Disclaimer: Surprise! This may come as a shock to you, but I do not own any of the characters to SM (GASP!) Yeah, apparently it belongs to Naoko Taekuchi and a bunch of Japanese people in suits. The other characters I came up with, (you'll be able to tell who they are) are mine (duh)

Chapter Two: Deadly Inheritance

Tokyo, The Apartment

"Hmm. Relatively small room, very little room to maneuver unless you move the bed; kitchen, living room, and bedroom all rolled into one? It's like I never left my dorm room." Cody commented wryly as he finished taping the last of the few posters he had brought with him to the plaster wall, decorating the small room. "Now, where the hell am I gonna find some hooks to put up my chili pepper lights?' Cody wondered aloud as he looked around the ceiling. "Maybe I could take some--ACK!" he cried, tripping over the rolled up bed mat and banging his head against the wall. It was the third time in the last hour. At this rate the wall was going to have a sizeable hole in it pretty soon. Prodding his forehead with his finger, Cody winced slightly as he came across a sensitive spot. "Aw, man. That's gonna leave a mark." Walking over to the fridge he opened the door and peered in looking for an ice pack of some sort.

From the dark recesses of the freezer it could sense his presence. It had first became sentient over three years ago and since then had been training and biding its time; preparing for this day. Now the chance for conquest was nigh. Let the mortal world tremble in fear, for it would soon be dest—"Hey what's this?" Cody asked aloud grabbing the rotten, decomposing, and woefully malfeasant sandwich. "Yecch, how long as that been there?" he grimaced as he threw it in the trash. It laughed. Did that foolish human think it could be destroyed so easily? It would return and crush…w-w-were those ants? Eek! Get 'em away! OH GOD NOT THE PICKLES!

Finally finding some ice, Cody tossed a few cubes into a bag and held it to his head. "I swear the architects of the world must have formed an organization to conspire against college kids. If I ever find the person who thought tiny living spaces were cool, I'm gonna throttle 'em" he grumbled. Finding nothing, he turned his attention to the large bay window that opened up to the Tokyo skyline. "At least I have a great view" he commented as he sat staring out the window.

On the rooftops of one of the nearby building Cody could see a small Zen garden, perfectly manicured. You'd never see that in the States he thought with a smirk that quickly faded into a frown. Yet another reminder of how far I am from home. Everything is so different here; I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Turning away from the window, he casually glanced about looking for something anything to do. Uncle ain't gonna be here for a couple more hours and I feel so restless, I need to work off this stress. Taking off his shirt, he dropped to the floor and began to sets of push-ups and sit-ups. For some reason, exercise had always seemed to help him calm down and sort out his thoughts. That was pretty much the reason why he had started taking martial arts (well that and 9th grade freshmen Hell week), studying kendo and kempo. It was also pretty much the reason why he hadn't really progressed very far in either of the two arts. He probably could have been an upper level belt, heck, maybe even a black belt if he really applied himself. But he wasn't interested in the "self-defense" and all that mumbo-jumbo or even the competitions. He was merely in it for the peace of mind. Of course, his instructors mistook this as apathy and unwillingness to learn.

Pausing for a break, Cody wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. Glancing at the clock, Uncle will be here in half an hour, just enough time to finish up and take a shower.

"So your room good?" Uncle inquired as Cody met him in the lobby of the apartment complex.

"Oh yeah its just fine, thanks" Cody replied with a wave of his hand.

"Are you ready to see Tokyo?"

"Lead on" he said, motioning towards the sliding glass doors.

Walking through the streets of the city, Cody couldn't help but notice how everything seemed so crammed together. Boy when they said that Japan was pressed for space they weren't kidding. Strangely enough, people didn't seem to be bumping into each other, it was quite the opposite actually. The sea of people moved with a certain fluidity, it was almost poetic. (AN: Must…resist…haiku) Trying to slog his way through the throngs, he heard Uncle mention next to him, "It rush hour right now, what you say we go to some place with less people, ne?"

