The Snack J Jam II by Daniel Rush
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The Snack J Jam II

"Great, it's Friday night again! Leave it to Jun to tell me I can't go out because we're gonna be too busy."

"Hey Jinpei! How about another one?" Ken asks as he pushes another bottle of beer away.

"Ken? When am I gonna see some yen for all these?" Jinpei asks as he points at the scratches in the table noting Ken's increasing debt of beer fines.

"Oh comeon Jinpei. You know I'm good for it, besides, are these worth the trouble?" Ken pauses to dump a whole bag of Skittles before Jinpei's candy loving eyes.

"No! I love my sister too much to give in to such temptation!" Jinpei clasps his hands in a saintly way before swooping the bag under the bar and replacing Ken's beer. "You won't tell her will you?"

"Nope." Ken said as he popped the beer.

"Jinpei?" Joe called from the corner table near the bar. "Two rum and cokes here."

Jinpei pulls two glasses from the overhead rack and proceeds to do a Tom Cruise with the Baccardi bottles, smoothly pouring two rum and cokes and swaying with the music as he drops them off.

"You can pay me later Joe. At least you'll do that....unlike some people. Oh...Hi Rally!"

Rally Vincent brushed the heavy bangs of hair from her face and gave Jinpei a simple grin as he sauntered back to the bar and tapped Ryu on the head.

"You want something to eat Ryu? I'm starving!" Jinpei said as he started the small grill behind the bar.

"Hmm.....how about some Unagi with that soju sauce you make? That sounds like a good idea?"

"Sure.......NO!" Jinpei smacks the television with a good fist as the Utoland Sharks blow another game.

"That's five in a row! It's a criminal plot I'm telling you!" He rattles as he stomps his foot in anger.

"Hey Jin......save your anger for the dance floor." Minori Sendai, consumate party girl and resident singer says as she walks in with her large gang of friends in tow.

"Oh no.....better get sis from upstairs and call the riot police again. We're about to have another full house of drunk adults!"

*******************

"One two three...one two three.......... Here I stand head in hand...turn my face to the wall........if she's gone I can't go on.........feelin two foot small.........."

Jinpei changed the track on the CD Player to a set of Beetles Anthology CD's for some slower dance time before Midori started raising the night to it's fever pitch. A familiar voice brought him about to look at the long coated Irishman from ISO Intelligence.

"Oy.....whatcha doin me boy? Keepin yerself outa trouble?"

"Hi Bogie!" Jinpei said as he punched the Irishman's coat and realed back from punching the steel barrel of the harnessed Remington shotgun slung down his left side.

"Bogie?...you want me to take that? You might upset the customers if they see you packing that thing!"

Bogamill quickly passed Jinpei the shotgun as he moved along the bar to give Ryu a good pat on the back.

"Ay Angin-san, I saw Noriko at the 'ospital. She says she be comin by later on."

Ryu smiled as he signal Jinpei for a drink. "The usual Dan?" Ryu asked as Bogamill sat and lit a cigar. "Thanks much. Say we're gettin some new stuff from our friends. A new code we be eyein with interest, if you know what I mean?"

Ryu's eyes jumped. "Guess Galactor's looking to do another move on us? I heard their crusing through Utoland as of late but..."

Bogamill shook his head. "We don't 'ave a clear head on this yet so it's a bit early ta tell anyone about it. However, I wouldn't be surprized if Katse were tryin his hand at ......drug production."

Jinpei heard that bit of info. Drugs ment only one thing.....or one person.....Tut? He thoguht of it as Kenji Asakano walked in behind him and donned an apron.

"8pm? your late Kenji." Jinpei said as Kenji gave him a smile. "Good reason.... Yumi and I went to the movies."

"What?" Jinpei said with surprize. "You and me have to have a talk later about that."

"What for?" Kenji asked as Jinpei tapped his foot. "You know...you made it all to obvious."

Jinpei began to wonder in the meantime where his sister was. She was just as late as Kenji was, then Jinpei realized that Ken had vanished! " No way. Leave me alone again sis!" Jinpei was a bit upset as he tore his apron off and walked to the stairs leading to the apartment.

He stopped just short of the door. "No.... stop before you go off all upset. Their older than you after all and you've been on them both for years. This is more your doing than theirs, you wanted it to happen. Go back down stairs before you do somthing you'll regret."

Joe was absorbed in Rally Vincent's other than professional bounty hunter nature as she rubbed his hand with a playfull finger. "Hey, let's go do something..." She said with a slight pur of the mouth which caused Joe to flex.

'What do you have in mind?" He asked as she moved to play with his mouth. "Well... I'm feeling rather "flakey", go figure huh? I have this certain park fountain in mind."

"Rally?" Joe said as he grabbed her hands and covered her mouth. Ryu turned around from the bar and looked at his suddenly blushing companion.

She moved closer. "So if condor's are birds of prey, why can't you snatch a simple rabbit like me?" Rally got up and slowly walked out of the bar leaving Joe in a near panic.

"God dam it....Kuso!" He muttered as he followed her out to the quiet hooting of Ryu in the background. Kenji Ashikano got the message and got quickly snuffed by Jinpei's back hand!

