Joe instinctively moved a step closer to Ken at the ready.
Nambu was the first to see him. His eyes widened in shock, even though he knew who to expect. "My God."
Several emotions crossed Nambu's normally impassive face. You could clearly see recognition, disbelief and joy all at the same time.
Joe and Nambu had obstructed Ken's view slightly.
Nambu moved out of the way, so Ken had a clear field of vision. They tensed waiting for his reaction.
Kentaro locked eyes with his son for the first time in years. He stood there absolutely still like if he moved Ken would disappear.
Ken stared uncomprehendingly for a moment at his father. Then he let out an audible hiss, and his eyes widened in shock as he finally realized who he was seeing.
"NO! Not again." He screamed. He immediately went for Red Impulse. Joe and Jun reached and grabbed him.
Ken's gaze never left Kentaro.
"Who are you?!" Ken demanded.
Nambu moved to Ken. "Ken! We'll explain it all." He looked back at Kentaro "Kentaro- my friend. How--?" Hakase choked on the words.
There were tears in his eyes.
Ken's head snapped over to Hakase. It registered finally. "This is real! My God this was real!" Ken's mind was in a daze.
Ken's head snapped back and met his father's gaze this time comprehending what was happening.
"How?...H- how is this possible?" Ken reached out toward his father.
Kentaro grabbed Ken as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. "Easy son." he said softly. "I'll..."
Kentaro had finally spoken. There was no doubt it was him.
"Father?!" Kentaro grabbed Ken as he nearly fell to the floor.
"Ken!" Kentaro yelled in fear as his son toppled. There was no response from him.
"Get him to the medical bay now." Jun ordered.
Red Impulse grabbed him and immediately headed for the back of the ship After Jun.
"Put him on the bed." Nambu followed immediately in the room.
He grabbed the scanner as Jun checked his vitals.
"What the hell happened?" Joe demanded as he stormed into the room.
Nambu moved over to Joe.
"Let her work. We'll know in a minute." he said.
Jun looked over at Red Impulse who looked almost as pale as his son.
"He'll be fine, Captain. It's from the shock of everything. He didn't hit the floor thanks to you."
"He damn near hit the floor because of me, Swan!" He growled back.
Nambu moved over toward Kentaro.
"I should have prepared him. I could barely believe it myself. I thought for sure it was a trick. I had no idea--"
Nambu was interrupted by Ken's laughter.
They both ran over as he tried to rise.
"Stay still for a moment Commander." Jun said softly.
"I'm OK, Jun." He protested.
"I know just give me a minute. I'm almost done." Jun said
Ken nodded.
"Jun, I'm OK." He finally said. His tone was firm. His eyes had hardened. He was Gatchaman again.
She nodded and moved away letting him up.
His eyes moved to Nambu. "Hakase, I'm sorry I lost it for a minute. You couldn't have prepared mefor this. No matter what you told me."
Pale blue eyes locked with blue-gray eyes. Without the visor Ken had a clear view of his father's face.
"How long have they known?" He addressed his father in a flat tone.
"Two days for certain." Kentaro said.
He looked to Joe and Jun. They nodded.
"You didn't want to tell me before you knew for certain?" He looked to Nambu.
Hakase nodded. He seemed uneasy.
"Thanks for trying to spare me." He said softly and smiled at his mentor.
Nambu looked greatly relieved.
Ken turned back to Kentaro. "What do I do with a father who just won't stay dead?" His tone was cold, and the question was bitter.
"Ouch! He's angry." Jun thought.
Kentaro's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then his face went neutral. "I've never been dead before. You tell me." Kentaro snapped.
"Rat bastard!" Joe started moving toward Red Impulse.
"Joe stop!" Ken snapped at him.
Ken took a deep breath to try to bring his emotions under control. His mind was swirling right now. He felt empty, nothing. "It must be the shock. Where the hell had his father been? Why was he here now? So many questions."
He looked up at Nambu. "Hakase, could you leave us alone please?"
Nambu looked over to Kentaro. He nodded in agreement.
Hakase motioned for us to leave.
Ken stared at Kentaro for several minutes saying nothing.
He was sitting on the medical bed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood.
Kentaro watched carefully. His son was clearly in control again. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Ken noticed his father's regard. "I won't fall over again." he promised.
