Family Obligations

Part 2

The Code of Bushido

By Nick Maro

::Writer's Note: [ ] Indicates speaking in Japanese::

"[Hiroki Bayushi is the man who murdered Hiroshi Ikari,]" Mariko said quietly, breaking the long silence. She watched David tense up in the chair.

David sat quietly for a long while. He ran his fingers through his green hair and broke the fragile silence. "[Kasa, what do you mean he murdered Otosan,]" he asked the older woman sitting before him. She was only in her late forties, but she looked like she was in her early twenties. David was raised by Hiroshi and Mariko Ikari when he became separated from his mother during an earthquake. The eight year old David was treated like their son. He often thought of them as his parents. He called them Kasa and Otosan which was Mother and Father in Japanese. He referred to them as that out of respect.

David lived with Mariko and Hiroshi for fifteen years. He was taught the Ikari style of kendo and martial arts. Almost three months ago Hiroshi died from what seemed to be a heart attack. A month later David left for America to find his biological family. He found them and gained so much more while there. He returned to Japan as the manager of his sisters' band, the Misfits, where they kicked off a last minute four city tour starting in Osaka, Japan.

Before Mariko could answer there was a knock on the door. David stood and opened the door. "W-what's going on here?" It was Stormer, her concern for him showing on her face.

David looked down to Mariko, she nodded. "Come in," was all he said. His voice was very hoarse from crying. He sat down on the floor in front of Mariko. Stormer sat next to David and held his hand to show support. Stormer had become one of his best friends aside from being his half-sister. He had no secrets from her or anyone in the Misfits.

"I-I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Mariko," she said with her slight stutter. "But I heard the back door shut and David's voice. I wanted to talk with Kimber for awhile so I went downstairs. She told me what had happened and that you were up here." She turned to David. "Kimber is very afraid a-and so am I. Just what did the note say that Kimber said you found." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. David looked slightly stunned at Stormer's tone.

Mariko read the note aloud to Stormer in English. "A-are we safe here?" Stormer asked. The stutter came when she was either sad or scared David had noticed.

"We're all very safe," Mariko reassured the two newly found half-siblings. "Hiroki can not attack here. He has issued a duel of honor and therefore does not risk dishonor by attacking without an answer." David knew this however Stormer did not. "Have everyone me meet in the dojo in ten minutes. I'll tell the tale of Hiroki Bayushi there." Mariko gave a sad smile.

Inside the dojo, Mariko's eight guests sat on the bamboo floor. David tightly held Kimber close to him. Mariko knelt facing the small group. "It started over twenty years ago," she began quietly, "Hiroshi and Hiroki trained together in this very dojo. They were the best of friends all through childhood. Some called them brothers in spirit. When Hiroshi turned eighteen, he was told that he would inherit the Ikari dojo from his father when he retired. Everyone knew this it was just tradition and ceremony. Hiroshi's father lived by tradition.

"I met Hiroshi at the local college. We fell deeply in love almost immediately. Hiroki became extremely jealous of his best friend as he saw me as competition for Hiroshi's friendship. I, however, found Hiroki very charming and we got along. The way he acted around me you would have never thought that he was a jealous man. One night the three of us were walking home from the theater. A neighbor of Hiroshi's found us while searching for him in her car. She told Hiroshi that the dojo was on fire. He told Hiroki to take me home and drove off with the neighbor. Hiroki was a little hurt that he wasn't asked to come with to save the building that he had sweat and bled in, but he did as his friend had asked.

"The walk home was very pleasant. Hiroki told me stories about Hiroshi that he would never tell me. We got to my small apartment and for reasons I still don't know, I invited him in for tea. We talked while the water boiled. Hiroki kept getting closer while we sat; I was so tired from walking that I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't until he attempted to kiss me that I knew I shouldn't have invited him in. He was bigger than me so it was easy to force me to the kitchen floor. I'll spare you the details of what happened. Quite simply, he assaulted me and fled into the night. I laid there on the floor in a daze listening to the teapot whistle. I eventually got up and turned it off.

