A Fight for A Life
"Fine! Handle it yourself! See if I care! And I hope you get killed!" Koji yelled as Tetsuya walked out in a huff.
Kenzo watched his adoptive son storm away, then looked at his middle son. "Mind telling me what that was about?"
"We found an energy signature near the city." Koji replied. "I told him we should check it out on radar first, but he wanted to just go off and check it in person! That irresponsible, reckless, impulsive idiot!"
Shiro came over, having overheard. "Brother, are you describing yourself? It sounds like it."
Koji glared at his kid brother and was about to reply when Kenzo stopped him.
"Your brother's right, I'm afraid," Kenzo added. "At any rate, you may want to go after him, just in case."
"No way! I'm done, Dad! If he won't listen to me, let HIM pay the price!" Koji said with a frown. He then noticed Shiro's worried look. "What?"
"If I remember right, Sayaka said the same thing about you, and, well, you almost died…" replied the youngest Kabuto softly.
"W-well, this is different!" Koji argued.
"Is it, Koji?" Jun asked, also having overheard. She looked at Kenzo. "I'll go after him."
The Mazinger pilot sighed. "No, I'll go. But I really don't think he'll run into any trouble. He's too tough, too stubborn!"
Kenzo watched his son finally leave. "Pot, meet kettle." He muttered.
Tetsuya landed his Great Mazinger in the middle of a field, where he last detected the energy signature. He looked around, trying to find its source, when the ground near him suddenly broke apart. A mecha beast the size and image of a dragon came out and faced him. This monster attacked with speed and deadly accuracy. It wasted no time in attacking him with its razor sharp claws.
The pilot soon realized he was in over his head. He tried to call for help, but the signal was too weak. He then decided to fight this creature in the best way possible.
Koji flew over to where the energy signature ended, then landed Mazinger. He looked around, then heard the sounds of fighting in the distance. He ran in that direction, and to his horror saw Great lying on the ground and a large dragon looking monster slashing at it.
"NOO!" He ran at the monster, getting between it and his fallen brother. "Get away from him you PIG!" he screamed, then shot a photon beam from Mazinger's eyes, knocking the monster back, He then shot it with drill missiles from Mazinger's arms. The monster let out a scream before exploding into pieces.
Koji landed his pilder to the ground before racing to Great's brain condor, whose windshield was smashed. He jumped in and came over to Tetsuya, who laid still, unconscious and bleeding in several places.
"Tetsuya. Tetsuya!" he shouted, holding his brother close.
Tetsuya opened his eyes slowly. "K…Koji…"
"I'm here. Please, save your strength." he replied. "I'm taking you home." He lifted him in his arms and ran to the pilder, where he laid him down. "Stay with me, Tetsuya!" He gave a brotherly kiss to his injured brother's forehead, then strapped them both in just before activating his pilder and docking it into Mazinger. "Alright, buddy, fly. Fly like you've never flown before!"
Once within range, he radioed the science center. "This is Mazinger. I need medical to meet me the minute I land! And I need someone to get Great!" He sent the coordinates.
"Roger, Mazinger." The tech replied, then relayed the message.
Kenzo got on. "How's Tetsuya?" he asked.
He bit his lip. "He's...he's pretty bad…"
Once he landed at the science center, a team of medics came over and placed Tetsuya onto a waiting stretcher. Koji held his brother's hand as they went to the medical bay. "Stay with me, Tetsuya. Please. Don't leave…" he said quietly, as if in prayer.
Koji paced the floor as he waited outside, his head in his hands as tears streamed down his face. "I'm sorry…I-I'm so sorry…" he whispered. He suddenly found himself in the arms of his father.
"Son, this is why you should always think before you speak," Kenzo said gently, rubbing his back. He didn't say more, seeing that his son is suffering enough as it is.
"Dad, I never meant it!" he cried. "I never EVER wanted him to be hurt, OR killed!"
"I know, I know you didn't, son," he replied gently.
Jun placed a gentle hand on Koji's back. "Hey, I'm not mad anymore. If it's any help, you moved faster than lightning out there. You almost knocked me down coming here while I was going to get Great!" she said with a smile.
Shiro looked up at his older brother. "Koji, you got him here really fast, so he should be alright soon, right? He won't die, right?"
Koji gently ruffled his little brother's hair. "He won't die, not if I have anything to do with it," he replied gently.
The doctor came out and looked at the family. "First of all, let me say that he's stable for now." He said, then looked grim. "He has some cracked ribs, some deep cuts in his chest and legs, and he's lost a lot of blood. He's getting a transfusion as we speak."
Koji stepped forward. "We have the same blood type. If you need more, I'll gladly give it!"
The doctor shook his head. "It's fine, for now. But I'll keep that in mind. He also has a concussion and some lacerations on his arms. " He looked down, "We've done all we could. He's in God's hands now."
They took turns going into Tetsuya's room. He was almost completely covered in bandages. He had an IV in one arm while he was receiving blood in the other arm. He laid unconscious.
Shiro laid his head on his eldest brother's shoulder, crying. "Tetsuya! Please don't die! Don't leave us! Koji didn't mean to be mad at you! He didn't!"
Jun came over next. "Tetsuya. Please, come back to us! You've been through worse, you know you have!" she said tearfully, holding his hand and squeezing it. She kissed his cheek before leaving.
A tearful Kenzo went over to his injured son and held his hand. "Tetsuya. Please, get well. Fight this, you know you can…" He kissed his son's forehead. "We love you, son."
After his father left, Koji came in and sat down next to Tetsuya, holding his hand. "Tetsuya…Tetsuya, I am so, so sorry….I didn't mean any of that crap I said earlier. None of it!" He lowered his head, tears spilling freely from his eyes. "I never EVER wanted to see you hurt, or…" he couldn't bring himself to say the word. "You know…I've always seen you as my older brother. Someone to watch my back, to look up to…" He placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Tetsuya, you're my hero. I…I look up to you. I do!" He laid his head onto the mattress. "Please, Tetsuya. I lost my grandfather, and I lost the man closest to an uncle that I can get… Please, I don't want to lose you, too…" he sobbed. He stood up for a moment, then leaned over and kissed his brother's forehead. "I love you, brother." He whispered, then sat back down, never once letting go of his hand.
Koji stayed beside his brother, refusing to leave or let go of his hand except for when medical personnel needed to get to Tetsuya. He even helped the nurses change the bandages and give him a sponge bath. These small acts helped alleviate the pain of guilt a little. Koji even managed to smile as he helped care for him.
After four days, Koji felt someone squeezing his hand. "Wakey wakey," someone whispered faintly.
Koji looked up, then smiled as he saw his older brother, awake and smiling back at him. "T-Tetsuya? TETSUYA!" He practically leaped onto his chest, pulling him into a gentle hug, being mindful of the healing injuries. "You had us all scared to death…" he said tearfully.
Tetsuya gently ruffled his hair. "Hey…I've been through worse, you know…"
Koji scoffed. "You could've fooled me…" He looked at him. "Tetsuya, about what I said before. I didn't mean any of-"
Tetsuya placed a finger on his lips. "Koji, I already know. I've already forgiving you."
He smiled. "Thank you, my brother." He gave him another hug.
THE END