in fear as he recognized the ghost of his past, falling to his knees the lord wailed, "Have mercy on this old soul!"
Swiftly Bankotsu kicked the subjected man causing him to fly across the floor with a sickening crunch as he'd hit the wall. Grasping his suddenly throbbing shoulder, the lord looked up at the man whom he'd feared for the last ten years. "What… why… have you come back?" he stammered in fear.
"I've come back to exact my vengeance for you having me put to death! You should have known that I'm not a man to have been screwed around with," Bankotsu replied as he stalked toward his prey fire in his eyes.
Struggling to get to his feet as the sounds of mass chaos continued to pour through the windows of the corridor, the lord replied, "It was not at my direction that you died, but that of the other lords of this region. I was but an unimportant part to the plan," as he tried to reason with the undead mercenary for his life.
"That's a fucking lie and you know it! Your general ordered our execution. You were behind this whole thing and for that you will pay with your life," Bankotsu retorted as he yanked the pike from the second guard's lifeless fingers. Twirling the weapon in a flashy show before striking at the lord with all his might, a flash of light caught Bankotsu's eye through the window. A young boy of about ten whirled the massive halberd Banryu with precision and deadly accuracy as he deflected the attacks of Jakotsu.
"No!" Bankotsu yelled out to the effeminate man, "Bring him to me!"
With a show of understanding the effeminate man moved as lightning around the youth's defenses. Once disarmed, the youth fought hard against the chest plate of Jakotsu, kicking, biting and trying his hardest to get away from his certain doom.
Turning back to the warlord, Bankotsu shoved the pike through the lord's shoulder effectively pining him to the wall. Getting right into the lord's face, anger rolling off him in waves, he demanded, "Tell me about the boy!"
Fear showing in the wide eyes of Lord Yamamatsu he stammered, "Nothing… there's nothing to say about him!"
"I think you're holding out on me," Bankotsu sneered as he twisted the pike, sending more pain through the already busted shoulder of the lord. Screams rang out through the corridor as the torture continued.
After a matter of minutes, the lord screamed, "He's my grandson!"
Flashes of mahogany and green quickly coalesced into Bankotsu's mind's eye as a faint memory of the day he died surfaced. "Allegra," was all he said before slamming his hand once into the lord's throat, crushing his windpipe in a gasp. Clawing for breath, the lord died in convulsions as Bankotsu stalked toward the courtyard.
"Let me go or you'll be sorry!" the youth cried out, still swinging and kicking at Jakotsu as he held the youth in a vice like grip.
"Let him go Jak," a voice called out from across the courtyard.
Seeing Bankotsu stalking toward them, Jakotsu did as he was requested, rather grateful for the reprieve of watching the vile youth. If it weren't for the love that he had for Bankotsu and a bit of fear of the punishment of disobeying him, the youth would have been dead.
Grabbing up Banryu, Bankotsu leaned against his companion, caressing the highly polished blade as if it were a woman he loved. "Get your filthy hands off that! It doesn't belong to you!" the youth snarled as he lurched toward Bankotsu.
With a spin, Bankotsu knocked the youth to the ground, applying the crescent shaped end over his throat effectively pinning him to the ground. Taking a good look at the youth his eyes widened a bit in shock as he saw his own face looking back at him, save for the fiery emerald eyes of his mother. The tattoo upon his own brow was lacking from the youth, but there was no doubt in his mind that this was in fact his son.
"You should learn to pick your battles, son," Bankotsu replied as he continued to stare at the youth.
Spitting at the mercenary the youth retorted, "I'm not your son. My father died before I was born."
A small smirk crossed Bankotsu's lips as he replied, "Is that what your mother said? A shame really that she never really told you about your father."
"You don't know what she's told me about him."
Jakotsu wandered over, lazily laying his sword across the back of his neck. "What's up Ban? Why did you want me to save this wretch?"
"Can't you see the resemblance?" Bankotsu asked as he waived toward the youth.
Looking closely at the youth then at his leader Jakotsu whistled lowly as he replied, "You sly dog you. Why didn't you tell me you had a son?"
The boy fought harder against the hardened steel of Banryu, trying to get out from under its handle as he screamed, "I'm not your son!"
"I just found out myself," Bankotsu replied as he grabbed up the boy by the haori. "Looks like we'll be a family after all… You, Jak and I, a happily married family."