Young Offender, Part 70:

"Dang this chill. It's getting to my arthritis," Gaia griped to Uranus as they walked down the hallway towards one of the laboratories.

"We aren't getting younger," Uranus agreed when they arrived at the doorway to the laboratory. They opened the door and looked in. Ann Ember was still resting on a hospital bed, unresponsive.

"She knocked herself out. I just hope she permanently brought down 001."

"I seriously doubt that. Scar overestimated her, but she is still useful. I'm sure that new lot of cyborgs are happy to not have her around. Mark my words, they'll be a bunch of malcontents, too, and will try to leave," Uranus warned.

"I know. That's why our secret project will be more successful. There was only so much leverage Van Bogart could get on that second lot," Gaia said. "We'll bide our time. We need to get in touch with Kitagawa and get him to send us more supplies, now that the second generation cyborgs are complete."

"Not quite complete. Remember Scar approved of the plan for a 009 design," Uranus reminded him. "The technology to sustain acceleration mode isn't there yet. It'll take years to get it to where Scar wants it. Otherwise, it's useless because 002 could then compete. As it is, he can only manage short bursts, which is still very powerful. We need something that's even better or why bother."

"You make a good point. I'll mention to Kitagawa what the long term plans are and see if he'll change direction in his production to focus on that last piece of the second generation plans."

Albert woke up a little groggy and sat up slowly. He looked around the room to see Kaminari and Gilmore standing at the foot of his bed. He glanced down and was relieved to see he had his mechanical legs once again, even though his arm was still being worked on.

"Well, I hope that takes some of the sour apples out of you," Kaminari snapped, shooting Albert a dirty look.

A wave of embarrassment hit him. "I'm sorry for being a bad sport this whole time."

"We should have your arm fixed soon, so in the mean time, try to relax more. And for Heaven's sake, go apologize to that petulant redhead!" Gilmore snarled. "He's getting just as testy as you are."

"Just as annoying, too," Kaminari said, before storming out of the room.

"I'll go," Albert said, sheepishly. He slid off the bed and slowly stood on his repaired legs. They seemed good once again. Gilmore left and Albert dressed in some gray sweat clothes. He felt his right upper arm with his left hand; he still felt vulnerable and helpless. It nagged at him, but he had to get back to normal and pull himself out of this black mood he was in.

First, he had to deal with Jet, because Jet had made good on his word and moved out of their shared room. He had slept on the sofa the past three days and avoided Albert. That was what Albert needed, space. Jet had given him a real gift that took a lot of sacrifice on the New Yorker's part. Jet thrived on affirmation, but he'd had to forgo that for the sake of their long-term relationship.

He found Jet setting up a house of cards on the coffee table in the living room. He gave Albert a quick glance. "Found your legs, hun? Good." Jet's terse statement invoked some guilt.

"Thank you for giving me some time to think things out."

"Not like you gave me much choice," Jet said snidely. "You're welcome though." Jet pushed back his longish, red hair that was now down to his shoulders. He had abandoned Pomade years ago, but left his hair the same length.

"I know I've been really hard on you. I'm sorry for that," Albert said, sitting beside Jet.

"Like I said, you didn't dish it on me as hard as I've had before, but it sure hurt like hell." Jet placed two more cards and said, "I think it's because I care about you more than normal."

"I know it hurt, and all I can do is ask your forgiveness."

"No, there is one other thing you can do, and that's forgive yourself. We do these things to beat back the Black Ghost. There's risk doing what we're doing, but it has to be done. If you want to sit by and let the Black Ghost have their way, you're not the man I think you are. But..." Jet cracked the first smile he'd had in a week, "I know you ain't that type of man. So is it a deal?"

"I'm getting there. You're right about us having to keep up this fight. And in fights some times there are losses. What good is this family we've made if they keep winning? All the suffering we've been through will have been in vain."

"Now that's the Albert I know," Jet said, turning back to the card house. Albert could tell things between him and Jet were still strained, but they would move in the right direction.

