Cyborg 009 Fan Fiction ❯ Ante Mortem ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 11 )

Ante-Mortem

By: Wildfire Sky

BWAHAHAHA!!! At last…103 REVIEWS!!! AH!! Success is ringing in my ears and I feel absolutely ecstatic that such loyal readers as you have accepted me so well into the realm of FF.Net. So thank you thank you, my friends. Such honor that you have bestowed on me shall not go unnoticed. And a very special thanks to GoldAngel2, for without her patience and guidance, I don't think Ante-Mortem would have been possible!! Thanks!!

Also, there are new characters to be met and new situations to arise. So pay close attention…the romance is basically out the window between Joe and Francoise, so now it's time for the enemy to make their move…such is the life of a cyborg…

Ante-Mortem

Chapter Ten

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"Taii!! Taii Sotomo!!"

Migarushi Sotomo jerked up in his small cot as the high shouts reached his ears. As captain of the small fishing vessel, Sotomo had attuned his hearing to catch even the quietest alarm, especially since many a time, the small boat seemed to get caught up in raging storms…very much as it was now. He gripped the side rails of his bed, struggling to keep his body from being tossed out and across the floor. The ship heaved again as a massive wave crashed into the side, water leaking through the portal above the bed.

"Kuso!!" he snarled as the stream of water cascaded onto his semi-dry mattress. It was hard enough trying to sleep during a storm, but now his cot was wet from the damn rain. To be honest, it wasn't the rain that made the strongly built captain quake…but the winds. It was the wind that caused these massive swells to beat against the ship, fighting to tear it apart and drown the men inside. It was the wind that made his heart shake with fear.

The heavy thud of boots dragged the captain's eyes to his room door. The door lurched open, a tall, thick man silhouetted in the flickering hall light. The first mate stumbled in, his parka soaking wet from the sheets of rain that fell. The ship lurched again as the man began to walk, tossing him against the doorframe. Water sloshed down the stairs from the deck, flooding the plain, wooden floors.

"Close the damn door!" Sotomo snapped, his gruff voice thick with sleep, "Do you want to drown us? What the hell is the problem?"

The man slammed the door shut, trying to drown out the howling winds to no avail, "Sir, we've found a body in the water! Caught in one of the nets."

"The nets? Who set them out in the middle of a storm?"

"They weren't secured correctly, sir. The wind picked them up and threw them out to sea. Seems that a net snagged the body when we were trying to bring them in."

"Any damage to the ship?"

"No sir."

Sotomo stood, pulling on a pair of boots and pants and drawing a parka over his shoulders. He threw the hood up on his parka, grabbing a flash light and a large skinning knife. "How's the weather up there? Still bad?"

"And getting worse, Soto."

Soto grunted in reply, moving towards the door, "Go and send out a call to Tokyo," he ordered, "We'll dock as soon as we can break through this storm."

The first mate stepped aside, allowing Sotomo passage, "But Soto, we're almost a day out of Japan…we should wait until the storm clears before we do anything."

"No!" Soto shouted, jerking the door open. It flew back, embedding itself into the wall with a resounding crack. The storm instantly bombarded the two sailors, pushing them back into the room. Soto turned back to Kinto, grabbing him on his shoulder, "Who knows what might happen between now and then? The radio hasn't been working properly for weeks. I want to give us time to patch a call through and hopefully get a reply."

Kinto nodded, "Yes sir!"

Sotomo, rushed up the stairs into the cockpit of the ship, the rain beating against him from the open doorway. The sky was thick with clouds, the sun all but melted from the sky as the weather grew harsher. He burst out on to deck, immediately gripping the side rails, and stared out over the deck, barely making out the thrashing figures no more than twelve feet away. He could see two of the five men bent over the railing, struggling with some unseen package over the side. A burst of light lit the entire ship, the men fully visible for a split second as lightning streaked across the sky. Someone punched his shoulder, trying to get his attention. Soto turned to look at the strained face of his first mate.