"Stop it. Here, take these drumsticks out onto the floor and act busy for once!"

*******************


Once again, the CD player changed over to the more wilder party music beat the crowd craved for and as usual there went Minori Sendai into her crowd sturing struts.

Ryu smiled as his girlfriend Noriko Akazawa walked in and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, "Hi beautifull!" She said as Jinpei mimiced her from across the bar and razzled Ryu.

"Don't let him get to you Ryu. The little boy's his usual self." Noriko smirked as Jinpei frowned at the boy remark, he thought about spiking her drink if he didn't invite the revenge of the owl apon his head. Insted he turned to Kenji and made him follow him into the garage.

"Ok.....about you and Yumi. I don't think you two went to the movies." Jinpei said with one eye closed as Kenji began to protest.

"Look Anikie, you might be two years older than me but you don't run my life. We didn't do anything "serious" like you and Misako must have been doing when Jun was on vacation.

Jinpei wanted to cold slap Kenji for that

little snap. But it would only confirm the Pack's little rumors that razzled Jinpei from time to time when he went over to the clubhouse.

"We didn't do anything either, so don't go shooting your mouth off to the others. I'm only watching your back like I always do. Heck, who's allways telling me not to do stupid stuff all the time?"

Kenji grabbed Jinpei by the hair and messed it up before going back to the bar to cook more food. Jinpei meanwhile became suddenly frisky as the Maccareina song began to play for the tenth time that night.

"Now things are getting interesting." Jinpei slowly moved to the music to the CD player and rifled through the collection for something else to play.

"Hmmm.....Earth, Wind, and Fire? This is a new one. probably on of Jun's funny stuff CD's..."

'Hey there.........It's not as bad as you'd expect True your night is wrecked......but it could have been over......"

"Hey.....?" Jinpei said as he leaned on the railing of the music station. "This is nice. Jun's got a good taste for music that's for sure."

*******************

Utoland Public atrium 11pm

Rally paused in her walk along the wall of the big water fountain centered in a quiet grove of trees to look at Joe who sat off to the side.

What was wrong with him, she wondered. They had known each other for years and he was never this brooding, this dark. Of course, their rellationship was always professional rather than personal but in that time she had chipped away at his formidable facade to see an inner troubled spirit, a man in need of some compasion, the man she grew at first to admire then slowly to love.

She hopped off the wall and sat beside him gently holding his hand and resting on his side.

"Joe....what do you think about, what is it that keeps you so uptight all the time? so alert?"

Rally turned his head with her hand and looked into his eyes. "What has you troubled so?"

Joe didn't know how to tell her, wanted always to tell her but never could. He just reguarded her with those killer eyes of his.

"If you can't tell me, it'll tear you apart Joe. I've seen it in other men beleave me. Bean was like this too, obsessive right to the end, cold and robotic and he was killed by it."

She moved closer and embraced him with her arms and gave him a slow kiss on the lips. " Joe...please. What's bothering you?"

He reached for her soft cheeks, the warm tenderness of her face, the beauty that also beheld her great strenth and he seemed to melt. His eyes closed as he slowly moved away and sank back into his bruding mood.

Rally thought for a moment before slowly rising to remove her blue dress jacket. She moved gracefully, eroticly removing each piece of clothing as Joe suddenly looked at her and jumped!

"What are you doing!" He said softly yet forcefully as her panties slipped down to her ankles.

"The only thing you might respond too. since it seems you won't any other way Joe Asakura." Rally moved close once again to feel the trembling of his flesh, the feeling of fear in an otherwise fearless body. She kissed him ever so softly before moving back and climbing into the fountain.

The sculpture in the center resembled two large swan like Pheonix's in loving embrace, an almost perfect irony to the whole event. Rally moved through the rain of water to the lighted base of the statue, her feminine from and long flowing hair stood in perfect siloentation in the soft white glow of the lighted water.

"Are you shy Joe Asakura?" She asked as he stood there half wanting but half resisting the urge to move. Untill the long years of lonliness and death, pain and agony forced within him a long tearfull need...

Rally watched him undress, a powerfull tigerlike form of a man who's muscles became accented in their raw unyeilding strenth by the shaddows their lines created. He was truely as big in all ways as she saw him to be, big and brutish as if he'd killed a hundred men without growing tired. Though she was a hunter by trade she could somehow fear this visage as it slowly made it's way toward her.

He grasped her by the shoulders and she let out a gasp of surprize as he pulled her toward him and held her in his arms. The left hand slowly moved to cup her breast in a tender and gentle touch. The face was wanting, searching, breaking apart to show the depth of his pain.

"No words my love...." Rally said as her lips moved along his neck and down his chest with loving passions, he could feel her gentle teasing as she came back to kiss him again.

He took her gently off her feet and she could feel the warmth of his passion as it filled her. She reguarded his face once more as they locked in a sweet embrace of lust and love.

He could see it all coming forth, the killing, the dying, the loss of his parents, the death of Lucy who he still felt tears for, Maria who tried to save him when he killed her, all the pain ,all the suffering, ushering forth in great washes as he embraced this most loving of any woman he'd ever known.....and for once he cried unashamed, unleadened, for the first time in his life.

