Note: I'm writing this fic as if the original never happened. So this is not a reincarnation fic per say, but there may be incidents of reincarnation.
Update 5-4-08: This chapter has been revamped. Thank you beta reader!
--
Man, John has a serious OCD problem, thought Gojyo as he leaned on the kitchen counter smoking and mindlessly flipping his butterfly knife. The metal sung and clanked against each other, flipping up, down, against his arm, in graceful circles. He listened to John move about the house and talk with his soft voice about how to prepare meals and what to do with this and how to take care of that. What was the big deal? Gojyo never thought much of those things. He never thought much of his house in general. To him it was someplace to sleep. As long as it kept him dry it was perfect, but John had the uncanny ability to hone in on what was wrong and try to fix it. It was annoying.
John was also expensive. Always asking for money to buy groceries. Granted, the food he made was 100 times taster than he'd ever eaten at a restaurant, but it was a luxury he could barely afford. And to be honest, food for him was like his house. If it kept him fed, it was perfect. But still… it made John happy for some reason. And it made Gojyo happy as well, although he couldn't figure out why. So, he gambled like crazy and looked for extra work just so John can cook.
Now that he was leaving, he wished that he wouldn't. And not only because John really wasn't that annoying or that much trouble. Hell, it wasn't even because he was actually pretty good company either. It was because what he was planning to do was straight up stupid. Turning himself in was a death sentence. Even if he actually GOT the death sentence, Hyakugenmaoh was going to get to him first. It was straight stupidity. And here he thought he was a smart guy.
Silent all of a sudden, Gojyo realized that John had stopped talking and was waiting for a reply to a question that Gojyo hadn't heard.
"What?" asked Gojyo.
"I said do you do martial arts?" John pointed to his knife.
"Martial arts? You mean that pansy-ass dance-y shit that some guys pass off as fighting?"
"Yes. Although, not in so many words."
"Nah. What I do is good old fashion brawling. Nothing artsy with what I do. Taught myself to do it too and did pretty well with it. Kept me alive growing up and made me some money."
John's eyebrows furrowed and his green eyes took on a harder edge to them, something that looked a little like cold disapproval. It took Gojyo only a couple of seconds to catch onto why that look was being tossed his way.
"No! I wasn't a thug! Beating up weak people leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I street fight. I'm the best in the LA and Las Vegas area. I've fought against martial artists with all their training and lessons, and I still beat them up."
"I wonder if you could beat me if we spared."
"What? Are you a martial artist?" John nodded. "Well, I thought so. You do have that pansy dance-y-ness about you."
John laughed. "Oh, I don't know. It can be quite effective if used correctly."
"Yeah. We can 'spar' if you want, although I have to warn you, I've never fought anyone without the intention of seriously hurting them."
"Oh. I'd like to see you try."
Gojyo grinned. "Let's go then."
"No." John's smile faded. "Not now. I have to finish some things around the house," he said before he turned to wrap the dishes in tin foil.
"Do you really? Shit." Gojyo draped a lazy arm over John's shoulders, which stiffened with surprise. "You have some serious issues. You're not even going to be here."
"But you will be, and I just want to make sure everything will be alright when I'm gone."
"Don't worry about me. I've been doing dandy before all that shit. You should be enjoying your last day of freedom."
John shook his head as he wrote something on a pad of paper.
"If that's what you want." Gojyo moved from him to leave the room.
"Gojyo."
"Hmm?"
"Do you still street fight?"
"Not lately, and with the recent Hyakugenmaoh massacre, probably not for a long time. They host most of the events in Las Vegas." He was about to leave, but thought of something else. "Did you know that the hospital you stayed at is actually where they send me to get fixed up after a fight, even if the event is clear across town. I think Hyakugenmaoh runs it. Nurse Yaone is married to the mafia, you know."
"What?!" John exclaimed.
"Yeah. A real jerk off. Too bad he survived. I think he's the new Don now."
John stood frozen over the counter. Gojyo narrowed his eyes as the pieces began to come together. "You did it, didn't you? That day I found you. You? killed all those people."
The expression on John's face was one of a guilty man having been singled out, fearful as if it would be Gojyo delivering his punishment.
Gojyo put his hands up. "Look, man. They were a bunch of assholes anyways. As far as I know, you did the world a favor."
"Gojyo, Nurse Yaone could have been one of them. Can you imagine her deserving to die?"
Gojyo was silent. The kitchen felt too small and clean all of a sudden. Not knowing what to say he looked back at the dull metal of his knife.
"I'm going to go work on the bathroom," John said, leaving the food on the counter.
"John."
"Yes?" He paused looking back.
"When you're done, meet me outside and we'll spar, okay?"
John's face softened. "That would be fine," he said.