"Kinto, have you gotten through?" he shouted, struggling to be heard over the roaring wind.

"No sir!" Kinto replied, "The damn lightning hit the antenna and the radio exploded…it's completely fried until I get a chance to fix it!"

There was another flash of lightning, illuminating the deck in a hot white light momentarily. However, it was longer enough for Soto to catch a glimpse of the deep gash running across Kinto's eye, slicing him from corner to corner, evidence of the radio's violent explosion. Kinto grinned in the darkness, wincing as the cut skin began to burn with infection.

"Captain…I think they might need some help with the body…"

Sotomo looked away from the bleeding first mate over to where his men were still struggling with their limp burden. A wave smashed into the boat, rocking it back. The men on deck fell back onto the hard surface, gripping at whatever they could to keep from being swept away. The water poured off of the ship, the men scrambling back up and rushing over the rail again.

A fisherman, spotting his captain, slid over to meet him. "Soto, we have to cut the body loose! The waves are killing us…"

"Is he alive?"

"What?"

Soto cupped a hand to his mouth, "I asked if he's alive!"

The fisherman hesitated, "Uh…I'm not sure sir, he's not moving."

Sotomo grabbed the sleeve of his friend, bunching it up in his hand and drawing the man closer, "That doesn't mean a damn thing! We're going to haul up the body so he can at least have a proper burial…much better than we could ever hope for. I need you to take Kinto below deck and put him in bed, and then I want you to try and fix the damn radio! We have to get a message out to Japan."

"What's wrong with the radio?" the fishermen asked, glancing at the cockpit.

"The antenna was hit and it exploded in Kinto's face. Now quit asking questions and just do as I say!"

"You got it, captain!"

Sotomo patted the man's back as he brushed past before clutching the rail in his calloused hands, pulling his body along the deck. The wind lashed around him, lifting his parka from his body, the rain hammering down around him in an angry sheet from the thick black heavens.

Lightning ripped across the sky, a monstrous roar of thunder following. The noise was deafening, but Sotomo blocked it out, his eyes trained on the group of men in front of him. He stumbled over, catching himself against one of the fishermen.

"How's it coming?" he shouted over the howling.

One of the men pointed down, "I think he's stuck, Soto. The netting's not moving an inch. Should we cut him loose?"

Soto scowled, mumbling to himself. "Like hell we will."

He looked over the edge. A bundle of netting was stuck against the side, caught on the metal siding that helped protect the fishing boat against rocks and reefs. He could barely make out the body inside, seeing only an arm dangling from the weave of rope, smacking against the side of the ship. Sotomo found himself wondering as well if the person was alive or not. He just looked so dead.

"Captain should we…"

"Look!" Soto exclaimed, his black eyes wide with amazement. Had it been real? Yes! There it was again, "Look, Min, his arm is moving!"

The fisherman looked over the side, "Well I'll be damned…quick! Someone go down and cut the nets away from the side, that's the only way to bring him up."

Soto put up a hand to block the movements of his men, "No, I'll go," he picked up a thick rope, tying it around his waist securely. Handing the rope to Min, he cast him a stern glance, "Make sure that you're ready to take him below. I won't have this boy die of hypothermia. And for God's sake, see if that damn radio is fixed!"

"No problem, Soto!"

With a smirk, Sotomo launched himself over the rail, his gloved hands gripping the rope and slowing him to a smooth stop beside the child. Pulling out his knife, he looked up to see his men leaning over the rail, each holding on tightly to the rope. Slowly he reached forward, the shiny metal of his knife gleaming in the lights of the boat.

He pulled the tiny flashlight from his pocket, clamping it between his lips as he began to saw at the thick cords of fish rope. The net was caught on a jutting piece of metal sticking from the side, a jagged, ugly looking piece of shrapnel. His light shone across the metal, illuminating a dark liquid.

