PART ONE: THE FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR
By: Jenny Lambert
Joe Asakura awoke to the beeping of his transpower band, and annoyed, buried his head under the pillow. It was 5 AM, and he was exhausted. More than anything he had hoped for a few good hours of uninterrupted sleep, but it would not come. Like a nagging alarm clock the band continued beeping, eventually rising him from his peaceful slumber.
"It's 5 AM. This better be good!"
"Hey Joe! I was just on my way out to do the mail run, and wanted to remind you about the ISO physical scheduled for today. Dr Nambu says to be there on time."
"Shit, I forgot! Man, I hate those ISO physicals. Guys prodding around looking at things other men aren't supposed to be looking at. Is it really all that necessary?"
"Nambu seems to think so, He says since our bodies are under constant stress we need them. It's for the better, you know."
"The better of what? I can tell you right now that I'm just fine, other than the fact I could use a little more sleep. Thanks to you, I see that isn't going to happen."
"Nope. If I have to get up, so do you."
"Why must we all suffer?"
"Because I'm your commander. Hey, I have to go. Talk to you later."
Joe yawned, stretched, and slowly crawled out of bed. He hated it when Ken called so early, and hated it even more when he was in a good mood after doing it. Making his way to the coffeepot, he cursed, realizing there was nothing left in the carafe. "Damn! It's too early to make coffee. Oh well, guess I'll grab a cold one."
He reached into the refrigerator for a beer, sighed, then put it back. "It's too damn early for that too. Hell, it's too early for anything!" Suddenly feeling irritable, he decided to make his way to the shower. It was mid-October, and the weather outside was growing cold as the winter season set in. Unfortunately for Joe, this meant his trailer water heater didn't keep water hot for very long. Curses emanated from within as the cold water cascaded off his body. "Damn! I can already tell this is going to be a GREAT day. I've only been awake fifteen minutes, and it sucks already."
Fumbling with a towel, he made his way back to the bedroom, where he quickly threw on some clothes. He was shivering from the cold, but strangely optimistic. "I'm freezing, but at least I'm awake." The thought of making something to eat sounded good, but he wasn't in the mood for dirtying any pots or pans. "The Snack J should be opening up soon. I'll stop there and have Jun cook me up something."
Closing and locking the trailer door behind him, he walked the two feet to his car. Joe was always mobile, so he had no garage, and on this particular morning, the car windows were completely iced over. He looked towards the sky hopelessly, asking for an answer. "Why me? Tell me something good is going to happen today!"
After stubbornly scraping a clear patch in the windshield a few inches long, just barely enough to see through, he got in the car and drove to the Snack J.
************
At the Snack J his luck didn't get much better. He arrived there just in time to see Ryu, Jun, and Jinpei sitting at the counter, each sipping a cup of fresh brewed coffee. "I've been looking forward to a cup of your coffee all morning Jun. It's one of the reasons I'm here so early. That and I'm starving. Can I get some eggs and toast?"
Jun smiled, "Depends on whether or not you have any cash on you."
He reached into his pocket to grab his wallet, and the obscenities started flying. Ryu, not wanting the young Jinpei to hear, covered his ears. "We have virginal ears present Joe! Can you tone it down a bit?"
Jinpei argued, "I can take it Ryu! With Joe always around, my ears are the farthest thing from virginal."
Most times Joe would have come back with some type of smart comment, but with the day already going sour, he opted against it. " Sorry, but have you ever had one of those days? The kind where no matter what you do, nothing goes right? I'm having one of those days now. Hate to ask Jun, but I forgot my wallet at home, and…well…is my credit good this time?"
She shook her head and laughed. "You've been hanging around Ken too long. Sounds like he's been giving you some good lines to use on me."
"I'm serious! And please don't insult me, I'm not like Ken. I HAVE money, and besides, when haven't I paid for something I owed?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
Shaking his head in negativity, he put his hand to his forehead and sighed. "Any other day maybe, but today…no, I don't think I want you to."
"Tell you what. Since you seem to be having such a rotten day, it's on the house. Just give me a minute to whip it up."
"Thanks Jun. I owe you one."
As she walked away towards the kitchen, she muttered under her breath, "One? Boy does he have a short memory."
************
Half way through the eggs and toast, Ken arrived at the Snack J, much too nonchalant for Joe's liking. Sensing the growing irritation, Ryu signaled a warning as he walked past. "Watch out for Joe. He's in rare form today."
Half jokingly, Ken replied, "Oh, Joe's still pissed off at me because I got him up early this morning.
Just as he finished the sentence, he was smashed in the jaw by Joe's fist. From the ground, he rubbed his jaw, angered by the sudden attack. "What the hell did you do that for?" Getting up, he charged, returning a blow to the side of Joe's head. "It's because of this morning, isn't it? I can't believe you are being such a crybaby!"
Joe, nearly out of control, grabbed his commander by the shoulders and threw him roughly against the wall. If the customers weren't curious about the fight before, they certainly were now. "A crybaby? Now you're REALLY pushing it flyboy!"
Just as Ken was about to retaliate, Jun stepped between them. It was clear she was furious, and both stopped mid-stride. "If you want to fight like little children, take it outside! I've got a business to run, and besides, neither of you can afford to pay for the damages!"
Nodding, then doing as they were told, they left the snack bar. Once outside, as if on cue, both began laughing, apologizing. "Looks like your jaw hurts pretty bad Ken. Didn't mean to hit you quite so hard."