Heading to a park nearby, Cody and Uncle were able to walk in relative peace; a small refuge from the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan city. "What bring you to Tokyo, Takell-san?" Uncle asked politely.

"It's a long story. I-I'd rather not talk about," Cody replied his eyes suddenly downcast.

"Hmm" was Uncle only response regarding the youth next to him before looking away. The two fell quiet.

Cody glanced over at a nearby newsstand. One of the magazines on prominent display showed a blurry picture of a group of girls in what appeared to really short skirts. Are those those Solar Sailors or whatever that I heard about on the Internet? Heh, seems more like some pervert's fantasy than a bunch of super heroes. Magical girls. Ha. It's not like this is some anime or somethin'…

(AN: Nudge nudge wink wink. Ok fine, no more of those.)

"Hey Uncle, what do you know about these Singer Sushi, they for real?" Cody's question cut through the silence that hung in the air, Uncle stared at Cody with a quizzical look, before his face lit up in comprehension. "Ah, you mean the Sailor Senshi, Takell-san? Well some people say they true, some don't" Uncle replied noncommittally

"Yeah but what do you think?"

Uncle pointed his finger towards his eye. "Day I see them with my eyes, the day I believe"

Cody raised an eyebrow. "So the whole idea of a bunch of girls saving the world doesn't seem possible, huh? What about the "monster attacks" I read about, those not true either? Or is Godzilla the only monster that's ever come from Japan?" .

"Oh, funny one you are." Uncle commented somewhat sarcastically, "no, I do not think there monsters in Japan. I think people just scared when jumped by bad people"

"Whatever" Cody said offhandedly, not really wishing to pursue the matter anymore.

The rest of the evening passed fairly uneventfully and a smatter of conversation. First term didn't begin for another two weeks so Cody and Uncle often went out together almost daily. In fact a pattern seemed to have developed: Get up, exercise, take a shower, meet up with Uncle, walk around some part of Tokyo, small conversation with long awkward pauses, dinner, go to sleep, and repeat.

The Friday before classes were to begin, Uncle announced that they would be eating out to celebrate. "Classes start next Monday, no? We have big party with good food." "You ready?" Uncle asked as Cody pulled on his coat, "Ok, we go." Following the old man, Cody couldn't help but let a small smile escape his lips. Sure the old man was a bit…odd, he always seemed to be staring at him, as if looking for something, and sure they didn't talk all that much, but Uncle was an anchor of stability that Cody could depend on even in this strange situation that had been thrust upon him. Whether or not they were actually related was really of no importance, Cody saw him as family. No matter how out of control his life might get here in Japan, it was a comforting thought to know that at least one person would always be there to help.

Cody never considered himself to be a picky eater, of course that was assuming he knew what he was eating. What lay on the table in front of him, he was pretty sure even top scientists of the CDC couldn't identify. The old man had decided to take them to a local sushi restaurant that he frequented often. It was a favorite amongst salarymen after work and the place was quite full, the crowd near the bar was three deep and spilled out into the street. Still, Cody and Uncle had been able to find a small wooden booth near the back that was marginally quieter than the raucous bar near the front. Now, Cody knew sushi. He had seen it being offered before in local mini-marts, and this was definitely not sushi. "Are…are those tentacles?" Cody asked disbelievingly, poking the strange morsel of "food" with his fork. (He had tried to use chopsticks, but after 15 broken pairs and three customers injured by flying debris and splinters, the management gladly provided him with the metal utensil.)

Uncle assured him "They is very good," as he deftly grabbed the item and popped it into his mouth.

"Well…if you say so" Cody replied slowly. Gingerly, he speared a piece of…that thing and inspected it closely before bringing it to his mouth. As it passed by his nose he gave it a sniff. Closing his eyes he brought it ever so slowly to his mouth and with a look of determination, chewed. And chewed again. He chewed several more times before swallowing and breaking into a contented smile. "Hey, you're right, this stuff ain't half bad." he said with a look of surprise.