"Hiroshi came over the next day after he had helped save the dojo. One of the candles was knocked over by a gust of wind. Only one of the walls and part of the roof was damaged. He asked if anything was wrong. I had decided not to tell him that I was violated by his best friend. A few days later Hiroshi's father retired making Hiroshi the new master of the school. Things between Hiroshi and Hiroki started to grow more tense. They were fighting more often. They had just had a fight where neither was talking to the other. It was around this time that I found out that I was pregnant. I told Hiroshi and he accused me of cheating on him since we never had had sex. I told him I wasn't cheating on him and that Hiroki attacked me on the night of dojo fire. It hurt breaking his heart like that. At first he didn't believe me but something in his heart told him I was right."

Mariko took a sip of tea that had gone cold from her telling the story of betrayal and heartbreak. "Hiroshi didn't know what to do. We both were against abortion and we were unmarried. If I had the child it would be dishonor in Hiroshi's eyes. Dishonor to him because I was attached to him. He went to his father and asked for help. His father set up a very private and off the record adoption. To do so I had to drop out of school and go into hiding. Hiroshi confronted Hiroki about my pregnancy. Hiroki denied assaulting me naturally. Hiroshi for the first time used his new power within the dojo. He expelled and forbade Hiroki Bayushi from ever practicing or teaching the Ikari style of martial arts. Once again Hiroshi had his heart broken in my name. I begged for his forgiveness. He told me that I nothing to feel guilty about.

"When I had the child we were told that it was a girl but nothing more at that time. Hiroshi's father wouldn't allow us to see the baby, although he secretly kept us up to date on the child's progress. He informed us that when she had turned three she was kidnapped without a trace. Couple of months after that news Hiroshi's father died. A year after the death of his father Hiroshi Ikari and Mariko Akiyama were wed. On our way home from our honeymoon we found David in the streets of Tokyo. We felt heartsick for our daughter. After a brief discussion we brought David back and raised him like our own son."

She paused from talking and David cleared his throat. "Mariko, you said Hiroshi was murdered. What did you mean?"

Mariko sadly smiled. "You always did have a touch of impatience in you." David glanced quickly at Pizzazz, his twin sister, who smiled back at him. Mariko spoke again in her soft tone. "After Hiorshi seemingly died in his sleep from a heart attack, I had an in-depth autopsy performed. What was found is that he was poisoned with blow fish toxin. David, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. You were just so looking forward to travelling to America. Also I didn't want to involve you with our enemies. But now it's up to you. What is your decision? Will you accept the challenge?"

David thought about his choices for a long while. Finally he got to his feet and walked to where the family honor sword sat in its stand. He picked it up and unsheathed the ancient sword. David turned and faced his family before him. Pulled up the sleeve on his left arm and swiped the still razor sharp katana across his forearm drawing blood. "[On the name and honor of House Ikari and of this katana of my forefathers; I vow that Hiroki Bayushi will be slain for murder of Hiroshi Ikari and the violation of Mariko Akiyama.]" David's voice was full of conviction. He then plunged the sword into the floor.

Mariko looked very proud at his words while Kimber sat in shock at what she had just seen. She didn't need a translation for what just happened. The rest were murmuring about had just happened. Mariko finally translated causing Kimber to run out of the room in tears. David waited a handful of heartbeats before moving towards the door. Stormer stood and walked beside him. He stopped her by putting his hand over her heart. She stopped and gave him a confused look. "I have to talk to her alone, Mary. Please understand." He spoke softly. She nodded slowly and went back into the dojo looking at the ground.

David entered his childhood home and slowly walked up the stairs. He stopped in front of the room where Kimber was staying, where he heard very soft sobbing inside. He gently knocked on the door. "Fuck off, David!" Kimber yelled. Surprised, he took a step back from the door. Somehow she knew it was him. To give her some time, he went to the medicine cabinet and bandaged his left forearm. The cut was very shallow, only deep enough to draw blood.

He walked back to the door and listened. She was still crying. He knocked softly again. This time the door flew open and Kimber threw her fist at David's face. He caught it with ease and let go. She slammed the door in his face. David opened the door and went in without knocking. "Get out!" Kimber growled at him while running at him in tears and began pounding on his chest. David wrapped his arms around her as she tried to pull out of his grip weakly. Her pounding on his chest slowed. Eventually she wrapped her arms around him and started crying into his chest with him holding her tight.