"Hard? I barely felt it!"
Joe rolled his eyes. "Yea sure. You should have seen the expression on your face!"
"I was too busy looking at Jun's. We really outdid ourselves this time. Did you see how angry she got?
"Sure did. You know, one of these days she's really going to lose it."
"Definitely, and then we'll both be done for. There is no escaping the wrath of an angry woman."
Agreeing with the comment, Joe slapped his friend on the back, and the two of them started walking. "So tell me, how did the physical go? Everything turn out ok?"
"You're still worried about it?"
"I told you earlier I just don't like them, and I said..."
Ken cut him off. "If it makes you feel any better, the doctor is a woman."
A smile began to creep across Joe's lips. "A woman? Why didn't you say this earlier?"
"I don't know. But I have to tell you, she's absolutely…" He whistled, then started explained the doctor's features using hand gestures. It was rare for Joe to see his commander talk this way about anything, especially women. Jun had been trying for years to come on to him, but he was always too naive to notice it. This sudden show of emotion was amusing. "…She even outdoes Jun, so you can imagine what I mean." He paused, then looking at Joe's mischievous grin, wished he had bitten his tongue on the previous comment. "Shit! Don't Joe! Don't tell Jun I said that! I will NEVER hear the end of it."
Joe laughed, musing at his friend's embarrassment. "Now I've got something to hold over your head, in case you try to pull rank on me again at 5:00 AM." For some reason, he day was seemingly getting better. "You know, I'm suddenly looking very forward to this physical."
************
The doctor was everything Joe had hoped for, and everything Ken had described. She was tall and slender, her hair long and black, and the eyes, a seductive blue, which brought out the best of her features. "Hi, I'm Doctor Madison. And you are?"
He couldn't keep his eyes off her body, and she was definitely enjoying it. "Joe. Joe Asakura."
"Asakura? Funny, you don't look Japanese. More like an Italian, or German. Where does the Japanese culture come from, your mother or your father?"
The question seemed sort of odd, and Joe didn't feel comfortable answering it. "Neither", he thought to himself, then quickly changed the subject. "So Doctor, where would you like to start?"
"By having you take off your shirt so I can begin examining you."
He was very forward, almost too blunt. "Ok, but I must warn you. Prolonged exposure will eventually make you want me."
She sighed, then brushed him off, verbally slapping him with her comment. "I'm sorry, but this is business not pleasure. Also, I really don't have time for young men like yourself. I prefer my partners to be much more mature."
************
As the doctor examined Joe, he felt a tinge of uneasiness in his chest. Though she was beautiful to look at, and seemed completely harmless, she had a way about her that brought about anxiety. She asked too many questions, most of them pointed.
"So, you're a stock car racer?"
"Yes, it's something I always dreamed of doing, and I'm very good at it." When it came to racing, Joe had a big ego, which was well deserved. At eighteen, he was one of the best drivers in the circuit, a huge accomplishment for someone so inexperienced. Those who knew Joe Asakura realized he didn't just love racing; he lived for it.
"What type of car do you drive, and what does it look like?"
"I drive a Nissan, a blue one." He left it at that, feeling no need to go into any more detail.
"I see. Do you do anything else besides car racing? I mean, do you have any other hobbies, besides trying to hit on older women?"
He flushed slightly, then regained control. "Not really. Racing seems to take up most of my time."
The doctor was becoming irritated, and rightfully so. Her duty was to pry out information, and her patient wasn't providing it. Instead, he was giving contrived answers to every question, and being extremely cocky about it. "So, tell me about your parents. What were they like?"
The knotting feeling inside Joe's stomach grew even more intense with the question. She was getting much too personal now, and it was time to turn the tables. "Enough about me. Why don't we talk about you?"
"You're the patient. I'm just trying to get to know you better."
His reply was very callous and condescending. "Well I think there's just a little more to you lady. I think your job is much more than just giving me a physical. What's with all the personal questions?" She said nothing, but her eyes expressed her feelings; she was nervous. "Uh huh. Are you even a real doctor? And if you are, what did the Galactor pay you to join them?"
"The Galactor? What are you talking about?"
"Cut the act! I'm no fool. It's obvious you're pissed because I haven't given you a straight answer to any of your questions. Just what exactly are you trying to get from me? Just come right out and say it, so we can get this over with."
She laughed, no longer able to control herself. "I was warned about you, and they were right; you are good. We can do this the easy way or the hard way; I don't care. Either way I win. Do you really think you can beat us? It's a hopeless cause!"
Joe took a deep breath. "I knew she was too good to be true." Turning, he attacked, punching the doctor under the chin, then throwing her body towards the wall. As she fell backwards, she reached for the instrument table, felt for the hypodermic needle, and grabbed Joe's arm. Before he could pull away she plunged the needle into his vein, releasing the fluid within.
He screamed in rage and threw another punch at the doctor's head, this time connecting with the side of her face. Then without hesitation, he pulled a feather shuriken and threw it.
************
He was visibly shaken, yet felt unusually calm. "What the hell was in that needle? Guess I better take it to Nambu to find out"
Reaching towards the ground to retrieve the hypodermic, he felt the room begin to spin. Completely disoriented, he knelt down, shaking his head to regain his vision. Colors seemed to become less vivid, yet the fluorescent lights seemed to burn brighter with an overwhelming intensity.
