Till Death Do Us Part

Part 1

Bound By Honor

By Nick Maro

The plane continued its steady climb into the sunny California sky. In the distance, a second plane of similar design also climbed steadily. Inside the first plane were seven men and one woman. They nervously talked and checked their parachutes and jumping outfits.

"Well, I will admit this is better than getting me a stripper guys," David yelled over his shoulder while he made sure his parachute would open correctly. "Kimber would've killed me and you if you had done that. I've always wanted to try parachuting and now's my chance."

Rio clapped his friend on the back. "By the looks of it, Eric isn't too hot on the idea of jumping." He turned to Eric and yelled over the engines. "Eric! You don't have to jump if you don't feel like it."

Eric moaned to himself and looked at the others who were suiting up. "Maybe this really isn't for me. My stomach is really not feeling up to this." He tried to crack a small smile.

"Don't worry, Eric, I'm sure you can ride back in peace with the instructor." Riot roared with a deep laugh. "As for me, I can't wait to master the sky as I have learned to master a woman's heart." He chuckled to himself.

"Yeah, you did a spectacular job on Jem's heart," Rio mumbled so Riot didn't hear him.

Riot cocked an eyebrow at Rio. "Did you have something to say, Rio?"

"Uh no, I was just commenting to David we should be getting ready to jump soon. Before we all have a change of heart that is." Rio gave his pack a final check then put it on. "So who wants to go first? Any volunteers?"

When no one stepped forward until Riot did. "Might as well be me. After all nothing is conquered by being the last one." He stepped forward to the open door and looked down at the ground. His knees suddenly felt very weak. Riot turned around and gave a proud smile. "On second thought, who needs to master the sky when the woman's heart is enough for any man?" He removed his parachute pack and sat next to Eric.

Eiji walked forward to the door. "Since this is partially my idea, I might as well be one of the first to go." Without a further word, Eiji jumped out of the door. Ken followed Eiji who was in turn followed by Techrat. Rio jumped out after giving a mocking salute to Riot.

Yukio stood at the open door and spoke to David. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yeah, just trust me. No one will have seen anything like it. It'll be fun." David stood right next to her. She smiled and jumped out. David turned his back to the open air. "See you guys on the ground." David did a back flip out of the plane. The thrill of the free fall took over immediately. He found his gaze on the second plane. "Hell of a bachelor and bachelorette party, Kimber."

"Dammit Roxy! Just put on the bloody parachute! Everythin' is goin' to be fine! Just trust me on this. I did it all the time in college." Jetta put her hand on Roxy's shoulder to reassure her best friend. "I mean c'mon. Do you want to look like a wimp or somethin'?"

Roxy let her shoulders slump and began putting on her parachute. She looked at the women who were getting ready to plummet to their deaths. At least that's how she saw it. She was a part of Kimber's bachelorette party of thirteen women. It was Hitomi's idea to combine both parties. Roxy thought it was insane to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, much less leave the solid ground. She hated heights and she hated flying even more. "This is so fucking stupid," was all she said after checking the final strap.

Hitomi slapped Roxy on the shoulder. "Its only stupid when your chute doesn't open and you go splat." She made a splattering sound with her lips and spread her hands out.

"Oh that's reassuring! Thanks a lot, Spazz!" Roxy yelled at the young Japanese woman who laughed at her reaction.

"Go get ready to jump and stop scaring Roxy, Hitomi." Kimber steered her friend toward the door. "Roxy, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. No one is forcing you."

"Its okay, Kimber, it's your party and all. I'm glad to be a part of it. I'm just crapping my pants right now but I'll be fine. Besides, I don't want to look like a wimp in front of The Holograms, now do I?" The women on the plane let out a soft laugh. She smiled and started to feel better about jumping.

Aja whistled to get everyone's attention. "Look alive everybody. The guys have just jumped. We go once the other plane clears." She watched the occupants of the other plane jump out and began a slow free fall.

Within a few minutes their plane was circling over the first set of jumpers. One by one the women leaped out of the plane. Jetta stood close to Roxy, holding her arm. "Listen, you go first and I'll be right behind you, okay?"

"Yeah, great." She stuck her head out of the door. "I oughta have my head examined for this." Roxy took a deep breath, closed her eyes and jumped into the blue sky. She didn't realize she was screaming until she heard Jetta's voice on her headset. She opened her eyes and saw the people below her. She let her arms and legs fly free at her sides. "I'm fine, Jetta. Just getting used to this feeling is all." Jetta drifted beside her and held her hand. Together they watched the group of men from David's plane.

Yukio dove at David and tried to knock him back. David let an air current take him behind her. He grabbed Yukio and flipped her toward the ground. He then tried diving at her, stopped and waited for Yukio's next move. She went to tackle him, but David threw his arms and legs out and soared straight up into the air. "You've got to think three dimensionally when fighting in the air, Yukio. Adapting to your surroundings is one of the first rules of martial arts."