Kentaro nodded.
"You frightened me there for a moment." Kentaro said softly.
Ken looked at his father's face. His eyes softened a little.
"I could say the same." Ken answered.
"Yes, I could see that you might." Kentaro chuckled softly.
Ken smiled. "At least he sounds like the same Rat Bastard." Ken thought
"I assume you being here involves one hell of a long story?" Ken arched an eyebrow at his father.
Kentaro chuckled softly and nodded.
Ken went on.
"I'd imagine it also involves us blowing up something or invading someone."
Kentaro laughed aloud. "At least I'm predictable."
"This is going to take some time. Why don't we save the story until we're at ISO. We'll be landing soon." Ken said.
Kentaro nodded.
"Good enough for now." Ken agreed.
Kentaro realized his son was carefully maintaining his control. He was right this was not the time to push. There would be time later.
Ken got up and motioned for Kentaro to follow.
They went back to the main cabin. Ken resumed his seat in silence. Kentaro stood at the back of the Phoenix in the shadows.
Jinpei kept looking back with a scowl on his face. He didn't realize who Red Impulse was yet, but he sensed the tension in Ken.
"Aniki?" he questioned softly.
Ken gave him a not now look. Jinpei backed down.
"Jinpei we're about to dock. Help Ryu please." Jun ordered.
Usually the now seventeen year old would have yelled back. He knew Ryu needed no help. He simply nodded and walked over to Ryu.
The ship landed in the bay and they waited for Ryu to complete the docking sequence.
Ryu had been busy flying the ship. As soon as he was done, he turned a curious gaze at Red Impulse. Ken and Red Impulse locked eyes for a second as Red Impulse reached in his pocket for his dark glasses.
He understood immediately who they were carrying. He felt the tension between Ken and Red Impulse and realized this time Red Impulse was real.
"Unbelievable." he mumbled to himself
Jinpei followed miffed. He was the only one not in the loop.
Joe laughed at Jinpei. "Come on short stuff. I'll fill you in later."
Jun handed the recorder and the DNA scanner with the results to Hakase. Kentaro put his glasses in place. He and Ken followed Hakase down the hall to his office.
Nambu was the first to see him. His eyes widened in shock, even though he knew who to expect. "My God."
Several emotions crossed Nambu's normally impassive face. You could clearly see recognition, disbelief and joy all at the same time.
Joe and Nambu had obstructed Ken's view slightly.
Nambu moved out of the way, so Ken had a clear field of vision. They tensed waiting for his reaction.
Kentaro locked eyes with his son for the first time in years. He stood there absolutely still like if he moved Ken would disappear.
Ken stared uncomprehendingly for a moment at his father. Then he let out an audible hiss, and his eyes widened in shock as he finally realized who he was seeing.
"NO! Not again." He screamed. He immediately went for Red Impulse. Joe and Jun reached and grabbed him.
Ken's gaze never left Kentaro.
"Who are you?!" Ken demanded.
Nambu moved to Ken. "Ken! We'll explain it all." He looked back at Kentaro "Kentaro- my friend. How--?" Hakase choked on the words.
There were tears in his eyes.
Ken's head snapped over to Hakase. It registered finally. "This is real! My God this was real!" Ken's mind was in a daze.
Ken's head snapped back and met his father's gaze this time comprehending what was happening.
"How?...H- how is this possible?" Ken reached out toward his father.
Kentaro grabbed Ken as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. "Easy son." he said softly. "I'll..."
Kentaro had finally spoken. There was no doubt it was him.
"Father?!" Kentaro grabbed Ken as he nearly fell to the floor.
"Ken!" Kentaro yelled in fear as his son toppled. There was no response from him.
"Get him to the medical bay now." Jun ordered.
Red Impulse grabbed him and immediately headed for the back of the ship After Jun.
"Put him on the bed." Nambu followed immediately in the room.
He grabbed the scanner as Jun checked his vitals.
"What the hell happened?" Joe demanded as he stormed into the room.
Nambu moved over to Joe.
"Let her work. We'll know in a minute." he said.
Jun looked over at Red Impulse who looked almost as pale as his son.
"He'll be fine, Captain. It's from the shock of everything. He didn't hit the floor thanks to you."