Joe shaded his eyes from the brightness, and rose to his feet, shaking slightly. Forgetting about the hypodermic needle altogether, he left the office and headed down the corridor. As he walked aimlessly, his thoughts were jumbled; his mind was a complete blank. Already he had forgotten about the incident with the doctor, and he seemed unusually paranoid. With each creak and moan, he would spin wildly around, looking for the source of the intrusion. "I can't let them get me. The Galactor cannot win!"
Around the corner two men appeared; their presence was perceived as threatening. "The green suits, the machine guns…it's the Galactor!" With his shuriken, he cut them both down, then laughed in triumph. "You killed my parents, and so I avenge them."
There was a sense of joy in killing those two people, and Joe's mind started thriving for it. "Bring them all on! I'll take you down one by one. I'm Condor Joe, and no one can defeat me!"
************
Growing impatient, Ken waited in the lobby outside the doctor's office. He was told to meet there at 2:15, and it was well over thirty minutes past that now. He had tried contacting Joe on the transpower band numerous times, but got no reply. "What is he doing in there? Hopefully he's not getting MORE than a physical."
After watching a few more minutes tick by on the clock, he got up and started pacing. The silence surrounding him felt heavy; he became even more edgy. "Where the hell is he? He'd better still be in there, or else have one damn good excuse! I've been waiting here forever."
He tried contacting Joe by the transpower band again, and received the same response. Now questioning himself, he contacted Jun. "Hey, didn't Joe say to meet me here at 2:15?"
"Yea, he did. Why?"
"His ass isn't here, which is good for him, because if it were, I'd be kicking it!"
"I haven't seen him since this morning. Why don't you just go in and see if he's left yet?"
"Uh…well…you know Joe. I didn't want to interrupt anything."
"KEN!"
"Ok, Ok! I'll do it."
As he opened the door to the office, his mouth dropped open in shock. Doctor Madison lay near the wall, feather shuriken in her neck, surrounded by drying blood. "What the…?" Quickly he signaled to Doctor Nambu. "Hakase, we've got a problem. I'm at Doctor Madison's office, the place where Joe was at earlier to get his physical and well…"
"What is it Ken?"
"She's dead. Worse yet, Joe isn't here."
He paused, but the doctor could still sense Ken's panic. He waited for the boy to continue speaking, but there was only silence. "Is there something else Ken?"
"Yes, there is. I think she was killed by Joe."
************
Just a few minutes after Ken ended his transmission, Doctor Nambu arrived at the office. When his eyes gazed upon the body of Doctor Madison, his expression became grim. "I just don't understand. Why did this happen?"
"I don't know, but there's got to be something here that will help us sort this out."
As both he and Ken started searching around the room for evidence to help clear up matters, Ken started accessing the situation in his mind, trying to come up with some kind of plausible answer for Joe's reaction. "What would make Joe do something like this? Maybe he found something out about this doctor. Maybe he's in trouble…." He stopped the thought when a gleaming object wedged under the examination table caught his eye. He turned his attention to Doctor Nambu. "What's that over there?"
Doctor Nambu reached down, retrieved the hypodermic needle, and showed it to Ken. "This may be the clue we're looking for. I'll take it down to the lab right now and have the contents analyzed. In the meantime, notify the others and inform them of the situation."
"What should I tell them? Joe's gone crazy and killed someone?"
"Just tell them if they see him to report to either you or me right away. Stress the importance of finding him. I don't like the looks of this."
************
As the Doctor headed off to the lab with the hypodermic, two guards rushed toward him.
"Sir! There's two dead men down the hall to the right. It looks like they were killed with one of the weapons a member of your Science Ninja Team uses. You know, the feather things with the darts on the end."
"Shuriken?"
"Yea, those. They pierced the guard's necks, and blood is everywhere. It's awful!"
Doctor Nambu's eyes widened. Looking down at the hypodermic, his stomach muscles tightened, and he shivered slightly. A chill, followed by an overwhelming feeling of dread, spread throughout his body. "What the hell is going on here? I think whatever is in this needle is going to reveal the awful truth to our problem. I just hope everything turns out ok, and nobody else gets hurt."
************
Director Anderson drummed his fingers nervously on the desk as he listened intently. A special ISO satellite conference had been arranged to discuss the situation, and how to rectify it.
"It seems a member of the Science Ninja Team has gone bezerk. He's killed three and wounded two, both being critical."
"Director Anderson, what have you found out from Doctor Nambu?"
"His first in command found the body of Doctor Madison and notified him immediately. The two of them combed the office, discovering a hypodermic needle. As we speak Doctor Nambu is at the lab evaluating the substance within, and will give me an update as soon as the results come back."
"In the meantime, how do you plan on dealing with this Science Ninja Team member?"
The Director did not answer. He knew how ISO personnel usually handled these types of situations, and he hadn't wanted to think about it. Until he found out the cause of G-2's actions, he didn't know what to say.
"We understand your position, sir, being a friend of Nambu and all, but we have to consider facts here. Three are dead, and who knows how many more will die before it's over."
"We'd like to sympathize with your situation, Director Anderson, but some sort of defense tactic needs to be employed."
He suddenly felt vastly outnumbered, and completely overpowered. Whatever was said now probably wouldn't matter, so he bluntly responded to the attack. "Gentlemen, it seems you all have agreed on one thing, so how do YOU propose we handle this?"
"With all due respect, we'd like to send out a special force to hunt down this G-2. Their job will not be to harm him, unless absolutely necessary, but to subdue him until we can find out what is going on."