"I know, I just simply wasn't thinking. Shall we call it a draw for now and continue on the ground?" Yukio bowed after David accepted the offer. She drifted up next him and watched the ground come up.

"Heads up, everyone. We hit the silk in fifteen seconds," Rio called over the headsets. He counted down the seconds and pulled the ripcord for his parachute. One by one The Misfits and their friends felt a slight tug as they were jerked upward.

The group of friends glided silently toward the ground until they heard a voice over their headsets. "Surprise! Illegal Limit has come to crash your little party," Madison's voice yelled. Just about everyone looked around to see where she was. "Since I don't see Pizzazz here, I'll just pick on Stormer." Madison grabbed onto Stormer's back and pulled out a knife.

Roxy felt someone latch onto her back. "Miss me, Roxy? I sure missed you. In case you're wondering, we have our own technical genius. She helped crack your private comm channel." Thorn looked over at Madison and smiled. She began cutting the cords on Roxy's parachute while Madison started on Stormer's.

When the cords were cut Thorn and Madison both let go of the two women. "Happy landings!" Madison called after them and pulled her own ripcord. The two Illegal Limit members flew past the rest of Stormer and Roxy's friends.

"Mary, Roxy! Pull the cord on your emergency chutes! Do it now!" Rio yelled to the two rapidly falling women.

Stormer pulled her ripcord and started slowing her descent when the parachute deployed. Roxy panicked in looking for the ripcord. "Wh-where is it!" she yelled with tears building in her goggles.

"Try on that flabby thing you call your stomach, you bloody fool!" Jetta yelled, worrying about her friend.

"It's not that flabb—found it!" Roxy pulled the ripcord. The chute deployed and she was jerked just below her friends. The ground was coming up fast and she was still falling too quickly. "What do I do? I'm falling too fast!"

"Roll with the landing. Let your knees go limp and fall to the ground. Don't worry about breaking anything. Worry more about surviving the fall," Rio told her calmly. He looked at the panicked men and women around him. He hoped that would work.

The ground was less than ten feet below her. Roxy let her knees go limp before she touched the ground. When she did, she fell to the ground and rolled to a stop. She lay on the ground and waited until the others had landed. Roxy heard the hurried rush to her side. She sat up and looked to the sky. Thorn was about to touch down on the ground. Roxy quickly removed her harness and stood up. She was fine and alive. She ran toward where Thorn had just landed. "Bitch! You could've killed me!"

Thorn turned and threw her helmet off. "Come and catch me, little Roxy." She laughed and jumped into a car that had just pulled up.

Madison yelled at Stormer as well. "Come on, Mouse, catch us if you can!" She got into the car. Once she was in, the car sped off. Stormer and Roxy both slowed their running to a stop.

"God dammit!" Stormer yelled. "They can't get away with this! It was attempted murder! We have witnesses!" She fell to her knees and started crying out of frustration. She pounded at the ground in anger. "I'm gonna kill that bitch Madison."

Roxy hugged Jetta tightly. She then hugged everyone else. David knelt beside Stormer and cradled her in his arms. She cried into his chest softly while he caressed her hair. "We have no video evidence. Sure we all saw them cut the cords but they knew how to make them look like they weren't cut by a knife. We have no proof, but I swear to you that we'll bring them down one day." He looked his half sister in her eyes. "What I want to know is why you didn't sense this."

Stormer sniffed her tears back and chuckled humorously. "Are you kidding? Jumping out of a plane isn't the safest thing in the world. My sense was screaming that the ground was coming up. You know I can't control it." She stood on shaky legs. "I hope that Phyllis is having a better time talking with her stalker. I can't believe that she went to see him."

David and Kimber walked with Stormer and Roxy a few feet behind the rest of the group. They were going back to the Gabor Estate for food and drinks. Roxy and Stormer definitely felt they each could use one. Both David and Kimber hoped that the almost fatal tragedy wouldn't bring the mood down.

The prison waiting area was small yet comfortable. Pizzazz sat at one of the five tables in the room. She needed answers from the man who had kidnapped her the month before. Frederick V. Broca. She didn't look forward to seeing him again but this needed to be done. She stirred her coffee and waited.

An officer finally stood in the doorway. "Prisoner zero-three-four-one-B-zero-one, Frederick Broca, have seat across from Ms. Gabor and keep your hands to yourself. I'm watching you, inmate."

Fred entered the room and sat across from Pizzazz as he was instructed. He kept his hands on the table and smiled at her. "Phyllis! Wow, I didn't expect you to actually come. I know you said you wanted to ask me some questions. How have you been?"

