The Rappleberry Caper

Chapter 2

Asahi Grocery

Metro City

Noon

Astro pinned the crook to the hood of the police cruiser and passed the 45 caliber pistol to Sergeant Deutadi. "Can I have your cuffs? I always wanted to do a "cuff n stuff."

"Heard a shot in there. Did you get hit?" Deutadi said as he gave Astro his handcuffs.

Astro dropped a bullet slug from his mouth. "Right in the kisser. He broke two of my teeth!" Astro cuffed the man and pushed him into the back seat. "You know how expensive polished ceramic teeth are these days?"

"I can imagine." Deutadi replied as he watched Astro slip onto the hood of his cruiser.

"Who's the "Trigger Happy Tigers"?" Astro asked as he kicked his boots back and forth.

"Those guys?" Deutadi said as he leaned against the car. "Oh yeah, our resident gang of "Bozos". I wouldn't occupy your time with em Astro, the Department can handle them. Why you asking?"

Astro slipped off the cruiser. "I've just seen them running around blocking traffic and behaving like brainless lemmings. Just thought you might need some extra help that's all. Maybe I'm a little board?"

"You do enough as it is." Deutadi said as he rubbed Astro's head. "Here's some ice cream money."

Astro caught the 500 yen coin and slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks! Oh…if I were you, I'd put this car into the garage? Sounds like the back hover motor's on its last gasp."

East Metro City

Route 16 to Shinagawa

3pm

To be free to do as one pleases, to be as wild as he wants, Daichi felt his hair flying in the wind and the power of the hover bike under him and howled like a wolf in the forest. They had just spray tagged the side of a building and he was gushing with happiness and pride at how wonderful it looked!

Ketsubo, one of the bikers in the gang, came along side throwing his fist in the air. "Man, that was awesome! I've never seen a tagger with such style like that, you're the Van Goeh of Metro City!"

Coming from anyone, the compliment made Daichi tear up. His father was never that nice, "An artist? What foolish, impoverishing persuits!" He once snarled when he threw a painting Daichi had done when he was nine into the fire place.

But suddenly, the whole bike pack came to an abrupt sliding stop. Daichi looked around expecting, rather hoping some dumb motorist had shown a death wish to tangle with the dreaded Happy Tigers. The leader of the gang, Yushio Honbra, stepped from his bike and whipped a steel pipe from a makeshift holster on the front forks.

"Hey kid!" He snapped loudly. "What's the big idea sitting in the middle of the road?"

Daichi bent over his handle bars to see Astro just casually standing with his arms behind his back and that calm, almost stomach annoying smile running across his face.

"I just want to talk to Daichi Tokugawa for a little bit." Astro said calmly.

"Hmph!" Yushio snorted back. "How about you talk to my pipe? You're blocking our way." Yushio inched closer. "I don't think Daichi's available to talk to you, go home and play with your Legos or something before you regret crossing our path."

Daichi rubbed his forehead. "Oh boy…this could get really ugly."

Astro just smiled back. "I really don't want to deal with this on a nice Saturday. I don't care what you want to do with your life but I am going to speak to Daichi no matter what you want."

Astro reached out, snatched the pipe in the man's hand and bent it over. "Please don't do something you'll regret?"

"Yushio?" Daichi said as he slipped off his bike. "Give me a few minutes with him?"

Yushio threw the pipe to the side and walked back to his bike grumbling about robots and trying to puff himself above the still annoying smile machine behind him.

Daichi calmly took Astro by the arm and walked him away from the gang. "You have the guts I'll give you that."

"Those are your friends?" Astro said as he pointed back. "You could do a little better than that you know."

"Now you're the appointed expert on my friends?" Daichi said sternly.

Astro sat on a guard rail. "No…but I can tell you're hanging around with people who aren't up to anything good. I guess you need a break from your Dad but this isn't something your Mom would want you doing is it?"

Daichi snorted. "There's a lot of words I can use right now to describe how angry you're getting me. You're really starting to butt into things that aren't your concern Astro."

Astro shrugged. "It's in my wiring. Protecting humans is something I can't change. By the way I did want to show you I was right about your Mom's jam. I showed some of my friends and they enjoyed it like I did! It's that good Daichi!"