When Kimber's sobbing slowed he led her to the bed and sat her down. She sniffled. "You're going to murder someone, aren't you?"

David put his finger under her chin and looked deep into her eyes. He kissed her forehead. "No, I'm not," he said very quietly

"Liar," she said softly. "Mariko translated what you said. You said Bayushi will be slain. That means you'll kill him."

"No," he said very quietly again. "You don't fully understand. What I said back there was just ceremony. This isn't feudal times. In modern times will be slain means they'll be brought to justice. It was theatrics. Their identity will be slain is all I meant. I'm not going to kill anybody. I swear that to you, Kimber."

She studied his eyes deeply. She could tell he was telling the truth. His lips started to move to talk again. Kimber put a finger on them. "Shhhh, I believe you." She leaned in and kissed him. They broke the kiss and she leaned her head on David's chest.

David cleared his throat. "So." She looked up at him. "How'd my tonsils taste?" he joked and cheering her up almost instantly.

Kimber hit David with a pillow. "Baka!" He had taught her that it meant idiot right after they had started dating. David grabbed the pillow from her and put it behind his head and fell back on the bed. Kimber snuggled up beside him and laid her head on his chest. "Night, David," she said and closed her eyes.

"Night," David said wrapping his arm around her body and falling quickly asleep. Mariko kept herself unseen while watching the whole scene in the doorway. She walked to the bed and put a blanket over the two lovers. She kissed each of them on the forehead and walked out of the room sliding the door closed behind her. She was proud of her adoptive son. He was becoming the man that Hiroshi knew he would become.

David showed Roxy and Kimber around Niji-no Machi, better known as Rainbow Town. It was an underground shopping mall. Both young ladies were amazed at the size and ingenuity. David had shown Techrat the discount electronics district. He seriously thought Techrat was going to just move in right then and there. Techrat argued to let him wander on his own. He won the argument when he showed David the tracking device he had made.

The rest of Misfits had their own things to do. Pizzazz was making sure their instruments had arrived safely. Clash was on the phone with the arena checking on the sound capabilities. Stormer wanted to talk with Mariko. Jetta just wanted to relax and recover from her slight bought of jetlag.

The three friends walked under a skywalk but on the other side David felt he was being watched again. Shrugging it off as nerves he tried to relax. He squeezed Kimber's hand and smiled at her. Yet the nagging sensation didn't go away. David led them into a music store where Roxy immediately started browsing. David turned to Kimber. "Remember that feeling of being watched I had last night?" She nodded slowly. "I just felt it again." He sighed deeply.

Kimber stole a quick kiss from him. "It's probably just nerves. Just relax, okay?" That reassured him a bit but not much, he was still on edge.

"I'm done," Roxy said next to David he noticed she was holding a bag with five CDs in it.

David looked at the bag. "What'd you get?"

"Pizzas. Tiny, little pizzas," she said sarcastically. "CDs dumbass. Geez!"

David rolled his eyes and took hold of Kimber's hand. "Let's go." They quickly made their way back into the crowd. He noticed the tingling sensation was gone which caused him to relax. As they approached the food court David felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir," a voice came from behind him. David, Kimber and Roxy all turned around. There stood a young Japanese boy around sixteen years old. He looked like he had been traveling a lot. He wore a pair of Chinese walking shoes, black pants that had crisscrossing strings on the shins, a yellow martial arts shirt of some sort, a backpack with a red umbrella harnessed to it, and a yellow bandanna with black spots was tied around his head.

"Yes? How can I help you?" David asked the confused looking boy.

"Which way is it to Furinkan High?" he asked bewildered.

David thought a moment. "That's in Tokyo, correct?"

"Yes."

"You're in Osaka. Head that way." David pointed to an exit. "Once outside, head northeast and you'll be fine." David smiled. The boy thanked him and started walking towards the exit at the last second he turned right and went into a ladies room. David could hear the screaming from where they were. "Maybe we should get him a train ticket." David thought out loud. "Or maybe a map and compass."

"Tch, a shame about that boy," came a voice next to Roxy.

Roxy jumped slightly and looked startled. "What do you mean?"