The Director sighed, knowing he was going against what he truly believed, but also knowing the others had a very valid point. "Than it shall be done. I will dispatch the force to begin a search immediately."
************
Doctor Nambu finished his analysis, his fears being confirmed. The needle contained a highly powerful hallucinogenic, and worse, a time-released poison. When injected, the delusions begin almost immediately, but the poison takes about eight hours before it does its job. The victim then experiences temporary paralysis and/or loss of vision, and possible cardiac arrest, due to the extreme paranoia.
He looked at the clock, which read 6:00 PM, then signaled Ken to explain the situation. "We've only got three hours to find Joe and get him the anti-toxin. Take the team and begin a search."
"Roger!"
"And Ken, there's one more thing. Director Anderson has informed me that a highly specialized force has been dispatched to hunt Joe down. Their intentions are not to harm him, except if absolutely necessary."
"Absolutely necessary? He's going to come at them guns blazing!"
"I know…"
"Well Hakase, it looks like we have a lot less time than three hours to find him. We'll do our best."
"Good luck, and be careful."
************
Ken used his transpower band to contact the others. "Meet me in Hakase's office immediately. We have ourselves a mission." Ryu and Jun arrived quickly, anxious to find out what was happening. Jinpei was not present, and Nambu questioned Jun as to his whereabouts.
"He's coming. Said he'd be a few minutes late."
"A few minutes could be too late. We'll have to start without him." The Doctor and Ken briefly explained Joe's situation, and what needed to be done.
"So, our mission is to split up and find Joe, right?"
Jun was nervous. "What about the ISO team? If they find Joe first it's…." She didn't finish, and her eyes welled up with tears. Ken put a comforting arm around her shoulder in an attempt to ease the tension. "Nothing has happened yet. Let's not jump to any conclusions." There was a moment of silence, then Jinpei chimed in over his transpower band. "Hey guys, guess what? I found Joe!"
They heard him call to Joe, and Jun, in a panic yelled, "Jinpei, don't go near him! You don't understand!"
"Understand what? Joe! Over here!"
She felt her heart beat faster, and looked helplessly to the others for answers. Ken noted the fear in her eyes and responded. "Where are you Jinpei?"
"Near the airplane hanger, why?"
"Get out of there!"
Jinpei replied, "Aniki, you're being silly. Just stop it! I can handle this." Deciding to become obstinate, he then turned off his transpower band.
************
Joe didn't know how he knew where to go; he just seemed all too familiar with his surroundings. He remembered his G-2 being somewhere near the airplane hanger, and knew he needed to get to it. "I've got to get off this base. They are all hunting me down."
The abnormal panic and hallucinations had grown worse, accompanied now by an occasional loss of feeling in his arms, which was irritating him. Instinctively turning right and approaching the hanger, he suddenly stopped, startled to hear his name. "Joe! Over here!"
He quickly panicked, grabbed a shuriken, and prepared to strike if necessary. The voice called again, this time closer, questioning. "Joe?"
"How do you know my name?"
"What do you mean Joe?" Jinpei took a step forward, watching his older brother's eyes, which appeared cold and distant. He noted the defensive stance and the shuriken in his hand. "Don't you recognize me?"
Consumed by an intense rage, Joe grabbed the boy by the shoulders and threw him hard against the wall. Jinpei cried out in fear, "Joe? Joe!"
"How do you know my name?"
He was frozen, unable to speak. Not receiving an answer Joe backhanded him. "Answer me damn it! How did you find out my name?"
"Joe, please, what's wrong with you?"
Joe screamed a few more obscenities, then kicked the boy hard in the ribs. Grabbing his pistol, he pointed it. "I'll give you one more try before I blow your damn head off. How did you find out my name?"
He was in shock, completely immobile and trying hard to understand. "Joe, why?" He heard the gun cock and began trembling; his eyes pleaded. "Joe aniki, please."
Something triggered in Joe's mind, and he suddenly stopped, lowering the gun. "Jinpei? What the hell?"
"Joe? What happened?" He rose quickly, then sensed something terribly wrong. Just as quickly as Joe's delusion passed, it returned. "Galactor makes them younger every day doesn't he? Sorry kid, but I can't have you coming after me."
Raising the gun again, this time not hesitating, he fired.
************
From the corner of his eye he saw movement, and with his pistol still in hand, he spun to the left. From out of the shadows two armed men appeared; Joe didn't heed them. His aim was true, and he killed both mercifully.
Behind him he heard another gunshot. Blinding pain tore across his right side and brought him to his knees. The sight of blood angered him, and he cried out defiantly, "You won't take me down that easy!"
Rising quickly to his feet, he ran towards the side hallway. He could hear them calling out his name, but he did not stop. "Joe Asakura, we don't want to hurt you. Please put down your weapon and come with us."
"Over my dead body!"
Joe looked down at his side, and was surprised to see that blood had already soaked through his shirt. He felt nauseous, and what was left of his sanity was leaving quickly. "Shit! I've been cut off from my car, and now I've been shot!"
His hand crept down into his pant's pocket, and smiling, he pulled out a handful of small explosives. "It's time I finished the job. If they want to take me out fine. I'll just return the favor by blowing up the damned base!"
Laughing, he took off down the corridor, a trail of red droplets leaving their mark behind him.
************
When the rest of the team got to the airplane hanger, they were stunned. Jun ran to the wounded Jinpei, while Ryu and Ken went to help the ISO agents.
"Jinpei! Are you ok?"