Water? Soto ran his glove over the liquid, bringing the covered hand to his face. No, not water…the light clearly showed the thick, dark fluid, the red tint glinting off the steel…blood.

He looked at the trapped body in the net. The metal had stabbed him…ripped his flesh from the harsh pulling of his men. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath. He need to cut him loose, and fast, or the boy might very well die.

Sotomo clutched the knife, his face steeled with determination. Quickly and accurately, he began to saw at the rope, the strands fraying away from his hard, even strokes. The cold wind whipped around him, throwing the rain against his face in hard slaps, but still he kept cutting…never giving up. Finally, with a low crack, the first rope snapped. He looked down at the boy, smiling victoriously. "Only one more to go, kid. Hang in there."

Like a demon from Hell, Soto attacked the last impairing cord, the strands falling to his intensity. Only a few more cuts…

Suddenly, a loud horn blast cut through the air, sounding over the wind. Soto's head snapped up in time to see his men scatter, the rope tightly secured to the rails. His head slowly turned, eyes unable to contain the massive swell that towered above him. It had to be at least ninety feet high…a monstrous wall of churning water and death.

There was no time to think. With an animalistic roar, Soto slashed through the netting, clutching the boy around his waist and bodily dragging him from the death trap. He crushed the boy to his body, arm securely wrapped around the child. He could feel the wave approaching like a monster…the boat pulled towards it as it sucked away all off the water around it, preparing for the crushing blow. Soto closed his eyes and braced himself for its earth shattering impact.

"Hold on, kid!"

And then, with an un-worldly roar, the wall of water, surging over the miniscule boat, pounced its mighty weight on its newest victim.

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The large war vessel, the Dolphin, hovered near the bottom of the deep Pacific, feeling, even in the dark depths miles down, the raging storm on the surface above. Dr. Gilmore stood on the deck of the Dolphin, his old worried eyes watching the deep sea creatures saunter by, ignorant to the invader in their underwater world.

It's been almost eight full hours since he left…he thought bitterly, He should have at least checked the weather before he left... 009…

Behind him the deck door hissed open, admitting the tall German cyborg inside.

"Something wrong, doctor?" Albert asked, "It's my watch and I'm sure you're tired…go to bed I'll watch the controls."

The Russian sighed, "It's not that, 004…I'm just worried about 009. According to the radar, the storm up there is getting worse by the minute. I just can't figure out…"

Albert came up next to the doctor, waiting for the elder man to voice his complicated thoughts. Gilmore sighed again, rubbing his temples in an effort to ward off an impending headache.

"004…why did 009 run off like that without a word to anybody? It's not like him at all."

"No," Albert agreed, "It's not…to be perfectly honest with you, I've been worried about him ever since we left Tokyo. He's been acting strange around everybody, especially 003."

Gilmore nodded, "Do you think he was scared off by someone?"

Albert folded his arms across his chest, staring down at the tiles, "I don't think he was scared off by someone more so than he scared himself off. The tension between 002 and him was overwhelming…too much for him to handle, no doubt. Maybe he didn't want things to become any worse in the group."

"Yes," Gilmore said, lowering his eyes, "The others have been acting harshly towards him…quite unfairly if you ask me. They have no idea how much he's been suffering lately…"

"Are you talking about that incident between him and 003 in Rome? I would have expected him to get over that by now."

The Russian sighed, "Love isn't that easy to get over, 004…especially broken love. You of all people should know that."

Albert looked at the doctor, "I do know that…however, I've learned that moving on is the best thing that you could ever do. Worrying over love just makes your life harder and makes it even more difficult to move on."

"Well even if love is one part of the problem…it's only an aftermath to the real killer of his life." Gilmore turned to look at 004 directly in his pale blue eyes, "Now listen to me, 004, what I'm about to tell you must remain between us. I'm hesitant to even voice this aloud, but I feel that someone must be told in order to keep the ship at peace."