Rally felt him weaken as his locked secrets left his body and he began to waver and collapse into the water with her. She held him in her arms tendely as he continued to cry.

"There, there my beloved.....no more." Rally said as she stroked the wet hair, the rough face, the flowing tears. They kissed softly, slowly, lovingly as the waters cooled their spirits....

Then the flash of a very bright spotlight lit the whole air about them!

'This is the Utoland District Police! Don't move! In fact.....Don't stand up!"

"KUSO!" Joe screamed in total shock! He let loose a torant of obsenities as the whole moment went to hell in a hand basket before his eyes!

*******************


Jun emerged from her room slowly as she left Ken passed out on the bed. The past few weeks had been a living hell for him since the death of Otosan Kentaro who had given his life to save Earth. She was keeping him whole and intact spiritualy though she felt Kamei was better at such things.

She deffinatly didn't want to walk into Jinpei right now as she had nothing on. But she could laugh at the many times he'd do the same thing in his sleep wearing only a pair of socks! So any sudden "Jun? How did it go?" snipes from him could easily be countered with the threat of revieling, "The dreaded picture" that hung covered over the bar. He hated that one and got rid of several over the years but Jun would quickly replace them with copies. It was a way good way of "keeping him honest." she thought.

She didn't see the dark shaddow that sat in the easy chair in a dark corner of the living room, however, and it's sudden voice made her jump!

"My Jun, You certainly haven't changed at all in a long time?"

She wheeled around quickly! Never mind being embarrassed, this intruder was about to find out the hard way that she could be as deadly unclothed as she was clothed in bird style!

But as Jun stood poised, the sound of the voice brought a sudden familiar face into her head. The figure threw her a towel to cover herself as it stood up.

"You still remember me of course? I didn't think you'd ever forget." He said as this tall and suave Japanese theif walked closer so she could see him. He still wore the same red and grey suit with the ruffle shirt and polished boots. The hair hadn't changed nor the gallant visage that greeted her with a friendly smile.

"Lupin?" Jun said as she could now see a second figure sitting in the window. He was more scruffy looking than Lupin was cool. His frazzled beard and gowing cigarette betrayed the rough lines of him gunman's face very well.

"Where there's you Lupin there's always Jigan. You two are never far apart are you?"

Lupin stood with his hands in his pockets. " Of course. I'm sorry to just walk in here when ....your somewhat misdressed. You realy haven't lost anything Jun, but who's on the bed?"

Jun crossed her arms. "That you have no need to know. What happened between you and Fujiko Anami? I thought you'd be married by now?"

"Aw....you know Fujiko, she's her own thing all the time, If I could get her to sit down for five minutes and talk to me I'm lucky! She's not the sit down type you know.....nor are you. but you are a good friend Jun, the very best."

Jun looked at him. "You want me to set you up here for a while right?" Oh she wasn't at all happy with that. "Wolf?" She said sternly.

Lupin reguarded her with the usual puppy face of inocent youthfullness. "Jun...you know I'm good for it always, besides, there's some wild things going on in Utoland that need my "attention" and with Inspector Zenagata of Interpol breathing down my neck every five minutes, I won't be able to concentrate on what I need to do. This stuff that's going down has you and your Gatchaman team's name all over it as well as myself. So I need your help for old times sake."

She thought about kicking him out, but what if he was right and something major was up? Lupin the Wolf would be an incredible, if not formidable asset. She knoded her head.

"Allright....you can stay. I'll hold you up in my brother's room for now untill we can get you ISO immunity from Zenagata. But you have to put up with Jinpei and he's not going to be too happy with someone in his room."

"Not to worry Jun. I love kids, you know that!" Lupin said as he smiled and flashed a V sign.

"Don't call my little brother a kid Wolf, he's just as good as I am and he can take your head off if you treat him like a boy remember that."

Wolf knoded his head as he signaled Jigan to climb through the window and follow him sillently up the stairs to Jin's room.  

*******************


The reasuring hug from behind gave Jinpei sudden relief from his current worry about his sister. Misako hugged him as he placed another plate of chicken on the food and drink table near the dance floor. "Hi Jinpei!" She squeeled as he took her off her feet and danced her onto the floor as Minori Sendai launched into another Karoke song....

"......That I came back again...I love you so...... I'm the one who want's you.........."

"Your parents must be off on another trip. You'd never get out across town from Hiratska this late at night!"

"Your right as always. And Jun's gone off on her won too I bet or you wouldn't be here on a Friday night right?"

Jinpei spun with her across the floor as he knoded the obvious. He knew more than she did though but he'd never tell.

Meanwhile, Ryu was in a slow convo with his girl in Joe's corner table. "So you still haven't decided to go with me to my Father's village have you? I'd like him to meet you at least once before we....you know......tie the knot and tell the rest of humanity how crazy we are?"

"Ryu!...your such a kidder!" Noriko said as she gave him a playfull push.

"Playfull is more the word. Look, we both know it's the truth Noriko, why fight it? It's our Karma to be as one, we're both the same person!"