"See, I told it good. Now you should try this too," Uncle said, pointing at another mystery item. Soon, Cody found himself eating with gusto finding it all to be quite satisfying.

"Hey Uncle," Cody asked, looking up from his food, "what's that little green ball?" He motioned towards the garnish that was left on the plate.

"Oh, that? That wasabi. Very hot."

"This little thing," Cody scoffed, "please, how could anything so small possibly be so spicy?" And with that, he popped the small green piece into his mouth. And immediately wished he hadn't as his mouth turned inside out and his nose felt like it had been injected with Icy Hot.

In the years to come, people still remembered exactly what they were doing when they heard "The Scream". Scientists later reported that the shockwave lapped the Earth fifteen times, shattered windows in Poughkeepsie and knocked over a snow monkey in Hokkaido. Eyewitnesses would report witnessing columns of flame 50 feet high and a level of destruction not seen since the Mountain Dew distillery flooded the Pop Rocks factory next door. Fearing that a giant kaiju had surfaced from the briny depths the Japanese Defense Force mobilized all units on a high state of alert. Even the units that shot missiles that hit their targets.

Ten minutes and five gallons of water later, Cody heaved a sigh of relief. The pain was gone; there was no longer a raging inferno scorching the roof of his mouth and the only thing left burning were his ears from embarrassment. And of course, Uncle had spent the whole time roaring with laughter. "Dangerous thing come in small package, ne Takell-san?" the old man asked still laughing with a grin. "Keh," was the only response Cody could muster from underneath the table as wisps of smoke curled from the edges of his mouth.

As the waitress walked by, Uncle motioned to her and whispered something in her ear. The waitress gave a small smile and bowed before rushing off. Several moments later, she returned with a wooden tray with a small bottle and two wooden boxes. "Now what," Cody mumbled from his water glass, "more forms of culinary seppuku?"

"No, no. Is traditional end to Japanese meal," Uncle replied pouring a warm clear liquid into the small boxes. "Sake!"

"Ah, alcohol," Cody sighed happily "now we're on my turf. Y'know Uncle, they once called me 'Frank the Tank' back at school," Cody boasted, puffing his chest a bit.

"But your name Cody, Takell-san."

"Y-yeah well…maybe I got that from a movie, but if I was named Frank, they'd totally call me the Tank," Cody replied scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Uncle just stared. Americans could be so weird.

"To a new future," Uncle cried, raising his box in the air. "Kampai!" Cody replied enthusiastically clinking their boxes together having learned one of the most crucial words in Japanese. Five 'kampai' later and Cody could feel the drink beginning to take its toll on his sobriety. In fact, he wasn't so much yelling 'kampai' as much as he was saying something to the effect of "kampasdiojcvweno#v!j". Uncle of course seemed no worse for the wear as he sat calmly with an almost serene smile gracing his lips. (What Cody didn't know was that Uncle had been discreetly dumping his drink into the bush behind him and had been doing "shots" of water ever since the first toast.) "So what bring you to Japan?" Uncle asked for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, breaking the silence that hovered over the table.

Damn, he's persistent. Why can't he just let it drop and stop bugging me about it, jeez. He's the Japanese KGB. Cody half-stared, half-glared bleary-eyed at Uncle, resting his chin on the table. "As I've said before, it's really a long story and quite frankly, I really don't want to talk about".

Other nights the issue was usually dropped. Tonight, however, Uncle would not be dissuaded. "I have nowhere to be"

"Fine. Have it your way," Cody replied, a sigh escaping his lips as he began to recount the strange phone call and his mysterious caller.

"So then, as I'm hanging up, she's saying something about fulfilling my destiny. Hah!" Cody let out a sardonic laugh. "Fulfill my destiny? Puh-leez. My destiny was to study abroad, graduate, and get a cushy job, not end up halfway around the world in Japan! Not like it matters at this point." he muttered, frowning to himself.

Uncle stared for a second, saying nothing before standing up and throwing down several bills to cover the meal. "Come with me" he said simply, motioning to Cody with a wave of his hand.