Albert nodded, "You can count on me, doctor. I won't tell a soul…"

The doctor nodded, leaning forward, "Now listen to me carefully, 004, for this might very well be the most important thing I've ever told you…"

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Francoise sat on the edge of her bed, unable to sleep. Joe's departure was having a greater effect on her than she had expected it to. How could he have just left like that? Had she done something wrong? No. There was only one person to blame for all of this. Herself. She'd made the stupid decision to push away the only man who truly loved her for who she was…just because of one thing.

You gave Jet more of a chance, Francoise.

She face tightened in frustration as her mind viciously taunted her.

That's right, I said it. Tell me, why did you do that? Wasn't he the one who was always by your side, making sure you were alright after every battle…loving you like you've always wanted? Did Jet ever do that?

No…how could he? Joe was always in the way…always the first to check her.

Don't kid yourself…Jet had plenty of chances…you just don't want to admit that you've ruined this team!

Francoise nearly choked with realization…it was her fault that the team was divided. On one side, there was 002, 007, and 006. On the other it was 005, 008, and 004. Young Ivan was out of the picture, because he'd been asleep for the past few days…and her? Well she wasn't sure what side she was on. Should she be loyal to her self-proclaimed 'boyfriend'…or to the young man that had captured her heart from the very beginning?

I thought we've already gone over this!! It's Joe you want…Joe!! Admit it, Jet's only an understudy…a replacement until you can come to your decisions and get Joe back.

But how? Joe was gone…maybe forever…and he didn't tell anybody where he was going…

Oh please, woman, think!! There's only one logical place for him to go!!

Japan…

You got it. But here's the real problem…exactly where in Japanis he? Tokyo…Kyoto…hell, I don't even know so you're on your own right now. To bad 001 isn't awake. Doesn't he always fall asleep at the wrong times?

Francoise laughed to herself. Yea, 001 did…but he always seems to wake up when they needed it.

But not this time…this time, you've got to figure things out for yourself!

Francoise groaned in defeat, her mouth suddenly dry. She stood up, wrapping a thin robe around her shoulders before heading out into the hallway and towards the kitchen. The ship was dark and quiet, the cyborgs fast asleep and dreaming whatever they dreamed.

She peeked into 001's nursery, walking over to make sure the little tyke was still sleeping. It seemed strange to her that the Russian infant would want his own room, especially since she was always caring for him, but the child was a genius. Maybe privacy came with the territory.

The baby was asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling. Francoise looked down at the child, visions of her feeding Ivan as Joe sat next to her, admonishing in their closeness. She had known then that Joe would make a wonderful father. He was strong, compassionate, and had such a life where he could teach his own child the morals of right and wrong. Joe would always be there for whomever he cared for…always.

Francoise heaved a weary sigh, tucking the sheets around Ivan and kissing the infant on his forehead. The baby shifted slightly, clutching at the blanket, a tiny coo of happiness escaping from his lips. The French girl couldn't help but giggle at the babe's antics. For such a sarcastic child, Ivan truly was innocent…evident when the boy slept. All of the strain he experienced would be washed away with the dreams…carried into another world where the cruelties of life could not reach.

Francoise turned and left the room, the door hissing shut behind her. She leaned back against the door, titling her head up towards the ceiling.

Joe…I'm so sorry…

She sighed again, her head falling to her chest, her honey hair cascading around her face. It was hard to admit…but she really did miss Joe. Pushing away from the door, Francoise continued into the kitchen, opening a cupboard and pulling out a small glass. She opened the refrigerator, glancing at the contents and pulling out a jug of water.

Since they were in a ship, their water certainly couldn't come directly from a pipeline. They had tanks in the bowels of the ship that would collect water from the ocean, purifying it with a concentration of chlorides and chemicals until it was safe to drink. It tasted as fresh as spring water, but 006 still didn't trust it.

"Contaminated!!" he would shout constantly, especially at 009 who insisted the water was safe, "The water in contaminated!! Go ahead and drink it if you want to get sick you baka!!"