She laughed at the thought of being married even when Ryu was right. They shared every little detail, art, fishing, jokes, fun.......more fun .......more fun! She was crazy over him, so  maybe he was right about marrage. Maybe the fates didn't lie?

"Oh the heck with it Ryu! Let's go now, maybe your Dad won't be as stubborn as mine is!" She ran out the door with the big pilot in tow. Jinpei noticed it as he slwo danced with Misako.

"Grrrrr.......go get her Ryu!" He snickered as he and Misako left the floor for the bar. Poor Bogamill was obviously tanked up but the best think about the drunk Irishman was his nice quiet attitude, not like most drunks that Jinpei had to manhandle out the door when they got  too stupid.

Bogamill gave him a pat on the shoulder as Jinpei checked him over. "Hey Bogie, Let me get a taxi for you? You've had enough."

Jinpei reached into the coat and pulled the magnum from it's holster and emptied both guns behind the counter before calling a taxi to take Bogamill home.

Meanwhile............Central District Constable H.Q.....Utoland District Police.....12:35am

"You'd better make your phonecall pal... Captain Katana's not a very happy man right now and he want's to see you right now!"

"Son of a bitch! What's that friken emergency number? If I wasn't so drunk I wouldn't be tempted to call Ken! Fuck this is embarassing enough!"

*******************


Captain Jubei Katana was not a happy man where ISO was concerned. He was a large and formidable man by both size and stature and his force of police commanded respect,as they should since they gave even the so called Galactor a run for money when they tried doing small time laundering rackets or the drug trade.

Right now his immediate problem was one Joe Asakura who he only knew as one of those sciance types who worked with the famous Doctor Nambu of ISO. Of course, who gave a shit when the law was broken. No man, ISO or otherwise could pass Katana's muster when it came to metering the punishment for breaking the law.

"Asakura, this is the FIFTH! and I mean the FIFTH time you have been in my station! And above all that, you do it in the most wild manor I have seen in my thirty years of being a police officer!"

"Indecent exposure! Sexual intercourse in a public area! assaulting an officer! Drunk and disorderly conduct! I hope you got your rocks off on this mister because you will be doing some cooling off in my ice chest tonight!"

Katana gave Rally only a passing glance. He knew her record allready as a hunter. But he didn't hesitate to snap at her just to see if this Asakura wouldn't do something even more stupid.

"Miss Vincent, I hope he made you very extreamly happy tonight!" Katana snapped as he watched Joe boil with anger.

"Sergent! Did he make his call yet?" The Captain said to his duty Sergent at a nearby desk.

"No sir, in fact he's having toruble rememebering the number."

"That's no problem.....I got it right here." Katana waved his address book. "I kept it after a certain young brat, a mutual friend of ours ran away from some of my cops and totaled his car? I think Doctor Nambu will be more than pleased when I call him at home and get him up, don't you?"

Joe's heart suddenly raced as Katana dialed the number and waited.......

NAMBU'S HOUSE  Fujimedai Japan

"Uhh.........Nambu Hakasei.....Koon ban..... huh? oh...Captain Katanadesu.........nani? ..........what!?..................son of a bitch!....."

"SLAM!"

Katana smiled a hidious grin as two fo his cops escorted Joe and Rally into the holding area. The night had been very good indeed for Katana.

for Joe.......the nightmare had begun.

SNACK J 01:30am

"Well that was another fine night huh Anikie Jinpei?" Kenji asked as he began to clean the bar while once again Jinpei and Misako took care of the floor.

"Yup, and for once we didn't have a single drunk get thrown out on their butt or a fight start up. I'd say it was good."

Kenji turned towards the space between the two hard drink cabinets and waited till Jinpei had walked over to polish the dance floor and Misako was away from him at the bar.

"Say Missy, you wana see that picture I was telling you about?" Kenji said as he stood holding the corner of the brown cloth that hung over the picture frame.

"Go ahead! before he turns around!" She said as she watched the cloth come up and all but died laughing!

She was still breaking out when Jinpei came back with the mop in his hands. "What's so funny?" He asked. Even Kenji couldn't hope to keep a strait face.

"You didn't.......you better not.......Oh you'd better start running home Kenji!" Jinpei stood there red faced as Misako took him by the waist.

"Jin, you have the cutest tush!" She said as he just watched Kenji walk out the door. " Jinpei.....stop it." Misako said as Jinpei took a seat.

"I could just hate that picture. Jun uses it to get her way with me all the time!" He said with a slight snarl as he looked at the space.

It passed quickly, Jinpei called Kenji back in to give him his paycheck for the week. He all but froze.

"Anikie...this is too much! You added some more to this didn't you?"

"Your complaining? It's going for a good purpose. Your taking those college courses arn't you?"

"Anikie....this is your money. Dam it Jinpei I can't take this much!" Kneji said as he tried to hand Jinpei back the check and Jinpei placed it inside Kenji's shirt and tapped it.

"Jun pays you what she thinks your worth and I think your worth twice as much! So I pay you what I think your worth. Don't argue with me."