The little man looked up at Roxy. "Word is he's eternally lost. Some say not even from this world. He's been here for two days now. He's harmless but it was kind of you to try and help the poor lad." The man went back into his shop.

The three young friends ordered their food from one of the shops and found a place to sit. "So what are you going to do about Hiroki?" Roxy asked.

David sighed and looked at Kimber then back to Roxy. "I have three days to figure that out. I have no idea to be honest." He poked at his lunch while weighing his options.

Kimber squeezed David's hand under the small table. "Regretting making that vow?"

"No," David said a little too sharply making him groan.

"Sorry I asked," Kimber said quietly. She felt David rub his hand on her back making her relax a little.

"Didn't mean to sound like I snapped at you," David said comforting her. "That was something I thought long and hard about. It's hard for the both of you to understand, isn't it?"

Roxy and Kimber both nodded. "After this is all over and done I'll explain it fully, I just need to first figure out my first move," David said finishing his meal. He glanced at his watch. "We should start heading back. I want to find Techrat and see what he's found. Sometimes getting your mind off the problem gets you to the answer faster."

They threw their garbage out and exited the mall. David hadn't felt like he was being watched since they went into the music store. "…ay to Furinkan High?" They heard the familiar voice aimed at a different couple. David considered trying to help the young boy again but was dragged away by Roxy.

It wasn't as humid or hot as it was the previous day. Half way to where they had left Techrat, David felt like he was being watched again. He spun around and locked eyes with the man who was following them. It was the same person in the black trench coat he'd seen the night before. The man was around the same age as David. Under the trench coat he wore a brown suit, black dress shirt and a brown tie.

"Kon-nichi-wa, Ikari-san," he greeted David in Japanese. "It actually pleases me to see that the lovely Kimber Benton has survived." He switched to English as he slowly walked towards them. "Forgive my manners, my name is Shin and I represent Hiroki Bayushi." He glanced at the CD Roxy was holding. "Megumi Hayashibara. Good choice. She's a personal favorite artist of mine." He turned his attention back to David. "Bayushi-san doesn't know I've come to meet with you. I came to apologize for last night. It wasn't my idea to assassinate your girlfriend." He put his hand out for David to shake. "No hard feelings?" he asked sincerely.

David stepped forward, looked down at the hand extended to him, then glanced back to make sure Kimber and Roxy were safe distance behind him. He looked at the hand again and started speaking slowly. "You try to kill my girlfriend. You stalk my friends and me like we were animals. You deliver a message from the monster that you serve who threatens me and expect me to forgive you?" He slapped the hand down. "I will not accept your apology." David threw the fastest punch Roxy or Kimber had ever seen.

Shin simply blocked it as if it was an annoying insect. "Ikari, I did not come to fight," he said flatly.

David tried a round house kick, Shin blocked it with ease. David feinted with a right and threw a left punch which was blocked again. David snapped a sharp fast sidekick which resulted in another block. Shin let this go on until he saw what was waiting for. David didn't hear the sirens or Roxy and Kimber calling for him to stop. Shin let the kick to the chest pass through his defenses and rolled with it. The impact didn't hurt him at all.

"[Freeze! You're under arrest!]" David heard behind him. He cursed to himself and put his hands over on his head. He saw Roxy hiding Kimber's face from the scene before her. He mouthed a thank you to Roxy. She nodded and smiled weakly. David felt the officer hand cuff him and put him in the back of the police car.

"[Get up, gaijin,]" the guard barked while banging on the cell bars with his nightstick. "[The charges have been dropped. You're free to go.]"

David opened his eyes and saw the cell door unlocked and left open ajar. He had been meditating while he had waited to be charged and bailed out. This had come to him as a surprise and one that left him with a bad feeling in his gut. He walked out of the cell and followed the guard. He was given all of his personal possessions and led out to the lobby.

"David!" Roxy and Kimber both yelled at the same time. The receptionist shushed them, Roxy shot her a dirty look. Kimber ran up to David and hugged him tightly. Roxy waited for Kimber to finish then gave him a long hug.