He was still visibly shaken, his eyes non-focused, in a state of shock. "Onechan, Joe shot me in the leg. It hurts!"
"It's ok Jinpei. Joe's not himself. Something is wrong with him, and we have to help him before he hurts anyone else."
Unable to register what Jun was saying, he repeated himself. "He tried to kill me. He hurt me Onechan. I begged him to stop, and then he shot me."
Jun pulled his body close; her arms tightened around him and tried to ease the trembling. She was crying, and as a result, Jinpei cried also. "Those men over there. He shot them too. And over there, another one…" His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes, fully aware the Jun was shushing him. "It'll be ok Jinpei. Everything will be fine."
"…Onechan, those men shot Joe. He's hurt and needs help. I saw it."
Slowly rocking back and forth, Jun watched reassuringly as the boy drifted off to sleep. Lowering her head, she kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Don't worry. Ken and Ryu will take care of everything. You'll see."
************
From across the room Ryu signaled to Jun, concerned. "Is he alright?"
She spoke quietly, as not to startle the sleeping Jinpei, "Joe shot him! I can't believe it. And he said Joe's wounded pretty bad himself."
Ryu relayed the news to Ken, who became completely frustrated; his voice reflected it. "Damn it! I told Hakase this would happen! We've got one dead over here…"
Jun interrupted, "…and there's two more dead over here. How can we stop him if he can't even recognize who we are?"
Ken ignored the question, simply because he didn't have an answer. He had known his second in command since age eight, and trusted him fully. Now, as he looked on at the death surrounding him, he feared for his own life, and the lives of others. "Jun, I think you should stay behind with Jinpei, and let us go after Joe. It might be better if all of us didn't come at him at once."
"I agree. Jinpei is pretty shook up, and I don't think we should leave him alone. He doesn't understand just yet…." She hesitated, then continued; her voice shook slightly. "Guys, please be careful. Next time you see Joe, he might not be so merciful."
************
Joe paused to catch his breath and to regain his sense of direction. The gunshot wound had weakened him, and if that wasn't enough, his vision was blurring, and his heart was racing wildly. As his eyes glanced nervously down the corridor, a darkened haze surrounded him, making the panic grow even more. "I have to keep going. I can't let them find me."
Willing himself to continue, he took a step forward, then his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground. His arms and legs felt like dead weight and his body began to tremble. "What the hell is wrong with me?" Voices could be heard around him, and visions of the Galactor began to appear from out of the darkness. "They're on to me!"
Grabbing a handful of shuriken, he threw them at the approaching Galactor. Then taking the pistol, he fired until he heard the click of the empty chamber. "Damn, I'm out of ammo. Looks like I got them all though." He quickly reloaded the gun, then looked up to register that he was completely alone in the hallway. The hallucination had passed, but the anxiety was growing stronger as his mind vainly tried to put the pieces together. "I know I saw them! I heard their voices! Damn it, what's wrong?"
Shaking his head, he tried desperately to clear the fog, but it was relentless. Anger and confusion began to fuel his desire, and staggering to his feet, he forced himself to continue. Leaning on the wall for support, he trudged onward towards the control center. "I will complete my mission. I must destroy this base, even if it costs me my life."
************
Ken and Ryu were not far behind. They had heard the shots and Joe's screams of protest, and became even more concerned. "Ryu, Jinpei was right. Joe must be hurt badly. He's leaving a trail of blood behind."
"Where do you think he's heading?"
"I don't know, but we have to get to him fast!"
"I know, but I'm afraid of what we're going to find. What are you going to do if he attacks you?"
Ken hadn't wanted to think about that. The idea of killing his best friend in self-defense seemed out of the question, but seeing Joe's reactions now, he had no choice but to consider it an option. "I don't know. I can't kill him, especially if he doesn't even know who I am. He's just doing as he was trained. We'd all do the same."
"I understand that Ken. Let me rephrase the question. What am I going to do if he attacks you?"
"Just watch my back, and help me out if you see I need it."
"Great answer! Looks to me like you will."
Ken looked disapprovingly at Ryu, then punched him lightly in the arm. "Stop being so optimistic will you?"
"Sorry, but of all the people to be pitted up against, why does it have to be Joe? He's insane when his mind is clear, so I can just imagine what he's like now!"
The comment was amusing, and Ken laughed. "You're not saying you're afraid of Joe are you?"
"Who isn't? All he has to do is give you that 'Condor Stare' and you know it's over. Hell, he doesn't need weaponry!"
"Yea, I see your point. Let's just hope he uses that stare when we get to him, and nothing else. I think both of us might survive then."
"Hey, who's being the optimist now?"
Ken looked at Ryu, suddenly very serious. "We have to face it. Joe is the best fighter on the team, and he lives for vengeance. If he thinks we are the Galactor…well…"
"Say no more. I know exactly where you're heading."
************
Hearing voices echoing down the corridor, Joe stopped, then fired a shot towards the unknown intruders. His voice was shaky and disconnected. "You won't get me! I'll blow all of you straight to hell!"
Ryu's eyes were full of questions. "Uh oh. Now what do we do?"
"I'll approach him slowly, completely submissive. You stay behind me and watch his movements. Let me know if he does anything unusual."
"Unusual? Isn't that sort of general? What if?…"
"Ryu, we've been through this already. Like it or not, we have to do something! I trust you. Just help me out ok?."
"Yea, ok, I guess. Here we go." Ken slowly approached Joe; his hands were raised in submission. "Joe, its Ken. You know me, right? It's ok. I'm not armed."