Daichi lolled his head around. "You stopped us just to tell me you liked her jam, this will go over good."

Astro slipped off the guard rail, opened his back pack and took out the jar of jam Daichi gave him earlier. "Watch this."

"What are you doing?!" Daichi said with a panic as Astro walked up to Yushio.

Yushio turned and snorted. "Are you done kid?"

"Uh uh…" Astro said as he offered up a spoon of jam. "Taste this please?"

"What?" Yushio replied. "You got a nut lose or something?"

Daichi held Astro by the shoulders. "Don't listen to him Yushio, you know these robots when they're programmed like little kids, they get all fruit salad in the chips."

Astro smirked back at Daichi and pressed the spoon up to Yushio. "Just try it?"

Yushio took the spoon, swallowed the jam and suddenly smiled? He never smiled in the presence of his gang, smirked but never smiled. He looked at the jar in Astro's hand, took it, spooned out more jam and ordered his fellow bikers to take a taste…

"Dude?" Yushio said as he tried another spoon. "Dude…this stuff is…wow…this stuff is nuts! Awesome! Where did you get this jam kid?!"

"Yeah!" Another biker asked as he took another spoon. "It's like…English muffins, I gotta have this on English muffins!"

"No way man." Said another. "Peanut butter sandwiches, I'd kill for one right now, I swear this puts my Grandmother's home made grape jelly to shame!"

Yushio beckoned Astro. "Where did you get this? I'd pay for another jar."

"Damn right!" Daichi's friend Ketsubo snorted. "I'd pay for a case of it!"

Astro tilted his head up to a stunned Daichi as if to say…"Need I keep going?"

It was minutes later that Daichi followed Astro into a small park not far from the Ministry of Science. Astro liked it because of the wild bonsai forms of cultivated bamboo that grew along the park's center walkway. "Isn't it interesting that people can do this to bamboo?" Astro asked as they stopped to look at one curious design where several stalks of bamboo were trained to grow in a twisting, spiraling column.

"Get to the point already?" Daichi asked sternly.

"The point?" Astro replied smiling. "I was hoping you had the dots connected by now. It's obvious you're not happy, it's kinda worrisome that you're hanging around people who don't have their heads going in the right direction and your Mom's jam is…"killer". Well?......"

"Well what?" Daichi asked, sounding a little frustrated.

"Do something for yourself." Astro said folding his arms. "Your Mom gave you a gift, you should use it."

Daichi paced about. "You think I should market my Mom's jam myself? Won't that make my Dad's day? "Tokugawa Jam" he'll be very impressed."

Astro sighed…"You're being sarcastic aren't you?"

"I'm being a realist!" Daichi snorted. "My Dad will do the same thing he always does, bash my idea to bits, toss it in the family fire place and…"

"Beat you?" Astro interrupted.

Daichi shuddered.

"Yeah…when your father doesn't get his way, he beats you up. Remember last month in school when you told everybody you smacked your face on a tree limb? Like I couldn't figure out the truth?"

Daichi found a place to sit. "You don't understand how much my Dad struggled all his life to get where he is."

"No excuse." Astro replied frowning. "Making your life a mess just so you can be a carbon copy of him? It's not right."

"I don't even know why I'm taking to you." Daichi said as he started throwing rocks at the bamboo.

"Because you need an ear that will listen?" Astro said as he rubbed Daichi's shoulder. "Because I care…it's what I do. Look…what better proof does your Dad need that you can more than handle his company than to do something yourself? You have the talent, use it!"

Daichi looked at Astro and chuckled. "You know….my Dad would tell me that robots are just number crunching machines that only tell you what you think you want to hear?"

Astro smiled back. "Yeeeeah…it's kinda like that. But my crunches turn out right almost 98.382719304059687….."

"Alright! Stop with the Algebra." Daichi pushed Astro over. "Anyway, Freshman should be taking orders not give them."

"So…you'll try?" Astro said as if begging for a good answer.

"Since when does a Tokugawa try?" Daichi snorted. "I'll do it on one condition. That you won't stop me from going out on my bike when I want too….wait, like that's gonna happen. You'll back me up won't you?"