Joe would always get flustered at Chang's insults, learned in the ways of respecting his elders. Reproaching the Chinese man too harshly would go against his teachings, so he remained silent and took it as it came. However, if 006 and 007 ever got in a war of words, the arguments could last for hours until someone either backed down or was knocked out, depending on if the other cyborgs lost their temper or not.

She brought the glass to her lips, enjoying the feel of the tasteless liquid soothing her parched throat.

"…so that's what was wrong with 009!"

Francoise paused as the voices reached her ears. She didn't mean to eaves drop, but it had to do with Joe and she just couldn't ignore it. As silently as possible, she set the glass into the sink and tip toed from the kitchen in the direction of the voices. She froze by the door to the control room, manually sliding it open slightly so she could look inside.

It was 004 and Dr. Gilmore. The German looked very strained, his arms crossed over his chest, a frowned plastered on his face. Gilmore, on the other hand, looked more tired than anything. He was sitting in a chair, his head bowed as he spoke to Albert.

"Dr. Kasumi told me about this a long time ago…I mentioned it to 009, but he never clearly told me his feelings. I should have been worried that night when he attacked 002 like that…I should have seen it coming."

"It's not your fault doctor," 004 said reassuringly, "009 should have came to us earlier…spoke up sooner before making such a drastic decision."

"I'll agree with you there. His rationality has been completely off center…"

"Maybe he was manipulated by Black Ghost into running away."

Francoise's heart nearly stopped.

Black Ghost? Oh Joe…

Albert was talking again, his face grave, "It what you say is true, then Black Ghost's mind control might also have more of an effect than we could imagine. You have to realize that as brave and strong as 009 is, he's still only a boy. His emotions can be tampered with easily…much more easily than say, myself, who's had more emotional tragedies than someone his age. The perfect target for a new puppet."

Gilmore shook his head, "But what about 001? He's even younger than 009, why didn't Black Ghost go after him?"

"Because," 004 replied swiftly, "001 is too strong for him. You said the acid was spreading, right? Well my guess is that Black Ghost is fighting against 009…so if it's so hard for him to completely take over a simple cyborg, imagine what it would be like to take over a baby with psychic powers that rival his own."

Gilmore sat back in his chair thoughtfully. "Umm…so what do you think Black Ghost is planning?"

"He's trying to find a weak point in our team…something that could tear us apart. And I think he found that chink."

"003."

Albert nodded, "Yes. It's unfortunate, but Black Ghost undoubtedly knows about 009's feelings for her. He knew that if he could get at his heart, he could get at us."

"So…so maybe it's for the best that 009 is gone…"

"How could you say that!?"

Albert's head snapped around to the doorway, "003! What are you doing here?"

Francoise glared at the two, "I heard everything…"

"003…"

Francoise turned on Gilmore, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier!? I could have helped him!"

"No body can help him, child," Gilmore said, standing up, "The control is too strong for even young 001 to break. You might end up making things worse for him."

"Worse??" 003 snapped, "How could I make things worse by being there and supporting him? 009 needed my help and yet no one even thought to tell me! The…" The one he loves…She couldn't bring herself to say the rest, but the two men understood what she was saying. Gilmore walked over to her, clasping her frail hands in his own.

"You have a good heart, 003…but you don't understand what I'm saying. You might make things worse because…" he looked away from the French girl's aqua eyes, "Because 009 is dying…"

Francoise's heart clutched, "What…"

"This acid…not only will it take over 009's mind…but it will eventually spread through out his body, devouring everything in its path until the boy is nothing more than an empty shell…dead to everything…and then, he will die."

"But doctor…"

"There is no way around it, I'm afraid," Gilmore continued, "I'm sure he knows this and the last thing he wants is pity."

Francoise wrenched her hands from the doctors, glaring at him, "He wants me!" she snapped, "He wants me to be near him and I could have given him that!!"