"He damn near hit the floor because of me, Swan!" He growled back.
Nambu moved over toward Kentaro.
"I should have prepared him. I could barely believe it myself. I thought for sure it was a trick. I had no idea--"
Nambu was interrupted by Ken's laughter.
They both ran over as he tried to rise.
"Stay still for a moment Commander." Jun said softly.
"I'm OK, Jun." He protested.
"I know just give me a minute. I'm almost done." Jun said
Ken nodded.
"Jun, I'm OK." He finally said. His tone was firm. His eyes had hardened. He was Gatchaman again.
She nodded and moved away letting him up.
His eyes moved to Nambu. "Hakase, I'm sorry I lost it for a minute. You couldn't have prepared mefor this. No matter what you told me."
Pale blue eyes locked with blue-gray eyes. Without the visor Ken had a clear view of his father's face.
"How long have they known?" He addressed his father in a flat tone.
"Two days for certain." Kentaro said.
He looked to Joe and Jun. They nodded.
"You didn't want to tell me before you knew for certain?" He looked to Nambu.
Hakase nodded. He seemed uneasy.
"Thanks for trying to spare me." He said softly and smiled at his mentor.
Nambu looked greatly relieved.
Ken turned back to Kentaro. "What do I do with a father who just won't stay dead?" His tone was cold, and the question was bitter.
"Ouch! He's angry." Jun thought.
Kentaro's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then his face went neutral. "I've never been dead before. You tell me." Kentaro snapped.
"Rat bastard!" Joe started moving toward Red Impulse.
"Joe stop!" Ken snapped at him.
Ken took a deep breath to try to bring his emotions under control. His mind was swirling right now. He felt empty, nothing. "It must be the shock. Where the hell had his father been? Why was he here now? So many questions."
He looked up at Nambu. "Hakase, could you leave us alone please?"
Nambu looked over to Kentaro. He nodded in agreement.
Hakase motioned for us to leave.
Ken stared at Kentaro for several minutes saying nothing.
He was sitting on the medical bed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood.
Kentaro watched carefully. His son was clearly in control again. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Ken noticed his father's regard. "I won't fall over again." he promised.
Kentaro nodded.
"You frightened me there for a moment." Kentaro said softly.
Ken looked at his father's face. His eyes softened a little.
"I could say the same." Ken answered.
"Yes, I could see that you might." Kentaro chuckled softly.
Ken smiled. "At least he sounds like the same Rat Bastard." Ken thought
"I assume you being here involves one hell of a long story?" Ken arched an eyebrow at his father.
Kentaro chuckled softly and nodded.
Ken went on.
"I'd imagine it also involves us blowing up something or invading someone."
Kentaro laughed aloud. "At least I'm predictable."
"This is going to take some time. Why don't we save the story until we're at ISO. We'll be landing soon." Ken said.
Kentaro nodded.
"Good enough for now." Ken agreed.
Kentaro realized his son was carefully maintaining his control. He was right this was not the time to push. There would be time later.
Ken got up and motioned for Kentaro to follow.
They went back to the main cabin. Ken resumed his seat in silence. Kentaro stood at the back of the Phoenix in the shadows.
Jinpei kept looking back with a scowl on his face. He didn't realize who Red Impulse was yet, but he sensed the tension in Ken.
"Aniki?" he questioned softly.
Ken gave him a not now look. Jinpei backed down.
"Jinpei we're about to dock. Help Ryu please." Jun ordered.
Usually the now seventeen year old would have yelled back. He knew Ryu needed no help. He simply nodded and walked over to Ryu.
The ship landed in the bay and they waited for Ryu to complete the docking sequence.
Ryu had been busy flying the ship. As soon as he was done, he turned a curious gaze at Red Impulse. Ken and Red Impulse locked eyes for a second as Red Impulse reached in his pocket for his dark glasses.
He understood immediately who they were carrying. He felt the tension between Ken and Red Impulse and realized this time Red Impulse was real.
"Unbelievable." he mumbled to himself
Jinpei followed miffed. He was the only one not in the loop.
Joe laughed at Jinpei. "Come on short stuff. I'll fill you in later."
Jun handed the recorder and the DNA scanner with the results to Hakase. Kentaro put his glasses in place. He and Ken followed Hakase down the hall to his office.