Leaving the restaurant, Cody noticed they were not heading in the direction of the apartment, but somewhere else instead.

"Umm, Uncle? The apartment is that way."

"I know," was the only comment Uncle made as he continued walking.

Half an hour later, Uncle finally stopped in front of an old shrine nestled amongst a copse of trees. Noting his surroundings, Cody realized with a small amount of surprise that this was the same park they have visited during their first meeting. I'm sure we walked down this path last time we were here, so how'd I miss seeing this? The shrine may have been a place of worship and meditation in the past, but its days had long since passed. The large tori at the entrance was weather-worn; the once brilliant red paint that covered the gate was now dull and flaking, exposing rotting wood beneath. The shrine itself was no better off. Numerous holes could be found in the roof, tiles littered the ground around the building and all the windows had been shoddily boarded up.

"Uh Uncle? Just out of curiousity what are we doing here?"

Uncle made no reply maintaining his silence since they left the restaurant. Reaching into his jacket pocket he pulled out a strangely shaped wrought-iron key and inserted it into the rusty lock on the main door. With a sharp crack, the key turned and the door opened, creaking slightly as it did so. Uncle quickly moved inside, his figure melting into the darkness. Cody, curious as to what the old man was up to, followed him, pausing briefly at the entrance before heading through the door. Peering into the gloom, slowly Cody's vision adjusted to the darkness. In the corner of the room, he could see Uncle shuffling about, rapping on the floorboards with his knuckles. Tap tap. Tap tap. Tap thunk. Finally he came to a stop towards the left center part of the room, dropped to his knees, and began to pry up the wooden planks.

Cody watched Uncle from over his shoulder as the man worked on tearing up the floor. Peeling away the floorboards revealed a trap door no larger than three feet across which Uncle then pulled open using the brass ring mounted on the door.

Reaching into the small hole in the floor, he pulled out a long black box covered in cobwebs. Brushing off the dust the box with his hands, he placed the object in front of him, the leather casing was severely cracked in multiple places. The case was quite plain save for a small bronze seal engraved with two small sideways crescents facing away from each other overlaid with a small four-pointed star and the metallic edgings on the corners of the box were stained a rusty brown and whatever luster then had once held had long since left.

"Takell-san," Uncle said his voice cracking slightly as he finally broke the silence. "I do not believe in Kami or Buddha, but I do believe in high power that guide each and every life. Some call it fate, some call it destiny; label it however you want it not matter. It was not mere coincidence that bring you to Japan and we met. You come to this land for reason. It is clear that you are to play a larger role in whatever future brings."

Cody let out an exasperated sigh. "God, not you too with this destiny crap. It's not in my future to do anything and I'm getting pretty damn tired of all this --"

"Takell-san!" Cody was taken aback at the force and anger in Uncle's voice and coincidentally failed to notice the sudden improvement in Uncle's linguistic skills. "This been in my family for hundreds of years, at least since age of samurai, but it quite possibly long before then. It has passed from generation to generation, along with the task of hiding it and safeguarding from all who might seek its power. Our duty was to protect, but also never to break the seal, instead saving it for only one person. You are the person it has been waiting for, of this I am sure. Whether you choose to accept it or not, this belongs to you. What you are to do with them only time will tell." Cody opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it. The look in Uncle's eyes and the tone of his voice brooked no argument.

With that he handed Cody the case. Carefully opening the clasps on the front, he slowly opened the dusty heirloom. A faint light seemed to emanate from the inside of the box. Cody stared wide-eyed, mouth agape as he stared at the most gorgeous and probably the deadliest pieces of weaponry he had ever seen in his life. Inside the box on top of several folds of satin cloth lay two swords, both of which seemed to distort the air around them as if emitting some ethereal power: One was as dark as midnight; not unlike a Chinese sword and at three times wider than a Japanese katana, it was deep obsidian black with several claw-like ridges that ran down the edge of the blade and thin silver lines traced intricate patterns along the flat of the blade. The other shone like the bright midday sun; the palest of ivory while the edge of the sword was brilliant gold, the blade looked as if it had been carved from glass; fragile, but extremely deadly. As Cody continued to stare, he was doing his best impression of a dying fish, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to speak. Finally, with all his massive intellect he was able to squeak out, "wow." "W--what are these things?" Cody managed to stutter, not tearing his eyes from the box.