David smirked. "They even took my shoelaces," he said mildly amused. He sat down and laced up his shoes again while Kimber and Roxy talked to him. Roxy had told him that Mariko was on her way to bail him out. "The charges were dropped," he said simply and leaned back in the chair. "I don't know why or by who but I'm free to go." He stood and wrapped his arm around Kimber's as they walked out of the station as they saw Mariko coming up the steps.

"You made bail?" she asked surprised.

"Someone dropped the charges," Roxy said before he could reply.

"That would be my doing," a female voice came from behind Mariko. David looked over Mariko's shoulder to see a beautiful Japanese woman standing there. "My name is Kyoko Bayushi. I'm Hiroki Bayushi's daughter." She motioned to the limo parked in front of the station. A door was open. "David, if you would please join me." He could tell it wasn't a request.

David looked at the four women before him. "Kimber, this is something I have to do," he said quietly to her. "I'll see you tonight." Kissing her forehead he walked to the waiting limo.

Kimber tried to follow but Mariko grabbed her by the arm. "This is something he must do alone," she told her in a serious voice. Kimber thought that Mariko sounded like a mother at that moment. "Come on let's make it home to greet him, okay?" Her smile shifted to make her look like a crafty older sister. Kimber and Roxy looked at each other, smiled and followed Mariko to her car.

Inside the limo Kyoko sat next to David. She wore a very light perfume that smelled of lotus petals. Across from David sat Shin and an older man who looked to be in his late forties. He was slightly overweight but still looked very powerful. His voice was very deep and powerful, one that commanded respect. "[Ikari-san, I'm very sorry for Shin's behavior. He was told to not to follow you. I had the charges dropped to show my respect for you. Shin tells me you fight very honorably and that he was impressed with your ability. You have no idea how close you came to getting a true hit in on him which is something no man has been able to do. You are the first.]"

"[I'm honored to hear that, Bayushi-san,]" David replied politely but still gave the older man a glare. "[Shin is an excellent fighter. If the circumstances were different, I would be honored to spar with him and possibly learn how to become faster. Forgive me for asking but why is it you wish to speak with me?]"

"[To the point Ikari taught you that didn't he? No matter I wish to extend the offer to marry my daughter Kyoko. No fighting, no losing, just a simple yes or no now.]" The burly man before him offered.

David glanced at Kyoko by slightly turning his head a bit. She was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. "[Kyoko is a lovely woman, Bayushi-san, but I cannot abandon the woman I'm with now. I have accepted the duel. The duel stands.]"

Kyoko lightly touched the back of David's hand. "[Please reconsider.]"

"[He has made his choice, my daughter,]" Bayushi said. "[He wants to fight for his honor and we will let him.]" He turned his attention back to David. "[Now that you've made your decision, I offer this final option to you, you fight Shin tonight. We will meet just outside of Osaka on top of the tallest hill to the south of town. Only you and Shin present. Kyoko and I will sit in the car and wait for the winner. The rules are as follows, first person to get three hits loses. No hitting below the waist and no hitting in the head. You will use a bamboo shinai. Also, you must wear your school's fighting uniform. Do you accept these terms?]"

David sat and thought about what he had just been offered. "[Yes, I accept. On one condition; if I win you must confess to murdering Hiroshi Ikari and the sexual assault of Mariko Akiyama. Those are my terms.]"

"[Father,]" Kyoko said visibly startled with her eyes wide in shock, "[is what he says true? Did you assault Mariko and kill Hiroshi?]"

Bayushi glared at David feeling his anger rise. "[I did no such thing! But if it gets you to fight then yes I agree.]"

"[Thank you for agreeing, Bayushi-san,]" David said politely with a smirk. He knew that sometimes things would work out in their own way. "[I'll get out here and walk the rest of the way to the dojo.]"

Hiroki signaled the driver to stop. The limo pulled to curb and David opened the door. As he was about to leave Kyoko stopped him. "Take care. You're an honorable man."

"Thank you." David smiled. "You're a strong woman." He exited the limo and bowed to the people inside. They each bowed their heads each in sequence in acceptance. "I'll meet Shin at midnight." Shin bowed his head in agreement. David shut the door, as the limo pulled away he started walking back to his childhood home thinking about what he had just agreed to.