Albert cautiously stepped towards the angered Francoise, "003, please calm down…"

Francoise turned to him, her eyes hardening viciously, "He's out there right? Can't we go and look for him?"

"003…"

"Can we?!"

Albert sighed, lowering his head slightly, "You have to understand, 003, it's not that easy. The Pacific Ocean is an enormous body of water…and even if we had the slightest idea where he might be, we can't go out in this kind of weather!"

"Please…" 003's legs trembled, her body beginning to shake, "Please…we have to at least try…he could be out there…alone and dying…"

The two men fell silent, exchanging solemn glances. Francoise lifted her head, and stared at them in disbelief, "You're not going to do anything are you?"

"It…" Gilmore struggled to find the right words, "It was his choice to leave…I could have helped him but…"

Albert stepped forward, "What the doctor is saying is that 009 left on his own accord. Nobody told him to jump overboard in the middle of a storm…he did that himself." He glanced at the tearful Francoise, "I'm sorry I have to sound so harsh, but if this is the only way to get your head out of the clouds then so be it!"

Francoise stared at him a moment, her mind turning the words over. Finally she straightened up, wiping the tears from her eyes, "You may have given up on him, but I never will. The second this storm is over, I'm going to go out and find him." She turned away and walked out of the control room.

Gilmore jumped forward, "003…!" but his words fell on empty ears as the door hissed shut. The Russian doctor sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Albert, "004, you know as well as I do she'll go out and look for him…"

"Of course."

"………004……"

"Yes doctor?"

Gilmore fingered the hem of his shirt, "If it's not too much trouble, once this storm clears I want you and 002 to do an airborne search for him out to a hundred miles from the Dolphin."

Albert looked at the doctor skeptically, "Are you sure you want 002 to go? He and 009 weren't on the best of terms."
"I know that," Gilmore replied, "But let me remind you that 002 is not our enemy. No matter how much he may hate 009 he still has loyalty to this team and the members on it. He'll look for him…he does have morals."

004 smiled good-naturedly, "Even if it isn't much. What about 008? Do you want him to do an ocean sweep?" The cyborg shifted nervously, "I mean, there is a chance 009 drowned."

"No," Gilmore chuckled dryly, "There's absolutely no chance of that. You forget he's modeled after the rest of you, including 008. He too can breathe underwater, just as easily as our young African friend. Now then, do you understand what to do?"

"Of course, doctor Gilmore. 002 and I will leave as so as it's clear."

Gilmore nodded and turned to leave, "004?"

Albert looked at the scientist over his shoulder, "Yes?"

"…Thank you."

Albert flashed the Russian a warm smile, "No problem."

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

Ugghh…where am I…??

The first thing the boy saw when he opened his eyes was a blinding white light, his body tight with pain, pulling and stretching. His blurred eyes detected that he was surrounded by silhouettes walking just beyond his grasp. He reached out a hand, groping blinding at the moving shadows beyond. Was he dead? His mouth moved, lips cracking with strain.

"Help…" he managed to whisper from his dry throat.

The black figures pressed in closer, dark hands reaching out towards him, advancing on his prone body. A wave of panic swept over the child and he began to struggle. Something was pressing him back onto a hard surface.

What was it? He couldn't see!!

Fear stricken, a harsh scream ripped from his throat, the lining torn away. His scream dwindled down to nothing but a painful cough, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth.

"Calm down, kid. You're alright…just calm down."

The boy's mind followed the soothing baritone voice, allowing it to lull him into calm. His speeding heart slowed as his eyes adjusted and his struggles ceased.

"That's it…everything's ok. Min, get that goddamn light out of his eyes!"

There was a rusty squeak and the light was swiftly taken away, the room falling into focus. A tall, built man stood over the boy, a salt 'n pepper beard dressing his face as he stared down with large black eyes. His hair was an unruly mess, water dripping from the ends and splashing on to the bed and floor. The young man flinched as a droplet of water hit his cheek.