Kenji gave Jinpei a face half happy and half hurt as he walked out for home.

Misako wanted to say something too but Jinpei stopped her short.

"You wana go see some friends of mine?" He asked.

"Sure.....where to?" she said in return.

"The beach." Jinpei said as he stood up and walked around to turn of fthe lights. He stopped to look at the door to the apartment and frowned as he walked with Misako to the buggy.

*******************

 Misako thought it was funny for Jinpei to be walking the beach in his bird style uniform, then again Jinpei normaly did things that were funny to begin with. This time however seemed different to her, he felt different than his usual jovial self, a change had happened between the time they left the Snack J to when they arrived at this small, isolated stretch of beach north of Kamakura.

Jinpei spread the thick mink blanket he carried under his arm onto the smooth sand and began removing his helmet, the big belt around his waist, and the thick wing cape from around his neck.

"I thought you couldn't take those off?" She asked as he pulled the long boots from his legs.

"I couldn't, untill I fixed the morphing process in the bracelet, just don't tell anyone. It's buku illegal. They can't take the bracelet though, I modified the band with Spanish Durna steel, solid ring. Nothing can rip it off."

He sat down and pulled Misako close to him as they waited for several minutes for these supposed friends of his.

"Well?" Misako asked a Jinpei smiled at her. "Where are these friends of yours?"

He cupped his hands to his mouth and made several clicking and weezing noises as she looked around in the darkness and towards the sea.

The sudden apearance of a small black object that bobbed and sweyed up the beach frightened her....till it got close enough for the kind lupin like eyes to shine like pearls against the ambiant street lights behind them,

It was a seal! Not just one either, but soon a whole pack of them clustered around the blanket with their familiar barking noises and inquizitive motions as they poked and proded the two teenagers with their furry faces.

"Jinpei smiled as he hugged one by what could be considered a neck. "Jodye! Hey good friend, nice to see you looking well. And who's this little character?" Jinpei allowed a smaller seal to climb on his lap and he gave it's small stomach a friendly rub.

"I can't beleave this? They act as if they know you?" Misako said as she patted a big bull seal on the head.

"They do." Jinpei said as he reached to touch another seal's nose. " I come here alot since we brought this group from Sitron Island after Galactor destroyed it, the bastards. I'm kind of a "hero" to these guys. They count me as one of their own."

"I've always wanted to know something." Misako asked as she lay back on the blanket. " Are you empathic with animals? Jun says your able to talk with them and they understand you."

"Empathic?" He replied. "Doubt it. I don't know if I am, if I am. I just like animals and they like me back, nothing empathic about that is there?"

Misako watched as Jinpei removed a bag of Skittles candy from his cape and began giving the Seals a helping before he lay back apon the blanket himself.

"Jinpei. Somethings got you troubled. What is it?" She asked as he truned his head.

"Troubled? Nothing. Why ask?" He came back in a not to convincing tone.

"Nice try Jin....lier." She played with his hair as Jinpei's face seemed to tighten. "Your not much good at covering yourself Jinpei when your realy troubled, I know. I saw how you looked up those stairs before we left.....you looked angry."

"It's Jun isn't it?" Misako said as he took her hand and played with it's warm smooth skin.

"No.....It's Ken. You didn't know it but some time back he lost his dad. Hadn't seen him since he was eight and he only got a few minutes before his father left him behind....

"He killed himself to save the world from one of Galactor's sick plans."

Misako ached a bit. She knew Ken well at the Snack, a nice guy too. " he's still seeing Jun?" Misako asked.

"Practicly lives in the house now. At first, I wanted to see that happen, Him and my sister together and in love. I needled them both for years over it, drove Jun crazy. Now....I'm realy scared. Jun's trying to keep Ken focused, keep him sane and as of late he's been drinking like a fool! He get's so stupid drunk it's pissing me off! One day I'm afraid he'll hurt Jun and I'll have to kick his ass!"

Misako was stunned. Jinpei never showed such thoughts about Gatchaman, Ken of all people especialy. She'd been worried for months about the savage turn the war across the world was taking and the strain it was putting on Jin and his "family" as he called them.

"I didn't know you were feeling like this, untill now. Why don't you talk to Ken about it? Tell him how you feel?"

Jinpei pushed a seal off his chest and sat up. "And what would he say back to me? Jinpei your over reacting? Your just a kid still Jinpei, don't worry yourself? Ken's like that. So's the others, to them I'm still little Jinpei the worry wart wonder kid! Even my sister, how do I tell her without stomping on her feet and pissing her off? I can't tell her how to run her life but I'll be dammed to hell if I let someone abuse her and I just sit back like a little kid and do nothing."

"Misako, this war isn't over, it's not even close to being over. Day after day it goes on and on and on and we're all trying to keep the team in one piece till it ends. I'm scared shitless it might all come crashing in on us before Katse's finished!"

Jinpei was tired, tired of carrying a burden simply not ment for a boy his age but she knew he'd keep going because he had no other way out of it.

She carefully drew closer to him and hugged him gently untill he once again lay with his eyes closed allowing the gentle lips to carress his tired face. At times like this, a little affection went a long way......

especialy when Misako got bumped by an overzelious and slobbering seal that made it's affections a little too overblown!