"I'll kill you all! Don't come any closer!" His hands were shaking as he pointed the gun at Ken's chest.
"Joe, listen to my voice. It's me, Ken. Put the gun down."
Joe fired the pistol again, missing the mark badly. The room's walls seemed to be closing in, and the fluorescent lights became unbearably bright. Shading his eyes, he cried out in confusion. "What the hell did you do to me?"
Ken took another step forward, trying hard to come across as non-threatening. "Joe, I want to help you. Please let me…"
"Get back! Get away from me!"
Approaching closer, Ken felt his stomach muscles tighten. He was putting his full trust in Joe, but in Joe's eyes, he was the enemy. "Joe, please put the gun down. It's ok."
"Never! I will never surrender to you."
He could clearly see now that Joe's vision was fluctuating; a look of panic reflected in his eyes. Feeling it to be an opportune moment, Ken charged. Reaching for Joe's arm, he tried dislodging the gun and was successful.
Joe retaliated by kicking Ken hard in the kneecaps, dropping him instantly. At the same time, he grabbed Ken's wrist and twisted hard; the bone snapped. Ken screamed in pain, then called out to Ryu, "Don't just stand there! Help me!"
Ryu stood frozen, watching in disbelief as the fight progressed. Joe took another shot at Ken, this time knocking him backward with a kick to his chest. "You Galactor bastard! I'll kill you!"
"Joe, stop! Ryu, do something!"
Seeing movement from the corner of his eye, Joe grabbed for a shuriken. At the same time, from the ground, Ken reached for his boomerang. "Joe, please don't do this. I can't kill you. You know that."
"Your loss then!"
Joe tossed the shuriken at Ryu, and simultaneously, Ken threw his boomerang. The two weapons collided and landed harmlessly near Ryu's feet. Joe was livid. "You think you've won, but you haven't. You will never defeat Condor Joe!"
"Damn it Joe! I'm not trying to stop you. I'm trying to help you!"
Ignoring the remark, Joe picked up his gun and started running. Ken, surprised by the sudden retreat, turned to Ryu. "Go after him! You've got the strength to stop him."
"Ken, I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. I didn't…"
"Neither did I, but if something happens to Joe now, I'll never forgive myself."
"I know what you mean. One of us has to get through to him."
"You can do it Ryu. I know you can."
"I hope so Ken. I sure hope so."
************
Joe heard the footsteps behind him and quickened his pace. "Shit! I have to get away. I…" He gasped as a sharp pain in his chest nearly took his breath away. Feeling a sudden weakness in his legs, he fell, then realized he couldn't get back up. Time and again he tried, but his legs continued to give out, unable to hold his weight.
The footsteps came closer, and a breathy voice called out. "Joe! Stop! Don't run away like this!" Feeling helpless, Joe began crawling, trying to get distance between himself and his pursuer. It didn't take long before Ryu was standing over him. "Joe? What's wrong? Are you ok?"
Joe's eyes registered only fear, and he struggled to keep control. His body was beginning to convulse, and his chest felt like it was going to explode. He stammered a few words, then stopped, wincing in pain. "Get away…"
"Joe, I want to help you. Can't you see that?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm your friend, and you need help. Don't you recognize me? It's Ryu, the one Science Ninja Team member you have the most fun picking on."
He extended his hand to Joe, but he pulled away, disbelieving. "I won't let you have me that easy. You think I'm going to just fall into your hands?" Without hesitation, he took his gun and pointed it at himself. "You'll never be able to take me down. I'd rather die first."
Surprised, Ryu's mouth dropped open. At first he hesitated, then blurted it out. "You coward! Condor Joe would never die like this! He'd go down fighting, no matter what."
"I'm finished. It's time I join my parents…the ones you helped destroy!"
"And what about Jinpei? You shot him and he doesn't understand! How do you think he's going to feel when he finds out you didn't have the balls to explain to him why?"
Joe's eyes widened in anger, and forgetting about his weakened state, tried to attack. As he staggered to his feet, Ryu lunged at him and pinned his arms down in a bear hug. The grip was like a vice, and though he struggled, he could not break the hold. "Get the hell off me! Let me go, you bastard!"
Ryu could feel Joe's heart beating more and more rapidly as he continued to struggle, but he did not loosen his grip. "Joe, I can't let go. Please try to calm down. It's ok."
Joe's breathing became erratic, and his body began to shudder. Ryu became extremely nervous, fearing for the worst. Behind him he heard Ken's voice; he spoke softly. "Joe, we need to get you to the hospital. You're going to be just fine, but you have to let us help you." As he knelt down, he saw Joe turn away, unable to look him in the eyes. "Ryu, let him go."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Just do it!"
Ryu released his grip, and shaking violently, Joe collapsed to the ground. "Get it over with! What are you waiting for?"
"Joe, look at me." His gaze remained unchanged, and Ken replied, more forcefully, "Look at me!" Again he did not respond, and Ken, becoming irritated, grabbed Joe's head and turned it towards his own. There was a minor struggle, but Joe just didn't have the strength to fight.
Their eyes met, then stayed locked as Ken spoke. "Remember when we were young, when you first came to stay with Hakase and me. You were having a nightmare about your parent's death, and I came to you. You pushed me away, saying I wouldn't understand, that no one could. You told me to leave; saying you didn't need anyone except yourself. I asked you why, and you said you didn't trust me enough to explain. I could have easily walked away then, but I didn't. I couldn't. Later that night you broke down and confided in me, and like I promised, I've never told anyone what was spoken between us. I'm asking you now as I asked you then to please trust me. I want to help you Joe."