"Gomen," the man said with a deep laugh, "I'm a little wet."

Wet was an understatement. The man was completely soaked from head to toe, water dripping from his wet clothes. His boots squished loudly as he shifted his weight, leaning over the boy's body and holding out a hand.

"Name's Migarushi Sotomo, but my friends know me as Soto. I'm the taii of this fishing vessel. What's your name kiddo?"

Who am I?? That's right…what's my name?? What's going on??

The young man looked at him dazedly, "What happened to you?"

Sotomo laughed again, "Let's just say I went for a little swim tonight…lovely weather for it."

Soto had a twinkle in his eyes that immediately drew Joe to him. A small, nervous smile broke out over his features as he grasped the captain's large hand in his own.

What's my name…?

"I…I'm not sure…what my name is, sir."

"Not sure?"

The boy shook his head, "I can't remember it…"

"Is that a fact?" Soto grinned, "Well, then, I guess we'll have to find you one, but for now, welcome aboard! Please allow me to introduce the rest of my hardy crew. This in Min and his younger brother Tai…"

Two shorter, clean shaven men stood, both nodding in the boy's direction simultaneously. The resemblance between the two was remarkable. Both had shockingly silver hair and dark blue eyes, both standing the same way and both held the same bright smile across their face. The only difference between the two was that one wore an ear ring in his left ear, while the other wore it in his right.

"And these are Yangsu, Oromo, and Kumu…"

Each man stood up and took Joe's hand, shaking it and patting the boy on his shoulder kindly.

"And this is Kinto, my first mate…"

The others fell silent. There was a muffled grunt and the screech of metal being dragged across the floor. A man slowly approached the bed, standing over him and staring down at the boy. His red eyes hardened into a harsh glare, the long bangs of his hair falling over his eyes.

The young man stared back at the man, equally as cautious as the stranger let on to be. He couldn't help but notice the jagged scar that ran down across his face. The boy's eyes traveled the cruel cut as it slashed across Kinto's left eye in a vicious 'X'.

"I just got it."

The boy blinked, "Excuse me?"

Kinto glared, "I just got the scar recently…cut myself on the radio."

Soto's warm smile turned grim, "The storm's pretty bad out there…and it only got worse when we found your body caught in one of our nets. I had sent my friend Kinto here to go and send out an alert to the mainland, hoping to get a signal out for some assistance…unfortunately; a bolt of lightning hit our antenna and caused the radio to explode…" he bowed his head slightly, "we haven't been able to contact anyone since."

The boy looked around at the grave faces, "Are…are we lost? Can we find our way back?" Even though I don't exactly know what they're talking about…

Sotomo smirked, "Listen kiddo, I'm the famous Migarushi!! The best fisherman in all of Japan…I never get lost! So don't you fear, we'll sail straight on to Japan and have some nice, warm sake!!"

The boy nodded eagerly, "Then what?"

Sotomo's grin grew, "Now, let's not get too hasty here…there are a few things I need to figure out. Like, do you have any parents?"

The young man blinked, "Parents…"

He wracked his mind for anything; any possibility that there might be someone who'd cared for him. The only image that sprang into his mind was that of a beautiful woman with golden locks and wide, blue eyes. Was this his mother? No…she looked too young to be his mother.

"I don't think I have any…parents…"

Sotomo frowned, "No, eh? That's too bad…well, kiddo, I guess for the time being, you're suck with us poor bastards, eh??"

The fishermen laughed as Soto continued, "Now, the only thing left is to figure out a name for you…and what will it be…I wonder…?"

"Mumei."

The men glanced over at the scarred Kinto. The man looked down at the boy and smiled, "His name will be Mumei, suitable for a boy without a name."

Sotomo stared at his first mate momentarily before turning back to the shivering boy next to him, "Well, kid, what do ya say? Will it be Mumei?"