Astro smirked back. "You're asking? I'd think it's kinda obvious."

Daichi patted Astro on the back. "Let me drive you home…partner."

"I……think I'll just fly instead." Astro said waving his arms.

Doctor Tenma's House

Kagunamo Suburb, Metro City

Astro walked through the front door and put on his house slippers. "Dad, I'm home!" He called out before walking by the Doctor's study and seeing him pouring over some documents on his desk.

"How about calling me when you decide to go on one of these little "walkie" exploits Astro?" Tenma said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Sorry." Astro replied as he took a seat.

"Besides...I have a list of chores around the house for you to do. So what possessed you to stay over Tokugawa's house?" Tenma asked as he adjusted his glasses and continued reading documents.

"He was being nice." Astro replied rubbing his neck. "And Dad? Daichi is not Herman Goering."

Tenma snorted. "Now where did that come from? I said no such thing."

"Well....I think he kinda entoned that's what you meant. I know you're not fond of Mister Tokugawa."

Tenma shook a finger. "Tadyo Tokugawa isn't exactly a saint Astro. You understand I have a right to defend my work, especially you. I don't put it past that man to sneak a few "illegal peaks" when he has the opportunity."

Astro nodded back. "Dad...I don't sense the same behavior coming from Daichi."

"Good feelings or not." Tenma snorted back. "I don't want you getting too friendly with that boy, do you understand?"

Astro hesitated for a moment. "Yes Dad. I'll start on those chores."

Tenma's mood changed when he gestured Astro close and rubbed his head. "Good work today nailing that grocery store punk but try not to use your mouth to catch bullets next time?"

Astro smiled showing his two broken front teeth. "Can I keep em like this for a while? It's kinda cool looking."

Tenma chuckled. "The things you pick up these days. Now get out of here and leave me to suffer from this endless pile of paper?"

Astro walked out of the study and through the door to his little sister's room. Uran nailed him in the head with a pillow...."GET OUT!"

"Hi Sis." Astro said as he ducked.

"How many times do I have to scream at you!" Uran snarled. "Don't walk into my room without knocking! Ugh! You just beg to get decked, don't you!"

Astro sat down on Uran's bed. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Uh uh!" She snorted back. "Go ask Dad for money. You still owe me 500 yen from last time."

"It's not that." Astro said as he rested his head on a hand. "I need you to draw something for me."

"Hmph...still can't do it yourself?" Uran said frowning.

"I wasn't "born" with the artistic acuity that you got Sis."

"Because you're a boy?" Uran snorted back. "What ever. So what do you want drawn?"

Astro pulled the jam bottle from his back pack. "Take a taste of this and draw whatever comes up. It's going to be for a jar label."

Uran gave Astro a quizical smirk. "What are you up to now?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Let's just say you'll be helping some one to put their tallents to better use?" Astro said smiling.

Uran smirked back. "Know you? It'll be some crazy scheme that'll end up with something on fire and half the city in a mess."

"URAN!" Astro yelped.

"Prove me wrong?" She said batting her eyes.

Astro pursed his lips. "That's only half true."

Uran popped the top off the jar and took a taste..."Wow...."

After a moment of silence...Astro tilted his head. "That's all you can say? Wow?"

"It kinda sums it up." Uran replied licking her lips. "I mean...." She stopped to continue licking her lips. "Drawing a picture might take a day or two...Have we got any Peanut Butter?"

Astro watched as she stood up, waved a finger and walked out. "I need some Peanut Butter like now!"

Astro grabbed the jar and nodded at it intently. "Wonder what the secret ingrediant is in this stuff?"

Tokugawa residence

4pm

Daichi walked through the house removing his biking jacket and leather chaps and stopping at a mirror to fix his shirt. This was going to take some serious subtle crafting, you don't just walk in on the most powerful industrial giant in all Japan and blurt out, "I'm starting my own business so there Father!"

Daichi walked out into the guarden in the back and smiled. This was his mother's joy, she spent days at a stretch working to turn what was once weed, tall grass and cudzu into an oasis away from the daily grind of work. He would spend hours running around the carefully cared for islands of flower beds and bonsai trees draining off sugar highs and driving his father nuts till he dropped some stupid research report to chase him down. Even now he devilishly wanted to smack the old man off his head with a water balloon.