"Yuck!" Jinpei growled as Misako laughed at him........nothing like a good surprize to cure the blues.

*******************

Doctor Nambu had heard it all he thought, till he heard this little story from Captain Kitana.

"Dam it Asakura, of all the wild stunts you end up getting arrested for, this takes the whole works! You know what kind of embarrassment you just caused me? Why is it you can't stay low key like the others? You'd be less of a problem for me to worry over these days."

For his part, Joe said nothing since they both left the station for Nambu's home in Fujimidai. So how do you explain to your long time mentor that you got caught in of all things a public fountain endulging in " The call of the wild" as Nambu called it. Indecent exposure and sexual intercourse in a public place was way to harsh phrases to talk about with a man like Nambu.

At least Joe would finaly get to see where Hakasei lived for once. He'd never visited the house before.

At first glance it seemed impossible for the great Nambu of ISO to be living in such simple quarters. A one story circular house surrounded by a neck high brick wall with a simple yard of bonsai, roses, and properly trimed bushes.

Apon entry, Nambu called for the lighting, the coffee, and a soft sellection of old music or what Nambu called "The Doors" which Joe felt was not normal for a man of Nambu's calabre as well.

"You want something to drink Joe?" Nambu asked as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of Baccardi from the cabinet.

"No Hakasei....." Joe said as he did the ususal eye search of the house. He knew Nambu had children of his own besides the team, Joe never got to see them since they were under a sort of screen of protection from Galactor's ever searching gang of killers who'd like nothing better than to deal the Doctor a good blow for revenge sake.

Nambu tossed a Coke across the room into Joe's skillfull hands and smiled. "It's not like you to refuse a simple drink like rum and coke Joe. "Rally Vincent must have scrambled your brains real good?"

"HAKASEI!" Joe snapped as he took a sip of the Coke and almost choked.

"Joe, let's be serious. How many times have I had to cover for you because you have the habit of going off alone all the time and take on the whole world? This isn't your first run in with the Police and I suspect it's not going to be the last."

Joe frowned as he examined the Coke. "Sir, your not going to give me the "I'm worried about you Joe" Speal again are you? I think you should save that one for Ken insted. I'm more worried right now about him than myself."

Nambu took a seat on a foot rest. "I should berate you for tonight insted of switching the subject Joe, You embarassed me with that wild display of yours, but your right...Ken is my concern right now."

"Hakasei, you saw what he did to Ghartz in that room two weeks ago. He was bent on killing, thursting for it. It clouded his judgement."

Nambu looked up. "Your the one to preach about clouds Asakura. You seem bent on jumping into the fire and getting killed, your just as driven as Ken is now."

"I beg to differ sir!" Asakura replied. " in my case, I have always worked alone, with no one near me to get hurt if I screwed up. Ken's the leader of Gatchaman, our lives depend on his steady mind, his sure computations, and if he gets clouded by mindless revenge because of Kentaro's death, he could kill us all! He's my friend and brother Hakasei, but I won't let him take the others on a one way trip to the afterlife. I can't allow that!"

He was right, if only in a self excluding way. Joe would never openly admit Ken as the linchpin apon which the team turned ,but he had a way of sneaking it in with catch words and phrases. To Nambu, he could be forthought and honest about such things because Nambu had worked so hard to gain Joe's trust and confidence.

"I must still show my reservations at your own actions Joe as well as Ken's. I can't see loosing you because of something stupid like getting thrown into jail or stepping into some trap that you can't walk out of. Your not a man of steel Joe and someday it may be your own undoing. We need you."

Joe laughed at the "something stupid" remark as he placed his hand on his mentor's shoulder. "Are you still angry at me for the fountain?"

"Next time you crazy Sicillian, find a bush, or a car, or a hotel room to expell your inner demons in. Don't let me be the one to catch you "bear rugging" it again because I'll be sure you get what's coming to you.......on the six o'clock news!"

Nambu grabbed a pillow that lay in a chair behind him and threw it into Asakura's chest. " Oh yes....your punishment? Sleep on the floor!"

Joe took up a spot near the Sterio Player and eyed Nambu's sellection as the Doctor retired to his room.

"Good night Hakasei! And thanks for the wonderfull floor!"

"Goodnight Joe....and don't turn that sterio up if you know what's good for you!"

"........Isn't it good.....Norweigen Wood........ I sat on the rug.......drinking her wine........ biding her time........................"

Joe smiled as he drifted off to sleep, he did indeed feel much different than before. "And thankyou Rally-chan. For caring."


*******************


"Ryu?....Hey! Ryu?.....hmm...must be off sleeping again, good idea." Jinpei was dogged tired, or seal tired depending on the point of view. He had just taken Misako home for the night and carefully tucked her into her bed before leaving. Of course, she wanted him to stay and he would have if his disoplined ninja mind hadn't told him how wrong it was for him to be with her when her parents wern't home. "Some times I just wish I could be a guy like Joe, at least he get's closer to skirting the law than I do." Jinpei could hear the centerline of the tracker clanking again... "Shoot, now the bolts are coming loose again?"