Pizzazz gave him the best smile she could. "I'm fine – now. Why aren't you in the psychiatric ward? I thought the judge sentenced you there."

"The warden felt that I didn't deserve to be in the psyche ward. Granted my obsession with you did drive me to murder and kidnap. I'm on probation in general population to see how I fit in. So far I've had no problems with anyone. I'm seeing the prison shrink twice a day." Fred folded his hands on the table and watched Pizzazz for a moment.

"Well, that's good to hear." Pizzazz sipped her coffee and sat there in an uncomfortable silence. She cleared her throat and tried to smile again. "I guess I should get to the questions I wanted to ask you. I could've called the warden on your progress. Why did you steal my purse? You knew everything about me. What could it have possibly told you?"

Fred smirked to himself and chuckled lightly. "That was to throw you off a little. I didn't need it for anything. I just wanted to make you think that someone else was after you. I admit it was a poorly thought out idea. I didn't take anything except a business card."

"That's fine. I checked my purse after the cops found it in your house." Pizzazz shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with not knowing how to ask her next question. "I was just wondering now, I'm not blaming you in any way, but I'm hoping you'd have an answer. I don't want to offend you at all, but did you try to kill my brother with a sniper's rifle before you kidnapped me?"

Fred studied her eyes for a moment then looked down. "No. I didn't. That wasn't my style. I'm not offended you'd think it was me. With everything that was going on, I can see where you'd come to that conclusion. I hope you do find out who had tried that. It's a very cowardly way of dealing with someone."

Pizzazz slumped in her seat and sighed in relief. "Thank you for being so honest, Fred. Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, just name it."

"If you hear of anyone in here talking about trying to kill David tell the warden to contact me. We really want to know if we're all still in any danger."

"Sure thing, Phyllis. You have my word."

"Thank you." Pizzazz grabbed her purse and stood up. "I really must be going now. I passed on skydiving with David and Kimber for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. I'm not about to miss the celebration at home. I'm happy to see you're getting the help you need. Take care, Fred." She reached out and shook his shackled hand. A tear ran down his cheek and he mouthed the words good bye.

The early morning sun illuminated the horizon in an eerie red. Kyoko thought it reminded her of blood. She hoped that it wasn't an ill omen of things to come. One way or another someone was bound to be hurt. It left a sour feeling in her stomach. She tried to keep it away by tending to her flower garden. Ayumi and Mariko were doing a wonderful job with planting the new flowers.

Kyoko started watering a seedling when the backdoor to her house opened. A man in a dark business suit wearing sunglasses approached her. She put the watering can down and waited for him to reach her. The man stopped a foot away from her and looked down through his sunglasses. "[Your un-]" He was cut off by a sudden slap across the face.

"Baka! [Don't you think I'd know that my uncle wants to see me if he sends one of his goons to get me? Never insult my intelligence again. Next time I'll take it as an insult to the Bayushi name.]" Kyoko started gathering her gardening supplies. She turned and glared at him over her shoulder. "[And you do not want to do that.]"

"[Y-yes, Bayushi-sama,]" the stunned bodyguard stammered. "[Your uncle wishes for me to drive you to his home. He wishes to speak to you about your decision.]"

Kyoko wiped her hands off on the smock she was wearing. "[Next time you come to my home you knock or ring the door bell, understand?]" The bodyguard nodded woodenly. Kyoko started to enter the house, the guard began to follow. She held up her hand and glared at him. "[No, go through the gate and wait in the car. I need to take a shower and change my clothing. As far as I care, my uncle can wait for my answer a little longer. The old man holds no authority here.]"

After the bodyguard had left through the gate, Kyoko shut the door and made her way up to the bathroom. She stopped the family maid on the way up. "[Misato, do me a favor and bring the men in the car a pot of tea and coffee. I don't want to seem too rude after all, but it doesn't have to the best you've made either.]" Misato bowed deeply and hurried to the kitchen.

Kyoko entered the bathroom and started the shower. While it was warming up, she picked out her clothes for the day and laid the selection on the bench next to the shower. She stripped out of her clothes and adjusted the shower a final time before stepping in. Kyoko wet her hair then put some shampoo in. While lathering she thought of her answer to her uncle.

Upon rinsing her hair she found she wasn't happy with her decision. Kyoko dried her hair and put her business suit on. She finished in the bathroom and went into the kitchen to eat the breakfast Misato had prepared for her. She thanked the maid and went out front to the waiting car. Kyoko waited for a bodyguard to open the door for her. She got inside and folded her hands in her lap.

The drive to her uncle's mansion took a half hour. On the way there she thought of her answer and how to tell him. She decided not to make it easy for him to get it out of her. The car pulled up to the front of the building. A guard ran down from the mansion door and opened the car door for Kyoko. She stepped out gracefully and followed the two men from the car into the mansion.