The boy looked around at the friendly, yet battered faces of the men he was beginning to trust. Although he'd just met them, and the introductions were swift, he liked the fishermen, especially the one named Sotomo. Even though he couldn't remember the faces of his parents, this man and his crew would do just fine as replacements.

The boy shook his bangs out from in front of his red-brown eyes and grinned, "Yea…Mumei would suit me just fine."

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Dumdumdum!! Ah!!! What in the flying hell is going on with Joe?? Heavens!! Oh boy, I feel sick as a dog right now…seriously…so apologies if the ending was kinda bad…

Sorry, I'm just really not in the mood for anything really fun…actually I'm kinda depressed right now, so please forgive to extended period of time it took me to get this out. My UIL play didn't advance to state (*sigh*). The FAT BITCH OF A JUDGE decided that two worthless plays were better. I promise you, if you had seen ours and then theirs, you'd agree. THEY DID A MUSICAL!!! A MUSICAL!!! You NEVER do musicals for UIL. "Man of La Mancha" is what they did, and they fuckin' talked the words to the song!! How awful can you get!?!?? But…I really can't support my case because I just sound like a sore loser…

OH WELL!! The good thing is that they'll completely shatter their reputation at state for having such a shitty show and the judge may die of a heart attack!! So look on the bright side!!

Anyways, let's do the review responses…you know, someone asked me why I do a review for every single person. I just think of it as common courtesy to give each person an individual response because you took the time to read, I should take the time to respond!!

GoldAngel2: Wow!! Poignant…I've never had such a great review…btw what does poignant mean?? And could you refresh my memory on this Ishinomori person…my Japanese history isn't all it should be…and don't worry, like Motel 8, we'll keep the light on!!

Dark Angel 0013: *closes mouth* Don't want anything to get in there that shouldn't be in there!! Thanks for the review!!

animefreak5483: I'm glad you liked it and hell ya!! I love Heero and Duo too!! Whoot!!

TetsouTsubushi:Thanks for your review!!

Fantasygirl:And a happy late-Easter to you too!! I'm glad you liked the chapter. Unfortunately I didn't get any candy…in fact I kinda slept through Easter (but don't tell anyone…I don't want to be known as…*looks around*…as a heathen!! Gasp!!).

Wolfwood11:Aww…you can't be that unlucky!! Think of it this way: are you alive? Are you happy? Do you have someone who loves you and cares for you?? If you can say yes to any of the above, then you sound pretty lucky to me!!

Dregonas:Oooo…new name??? Or just a new reader…………humm………aw who cares!! Thanks for the review!!

Holli:Ahhh!! Good to hear from you again!! Yep, I hope this chapter helps you to realize that Francoise isn't just going to sit around and do nothing!! Thanks for the review!!

Demon Darkchild:You're truly awesome too!! Thanks for the review!!

anna-angel2: Hey hey hey!!! Success!! Look at this!! I'm reaching out to people from all over the world!! Mexico, wow!! Hey, it's all bueno!! It you wanna speak in Spanish, speak in Spanish!! It don't matter if you're black or white, give me the review any way you want because it's not that hard to find a translator. Hell, if you want I'll even respond in Spanish!! So welcome aboard!! Everyone be sure to tell senorita anna-angel2 hello!!

Gohan-Chan:Wow…that was one long sentence…thanks for the review!!

open-up:Thanks for the review!!

Wicked Enough:Jeeze!! I haven't had such a wonderful review since I got my first one from GoldAngel2!! I am so happy that you enjoyed my fanfic!! And in my opinion, every author should be worship and do you know why? Because with our pens (and computers) we have the power to bring people together if just for one moment. Look at anna-angel2!! I was able to grab someone from MEXICO, a place I never even dreamed I could reach…you know what? We could probably stop wars if we really put our minds to it. So we can worship each other. Alright??

jenny644443855: I shall continue…just for you my friend!!

Thanks for the reviews!!

LOOK OUT FOR MY NEXT CHAPTER!!!

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