"According to records of my forebearers these swords are beyond the skill of any smith and indeed are not even of this earth. They were found in the smoking crater of a small meteor that had fallen from the heavens." "They are called…."Uncle seemed to pause, as if for dramatic emphasis and leaning in close Cody held his breath in anticipation. "The Star Swords!" Uncle finished eyes wide, waving his hands like he was crashing invisible cymbals. Cody fell over.

If there had been an air of mysticism or a dramatic moment, it had died a quick and painful death with a scream to match. Cody stared at Uncle with half-lidded eyes. "The Star Swords!" he yelled incredulously. Uncle seemed perplexed. "You don't like the name?"

"Oh yes, very awe-inspirirng. Was Space Sabers or Intergalatic Instruments already taken? Could you guys given these things a cornier name? Jeez, fire your writers."

Uncle bapped Cody on the head with his fist, "Baka! My ancestors who named these--" Uncle was cut short as the air was filled with a rumble that grew into a dull roar as the building and ground began to shake around them. Jerking his head up in surprise, "An earthquake!" Cody exclaimed. Running and stumbling down the dark hallway the pair struggled to find their way back to the entrance as the walls shook and the floor undulated like a wild rollercoaster underneath them. As they stepped outside, the shaking stopped as quickly as it had begun. "What the Hell? Was that an earthquake, didn't really feel like one." Cody said.

"No," Uncle replied, his eyes narrowing as he stared up the hill behind them, "something is coming." As if on cue several people came tearing down the path running in complete reckless abandon and their faces filled with stark and unbridled terror. Seconds later a large crack raced down the hill with a loud rumble belching out rocks and dirt, creating a deep fissure that sloped inwards, warping the landscape around it. While Cody couldn't see anything, he was beginning to understand what Uncle was talking about. He could feel it in his gut; a feeling of uneasiness, a pang of fear. Something was down in that trench. Something malevolent. Something evil.

Suddenly a giant blur erupted from the ground in front of them not ten yards away in a cloud of sulfurous smoke and debris. It, whatever "it" was, reminded Cody of what could only be described as a walking nightmare. Its skin was a deep blood red color that seemed to ripple over its hulking musculature and it was covered in black tattoos that look like they had been gouged into flesh. The skull like face was brimming with ragged teeth and instead of eyes, red flames licked its empty sockets. One hand was a giant claw like a lobster while the other hand had long spider-like fingers, each ending in a deadly point. It was this hand that carried a terrible looking scimitar that seemed to be howling for blood. And if it wasn't horrible enough, it was ten feet tall. "Holy shit! It's a fucking monster!" (Granted, this may seem like not the most polite thing to say at the time, but given the circumstances)

"Uhh, Uncle…I highly suggest that we run like hell." Uncle nodded in silent agreement. But as they turned to make a break for it, the monster instantaneously registered their presence and came at them with surprising swiftness considering its sheer bulk. While Cody was able to keep somewhat ahead of the beast, the gap between Uncle and the monster was closing rapidly. Suddenly, Uncle stumbled on the cracked pavement, sending the elderly man crashing to the ground hard with a short yelp of pain. "Uncle!" Cody cried out, wide-eyed with fear. "Don't come any closer! Get away while you still can!" Uncle yelled at him. Truth be told he wanted to run, to get away and hide, to jump under a bed and close his eyes, but his legs refused to cooperate no matter what he told them to do; he was frozen in shock and fear. As he watched Uncle shakily stood up fully facing the hellish figure before him and assumed a defensive posture like he meant to fight the demon spawn. The monster seemed to smile (if you could call it that) and with a laugh that sounded like rusty metal grating on metal, unleashed a torrent of fire. Cody could only watch in horror as the raging inferno engulfing the old man. The tongues of flame licked Cody's body and the heat seared his face as well as blistered the pavement around him. The column of fire quickly consumed the man's body, turning it to ash to be scattered on the winds.