Confused, Joe looked towards Ryu, then back at Ken. Though he opened his mouth, no words came out. He saw Ken's hand come towards his shoulder, and he did not move. Closing his eyes, he tried to erase the visions, but they would not leave. The Galactor were everywhere, coming after him, hunting him down.
Ken repeated himself. "Trust me Joe. I want to help you."
"I see them. They're everywhere…coming after me. I have to get away."
He tried again to rise, but Ken's hand softly pushed him back down. "When we were young, who said he'd always be there for you?"
"Ken did. He told me once he's like my shadow. Just turn around and there he'd be."
"Let him be there for you now."
Joe looked at the pleading blue eyes, which were beginning to tear. Finally, the fog seemed to break. "Ken?"
"I'm here."
"Where are they? We have to stop them."
"It's ok Joe. They're gone now. Everything is ok now."
"No, Ken, they're still here. I see them."
He wrapped his arms tightly around Joe's body, squeezing for reassurance. "Shhh. Just close your eyes and they'll go away."
Joe started squirming, quickly losing his self-control. "Ken, we can't just sit here! They're coming!"
"No one is there Joe. It's all in your mind."
"But…"
"Joe, please believe me."
"Ken, what the hell is wrong with me?"
He turned to Ryu. "Can you go get help? Tell security we need a gurney, and to make it quick."
Joe panicked. "Don't go. Don't leave me here like this."
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. Ryu, can you do it alone?"
"Of course Ken, I'll go." He then looked at Joe. "Listen to Ken. He won't let anything happen to you."
Joe nodded in reply, then muttered two words before closing his eyes, allowing himself to relax in Ken's arms. "I'm sorry."
************
Shaking his head, Ken watched from the window as the doctor and aids tried to stabilize Joe. Family and friends were not permitted in the room during this time, and though Ken had insisted on it, they would not listen.
"He's not going to cooperate with you. He knows me. Let me stay with him."
"I'm sorry young man. We understand your concern, but we can't go against procedure. You'll have to wait outside, and we'll let him know you're watching from the window."
"Have it your way."
The aids tried holding Joe down to restrain him, but he broke free, then went wild. Within a few minutes the doctor was out in the hall asking Ken to come back in. "Maybe it would be better if he knew you were there."
He replied sarcastically. "Didn't I say that? But did you listen? Nope."
The doctor glared back, angered by the remark. "It's not our normal procedure. Anyway, I must go now and hunt down a few new aids. Seems your friend decided to put my first two temporarily out of commission."
"Yup. Told you that too…"
"I know you did! Now please, will you go into the room and calm him down?"
************
As he approached his friend's bed, he didn't like what he saw. Joe uneasily pulled back, feeling threatened; the distant look was in his eyes again. "You bastard, don't come any closer!"
Ken obliged, then cursed under his breath. "Damn that doctor! I just got him trusting me, and now he's freaking out again." Speaking calmly, he tried to ease himself closer. "Joe, it's me again. I won't leave you this time. I promise."
"You're all the same. Every one of you!"
"What?"
"You pull me in, then when I'm close enough, you strike. You're all liars, manipulators, and I won't fall for it this time!"
"But I really do want to help you Joe."
"Like hell you do!"
Defensively, Joe rose from the bed, but his body's weakened state prevailed, and he succeeded only in falling to the floor cursing. Though Ken wanted to reach out, he stood motionless, not wanting to cause any more stress. More than ever he feared for his friend's life. "Joe, please calm down. I don't know how much more you can take."
There were voices behind him, and he acknowledged that the doctor had returned with two new aids. The sight was not very pleasant. "What the hell?"
"You told me to calm him down, but I can't. He's relapsed and thinks I'm trying to harm him."
At the sight of the new intruders, Joe began screaming at the top of his lungs. "You can't have me. I won't let you win!"
The two new aids exchanged surprised glances, then looked at the doctor, who quickly explained. "We need to get him restrained and sedated. He has been injected with a highly hallucinogenic and poisonous drug, and right now he's delusional. He thinks everyone is out to get him."
Nodding in understanding, the two aids did as they were told. Approaching Joe, each grabbed one of his arms and started pulling him towards the bed. He thrashed around wildly, but was too exhausted this time to break their hold.
Once restrained, Joe angrily fought to free himself, but soon found it futile. He watched with reluctance as the doctor and aids hooked up an EKG to monitor his heart rate, then inserted an IV into his arm. As all this was going on, Ken stood nearby, completely silent. Joe occasionally looked over at him, and he couldn't help but notice the extreme hatred that flashed in his friend's eyes.
He struggled again with the restraints, and the aids, ignoring his protests, pushed him back down on the bed. Over and over they tried to calm him. "Just lie still and relax. We've got everything under control."
"I can see that damn it, now let me go!"
"Everything is going to be ok. We'll get you through this."
Joe felt his breathing become short and more rapid, and the annoying numbness in his arms and legs returned. Though he said nothing to indicate how he was feeling, the aid could tell by the sudden limpness that something was wrong. "Son? You alright?"
He remained silent for a moment, then a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest made him cry out. His body started convulsing, then abruptly became rigid and motionless. All eyes turned to the EKG monitor, which fluctuated a few times, then flatlined.