He'd been waiting for hours now. Looking over the Snack J from a high building across the way. The punk that gave his boss the information was a ratty little bastard who asked alot of money for what he told Tut, but the mafioso gunman didn't argue the point when he was told he'd have another warm body to send to a meat slab in the morge....he was happy for the oportunity.

The sun was just begining to peak through the city skyline as Jinpei pulled up to the Snack and began checking the car out like he always did, stopping briefly to register how tied he was.

"That's it boy.....stand still for just one more...."

"Excuse me." Came a low but obviously very serious voice from behind the Mafioso. He tried to turn and sight on his attacker who moved with lightening swiftness, not even the flashing of his blade made any noises as the Katana sliced his sniper rifle in half, cut the belt clean from his pants, the knife from his pocket, and all but shreaded his clothing from his body! The final insult was a smack in the face by the sword hilt that sent him sprawling!

The mysterious sword master cleanly and deftly replaced his sowrd and looked at Jinpei with a serious face as he walked up the side stairs and into the apartment.

Jigan was sacked out under the window as usual with Lupin sprawled across the bed. He was dreaming of the usual stuff.....money...... Fujiko.......money........money.......Fujiko......... much more money...........Zenagata.....What!

He slowly awoke to see someone small standing over him in a very wild looking suit.

"Hi mister, who ever the hell you are, Your in my fricken bed!" Jinpei laid into poor Lupin with a quick chest punch as Jigan came up behind him.

"Boss!!" Jigan said in the still dark room as he drew his pistol and got a face full of spining clackers in return. He was quick to bring the gun up to block the wildly spining clacker as they choped his gun barrel off!"

"Dam it! That was my best gun too!" Jigan tried to lay into the offending midget and had him on the floor when the lights came on!

"Jinpei! What the heck are you doing?" Poor Jun asked as she had to also keep Ken from gangbusting in behind her.

"What do you mean, what am I doing! What are these guys doing in my room sis? I know you got lots of friends but this is nuts!" Jinpei took the usual hard line stance as Lupin tried his best to explain....but he forgot the cardinal rule...

"Now look here kid." Jinpei hit him again and the fight was on untill Jun got a hold of him and sent him downstairs to the kitchen. The swallow was not a happy camper at all. And the look he gave Ken......Jun knew he wasn't going to calmed easily.


*******************


Ken didn't know what tot hink as he followed Jinpei downstairs and into the Snack. The boy was realy pissed off. He was yelling at poor Jun who gave up even trying to talk to him till he was more calm, then he turned on Ken with an equal rage till he just turned and left.

Ken seemed to notice how much Jinpei had grown over the past few years, first time he thought anyone gave Jinpei that thought. He still looked like a little kid, though his voice had cracked a long time ago betraying his adolescent years had arrived with a vengence.

Ken had to seek for words, which was hard to do when a mean face was looking right at you.

"Listen Jinpei. I swear I don't know anything about those other two guys. I don't want you to think badly about your sister."

"Dam it Washio! wrong thing to say!" Ken thought as Jinpei's eyes shot up! He was going to swing untill he caught himself.

"You know my sister, Ken." Jinpei said as he leaned back in his chair. " She's not like that, and I don't think like that either. Jun has tons of friends from all over the place and she never throws any of them in my room..it's supposed to be off limits!"

Ken rubbed his hands together. "Be honest with me Jinpei....you don't like what me and Jun have been doing as of late."

Jinpei became uneasy in his seat. "The truth? You two still treat me like some phantom at night. It's obvious what's going on, I have to walk by the room on my way to bed and it's not "unatural" to see you two naked in bed together, I'm not shocked at 14 like I'd be at ten you know."

Ken got taken back by Jinpei's honest answer! He expected the boy to squrm and stutter all over the place. Jinpei was calmer now than a few minutes ago too.

"You want to know what my problem is Anikie? It's your stupid drinking. You come in here and drink much more than usual then you and Jun disapear for the night. I've seen you change and to be honest I don't want you with my sister when your on your ass drunk!"

"Jinpei?" Ken tried to cut in but Jinpei cut him down.

"My sister's been through alot Ken, I know it all and I swear if I find you beating her up or any other stupid stuff because your all filled with liquid stupidity, I'll kick your ass all over the place! I mean it Ken!" Jinpei rose from his chair and got within an inch of Ken's face.

"Anikie, I can't stand seeing you like this. It's getting worse. Don't expect me to feed you beers like I used to. Consider the free tab bar closed. It's as much for my sister as it is for you...."

Jinpei left Ken sitting alone as he walked up the stairs to see Jun. "Can we talk?"

Jun excused herself from Lupin and Jigan and walked with her brother into her bedroom. " I'm sorry Jinpei." She said as she held his hands while he stood looking somewhat drawn.

"Oh sis....shoot!" He said as he just settled for another of her hugs. No more words needed to be said, confidence restored as usual.


*******************


Yamazaki was a very small, almost unoticed corner of Southern Honshu where life went by at a very slow creep with the flow of the fishing trade that was it's base industry.