"Also, I have a bone to pick with Ivan," Albert said.

"And I have something to tell you," voice said in German with a Russian accent.

Albert turned on the sofa and saw Ivan standing in the doorway that lead to the basement. Albert's mood turned grim once again, surprised Ivan was now, suddenly awake. Ivan looked pretty grim, too, as he smoothed out his brown pajamas and sat on the floor across the coffee table from Albert and Jet.

In a flash the card house flew in the air and stacked itself as a deck of cards on the table. Jet glared and shouted, "Hey! I was working on that, you brat."

"Jet, could you get us something to eat?" Albert asked, anxious to get Jet out of the room.

Jet hesitated, but complied. Albert turned to Ivan, but it was the Russian cyborg that said, "I messed things up and almost got us killed."

"You know what went on after you were knocked out?"

"I picked it out of Francoise's mind a few days ago," Ivan replied. "It was my fault we got hurt. I should have known better. After all I knew they'd been working towards creating second generation cyborgs. But... It was beyond my control."

"How were we to know about the new cyborgs? The Black Ghost kept this a huge secret."

/But I should have know. There is a way for me to prevent this from happening again./ Ivan projected into Albert's mind, crossing his legs and lowering his glowing gaze.

/You mean by taking the same path your aunt took?/ Albert asked, forming his thought clearly for Ivan to pick up. Ivan didn't respond immediately.

/She predicted it would happen anyway. It's beyond my control. Maybe it's time to get it over with./ Ivan answered. /I won't be able to function in reality any more, but at least it would keep us safe./

Albert calmed his mind and formed the thought. /Does that mean you'll go insane?/

/Schizophrenia always comes with precognition. It's not possible to separate the two. No mind is strong enough to endure the final ability./

/Why?/

/No one really knows. It's a mystery. I think its because the mind is struggling to process too much information about possible alternative futures. Regardless, facing Ann told me we could be headed into real trouble. If I would have developed precognition before this point, I could have foreseen the other cyborgs and we could have struck preemptively to stop it./

/Nonsense. I told you no one is a slave to some sort of fate. Don't banish your sanity over this new wrinkle. We'll work around it like we always have. But we do have to find a way to keep tabs on these new cyborgs. I think we can reach them and talk them into escaping. Also, you should try to reach out to Ann./

Ivan shook his head and it dropped lower. "She absolutely despises me. She tried to get me to harm myself. And she told me something... bothersome."

"What is it?" Albert prodded when Ivan wasn't forthcoming.

"My parents are dead," he announced in a monotone.

Albert digested the news and understood how conflicted Ivan probably was. He got up and went over to Ivan, he sat on the carpet beside him and put his hand on Ivan's shoulder. "It's okay to feel sad that they're gone." Ivan looked up at Albert, a little surprised. Albert then said, "You wouldn't be human if you didn't have some sort of pain over their loss."

"I guess not. I just didn't expect to feel this way. I feel bitterness, but it really took me off guard to feel so sad."

"I overhead what you said about your parents," Jet said soberly, as he came from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches. He set them on the coffee table. "I was sad over my folks when they were killed. I used to think I really hated them with everything I had, but it just wasn't the way it was. Let yourself be angry and sad and all those things. Heck, there was even a little twisted part of me that felt like gloating, and that gave me a guilt trip for a long time. You'll get over your grudge against them quicker when you just let yourself feel and don't try to tell yourself you should feel this way or shouldn't feel that way."

Albert was glad Jet was around at that moment. He knew Jet would have far more insight on this subject than he did. Albert had adored his parents and had fond memories of them. When he lost them to war, there was nothing but grief in his heart. For Jet, it was vastly more complicated when he lost his, and it was going to be the same for Ivan.

"I know. Ann was angry when I actually felt some relief that they were gone. She turned that around and did, indeed, make me feel guilty for feeling that way." Ivan took a sandwich and ate it ravenously.