--
Gojyo stepped outside. There was a little wind and the clouds were gathering. He stepped down and then leaned against the dilapidated siding of his home, smoking and looking at the horizon. He lived in the outskirts of town, but he can still see the casinos where he stood. He exhaled. Tonight, he'd definitely see if he could get laid.
A white car drew up in front of his house and a man with blond hair and hard violet eyes stepped out. He was wearing a gray pinstriped suit and black tie. Definitely rich looking. He wondered what the guy wanted.
Black dress shoes stepped on dying grass toward him. "Are you Gojyo Sha?"
"Yeah?" asked Gojyo.
"I'm Detective Sanzo Genjyo. I'm looking for a Gonou Cho."
Detective huh? Gojyo reflexively looked towards the door and found the detective following his gaze. Smart move, idiot. "Gonou Cho? Never heard of him."
"He was the man you saved. Also known as John Chiu."
"Sorry, man. I'll like to help you, but…" He shrugged, palms up.
The detective started toward the front door. Gojyo stopped him by clamping a hand on his shoulder.
"Where are you going?"
The detective's eyes narrowed. "Let go of me," he growled, jerking away from his grip.
Just then, John stepped out of the house.
The detective pulled his gun out of his jacket to point at John. Without thinking, Gojyo swung and knocked it out of the detective's hand, the pistol creating a thud upon the hard ground a few feet away. With a look of surprise the detective scrambled for the gun, but Gojyo quickly tackled him face down into the dying grass. He had the lanky bastard pinned securely in a matter of seconds. Adrenaline pumped hard through his body and his heart was running a marathon.
"What the fuck are you doing, asshole?!" the detective growled between mouthfuls of dirt and grass.
"Run!" he shouted to John, the detective struggling below him, feeling thinner than he looked.
"What's going on?!" John stared back, stunned in disbelief.
Gojyo tightened his grip on the detective's arm when the man tried to break free as he called over his shoulder, "Just get outta here, and fast!"
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on," John demanded.
"Dammit, John! This is no time to have this type of conversation!" He was losing his grip, so he shifted to compensate.
"I'm not leaving!" he insisted.
Geez, John, give a guy a break. He couldn't tell him that the man he was wrestling with was a detective, because he would do something stupid like turn himself in. But wasn't hegoing to turn himself in anyway? Doesn't matter anymore. It's too late to back out now. Come on brain. Think of something to tell him so that he would leave already.
--
Sanzo was pissed. He was lying in the dirt, one arm twisted behind him, and an asshole was pushing his face into the ground. At least the idiots were arguing and not noticing that he was using his free arm to reach for the syringe of tranquilizer in his jacket pocket. Ever since he became Goku's guardian, a paper fan wasn't the only thing he tried to keep with him at all times. In addition to the syringe, he also kept a tranquilizer gun in the car. He never knew when he would need to subdue Goku's alter ego, and he didn't want to rely on praying to get the job done.
He felt for the hard plastic and pulled it out carefully, moving the cover off of the needle using the grass. Twisting his arm in an awkward position, he stabbed into the mass above him, plunging the medication in as far as his position would allow him, which wasn't that much, but a little would suffice, considering how the whole syringe could put out an elephant.
"Ow!" yelped Sha looking down. "What the fu-" His words slurred and he collapse on top of Sanzo. Damn, he was heavy. Sanzo pushed the body off of him and sat up, spying Cho looking both shocked and panicked at the same time. His mouth was gapped open and his eyes were wide staring at Sha's unmoving body.
Hmmm… This might not be good.
"Gonou Cho," he started as he struggled to stand. Just then he glimpsed movement and dodged a flying fist before having to move quickly to avoid a follow up kick. Fuck. Cho was attacking him, and he was fast. He couldn't even tell what Cho was throwing at him. He used every ounce of self control to narrow in and focus. Every movement, he somehow dodged, but for how long could he keep it up? He was barely keeping track of the blows. Every escape was much more narrower than the last. When one finally did connect with him, Sanzo found himself reeling from the explosion of force. His body careened off a building, and the world was unsteady. His body shocked with a pain so sharp and consuming it felt like he'd been electrocuted. He pulled himself up but was a moment too late. His arm clipped on a strike and he found himself spinning. Then a blow was delivered to the head and the world started to fall away, crashing to the ground. Dark clouds were moving in behind the outlines of the buildings, causing the unclear image of the man approaching him to vanish briefly. He watched helpless as the dark blurring figure towered over him.
"Nyoi-Boi extend!" called out someone. Red spear pushed the shadow of Cho out of sight as the darkness took him completely.
--
"Nyoi-Boi return!" yelled Goku as if by instinct, like a staff that extends and retracts on command was something that always occurred. A breeze kicked up and blew at his orange windbreaker. He skillfully spun the staff around him, eyes focused on the dark haired man struggling to stand. The weight of the wood familiar, a part of him, as he positioned it behind, left hand forward and stance ready. "I won't let you hurt Sanzo!" yelled Goku then waited for him to attack.