And if anyone mastered that industry well, it was Satoru Matsuyama. Matsuyama was not only the chief fisherman but the mayor as well and in the long time he had spent administering Yamazaki, the small village had grown by leaps and bounds along with the industry itself.

He had two sons, Tadio was his youngest and seemed closer to following in his father's footsteps than his older boy, Ryu. Satoru had known for a time that Ryu was a member of the famed Ninjatai Gatchaman, a secret he kept very well hidden from the clouds of local gossip.

He was enjoying the morning coffee and newspaper when there came a knock on the front door. Ryu's reaction was normal of course as he wrapped his large arms around the equaly large Satoru as both had not seen  the other in a long time.

"Mother! Ryu's home! And I see your brought a friend? Not the usual "company" is it?"

"No father....This is Noriko. She's the woman I'm going to marry."

The way Ryu put the news caught Satoru off guard! "What? Marry?....." Satoru took Noriko by the hands. "Well bless this old man's heart, Ryu's a sneeky boy, always has been ever since he was two feet high. Are you sure you can handle him my dear?"

Noriko laughed as Satoru showed her inside the house and gave her a seat at the breakfast table. " I think so, he tells me it's "fate". I don't blame him, we are close in many ways....even fishing."

Satoru sat on his sitting mat and stroked his chin. "Now there's something I can relate to, a Daughter in Law who's not afraid to cast a line or hook a big one! I could bore you the whole day talking about fishing, like the time we nabbed the largest White Shark ever to set up shop in Southern Japan, I tell you he was a monster of a catch.........

"Oh no..." Ryu thought. "Dad's off on the big whopper story again. Better go and find the no-doze for this tall tale."

Ryu's mother, Fumiyo, was busy making breakfast when Ryu gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"It's always good to have you back Ryu. Your father must be talking about that Great White shark story again I imagine?"

Ryu stopped to chew on a slice of apple. "You know that well mom, it's the best way for him to do buisness isn't it? Make the other guy sleepy with this wild fishing tale then you got a better chance to bargin right?"

"She's a sweet girl, very fortunate. Have you told the others? Nambu Hakasei?" His mom asked as Ryu took a chair at the table.

"Not yet, we only decided this last night  Mom, a spir of the moment decision after almost two years. I think the war's about to end here real soon so I don't see putting this off any longer."

Ryu's mom stood still for a moment before she spoke. " You shouldn't be so quick Ryu my dear, the war isn't over yet. You've thought about the future? After you leave Gatchaman? Where you'll go? what you'll do besides getting that big pension they tell you about?"

"I have Mom, realy I've thought about this for a long time......don't have any firm plans as of yet but I do have college lined up and the Dragon boat house in Utoland is a good steady buisness to hang on to..."

"Ryu?...." Fumiyo gave her son a quizitive look as the man rolled his hands trying to find a retort for her questioning....

"Well.....You know I'm always good for my words Mom?" Ryu said as she turned back to the cutting board.

"Just testing you Ryu....be sure you make the right choice."

"That's mom....always the one that worries the most. Of course she's right, maybe I need to slow down and make sure I'm realy ready for this after all."

*******************


Jinpei was still exhausted as he tried to doze off with Lupin still in his room. He decided to let him stay after Jun did some of the usual bribery payment, a super bag of Skittles of course.

Lupin was impressed by Jinpei's skills, so impressed that he wanted him with him when he made the big move for Berg Katse's huge stash of diamonds. Of course, Lupin did these big jobs for duel reasons, personal gain and a sense that some good should result from being such a dangerous theif. Berg Katse wasn't parting with this big stash willingly he reasoned, there was an alternate motive to it all.

The sudden and unexpected showing of Goyman at the window indicated that a problem was brewing, for Goyman made it a habit of not showing himself less it was dinner....or "dinner" was about to be served. Lupin shook the tired boy awake with the expected results, Jinpei tried to throttle Lupin's neck!

"Look mister! It's enough your up here while I'm trying to sleep! Now your screwing with me while I'm trying to sleep!"........"

Lupin pulled Jinpei from the bed, and threw him out the door just in the nick of time as a small rocket crashed through the window and blew the room to bits!

Jun ran from her room in shock but quickly grabbed the comlink from off the dresser before joining Jinpei, Jigan, and Lupin in making a run for the fire escape.

HIGHWAY 46...........TOKYO....

Joe had retrived his beloved Cobra from the Police impound lot and was headed out to his home in Shinotska when Jun's screaming voice came over the comlink. "Oh great! I love a good rumble!" Joe screamed as he threw the car in a bootlegger spin and roared towards Utoland!

YAMAZAKI........

Ryu was out the door, pausing briefly to kiss Noriko on the lips and entrust her to his father. She didn't understand why he suddenly had to run off without telling her why.

"Send the God Pheonix to Yamazaki! Ryu the Great Owl wants to bust some Galactor skulls in!!"

UTOLAND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT

"I'm on my way back to you Jun! Just hang in there and let the bastards know what the word buisness means!" Ken waisted no time in transmuting just as the plane cleared the runway. He could see the smoke rising in the buisness district and hell was rising with it!

THE END
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