************
He was finally at peace. The sun shined warmly off the sand beneath his feet, and it felt absolutely wonderful. He had no idea where he was, but he didn't care. All that mattered what that he was completely at ease.
In the distance, he saw two figures coming towards him. At first glance he thought his eyes were playing tricks again, but after doing a double take, he rose excitedly and ran to them. "Mother! Father!" He felt their firm embraces, a touch he hadn't felt in over ten years.
"Georgio, my how you've grown!"
"You've made me proud, my son."
"I can't believe I'm standing here with you. Nothing will separate us again." Tears of sadness filled his parents' eyes, and Joe became confused. "What is it?"
"Son, you can't stay with us. You need to go back."
"Why? I want to stay here with you."
"Your friends need you. You must help them defeat the Galactor."
"But I don't need them. All I need is you. I don't care any more about the Galactor. The rest of the team can handle it without me."
"And what about Ken? I don't think you realize how much you mean to that boy."
"Ken's not a baby. He'll get over it!"
"You're wrong, son. Right now he desperately needs you to come back. He doesn't want to lose his brother."
"I'm NOT his brother!"
"Yes Joe, you are."
************
The doctor and aids repeatedly tried to revive Joe, but their attempts were unsuccessful. The EKG continued to register no sign of life, and as Ken watched intently, his hopes were slowly diminishing. Turning away, he closed his eyes and tried hard to focus his mind on something else. It was impossible; he didn't have to watch to know what was happening. The monotone beeping of the EKG monitor was enough to remind him.
"Make it Joe. I know you can pull out of this."
************
The voice was familiar, and when he turned towards it he couldn't believe who he saw. The Red Impulse captain, Kentaro Washio, was there, and Joe immediately tore into him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Looking at Joe's parents, Kentaro questioned, "Guess this is as good a time as any to tell him. You want to or should I?"
"I think it's best for you to tell him. It's going to be quite hard to deal with."
Joe was completely puzzled and impatient for an explanation. "Tell me what?" Kentaro approached him, warmly, yet cautiously. It wasn't going to be easy at all to make the boy understand, but he would try his best. "Joe, I'm your father."
His eyes widened in anger and disbelief. "Bullshit! How dare you call yourself anyone's father! Do you realize what you put Ken through? You walked out on him when he needed you the most, and never even told him why. At the least he deserved an explanation."
Joe's mother intervened. "We've not talking about Ken right now. We're talking about you. Did you hear what Kentaro just told you?"
"Yes damn it, I heard, but I don't believe it..."
************
The screams echoed throughout the room, startling the doctors, aids, and Ken. "It's bullshit! It can't be!"
Another sedative, along with cardiac medications, was inserted into the IV, while the doctor continued issuing orders. "We're not out of this yet. We need to get him stabilized! His heart rate is still irregular and dropping fast. Where's Doctor Nambu? We need that anti-toxin!"
Joe began fighting the doctors; he pleaded for them to stop, "Damn it, don't try to save me. Just let me die!"
Ken's face paled as he heard Joe's words, and a feeling of Déjà vu came over him. This incident was turning out exactly as it had ten years earlier, before he and Joe had met. Only then, it had been Ken who was begging to die.
One of the aids tried placing an oxygen mask over Joe's nose and mouth, but he struggled, refusing any assistance. "Stop! I want to die!"
"Please calm down. Your friend is standing right over there. Can you see him?" The aid motioned for Ken to come closer, and he approached the bed. "Your friend has been here the whole time, and he's worried about you."
Joe looked over at Ken, whose eyes were wet with tears. He grabbed hold of Joe's hand and squeezed tightly. "Joe, I know how you feel, but you don't really want to die."
"Please make them stop. My only reason for living is vengeance, and I can't go on like this. I don't want to."
"What about me? Am I not good enough to make you want to live?"
Ken received a reply, but it wasn't what he expected. Closing his eyes, Joe flinched as the pain in his chest overcame him. He squeezed Ken's hand as if to say, "I'm sorry", then his grip went limp.
"Joe?" The EKG monitor flatlined again, and Ken cried out in shock. "Shit! Joe, come back!"
The doctor pushed him aside. "I'm sorry son, but you need to step back and let us have some room." He did as he was told, and feeling weak, dropped to his knees, sobbing.
************
Joe glared at his mother. "Look, I've had enough of this shit. What the hell is going on?" She remained silent, and in frustration, he turned on Kentaro and punched him in the mouth. "What did you mean when you said you were my father?"
"Just that, I am your father."
He tried to throw another punch, but Kentaro deflected it and flipped him to the ground. "You and Ken are so alike. Neither of you know when to quit."
Joe stayed down, but he was fuming. "Damn you! Stop it with the innuendoes. Are you going to give me an explanation or what?"
"Ok, here it is. Nineteen years ago your father first decided to defect from the Galactor. I was sent out to get the information from him, and it was then that I met your mother. She was lonely and feared for her life, and needed someone to comfort her, to be with her. I obliged"
"You WHAT?!"
Kentaro ignored the comment and continued. "Your father found out what happened, and in anger, broke off our agreement. Eight years later, he came to me again. At this time he had an eight-year-old son, whose name was…"
"Don't even say it! NOT Georgio Asakura."
"Georgio Asakura. Following me now?"
Their voices were beginning to fade, their images becoming more distant. "Wait! We're not finished yet!"
"There's nothing left to tell. Your brother needs you now Joe. He has issues that only you can help him work out. Go to him, and tell him his father loves him. Tell him I understand."
END OF PART ONE