"NOOO!" Cody's scream was so guttural and tortured he barely recognized it as his own voice as he stared at the blackened spot where his only friend or relative in the entire city had once stood.

A look of pure hatred clouded Cody's face; tears of rage in his eyes. Uncle. Dead. His mind howled for revenge and bloody vengeance. And yet he could do nothing for he was absolutely defenseless in the face of such an enemy. Suddenly, two streaks of light appeared in front of him. There, floating in front of him were the swords to which he had so recently been bequeathed, a faint glow surrounded the edges of each. Upon grasping the swords Cody felt a tugging at the back of his mind, a feeling that he could not place. It unnerved him and yet at the same time it calmed him as well knowing that he'd be safe. Closing his eyes he surrendered himself to these strange instincts. Slumping forward slightly with his eyes closed, Cody suddenly charged the enormous creature like a man possessed.

The demon barely seemed to care that it was being threatened, in fact it was amused. This new "threat" seemed to be as much trouble as the last. Raising its massive fists, the monster swung its arms with blazing speed, crushing the puny human into oblivion. The demon had not even considered that such a weak human would even be capable of dodging the attack, let alone capable of fighting back. Leaping aside to avoid the crushing blow, Cody leapt under the monster's defenses and slashed at its exposed flank. Deep gashes formed and a black ichor that was the monster's blood boiled from the wound. Roaring in pain and confusion, the evil creature was rethinking the situation. Not only had this insolent mortal nuisance evaded its attack, but it had succeeded in scoring its hide. Bringing its own sword into play, the monster bore down on Cody with a sharp strike towards his neck. Moving with speed beyond that of a normal human, crossing both swords, Cody was able to block the devilish weapon just inches from his neck in a shower of sparks. Energy crackled around the pair as the dark power of the demonic sword met the faint aura that surrounded the blades. Suddenly, Cody opened his eyes as if shocked out of a trance. Wha? What's going on? I remember grabbing these swords and then… His thoughts trailed off as he finally took notice of his precarious position, staring the sword mere inches from his neck. Holy fuck! When did this happen?

Unfortunately the break in Cody's concentration did not go unnoticed as it created an opening which the monster quickly took as he swiftly backhanded the boy with its enormous claw. Cody never even saw the blow coming, but he certainly felt it as it connected, lifting him off his feet and sending him airborne. He flew through the air crashing roughly 20 yards before crashing through the roof of shrine. With an audibly loud crunch he landed roughly on the floor, cracking the wood around him in a shower of dust and splinters. Almost blacking out because of the pain all over his body, Cody stared groggily at the ragged hole he had just made in the ceiling, his head pounding. How the Hell am I still in one piece, that should have killed me. A terrible wrenching noise filled the air as the cross beam timbers of the ceiling loudly protested before the roof was torn clean off by a pair of large clawed hands. Looking up into the face of his executioner, Cody suddenly felt extremely religious. Its sword poised to deliver the deadly blow, the demon glared down on Cody its flaming eyes burning fiercely with red flames, smoke curling up from the corners of its mouth. Oh crap, I ain't going to be alive for long.

To Be Continued

So, is it any better? Are you liking it? Not liking? Changes? Suggestions? ANYTHING? Please R+R and C+C I could really use the help. Thanks to all for reading this far. There's certainly more to come. As for the changes from the original version of this chapter I tried (emphasis on tried) to add at little more buildup and character development at the very least to create a clearer connection between Uncle and Cody's relationship, albeit brief. I also just tried to flesh out the chapter all around. It was pretty sparse last time, about half the length of this version. I'm rewriting the next chapter as well and it should be up pretty soon, along with two other projects I've started recently.

Next Chapter: Changes