The two men stopped before a set of double doors. Kyoko glared at both of them, one smirked and opened it. Her uncle was sitting behind a large office desk. He looked at up Kyoko striding in proudly. "[You're late. You know how much I hate to wait, Kyoko,]" he said deeply. He motioned for the two bodyguards to leave the room.

Kyoko stood before the middle aged man with her chin high. "[I am not one of your henchmen to be ordered around like a soldier. I'm your niece. Besides, I hadn't showered yet. How would it look for the niece of the great crime lord, Soun Matsuo, to show up looking like she had just finished playing in the mud and dirt like a child?]"

Soun stood and slammed his palms on the desk. "[Is that anyway to show respect to your uncle? Has your time in the West made you that disrespectful?]"

Kyoko slammed her palms on the desk just as loud and leaned forward. "[You're not true family to me! You married my father's sister is all. You have no right demanding the Bayushi school name and martial art style! I've only made my decision through your threat to my friends and family.]" Kyoko blocked an attempted slap by her uncle. "[So you have no right to demand any respect from me!]"

"[You're an insolent little whore.]"

"[And you're a putrid pile of shit.]"

Kyoko and her uncle stared at each other for a long moment until Soun sat back down and regained his composure. "[What is your decision then?]"

"[I've thought long and hard about this. My decision will harm many friends of mine, but it will keep the school and the art out of your hands. I do not wish to see your Yakuza army disgracing this style I'm proud of.]" Kyoko stood proudly and straightened her shoulders. "[I will explain to him the situation and the reasons why I ask him to be my husband. Though I know I will loose some of my best friends, the only positive point is that you won't have any knowledge of the art or style.]"

Soun nodded slowly. "[Very well, you may leave as soon as you see fit.]" Kyoko sniffed back her on coming tears and left the office. Once in the car, she broke down into tears. She didn't stop until well after she was home.

Shana finished tying the tie on David's tuxedo. She took a step back to see if it was straight. "I can't believe you're one of the best martial artists I've ever seen in action, yet you can't do something simple as tie a bow tie. Don't they have them in Japan?"

"Yeah, they do. I just never had any use or occasion to wear one. I mostly wore ceremonial kimonos, wouldn't mind being in one now as a matter of fact." David admired the fit of the tuxedo in the full length mirror.

Kimber came up behind David and hugged him. "You look great in that. Come on, we're going to be late for the rehearsal dinner. How would it look for the bride and groom to be late for the rehearsal?"

David smirked and then frowned. "Why aren't you wearing your wedding dress?"

"Oh yeah, like we need bad luck for this, I'm wearing Jem's bride's maid dress." Kimber lowered her voice in case any of The Misfits were around. "Jerrica is having difficulty calling up Synergy. She said it was due to Synergy performing a system diagnostic on herself. Synergy wants to make sure she doesn't foul up during the ceremony."

"Well, that's understandable. We better get going." The three friends left Shana's bedroom and went outside to the backyard of the Starlight Mansion. Their wedding was set to be held at the Starlight Mansion as a gift from Jerrica.

The rehearsal went smoothly. Everyone got their cues and did everything perfectly. The wedding was scheduled for the next day. David, Kimber and Stormer left the mansion together to head home. David wanted to be perfectly rested for what would be one of the biggest days of his life. When they arrived at their home David found a note in his nightstand. He read it twice to make sure he understood what he just read. He put it in his pocket and left the house as was instructed.

Kimber came out of the bathroom after taking a quick shower. "David?" She looked in the bedroom. When she saw he wasn't there, she slowly walked around the house calling his name. She knocked on Stormer's door and opened it a crack. "Mary, did David say where he was going? I can't find him anywhere."

Stormer looked up from her magazine. "Nope, he probably went out to the store or went for a walk to clear his head. It's not like he's going to leave you. He's just nervous."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm going to bed. See you in the morning." Kimber shut the door to her best friend's room and got into bed wondering where her future husband was at.

David and Kimber stood side by side before the minister. The wedding had started ten minutes ago and David hadn't heard one word the man had said. Kimber kept glancing at him and blushing. David lightly squeezed her hand and smiled. He vaguely heard Kimber say I do. The minister had turned his attention to David now. He didn't hear what the minister had said. Kimber nudged him. The minister repeated himself. "Do you David Gabor take Kimber Benton as your lawfully wedded wife?"

David froze in place, looked at Kimber and back at the minister. "I-I," David looked at Kimber again, she looked at him expectantly. David dropped his voice to a whisper, "I-I'm sorry. I-I can't." David ran from the altar to the front of the mansion before anyone could react. Once there he climbed into a waiting car. He hoped that one day everyone could forgive him.

TO BE CONTINUED IN "FORGOTTEN VOWS"

PART 2 OF TILL DEATH DO US PART