Techrat struggled to sleep that night. He had too many ideas floating in his mind. He sat on the edge of the bed, stood and quietly left the bedroom. He went downstairs to the living room to write down his ideas. Clash was already down there writing out ideas of her own. She looked up and smiled. "Looks like someone else couldn't sleep either."

"What do you mean?" Techrat asked her.

"David just left to go practice in the dojo. Guess with all that's happening is eating at his brain." She gave him a half shrug.

He sat next to Clash and brought his pen to paper. Techrat sighed and tried to think of where to start. She was asking him about an idea she had for the sound system. "I'll be right back," Techrat said slowly as he went back to the room he was sharing with David. There he found the tracking unit he was working on. He went back down the stairs, sat next to Clash and showed her his invention. He turned it on but something wasn't right. "I put a tracking bug in David's bag earlier. I wanted to test it when he went to the dojo. It needs at least fifty feet to receive."

"Not very good at close range, huh? So what's wrong?" She asked confused.

"It says David is two miles away yet you said he was in the dojo." Techrat sounded slightly alarmed.

"Maybe he's taking a walk," Clash suggested trying to be helpful.

Techrat looked at her with an arched eyebrow. "I doubt he'd do that without telling someone."

They sat there for a few minutes staring at the screen. "I'll get Kimber's room. You wake Pizzazz's room. This isn't good."

It was windy on the dark hill with only dull moonlight illuminating the two combatants. Off to the west storm clouds gathered causing lightning to light the sky randomly. "[You understand the rules, Ikari-san?]" Shin asked in the Bayushi colors of brown and black.

"[Yes.]" David was wearing the red top and blue pants of the Ikari School. He bowed to Shin who returned the gesture. He held his shinai in a low position.

Hiroki shouted, "[Begin!]"

David raised his shinai to mid-waist level. Shin brought his up a little higher. David charged towards Shin and brought his shinai to clash with his opponents. Shin pushed David back and regained his stance. David stood his ground while Shin took to the offensive. He slashed at David's side with his bamboo weapon. David blocked the attack barely in time. Shin went for the other side of David. Again, he blocked it just in time.

While Shin was vulnerable as David got a lucky thrust into Shin's side. "[First blood is yours, David,]" Shin said in genuine surprise. David just took the opportunity to strike again. Shin blocked David's failed torso strike. He was hit in the stomach by Shin's shinai. "[One to one.]" Shin pointed out while David took a guarded stance.

"Which way now, Techrat?" Pizzazz yelled to him from the driver's seat.

"Keep going straight, now turn right! Turn right!" he shouted back.

Pizzazz turned the van right sharply. "Watch those bloody sharp turns, Pizzazz!" Jetta shouted at the driver.

"He's straight ahead!" Techrat said excitedly. A bolt of lightning flashed and the occupants of the van saw a silhouette of two figures fighting on a hill.

Shin relentlessly attacked David who was having a hard time keeping up with his opponent. "David!" He heard being yelled as he tried to block the voices and focused on the Japanese man before him.

Shin backed off and restarted his assault. "David!" He heard again. This time it was Kimber. This distracted him causing his guard to fall for a second. It was then he felt Shin's shinai hit him in his ribs.

"[You've lost]," Shin said obviously disappointed. "[But you fought well and you got two hits on me. That's two more than any person ever has.]"

David watched Kimber come running up the hill. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his midsection. He didn't return the embrace. He turned to Shin. "[I have something I must give Kimber before I leave. Will you allow it?]" Shin nodded and David went to his bag and pulled out the ring case. He walked over to Kimber slowly letting the case move from hand to hand slowly. By now his friends gathered at the top of the hill. "I wanted to give this to you last night before we were attacked. Inside you'll find something I wanted to pass on to you." He put the case in her hand and covered it with his. "You'll know what it means." He walked away from her slowly but picked up his pace as he went down the hill.

"David!" Kimber yelled as David began to enter into the limo. "I love you," she shouted and hoped he had heard her. If he had she couldn't tell. She then fell to her knees and opened the case. There was a ring inside. She began to cry as the rain started to fall.

TO BE CONCLUDED IN "HONOR"

PART 3 OF FAMILY OBLIGATIONS