She may be gone but the feeling of happiness still wafted over the guarden, for him any way.

Daichi found his father where he normally was, sitting by the Koi pond on a stone bench with a stack of paperwork lying next to him. Daichi bravely walked up, put the stack on the ground, put a rock on it and took a seat. "The Koi have grown more." Daichi said as he pointed. His father continued to look at a report.

"Is this how we spend our time together?" Daichi asked. "Your face in papers and I just sit here? If this was all you wanted, perhaps I should just go."

Tadyo moved a hand out and restrained Daichi as he tried to stand up."Yes...I see they've grown. I was going to put this down in a moment but once again I see your patience still needs more adjusting doesn't it?"

Daichi pursed his lips. "Even here you have to give me more lessons. Don't you think Father that we could do with just a normal afternoon together?"

Tadyo pursed his lips. "You know....your mother once scolded me for starting on you so early with lessons in business?"

"Yeah." Daichi replied smirking. "You were the only person capable of writing a book that turned potty training into stock portfolio review lessons. Remember when I was nine and she bitched you out right here?"

"Do I?" Tadyo replied. "I ruined your 9th birthday because I brought business into the party and chased your friends and their parents away." Tadyo rubbed his cheek. "Your mother nailed me with a punch."

"And I stood there jumping up and down..."Hit em again Mom! Take that Dad!"

Both of them laughed till Tadyo patted Daichi's shoulder. "It's all been worth it though. You continue to please me despite your occasional acts of renegade insanity."

Daichi frowned. "You see it as rebellion. Perhaps as always father you miss the more subtle signals?Like maybe you're a little afraid of letting me do something creative on my own? Perhaps you fear me as a rival or fear me failing, how will you know lest you allow me to try things myself?"

"What's your point?" Tadyo asked.

"I have something that I want to try on my own. A little venture idea I came up with that I want you to watch, give me your business experiance. I want to prove to you that I can handle the company." Daichi waited and saw his father's expression tighten. "No?"

"What's this new venture?" Tadyo asked.

Daichi straitened himself. "Mother's favorite jam. I had a test market done on it and you wouldn't belive the results...excellent! Father, it's a new potential market for us, you said yourself you wanted to pursue a food market didn't you?"

Tadyo gave Daichi a stressful look. "You know how I feel about anything involving your mother."

Daichi got up from the stone bench. "How many times did she make it and sell it just for charity? This isn't something we should just lock away from the rest of the world. Father, let me at least have the opportunity to try?"

Tadyo rubbed his bearded chin and brooded. "Give me tonight to think it over?"

Daichi sighed then nodded. "Yes..." He turned to walk back into the house. "Shall I have dinner made?"

Tadyo shook his head. "Tell the robots to prepare something light for tonight. Daichi? Don't think about jumping over me before I decide. Patience has always been your weakest emotion."

7pm

Doctor Tenma's house

Astro was already in his pajamas and doing his school work when there came a tapping on his window and Daichi stuck his head in. "A Freshman wearing footsies?! Just wait till you get to school tomorrow."

"Hmph! They're comfortable!" Astro said smirking as he watched Daichi climb through the window. "You're at it again huh?" He said as he looked at Daichi's biker suit.

"No! I just came by to tell you I got my Dad to agree and trust me that's not easy."

Astro walked back to his study desk and came back with a drawing in his hand. "This is what my sister came up with."

Daichi looked at the drawing and pursed his lips. "The dancing white lion?"

"She's got this thing for big cats, don't ask me why." Astro said shrugging. "You should see her room, stuffed cat heaven."

Astro took a seat on his bed and rubbed his chin on his knees. "I couldn't resist trying to analyse the jam. I just can't figure out why people enjoy it so much! Uran's been tearing up a jar of peanut butter since this afternoon."

"It has that effect." Daichi said smiling. "The secret's in the berries. My Mom was quite the guardener, the berries are like a cross breed of five or six varieties."

"And they all mixed good by chance?" Astro asked.

"No....I was the tortured test subject." Daichi replied chuckling. "Trust me, not all her combinations worked."