"Well, don't. If you're relived their gone, so be it. Tomorrow you'll probably feel sad, and then maybe angry again. No matter what, just give yourself permission to miss them and hate them," Jet said, taking one of the sandwiches himself.

"Yes, I will. Thank you," Ivan said. He stood and took another of the sandwiches from the plate. "I need to get cleaned up and spend some time thinking."

After he left, Albert reached over and took Jet's hand. "You aren't the same person I met twenty years ago."

"Oh, so are you going to trade me in?"

"Not on your life."

Ryu smiled to himself as he heard the English argument. He sat in his study and marveled at all the damage he was able to do in a week. He was careful to keep Julie isolated and trapped in the house, while he got Akira to go out and continue in his fun-loving life style. He gave the maids strict orders to never talk Japanese around Julie. He also removed all radios and televisions, so he could keep her from making allies of any sort except for him.

Ryu used Akira's immature behavior this week to swoop in and become Julie's confidant, all with extravagant promises that he would straiten out Akira. Meanwhile, he told Akira behind her back that he married a nagging woman and should go live out the rest of his youth in spite of her tearful pleas.

Ryu found himself actually enjoying this game a great deal. He had Akira convinced that there was no future back in California. He told Akira, privately, he'd be willing to fund a year of his racing career if he stayed in Japan. That was too tempting to Akira, and he decided he wanted to stay.

Ryu looked up, annoyed when lightning struck. The rain had been constant since the morning. He stood and took a law book down from the self behind his desk. He heard more shouting and fighting as the rain started picking up. He smiled to himself when he heard Akira's rapid footsteps race down the stairs and the front door slam. Next were the squealing tires of the Maserati parked out front.

Next, he heard Julie wailing. He thought briefly about going upstairs to comfort her, but he had to wait for her to come to him. Let her be the needy one, so he could rub her nose in it and lord it over her when the time came. That would be a true pleasure.

It wasn't too long before she came into the study with red, swollen eyes and messed up, blond hair. "Kitagawa-san?"

"Please, isn't it time you called me Ryu, since we're family?"

"Is it true you offered to pay for Akira to race for a whole year if he stayed here?"

"Yes, I did. I think he has a bright future in his chosen career, and I want to encourage that. Here in Japan I can take care of him and you."

"But I have a sick grandmother in California and I really feel I should be there."

"Your sick grandmother is my concern, too. I offered to hire a nurse for her."

"But a nurse isn't family," she said, horsely.

"Aren't I family?" She looked taken aback and slightly embarrassed. "You knew when you married Akira that he was an heir to a fortune. That comes with great responsibilities. I should think a new wife would want to make her husband happy before having to settle into the rigors of that life."

"I do, but I should be the one making him happy. He runs off all the time."

"You do make him happy. When he gets back, I'll have a talk with him."

She nodded and fled the study. Ryu got back to his paperwork for Shimamura Electronics. He looked up about four hours later when he heard a knocking at his front door. He heard his servant, Jiro, get the front door. Moments later there was a knock on the study door.

"Enter," he called out, wondering who would visit at eleven o'clock at night. One man in a trench coat stepped in. He and Akira exchanged bows.

"I'm am Detective Sato. It's my unfortunate duty to report that your cousin has been in an accident." Ryu felt a little nervous.

"What hospital is he at?"

The detective shook his head. "It was fatal."

Now Ryu felt a surge of panic and sorrow. For all of Akira's faults, he was still extremely fond of him.

"Thank you, Detective, for telling me in person," Ryu said, numbly.

"I can take you to where he is."

"Jiro, make sure Julie knows nothing about this. I'll be home in the morning and will tell her then." Of course the unspoken order to keep her inside the house was in effect. Ryu got his rain coat and walked after the detective.

His plans for Julie suddenly became more sinister and a higher priority. It was her stupid argument that drove Akira out of the house, and she would one day pay for that, but for now she was carrying the new heir to the Shimamura fortune. He'd keep a close eye on her until she gave birth, but then afterwards, she would be punished.

To be continued.